Anybody's seen "John Carpenter's In the mouth of madness"?

[Neville]

Just watched it in a late TV sesion and I have to say I am pretty much impressed. ITMOM is a sort of Lovecraft adaptation, but instead of adapting any of his writings in particular or limiting itself to the physichal horror (i.e. people chased by a multi-tentacular monster) it tries to explore the cosmic horror of his writings (the usual background in many of his stories, concerning ancient deities trying to take back Earth and destroy mankind). Personally, I don't think it succeeds, but it makes a damn original movie, John Carpenter's visuals are as original as disturbing and it also features a subtle but adequate dose of sarcasm.

Anybody seen it as well and want to contribute?

[The Honn]

If you mean with Sam Neil yes Ive seen it. I thought it was great though the ending could have been done a little better. I liked the ultimate scene in the cinema but the build up to it felt a little drawn out and contrived, as if it wasnt really needed.

[BadTaste_nz]

the entire movie was great, one of my favorites.

sam neil is an excellent actor

[Neville]

I agree. Sam Neill did a great job indeed. The only flaws i found in the movie are that there is too much expository dialogue in the second half and that it could be scarier.

[Future Blob]

  I really liked it, Sam Neil is one of those actors that does a good job in whatever he's in. The evil kids were nasty, and I felt sorry for the dog (poor doggy). the gradual peeling of the poster was a nice touch also.

[AndyC]

I enjoyed it. It could have been improved in spots, but I think, overall, it captures the style of a Lovecraft story. It's certainly better than most attempts at adapting an actual HPL story to film.

[Chadzilla]

The script was in need of a polish (it kind of collapsed in the third act and the expository dialogue needed trimming and tightening), but Carpenter's direction was top notch and he nailed the dreamlike nightmarishness of Lovecraft's stories.  I do think it was his best movie of the nineties.

[Lee]

This flick rocks! I wish more horror films were done this well. Sam Neil is great! I think this is one of his best performances. The scenes in the Assylum are so damn creepy.

[Scott]

Its one of the few 90's horror type flicks that I like. Very good.

[Mofo Rising]

I liked the movie well enough.  I don't know if I'd agree with everybody about it being like a Lovecraft story though.

The movie does have some of the best use of the Lovecraftian mythos, but the actual plotline isn't much like a Lovecraft story at all.  It's more like one of the reality-shifting tales of Philip K. Dick set in a modern-day Lovecraftian setting.  (Ha!  Look at all those literary genre references!)  The setting is very reminiscent of Lovecraftian New England, but if it was Lovecraft then we would have seen more of a people in degeneration than some of the Twilight Zone effects in the movie.

Don't get me wrong, I like the movie.  It's just I've been reading a lot of old H.P. lately and I had to add more than a "me too" to this thread.

My only real complaint about the movie is it's a little too obvious in places where a little subtlety was called for.  Of course, you can explain that away by the fact that the movie takes place in a universe created by a (somewhat-of-a) hack horror writer.  Kind of a clever construction to avoid criticism, that.

[Neville]

To Chadzilla: I agree with everything that you say, but just one thing: despite "In the mouth of madness has a more imaginative direction and a faster pace (often Carpenter's flaw), I think "Village of the damned" is way better, if only for a more acomplished intentions / result ratio.

[Slipperytuna]

A great movie. I think it was pretty damn scary, i also watched it when i was like 11 so that may have influenced my thoughts. Axe weilding maniacs smashing through windows, where can you lose. Cops that are actually evil, maniacal pigs, isn't it great. I have the urge to see it again.