“Humans are such an easy prey.”
Dr. Edward Pretorius- From Beyond
The last film in John Carpenter’s apocalypse trilogy is In the Mouth of Madness. Even though this is dubbed a trilogy, they don’t have a lot in common. The only commonality is the end of the world scenario. In the Mouth of Madness has more similarities to Prince of Darkness than The Thing.
In the Mouth of Madness is considered the last great Carpenter film. While some of his films post Madness would have differing levels of success, none are close to being as thoughtful. Carpenter’s direction here is the best he’d mustard in the 90s. It’s as though the passion was lost after this film
In the Mouth of Madness is a crazy movie. I mean that with all sincerity. If you don’t know much about this film, keep it that way. Going into this movie green benefits the viewer; however, this film needs multiple viewings. The plot can be confusing, and at times you might think you are going mad.
The script was written by Michael De Luca and meshed several H.P. Lovecraft stories and themes. The script is something special. It’s not that the dialogue is great or that the narrative is original, but the script reads like a book. Each scene builds on the last, just like a page-turning novel. Match this with Carpenter’s meticulous attention to detail, and you have an unforgettable film.
The cast boasts some big names like Charlton Heston and Sam Neil, but it’s Julie Carmen’s performance that stole the show. You might remember me saying how bad I thought Carmen was in Fright Night II. This performance suits her skills so much better. She’s soft and smart. Neil is excellent as well. He plays unhinged as good as anyone. Event Horizon is also proof of this.
The film also boasts two other famous tools from Carpenter’s toolbox an amazing score and top notch effects. For the score, Carpenter teamed with Jim Lang, a fairly unknown composer. The score is rock heavy and doesn’t have the signature synth style of Carpenter. That change is for the better here because In the Mouth of Madness is one of Carpenter’s darkest films. The effects are once again stellar, and even the CGI is decent.
In the Mouth of Madness is connected to The Prince of Darkness thematically, and both deal with demonic beings. The Prince of Darkness connects with The Thing through science and alien lifeforms. The Thing and In the Mouth of Madness share the same apocalyptic consequences for their characters, and they are both very nihilistic films. In the Mouth of Madness puts John Carpenter’s best skill center stage: his ability to make the audience feel frightened and uneasy.
