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| Images courtesy Living Dead Media |
Director Steve Wolsh returns to his chosen genre with the absolutely insane horror comedy, Fog City. A mash up of classic tropes mixed with melodramatic hijinks ensues in one of the most terribly acted films of the century. But all is not lost. When Fog City ramps it up and forgets about its dreadfully written script and amateurish acting, the resulting final act is a bonkers tribute to all of Wolsh’s influences, cashing in on some amazing practical effects, excellent lighting work, and unadulterated brutality and violence.
Wolsh previously came on the scene with his other low budget horror flicks Muck and Kill Her Goats. Here he is, just a year or two later, learning from many of his previous mistakes, making a real effort to up his skill set and use the criticism of his first features to make drastic improvements. While this still isn’t going to win any awards for creativity or originality and it certainly won’t be getting any nods for its drama club level acting, Fog City turns an otherwise bland idea into one that closes out with high marks. The last half hour of this movie kicks into next level gear with some highly satisfying kills and gore effects that definitely push the envelope of their meager crowd funded budget. The embellishments with lighting and creative shots add to the luster of this d-list genre flick.
When a strange fog settles on the town of West Craven, a pack of sexually charged teens takes up refuge in a cabin, hoping to escape the chemical effects of the dusky cloud. Quickly, they begin feeling a violent change that has them at each others throats, ready for bloodshed and bodily harm. As they’re trapped in the cabin, things unwind into absolute mayhem and paranoia. One by one, they begin turning and things devolve into an unknown madness that tears through the small crowd of overzealous pretty boys and scantily clad females.
Fog City is a product of someone that grew up watching too many ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s thriller, slasher and exploitation flicks. The after effect of Evil Dead, I Spit on Your Grave and (of course) The Fog is felt all over this flick. And Wolsh is to be commended for finding new and interesting ways to squeeze in as many nods as possible. This is a great escapist bit of genre fun that doesn’t take itself too seriously. There is still a place for those late night, low bar video store style flicks that just set their audience down in the middle of brainless horror hell and let them ride it for all its worth.
Wolsh and his cast knew exactly what they were going for here. The dude characters make awful decisions waving around guns and shooting at everything in sight. The girls have just enough clothes on to make this play like a 3am straight to video exploitation flick. The resulting movie is one that won’t ever qualify as a mainstay in the massive back catalog of the genre as a whole. But it’s just enough to have some fun with. And the steelbook set they put together for this is really something to be seen. Whoever is designing their releases scores very high marks for one of the best-looking sets out right now.
-CG