In The Mouth Of Madness (1994) ****
"Reality is not what it used to be."
The final film in John Carpenter's self-described "Apocalypse Trilogy" (which includes The Thing (1982) (review) and Prince Of Darkness (1987) (review)), In The Mouth Of Madness (1994) (one of my Top 10 Horror Films (1990–Current)) was a box office failure but, like many of the director's films, has gained cult status and appreciation over the years.
For my money ITMOM is the best Lovecraft-inspired story—with allusions to King and Barker—ever put to film (particularly fitting given that one of the main characters is a horror novel writer). Of Carpenter's work, it bears the most similarity to POD but with better acting—Sam Neill, capable of great range, is perfectly cast here. Michael De Luca's script is taut and suspenseful. Along with Edward A. Warschilka's tight editing and Carpenter's expert direction, the story successfully conveys the psychological meta-horror faced by Neill's John Trent.
The film features brilliant old school creature effects via KNB, which are never overused—we see just enough of the monsters to whet our appetite. I personally love that kind of approach of leaving certain bits to the imagination (some would argue that The Thing fails to do that, but it gets a pass because Rob Botin's work on that film is unfuckwithable). Though it's a shame that Carpenter was no longer working with exceptional cinematographer Dean Cundey, who shot many of the director's best films, Gary B. Kibbe did an excellent job of capturing the dark imagery and cerebral production design of the piece.
Unlike the relentless bleakness of POD, Madness manages to inject its gloom with a dark sense of humor. This undercurrent of black comedy sets just the right tone, where we end up laughing alongside our protagonist at the absurdity of his situation.
For my money ITMOM is the best Lovecraft-inspired story—with allusions to King and Barker—ever put to film (particularly fitting given that one of the main characters is a horror novel writer). Of Carpenter's work, it bears the most similarity to POD but with better acting—Sam Neill, capable of great range, is perfectly cast here. Michael De Luca's script is taut and suspenseful. Along with Edward A. Warschilka's tight editing and Carpenter's expert direction, the story successfully conveys the psychological meta-horror faced by Neill's John Trent.
The film features brilliant old school creature effects via KNB, which are never overused—we see just enough of the monsters to whet our appetite. I personally love that kind of approach of leaving certain bits to the imagination (some would argue that The Thing fails to do that, but it gets a pass because Rob Botin's work on that film is unfuckwithable). Though it's a shame that Carpenter was no longer working with exceptional cinematographer Dean Cundey, who shot many of the director's best films, Gary B. Kibbe did an excellent job of capturing the dark imagery and cerebral production design of the piece.
Unlike the relentless bleakness of POD, Madness manages to inject its gloom with a dark sense of humor. This undercurrent of black comedy sets just the right tone, where we end up laughing alongside our protagonist at the absurdity of his situation.
"Do you read Sutter Cane?" I do not, but I'm glad I live in a world where a film about him exists.
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