Short Attention Span Review: In the Mouth of Madness (1994)

Short Attention Span Review: In the Mouth of Madness (1994)

John Carpenter is my favorite director and I have a powerful affection for his work, so there may be some bias at work here, but I think most horror fans would agree that In the Mouth of Madness is a real winner.  It's a decidedly strange horror film with a loose grip on reality, but it is anchored by genre stalwart Sam Neill in a grounded performance that ranks among his very best.  It's his steady presence that keeps us locked in even as the picture that starts as something of a detective yarn descends into cryptic Lovecraftian terror of the highest order.  I think it is safe to say that by the time it reaches a fabulous conclusion, what began as a fairly straightforward venture in terror has become one of the most erratic journeys into the macabre out there.  Carpenter may not have been at his peak here, but he was damn close, and one of his trademark scores gives In the Mouth of Madness a throbbing pulse.  Neill is the star and he is the movie's greatest strength, but he is ably supported by a fine cast that includes Jurgen Prochnow at his most nefarious, Julie Carmen at her most appealing (Spoiler Alert: by the end of this one we will see her at her most unappealing), and there's even a quality cameo featuring the great Charlton Heston.  The picture is all about unnerving the audience, but Carpenter sprinkles in a little humor along the way, and as is the case with most of this director's work, the pace never relents.  Finally, I will reiterate that I absolutely treasure the ending.  In closing, In the Mouth of Madness may not be one of my Top 5 John Carpenter Movies, but it's still a top-notch frightfest that I greatly enjoy.

Final Grade: A

Fellow Carpenter fans should also scope out my Top 5 Main Themes from John Carpenter Movies and my Short Attention Span Review for Prince of Darkness.

There's a lot to like about this mind-bending chiller, but Sam Neill's killer performance is easily its biggest asset.

The Biter

Here's the really crazy part about this Luis Saurez biting stuff:

He has bitten opponents on a couple of occasions already.  This is bad for his image and the game.  I'm sure he knows this.  I'm sure he's been told this.  I'm 100% positive that those close to Suarez (and his country and the clubs that he represents) have made this clear: chill with the biting, boss, it's bad for business.  I'm sure that's something that was on his mind heading into yesterday's World Cup match.  I'm sure it has been discussed, not once or twice, but many, many times.

And yet here we are.  Another day, another game, and another biting incident.  Let's face it: the dude is seriously crazy.  This is the biggest stage in soccer and here's a guy out there playing his ass off for his country.  He's a wonderful talent and he is critical to Uruguay's success in the World Cup, which often seems to be the only thing that matters in the world of soccer; everything else is just a tune-up of sorts for the World Cup, or so it seems in the grand scheme of things.  So, on this massive stage, what does this immense talent with a bad rep (and a firm understanding that of all the things he shouldn't do out there on the pitch, biting is #1 on the list) do?  You know the answer, you've read the headlines.

It's totally crazy.  Just imagine you're out there playing for your country, knowing you must not bite anyone--which is something you probably shouldn't have any desire to do to begin with--and then it happens.  You're overcome with the urge.  There's this dude a few feet ahead, and as important as this game and your reputation are, you have to bite that son of a bitch.  Suddenly your eyes are glued to his shoulder, and all you can think about is sinking your teeth into that man.  You decide that maybe you can get your bite fix and fool everyone in the process if you try to play it off like your teeth and his shoulder came into contact by accident and it's on.  Damn sanity.  Damn your reputation.  Damn the World Cup.  It's time to bite someone.

I mean, honestly, that's what it looks and feels like to me.  And that, my friends, is some seriously crazy shit.  I don't know that I've ever seen anything like it in professional sports.  Here is a guy that many feel is perhaps the best player in all the world, and if some of the pundits get their way he may never play the beautiful game again.  Hell, it makes sense in a way, how can it be called the beautiful game if there's some lunatic running around out there on the field looking to take a bite out of his opponents.  What's wrong with Luis Suarez?  What will happen to him? 

I don't know, but I know this: it's crazy as hell.

Never Look Back Again

Well, tonight is the night.  My blog and my writing have been on the backburner since October because I decided to make a movie.  Tonight is the big premiere; Never Look Back Again is playing at Hollywood Cinema in Martinsville, Virginia.

Here's the official synopsis for Never Look Back Again:

Get ready to take a trip into darkness and despair.
Reeling from a painful divorce, Wes Matheson (Travis Thompson) comes home to a place he always feared. He’s there to clean up the decrepit factory he inherited from the father he never liked, relying on a few friends to help him spruce the place up.
If all goes well, he’ll sell the factory and move on with his life, but nothing goes well in the gruesome spiral into horror that ensues. Never Look Back Again is a mindbending tale of terror that will make you doubt your own sanity.
Is it a nightmare? Is it a hallucination? Or is it madness?

My good friend Rudy Law served as Executive Producer for the picture, and I was fortunate enough to cast Travis Thompson in the lead role.  Mal Rorrer did the score, designed most of the artwork, and plays a small part in the picture, among other things.  Chris Gibbs, Ryan Culver, and John Reinhold also appear in the movie, and both Rudy and I played parts as well.  Chad Culver was a huge help behind the scenes, and Raven Kai has managed our web presence.  It has definitely been a journey, and I'm very pleased with the end result.  I certainly couldn't have done it without the cast and crew, and as difficult as it was, working with them was also a lot of fun.
I can't wait to share our picture with the general public and see how people respond to our little stroll through The Twilight Zone on acid.  We're also making the DVD available this weekend.

Mal Rorrer, Rudy Law, James Wayland, and Travis Thompson at Hollywood Cinema

Never Look Back Again is the first feature from Pirate Pug Productions, a joint venture that Rudy and I have started.  Our plan is to continue to make movies and bring other creators on board to help us produce outlandish material.  We chose the name because we dig pugs and, well, a pirate pug is a rather adorable concept that suits our "doing it our way" approach.

This is our awesome logo c/o Mal Rorrer.  He nailed it, but that's no surprise.

As I noted before, we'll be selling DVDs at the premiere, and we'll have other merch available as well, to include pins, hats, and tee-shirts.  The movie was shot in 1080i HD, so there are Blu-Rays coming.  We're definitely looking to maximize this opportunity and we're looking forward to having a blast with anyone and everyone who comes out to support us this weekend or buys a copy of the movie.  Additional showings are in the works, and I'll certainly keep you posted.  

Here's a link to our trailer so you can scope it out:
Never Look Back Again Trailer

And here's a link to our website in case you're looking for additional information:

Never Look Back Again website

Finally, I'm going to leave you with a few stills from the movie:

Travis Thompson as Wes Matheson and Chris Gibbs as Terry

Mal Rorrer designed the costume for "Shudder" and he also played the part

This can't be good . . .

Ryan Culver plays Marlon and I play Rick, here we're having a bit of a disagreement . . .

Are supernatural forces out to get Wes or is he losing his mind?

Rudy Law as Old Ron, the creepy caretaker

Travis Thompson stars in Never Look Back Again