In the Mouth of Madness
| release date | February 3 1995 |
| studio | New Line Cinema |
| director | John Carpenter |
| writer | Michael De Luca |
| starring | Sam Neill, Jürgen Prochnow, Charelton Heston |
| rating | PG13 |
| tagline | Lived Any Good Books Lately? |
| site | theofficialjohncarpenter.com/pages/them |
| trailer 1 | Trailer #1 |
4 Comments
This is one of the better horror movies made. Even if people don’t like horror they may actually like this movie. The story is great and the acting fantastic. I have really loved this movie since i first watched it when i was younger. The story takes such a great path and the creatures and people are very creepy. This movie did not try to do anything that it could not pull off. This is a great movie for all types of horror fans. you will love this one.
It disappoints me that many people have never seen – or even heard of – “In the Mouth of Madness.” It’s so strange and surreal that it borders on over-the-top. I first saw it a long time ago and then recently came across it in a video store and picked it up. The movie was just as weird as I remembered it being. I love it.
overall a let down of a promising idea, not all bad though, was hoping to see a bettter film with john carpenter directed it, but oh well.
the concept is great.
There are two types of horror fans: those that want truly original, scary, and well-done genre pieces, and those who hail the old cheese-horror movies–like A Nightmare on Elm Street–as “classics” and anything new as “trash”. In the Mouth of Madness tries to have it both ways. It uses some interesting, fresh ideas while also using tired genre clichés without any constraint whatsoever.
The good:
In the Mouth of Madness does have an intelligent point to make about how obsessive some people are with horror fiction (movie, book, videogame, it doesn’t matter) that very few horror movies would ever dare go. Some of the surrealist moments are the best I’ve personally ever seen, and I’ve seen a lot. The overall plot, while not really original, is not something that is overused in the genre by any means, and is very entertaining.
The bad:
Cheese–the majority of this movie plays out like a bad 40s B-movie, which is sort of is. The creature effects suck, even for their time, and a lot of the acting is insanely over-the-top and just downright funny. Some of the scenes even have laugh-out-loud horror montages that you’ve seen in so many b-movies it’s just ridicules. I couldn’t even talk half of this movie seriously. The very last scene of the movie almost even seems like a punch-line.
Clichés–at one point in the movie a character says: “All horror movies have the same plug. Bumps in the night, axes, people turning into monsters . . .” and that is pretty much how the entire movie plays out. And while the movie continuously mentions Stephen King’s name in passing reference, the screenwriter just doesn’t seem to get it: this movie is nearly a rip-off of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower books, as well as some of his short stories. It even has some near ripped-off elements of a few Dean Koontz’s short stories, as well. But this movie simply isn’t even half as well-done or original as wither writer’s work.
The ugly:
I really wanted to like this movie, but the lack of originality and prevalence of cheese kept me from it. Even though this movie is worth watching, it’s not worth paying money for. Just watch it on Cartoon Network whenever they play their Halloween lineup.
Good movie….
Creepy, trippy, strange … I LOVE IT! If you like movies where you have no idea what’s going on or why all the way until the end, than this is one for you. I know some of the effects are cheesy, but you have to accept it for what it is and WHEN it was produced. The acting was superb for the most part. The story was great. It’s one of my favorites!
I can see where people are on the fence on this movie, either hating it or loving it. I’ve seen it 5 or 6 times and love it more with each viewing! This movie went out on limb and had the balls to put out what I thought was a fresh idea for its time. Sam Niell played the perfect roles of serious, semi-crazy, and just plain nuts. I won’t give anything away for those who haven’t seen this yet, but there are more than a few scenes that left me more than unsettled while watching it. Unless something else comes out that knocked me on my ass like this did, it will always remain on my top 5 horror movie lists.
Surreal, weird , strange . This is a quite a good film from good ole JC. Very under rated which is a shame as it contains such a truly original story and that’s where it gets it power from. Recommended.
I watched this move a very long time ago it has always stuck with me yes I agree the storyline was very good and unique so rent it an watch it
It is madness!!! And done well.
Should be in every top ten horror movies of all time list. Sam Neill is nothing short of fantasic. Jurgen Prochnow did one of the most convincing and amazing acting parts in any horror movie. There are a lot of drawbacks with this movie as far as the supporting actors. For being made in 1995, it really feels like a mid-80s film. The writing isn’t the best and some of the set pieces could have been improved upon. The costume design was mediocre and there was a lack of build without any tense moments at all.
What makes this movie amazing is the imagination. This film feels like it had major, major time constraits while having no budget. There are some very genuinely creep and disturbing parts to this movie… like the old man on the floor. Even with the major flaws of this film, it still is one of the greatest movies I have ever seen. The gold in the dirt is not only Prochnow’s character, but his dialogue and flawless delivery. This is actually one movie that I think needs to be reimagined and remade… even in it’s short existence.
