Fantasy/Horror/Mystery
1 hour and 35 minutes
Rated: R
Written by: Michael De Luca
Directed by: John Carpenter
Produced by: Sandy King
Cast:
Sam Neill
Julie Carmen
Jürgen Prochnow
Charlton Heston
Lived Any Good Books Lately?
What would happen if one were to take the cosmic dread and unspeakable horror themes within the stories of HP Lovecraft and combine them with the visually striking and universally groundbreaking horror movies of John Carpenter? Madness. And out of that madness's very mouth, a story that will leave some viewers captivated, some viewers exasperated, and others scratching their heads in wonder at the web of madness they've been captivated into. Whichever camp within one may fall, John Carpenter's In the Mouth of Madness undoubtedly has a raw power behind it - a power that is bound to move people to have one extreme response or the other - a power the likes of which the horror master hasn't tapped into since.
Because the film is meant to be a love letter to HP Lovecraft, it lacks in much of the visual amazement that John Carpenter's previous cosmic and not-so-cosmic horror films have presented us. With The Thing, Carpenter dared to show the monsters in full lighting, knowing that the effects work would speak for itself. With In the Mouth of Madness, he is presented the challenge of doing what Lovecraft did with his monsters: keeping them in the dark and letting the viewers' minds try to comprehend just what it is they are seeing ... or in this case experiencing. This restraint on Carpenter's behalf is remarkable to see done, especially given just how wrong the whole thing could have gone. After all, Carpenter and Lovecraft have about as much in common as Poe and Eli Roth. But somehow the combination of the two styles works with some truly effective scare moments that only solidifies the fact that Carpenter is one of the most under appreciated auteurs to have ever worked in the film industry.
The story is challenging, but then again it is meant to be. Surely the viewers who find this film to be exasperating and troublesome think so because of the film's story. And yet, those who love it and defend the film arguably do so for the same reason. Carpenter understands that like much of Lovecraft's fiction, multiple visits to the story make for a more comprehensible and even enjoyable experience. As viewers begin to piece it together, and work the film's plot from end to beginning, what they will find will either delight them or agitate them at all the convoluted mess they had to go through. Yet it is because In the Mouth of Madness's story dares its audience to come back, to return to the madness, that there's something to be said in favor of the overall intelligence of the piece. This is not "popcorn" horror - this is old school, cosmic horror in the best sense.
The special effects work, done by KNB, is really quite remarkable, although there are problems with some particular moments. Luckily, Carpenter shrouds the creatures in extreme closeups, low level lighting, and with brief cuts - courtesy of editor Edward A. Warschilka, who does a tremendous job with the film's overall pacing. When the monsters are on screen the effects work furthers the audience's sense of wonder, amazement, and dread. Tentacles, blood, gore, claws, teeth, disfigured children, and one creepy old hotel owner are all standout moments that occur - luckily enough - throughout most of the movie. The effects do, however, fall flat in a few moments. In a sequence where Julie Carmen's character crab walks with her head spun completely around, the effect looks like someone wearing a cheap Halloween mask over his or her normal face. A young boy riding a bicycle and suddenly becoming old looks fake and rubbery. And the aforementioned hotel owner in her "true" form seems just a bit too robotic in movement. Perhaps Carpenter couldn't contain himself and he let the cameras roll on these lesser effects just a tad too long. The good news is, the cameras aren't on them long enough for the whole film to be completely undone.
The performances, like in damn near every John Carpenter movie, are terrific. Sam Neill delivers one of the best performances - if not the best performance - of his career. His journey from calculating cynic, to broken and mentally frayed maniac (believe me that's not even coming close to spoiling anything) is so amazing to watch that one has to wonder why this brilliant character actor hasn't been seen in more commercial work. Charlton Heston plays his role as well as anyone would hope, yet one wishes he were given more screen time, especially with Neill. The two men carry a scene together so well they make it look easy. Similarly, David Warner's cameo feels senselessly short. One can take solace that such an outstanding performer known for his work in the horror genre was at least cast in the film, despite being in say five to ten minutes of the movie if that. Jürgen Prochnow's performance is enormously more subtle than Neill's and yet, the two go toe-to-toe in their scenes together providing the film with its most memorable and unnerving sequences. Julie Carmen holds her own throughout the film, but out of all the performances she is the only one that feels flat at certain times that you'd wish she wasn't.
While its old school, Lovecraftian style assuredly will upset the horror fans of today who are so used to being spoon-fed plot points, In the Mouth of Madness is a triumph within filmmaker John Carpenter's career, mainly because it challenged him as an auteur to deliver something entirely outside of his wheelhouse, just as it challenges its viewers to approach the film from an entirely new perspective than other horror movies ask for. In the Mouth of Madness is pure madness - but for some of us, there's nothing else we'd prefer more.
7.5/10
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