Why I Love John Carpenter’s ‘In The Mouth Of Madness’

Growing up, I got my feet wet in the horror genre as a teenager with John Carpenter’s In The Mouth of Madness. The film has stuck with me mainly because I remembered the opening title song, which was awesome. I also remembered the film being an insane trip, but not much after that. When I revisited the movie, I was really impressed with how it stands the test of time today. As the movie itself was created in homage to several H.P. Lovecraft stories, there have been multiple items in pop culture that were influenced by this movie, everything from songs, band and DJ names.

“Do you read Sutter Cane?”

Synopsis

An insurance investigator begins discovering that the impact a horror writer’s books have on his fans is more than inspirational.

This is the most understated film of John Carpenter’s career, and it is a real mind cluster. With extraordinary scenery and special effects, In The Mouth of Madness is the thinking man’s John Carpenter. Sam Neil (Jurassic Park 1993) gives one of his best performances of his career here. There are a few memorable scenes in the movie, like the opening sequence with John Trent in the straight jacket surrounded by a padded room. The ending, of course, wraps the entire film up as John comes across a movie poster with the title, “In the Mouth of Madness,” and walks in the theater to see his life unwind right in front of him. Do yourself a favor and check this film out.