“Do You Read Sutter Cane?”
Woah.. Thats all I can say. A great mind-fuck movie, then again, it’s based on HP Lovecraft’s work, no way it was gonna be anything less. Twisted, confusing, but ultimately good horror, a definite recommendation.
“Do You Read Sutter Cane?”
Woah.. Thats all I can say. A great mind-fuck movie, then again, it’s based on HP Lovecraft’s work, no way it was gonna be anything less. Twisted, confusing, but ultimately good horror, a definite recommendation.
Badass. Demented. Bat shit crazy. They don’t make movies like this anymore. Feels more like a Hellraiser movie than anything else; and in a good way too.
Watching Sam Neil go from rational to insane is freaking awesome.
Absolutely bugnuts.
Thats what I first thought upon finishing my first viewing of this…what I can only describe as an epic masterpiece, epic being the key word…
Carpenter takes this into a direction unlike any he’s ever been in, and it works, especially for a director of his caliber.
Sam Neill gives one of his best performances as a man taught to not believe anything he hears or sees, even if its unfolding right in front of him. Soon he has to question his own sanity, and even…his own existence?
Yes this movie goes places you never expected any film to go, or at least I didn’t…
A trippy, crazy, intense, incredible horror masterpiece.
My favorite film by John Carpenter & my favorite film based on the works (albeit no single work) of H.P. Lovecraft. This is a trippy movie & you never know where it’ll all end up, or how it’s gonna get there. Great stuff, if only Carpenter still made movies of this calibur.
no
In the Mouth of Madness, I was scared shitless. The second time, I laughed my ass off. The third time lay somewhere in between. Carpenter’s mixed-bag homage to H.P. Lovecraft is a bizarre exploration of insanity, monsters and the power of the written word. At times it’s quite beautiful, with some truly twisted and disturbing imagery. Unfortunately, it also fails to sustain its tone, despite the presence of solid actors like Sam Neill, Charlton Heston and Jürgen Prochnow. Still, it’s better than many of Carpenter’s other recent entries, and certainly better than most contemporary horror films.
Insanity reigns supreme!
A nice, solid Lovecraft tribute by the master himself. One flaw though is, as the reviewer below me pointed out, was the film couldn’t keep its tone. The very ending felt like a drag after that fantastic crescendo in the black church.
Overall though, I definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys seeing Lovecraft’s imagination come to life on the big screen.
This movie is amazing. One of the best Carpenter films. The whole movie was based on H.P. Lovecraft which made it even better because im such a big fan of his work. The ending was perfect and was so much like the endings in Lovecrafts work.
This is one of the best movies of all time. The first time I seen In the Mouth of Madness it scared the hell out of me. The acting is great.
Great movie, Sam Neill is awesome and the atmosphere is creepy throughout. The creatures were terrifying and the ending is one of the coolest ever.
Amazing! A true diamond in the rough! The only bad thing about this movie is that it took me 14 years to discover it! A nearly perfectly crafted horror movie. Sam Neil is great as always. Highly reccomended!
If you like wierd and creppy this is the film for you. Im not easily scared being a formal Marine, horror films don’t hardly get me off, however this is one movie that gets my rocks off.
if your not into badass movies then this flick isn’t for you
one hell of a flick, its pretty scary, one of JC’s besty films
I think I might have watched a different movie than the rest of you. Four and five skulls? I’d be upset if I rented this based on these reviews. Maybe I’m just a ‘tard, cause I found this boring. For me, the plot was convoluted and the movie was not engaging.
Carpenter does it again with this intriguing tale.
this movie scared the hell out of me when i first saw it. amazing story line, keeps you thinking the whole way through. the ending was cool as hell too, a must see.
it gets a 10/10 from me
this is a perfect example of when people will say a movie is good just because of who’s in it or who directed it. directors can make shitty movies just like they can make great ones. this just happens to be very shitty. not worth watching, at all.
One of my favorite horror films of all time. A unique story and subtile disturbing effects. I love it.
This movie was pretty awesome. The ending was great! This movie was obviously very well done, it had a chilling atmosphere and the acting was awesome. Great 90′s flick.
GREAT FILM! I have nothing more to say about it, Best horror film ever.
GREAT FILM! I have nothing more to say about it, Best horror film ever.
One of the best horror movies of all time. Great story, good acting, good FX and it really doesn’t hold back. It has a solid sense of doom throughout the whole movie that builds to a perfect climax. It also happens to be a wonderful tribute to HP Lovecraft.
Obviously this is one of my favorite horror movies (my username)
very twisted story line and surprising ending.. left me sitting there with my mouth open. GREAT MOVIE
Plus my Father is very scared of a certain scene with a man riding a bike