In the Mouth of Madness **½ (1994, Sam Neill, Julie Carmen, Jürgen Prochnow, David Warner, Charlton Heston) – Classic Movie Review 12,026

Director John Carpenter’s 1994 American supernatural horror film In the Mouth of Madness is written by Michael De Luca, and stars Sam Neill, Julie Carmen, Jürgen Prochnow, David Warner and Charlton Heston.

Sam Neill stars as insurance investigator John Trent, who visits a small town to look into the disappearance of a horror novel author, but fact and fiction start to blur and he begins to question his sanity.

A good, capable cast help out a not so good screenplay, troubled by a lack of clarity and excitement, but the film is largely hesitant and unconvincing. On the plus side, however, Sam Neill gives a typically strong performance, the production is good, and so is Carpenter’s direction, and it looks good too. The very capable visual effects are by Industrial Light & Magic, and the enjoyable creature prosthetics and animatronics are by the KNB EFX Group.

In the Mouth of Madness is the third film in Carpenter’s self-styled Apocalypse Trilogy, following The Thing (1982) and Prince of Darkness (1987).

In the Mouth of Madness salutes the works of author H P Lovecraft in its exploration of insanity, its many references to his stories and themes, and in its title, spun off Lovecraft’s novella At the Mountains of Madness. In the opening scene Trent is confined in an asylum, then most of the story is told in flashback, a regular technique of Lovecraft.

Filming took place from August to October 1993. The Hobb’s End town scenes are filmed in Markham, Ontario, on Main Street Unionville, and with the Cathedral of the Transfiguration as the exterior of the Black Church. Carpenter shot the rest of the film on location in Toronto, Ontario, exploiting what he called its unique mix of ew York skyscrapers and New England remoteness.

It is distributed by New Line Cinema.

In the Mouth of Madness (1994) with Sam Neill.

Michael De Luca wrote the screenplay in the late 1980s when Carpenter passed on the project but he changed his mind and agreed to direct in December 1992.

It cost around $8 million and grossed just under $9 million in North America, making it a box-office failure.

In the Mouth of Madness premiered at Italy’s Noir in Festival on 10 December 1994, and was released in the US on 3 February 1995.

The cast are Sam Neill as John Trent, Julie Carmen as Linda Styles, Jürgen Prochnow as Sutter Cane, David Warner as Dr. Wrenn, John Glover as Saperstein, Bernie Casey as Robinson, Kali Rocha as Agency Assistant, Peter Jason as Mr. Paul, Charlton Heston as Jackson Harglow, Frances Bay as Mrs. Pickman, Wilhelm von Homburg as Simon, Hayden Christensen as Paper Boy, Sean Roberge as Desk Clerk, Kieran Sells as Kid, Kevin Zegers as Kid, and Katie Zegers as Kid.

© Derek Winnert 2022 Classic Movie Review 12,026

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Sam Neill in Jurassic Park.