In the Mouth of Madness

Great movie with a Lovecraftian feel. It's like a nod to Lovecraft with a hint of Steven King. First time I watched this was in the 90's when I was like 11 years old or something. Enjoyed it just as much the second time around.

Being one of my favourite movies, and favourite directors, (John Carpenter), this was a must buy item to add to the collection. It has been difficult to find for years in the UK, the only options used to be region locked import BluRays or Korean and Spanish language DVDs, where the picture quality lacks. I have to say, the 4K version here is the best transfer I've ever seen for the movie. It's visually beautiful and perfectly vibrant and crisp. All the little extras on the disc are a nice little addition, new interview with Jurgen Prochnow etc. Reversible inlay cover for the case, I prefer the original as opposed to the new designs but the choice is there, same with the poster included. Haven't read through the booklet yet but plenty of time for that. Sam Neill is on top form with this one, fresh off the success of Jurassic Park the year before, one of his and Carpenter's best, and vastly underrated movies of the 90's.

`In The Mouth of Madness' is probably Carpenter's last great film, but it's definitely not an unqualified success: uneven and inconsistent, it is saved by some wonderfully atmospheric sections that make up for the weaker elements in the movie. Sam Neill is John Trent, a fraud investigator sent to investigate the disappearance of Stephen King-a-like Sutter Cane (Jurgen Prochnow), a man whose horror novels are having a disquieting effect on the psyche of the world. Tracking him down to a town that shouldn't exist, Trent is plunged into a maelstrom of evil from which there may just be no escape. First, the weaker points. The first half of the film is not fast-paced, but instead of a slow-burn build up of tension and menace, contains one or two fairly cheap shocks and hammy moments. The framing sequence with Neill in an asylum is probably the weakest part of the movie, hampered by Neill's inability to act convincingly insane or dangerous. He's much better as the urbane cynic he portrays for the bulk of the film, but even then I can't help feeling there must have been actors more suited to the role than him. In fact, the acting in general is not the film's strong point: Carpenter refers to this as the third part of an `Apocalypse' trilogy begat by `The Thing' and continued with `Prince of Darkness', but doesn't have access here to the compelling, intense cast of the former nor the endearing oddball players of the latter. Julie Carmen is fairly insipid as Neill's sidekick (though her character does get one of the best and most literally twisted scenes in the film) and Jurgen Prochnow is merely passable as the author who now does the bidding of Great Old Ones. (The exception is the always-wonderful David Warner, though he is rather underused, with a fairly minor part.) But... at round about the halfway mark, the film starts to turn into something special. In fact, the exact moment is pretty easy to pinpoint. It's when Neill encounters his landlady in her `real' form that the movie kicks into high gear and really starts to become disturbing (in the best possible way.) Indeed, the sequence in which Neill flees the hotel while blasphemous abominations start to emerge is irresistibly reminiscent of what for me remains the most terrifying moment in Fulci's equally Lovecraftian `The Beyond': Lisa's flight from her own hotel and the appearance of shambling shadows at each of the windows. Neill's frantic and futile attempts to escape the fictitious town in which he is trapped becomes the stuff of explicitly Cthulhoid nightmare, culminating eventually in a sequence in which Neill is pursued by ungodly horrors (is that Shub-Niggurath?) just as unpleasant as any of the Thing's manifestations. And given that I regard `The Thing' as one of the greatest horror films of all time, that's high praise indeed. The DVD itself is strong: the picture looks great and there's a Carpenter commentary, though maybe not his most enthralling. Overall though, this is definite must-have, despite its faults, though probably not the best starting point for a Carpenter virgin: it strikes me as very much a film for the Carpenter fan. (And on a random note, I can't help but feel that video game `Condemned 2' owes this film rather a lot.)

Sutter Cane is a phenomenally best-selling horror writer with hundreds of millions of fans worldwide who, according to media tales, are so affected by his writing that some of them are beginning to descend into a kind of madness. When Cane suddenly vanishes, just after the submission deadline for his next bestseller, an investigator is hired by the publisher to find him and bring back Cane's completed manuscript for publication - millions of dollars' worth of sales are counting on it. The investigator follows a hunch that Cane is living in the town referred to in his horror novels, and arrives there with one of the publisher's reps. However after experiences in the town gradually get stranger and stranger, it appears that they have walked in to a Cane's final horror story - and with Cane having written them it, it is down to the twisted genius whether or not they - and indeed the rest of the world - survive. A classic John Carpenter film that seems to pull some unusually good acting even out of the likes of Sam Neill and Charlton Heston, as well as its interesting premise this film has some genuinely creepy moments. A homage to Lovecraft, as well as the blatant Lovecraftian hordes of chaos towards the end there are some nice touches - the hotel receptionist being called Mrs Pickman for example, a reference to Lovecraft's Pickman's Model , a similar tale of a piece of art becoming reality. Wonderful, imaginative, full-on fantasy horror, with a typically Lovecraftian ending of futility and insanity.

Trippy horror film, pretty immersive, had a good time

Good film

Excellent John Carpenter movie, Great Transfer!

Un grupo de estudiantes y científicos se encierra en un edificio para investigar un fenomeno paranormal, hasta que se dan cuenta que esto los está controlando, con partes esotéricas y otras un tanto cuánticas logra el director mezclar géneros, desafortunadamente solo viene subtitulada en inglés

No hay mucho que decir, la película es buena. Sobre la presentación, no incluye demasiados extras, solo lo justo. Lo recomiendo.

John carpernter's lost classic IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS has finally been given the respect it deserves by U.S. company Scream factory first of all Scream factory gave the film a new 4k restoration 2:35: HD transfer which looks incredible quality 10/10 plus the sound mix is also excellent with new 5.1 master mix EXTRAS lots of new extras a new audio commentary with John carpenter & producer wife Sandy carpenter a new interview with Actress Julie carmen a new interview with special efects master Greg nicotero plus lots of behind the scenes special effects footage courtesy of Greg nicotero pus stills Photo Gallery, plus the original trailer in new HD quality plus the old extras carried over from the very old region 1 dvd which is the old dvd commentary with John carpenter & on the set behind the scenes interviews this new blu-ray reissue is the best version to get of this classic Horror film no Doubt about it 10 times better than the old dvd version but you need all regions blu-ray player for sure, Scream/shout factory is a small company from Los Angeles who's blu-ray reissues are only region A locked so 5 stars all the way but any Aussie buyer needs a all regions blu-ray player for the Disc to work.

Superbe film avec un sam neil au top de sa forme

Die Mächte des Wahnsinns ist kein klassischer Horrorfilm mit Jump Scares, sondern ein psychologisch aufgebauter Trip, der immer verrückter wird, je weiter die Handlung geht. John Carpenter verbindet Horror, Mystery und Realitätsebenen auf eine Art, die heute fast schon selten geworden ist. Man weiß nie ganz, was real ist und was Wahnsinn – genau das macht den Film so unangenehm fesselnd. Sam Neill spielt die Rolle großartig, glaubwürdig zwischen Skepsis, Kontrollverlust und totalem Wahnsinn. Der Film wirkt an manchen Stellen bewusst altmodisch, aber gerade das gibt ihm diesen kultigen 90er-Charme. Die Blu-ray hat ein gutes Bild, Ton ist sauber, nichts wirkt kaputtremastert. Für Fans von Carpenter, Lovecraft-Atmosphäre oder Filmen wie „In the Mouth of Madness“ ist das hier ein Pflichttitel.