This was almost like a new film to me since it's many yeares since I've seen it. I am completely SHOCKED at how enthralled I was with this coastal ghost story and just how well John Carpenter engineered it. As with Halloween this film is almost built entirely on atmosphere and environment. Long seemingly unending shots of the landscape and town backed by eerie electronic music that breaths out of the film building the dread. Slowly the Fog moves in covering the beach, the bay, the town and then the people. Worst of all the monsters are hidden and barely seen at all except in silhouette. Not knowing what is after you is the most scarey thing of all. I love to consider the creatures in the fog as Pirates due to their assorted weaponry. This all feels very much like the tale told on the midnight beach over a roaring fire. Spooky is the perfect word, for this is truly a ghost story. Many of the players here we will see throughout John Carpenter's body of work. As we move from one film to the next it's always interesting to see who journey's with him. Simply amazing score by Carpenter that not only acts to engage us in the creepy/spooky factor but also as a rhythm machine that builds to small zing points or climaxes. The evil fog feels sentient here, even in long shots. It is alive and it's coming for us all !! I love this movie and I love John Carpenter !!