Critic's Pick — Shocktober: 'The Fog'

If there’s ever been a director who captures the spirit of Halloween, it’s John Carpenter. No, not just because he made a very notable movie with that holiday in its title, but also because he can create the spookiest yet coziest horror movies you’ll ever see. The Fog is a tale that feels right out of a campfire story — which is exactly how the narrative is framed. Released in 1980, it’s a classic ghost story through and through, about a small town smothered by an eerie fog that contains a presence you could also find in an episode of Scooby-Doo: ghost pirates. Carpenter’s penchant for atmosphere helps him create iconic and terrifying images, such as the baleful buccaneers looming over a priest in a church, or a golden cross that shines against the encroaching mist. Every scary seaside tale also needs a lighthouse, and there’s a sequence involving Adrienne Barbeau’s character that’ll be sure to send shivers down your spine. It’s a beautifully macabre picture, and one you won’t want to miss on the big screen with its new 4K restoration. It’s showing at the Belcourt for the theater’s Shocktober series. 

2:10 and 9:50 p.m. at the Belcourt

2102 Belcourt Ave.