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John Carpenter is considered somewhat of a pulp icon, but once in a while he rises above his own reputation and produces a film that is quite exceptional (as with Halloween and The Thing). In the Mouth of Madness (1995) stars Sam Neill in a wonderfully paranoid performance as John Trent, a freelance investigator ("Nobody pulls my strings") who gets hired by a major publishing mogul (Charlton Heston) to look into the mysterious disappearance of cult horror author Sutter Cane (the always bizarre Jurgen Prochnow). David Warner and Julie Carmen are among the supporting cast.
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The events that follow are heavily influenced by the writings of legendary author H.P. Lovecraft - some of HPL's work is even quoted word-for-word in the film. Reality is not quite what it seems, even though Trent continually denies what is obviously happening, and there are even hints that Sutter Cane's apocalyptic tales are actually becoming reality.
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Highlights include Trent forming a map from the covers of Kane's novels, a truly strange hotel owner and her husband, and a weird-looking guy on a bicycle. Carpenter's typical "strange mob" also makes an appearance. Is Trent insane? Is the entire world insane? Has Sutter Cane become God, as he claims?
As a fan of Lovecraft, I have to consider this the best film version of his
work to date, even though it's not a direct adaptation. The film can also be interpreted as a metaphor for how pop culture can become an obsession for some people. Carpenter also captures a strong feeling of genuine dread, which only increases as the plot's events unravel.
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"Go back. Your world lies beyond that passageway."
A personal favorite, and recommended to anyone who likes a cerebral creepout.
