Director
John Carpenter
Cast
Sam Neill - John Trent
Julie Carmen - Linda Styles
John Glover - Saperstein
Jurgen Prochnow - Sutter Cane
David Warner - Dr. Wrenn
Francis Bay - Mrs. Pickman
In the Mouth of Madness is no obscure film. But it seems like among audiences out there who have heard of Carpenter, this is a movie they're not as likely to know about. The titles I just mentioned may came up first if they were asked to name some of his films off the top of their head. Anyways, I've mentioned Carpenter several times on this blog, but haven't reviewed any of his movies. It's thanks to him that the term "slasher" is a word and a horror sub-genre.
This movie is a rental I stumbled upon during a visit to my cousin's house (well, my great-aunt's son and grandkids, whatever relation they would be to me? Cousins once removed? Twice removed? I don't know - I'll consult my sanguinity chart later.)
Not only is In the Mouth of Madness another rental title from my past, it's the first movie I watched on a laser disc format. I must have been 14 at the time. My cousins rented it from their respective rental store somewhere in San Jose.
Three things stood out to me when I first watched it.
First, it has Wilhelm von Homburg whom I immediately recognized as Vigo the Carpathian in Ghostbusters II. I even remember declaring, "Hey, it's Vigo from Ghostbusters two" when he came on screen. It's the only other movie I have ever seen him in.
In the Mouth of Madness also stars John Glover, whom I recognized from Gremlins 2: The New Batch where he plays Trump-esque business mogul, Daniel Clamp.
But above Glover and von Homburg, what I remember most of all is the unsettling horror images from the movie. They're truly memorable in a movie that's unforgettable thanks to its very unique horror style. They've stayed in my memory all these years.
More than 15 years ago, I went looking for the movie I saw at my cousin's house. I didn't know the name, and had some difficulty finding it, even online. I found it through searching for von Homburg movies. And then I bought it.
I've intentionally waited until now to review In the Mouth of Madness. I've wanted to give a suitable review. I also have it on my list for potential films for my 100th review. I still haven't narrowed one down, by the way. Evidently, now it won't be this one.
Sam Neill (Jurassic Park) plays insurance investigator John Trent. An insurance buddy of his asks Trent to work with a client who's looking into a claim filed by a New York company called Arcane Publishing while the two are out having lunch together.
During the lunch meeting, a maniac with an axe breaks through the front window of the restaurant and attacks Trent.
"Do you read Sutter Cane?" this crazy guy asks, his split pupils looking right into Trent's eyes.
Cane is a popular horror novelist in the film, who just released his latest novel. The release incidentally led to huge riots outside bookstores.
Police shoot the axe guy dead. And it turns out he was Sutter Cane's agent who went insane after reading that new novel, and then killing his family.
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| Sam Neill as John Trent in In the Mouth of Madness. |
Harglow tells him the claim involves Cane who has mysteriously disappeared.
Harglow also wants Trent to obtain the manuscript for Cane's last and final novel, In the Mouth of Madness.
Trent thinks this disappearance is one ginormous publicity stunt. Still, he agrees to investigate regardless.
While doing some thinking about the case, he notices how the covers of Cane's novels all contain red lines.
Trent takes the covers and lines up the red lines discovering that they form the shape of New Hampshire when put together. A location is indicated, too, within the shape of the state. Trent takes this location to be Hobb's End, a town used in the novels. He's certain that's were Cane is.
Harglow sends the company's editor, Linda Styles (Julie Carmen), who edits Cane's novels, to accompany him to Maine.
Styles fills Trent in on how Cane's stories have caused paranoia and delusion among some of his readers.
When they find the town, the atmosphere seems off. In fact, Hobb's End isn't suppose to exist. It's not on any real map.
They find specific locations in town referenced in Cane's works. All the while Trent is still skeptical about the whole debacle.
Among the locations in town is a lone Eastern style church painted black. Styles is certain Cane is hiding within.
She goes inside to find Cane, which she does, only to be driven mad when he gives her the manuscript to his final novel.
As Trent explores Hobb's End, he comes across many unsettling things. He goes into a bar where a local named Simon (Wilhelm Von Homburg) warns Trent to leave.
Trent runs out, only to be approached by a mob of hideous looking people.
He jumps into his car and tries to drive away, but keeps finding himself right back where he was.
He crashes and wakes up inside the church confessional with Cane on the other side of the screen.
Cane tells him that the belief in his works among those who read his books set loose an ancient evil hell-bent on reclaiming the Earth.
"That's the point - believe," Cane says. "When people begin to lose their ability to know he difference between fantasy and reality, the old ones begin their journey back. The more people who believe, the faster the journey." It's like a dark, twisted version of The NeverEnding Story as far as premise goes.
Cane also says Trent is just another character in one of his stories, forced to follow his plot by returning the manuscript to Arcane Publishing which will ultimately end the human race.
The plot of this movie is an insane one - literally. And like true insanity, it gradually increases with the story.
Insanity is portrayed in various ways either through the atmosphere of Hobb's End, or in Trent's grasp on reality as it slips away.
Some say doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity.
This came to mind during the scene where Trent tries to escape the angry, devilish looking mob and drive out of town only to return to keep returning to the same street with the mob waiting for him.
This movie takes a ton of inspiration from the works of H.P. Lovecraft. Even the title plays off of Lovecraft's story At the Mountains of Madness. And as the film opens with the main character held within an insane asylum, the story is told as a flashback. It's a method of story telling common with Lovecraft. A little bit of Stephen King is thrown in the mix, not just with mention, but it the movie's New England setting.
The imagery and insanity is what makes In the Mouth of Madness a memorable John Carpenter horror film.
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| Uh...nope! |
As Cane is attempting to set evil loose on the world, such a profanation as admitting his evil intentions to Trent inside a place where sinners go to repent is certainly not out of place.
This movie tries to bring the insanity from the characters to the audience, which is why some critics, such as Fred Topel at About.com, think this movie is "too confusing."
Film critic Roger Ebert said "One wonders how In the Mouth of Madness might have turned out if the script had contained even just a little more wit and ambition."
It may be a more memorable movie if such was the case. But my guess is it would have much more points to pay attention to and think about, which may have limited its audience by the end.
This is a horror movie that wants its audience to really be engaged, not miss a thing, and keep thinking about they saw long after the credits roll.
It's ambitious which is why I consider it one of my personal favorites in horror.
If picking my top 50, maybe even top 10, horror movies, In the Mouth of Madness would be among those titles based on its story line, horror/ thriller element, cast, film atmosphere, and depiction of insanity.
In the Mouth of Madness lives up to its namesake as it's a great depiction of insanity on film.
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