In the Mouth of Madness

I just saw John Carpenter in concert and the clips from this movie made it look like the coolest thing that has ever been. NOTHING HAPPENS for a good 70% of this, but that other 30%, oh baby, you better believe I read Sutter Cane.

It's kind of amazing that the movie has both the restraint and pure balls to let a Lovecraftian Cthulhu end-of-the-world scenario play out entirely off-screen, as the horror here is not the apocalypse, or tentacled monsters, but the trapped claustrophobia of being stuck in a fiction with no free will, your life literally on tracks in front of you. Neill sells the descent perfectly, and Carpenter is in fine form -- perhaps his last best work before losing touch. King and Lovecraft would be proud.

Surprisingly overlooked since no one I know has heard of this, let alone seen it. Aged somewhat poorly, but is a solid movie with memorable aspects.

I've never read any of Lovecraft's work so the movie seems fresh and original to me where it would apparently seem derivative to those unfamiliar with Lovecraft. I found this movie to be amazing though. The insanity, the crazy jagged storytelling and the meticulous plot make this movie work in spite of an awful female lead. There's also some humor worked in there in case the rest is simply not awesome enough.

Carpenter's love letter to Lovecraft, this movie is GREAT.