Review of In the Mouth of Madness (1995) by Brad G — 16 Oct 2013
"I am not a piece of fiction!" The last great film of John Carpenter, In The Mouth of Madness manages to be an essential experience for fans of HP Lovecraft without actually adapting that horror icon's work.
Sam Neil is John Trent, an insurance investigator brought in by Bernie Casey to debunk Charlton Heston's claim of a missing million dollar literary institution, Sutter Cane. Think Stephen King, but better selling and actually infectious.
Neil & editor Julie Carmen track the author's god complex to the sleepy New Hampshire town of Hobb's End where they encounter dog butchering children, tentacled motel clerks, and your basic army of unspeakable evil.
The mid nineties were an abominable time for horror fans, but somehow the genre master managed to crank out one last great hurrah with Madness. Kudos to Carpenter, but I think Sam Neil must take most of the credit for his exceptional portrayal of a crumbling reality.
Has there ever been a nastier, more bent explosion of laughter than the gut buster seen here at the climax? I think not. VF.
This review of In the Mouth of Madness (1995) was written by Brad G on 16 Oct 2013.
In the Mouth of Madness has generally received positive reviews.
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