HIGHLY UNDERRATED - In the Mouth of Madness - Movie Reaction (First Time Watching) 

What is your favorite John Carpenter movie?

This movie is gloriously and unapologetically mental and I love it. Top 5 Carpenter for me.

Possibly one of the best Lovecraft inspired films ever! PRINCE OF DARKNESS is a John Carpenter Must See!

If you liked that John Carpenter then on to “Prince of Darkness”! Which I actually like a little better than “ In the mouth of madness”

Yes! This one absolutely rips and is somehow still kind of underrated/underseen. Carpenter's streak from Dark Star to this, thirteen theatrical releases 1974-94, is just unparallelled imo. The guy is a king and a legend

I'll say it again: Sam Neill is a horror icon.

Cue the "You gotta watch Event Horizon!!" comments.

Plenty of references to HP Lovecraft throughout this movie, from Hobbs End to Pickmans, to the Ancient ones in the formless void, to the Black Church even the town in this movie is based on the settings of Innsmouth and Hobbs End respectively.

That little boy in the bike, I sense great fear in him. I sense great danger and evil when he grows up. ANI!!!!!!!

Probably one of the best reviewed John Carpenter films of his entire career.

Event Horizon is another lovecraftesque movie. MUCH more Sci-Fi than this one, space flight, inter-dementional travel and chaos incarnate.

_In the Mouth of Madness_ is John Carpenter's love letter to HP Lovecraft, and is one of the best "Non-Lovecraftian Lovecraftian" movies out there (meaning it uses lots of Lovecraftian themes, but doesn't actually make any actual direct Lovecraft references; IE no namedrops of Azathoth, Yog-Sothoth, Nyarlathotep, _Cthulhu,_ etc.) While the themes of ancient eldritch cosmic entities locked away for aeons waiting to come back is fairly _close_ to Lovecraft's ideas, it's actually much more in line with the writings of Lovecraft's later _successors_ (such as August Derleth) than the ideas that Lovecraft himself used in his own stories. I am a _huge_ HP Lovecraft fanboi, and In Lovecraft's stories the Great Old Ones were locked in a state of cosmic death-hibernation not because they were _trapped_ in any way (there isn't really anything that even _could_ trap them like that) but because it _just wasn't their time to be alive anymore._ It was no longer their cosmic _season_ to be alive, so they _couldn't_ be alive... _for now._ But they were also far too ancient, alien, and powerful to actually die, so they just... _slumbered_ in an eldritch non-living sleep. But at some point in the future _The Stars Will Be Right_ again, and the Great Old Ones can live once more... _and it doesn't make a single lick of difference what mankind does about it,_ because humanity is absolutely _cosmically insignificant_ and _meaningless_ in the face of the entire universe. Humanity is basically like microbes compared to the Great Old Ones, and when they finally reawaken the mere _presence_ of Cthulhu on Earth will be enough to _drive every human being on the planet insane_ and we will all start killing each other in an endless orgy of mindless violence until we are extinct, and the planet Earth will once again be returned to its original owner: _The Great Cthulhu._ As much as I love _In the Mouth of Madness,_ it seriously deviates from the themes of _actual_ Lovecraft stories (it's what's called a "Lovecraft Lite" story) in the importance it gives to humanity, with how the belief of mankind is actually _needed_ to release the Old Ones from whatever prison they are trapped inside. In Lovecraft's actual writings, humanity is _utterly meaningless,_ and the Great Old Ones _will return no matter what we do;_ we are in no way needed to bring them back, and nothing we could ever even _hope_ to do could even come _close_ to stopping them from returning. And when the Old Ones _do_ eventually return, mankind will become extinct, destroyed without even a thought, wiped away like a colony of microbes that had grown in the shadow of a man taking a nap as he rolls over in his bed and gets up. And that's not even getting into the idea of the _Outer Gods._

You should watch “The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension” 👍👍

This is my second favorite Carpenter movie, with the first being The Thing. I'm always fascinated by the idea that "reality" isn't real; we just think it is due to the limits of human perception. I've always been a huge bookworm, so the idea of Lovecraft-esque madness/corruption being spread through literature is fun. As for The Thing... Well, you'll see why soon enough.

The Void🔥🔥🔥the Thing 🔥🔥🔥 color of space 🔥🔥🔥 annihilation 🔥🔥🔥spring🔥🔥🔥 from beyond 🔥🔥🔥🤘🤘🤘

Nice choice Bunny! I'm a huge horror fan. "In the Mouth of Madness" is one of the most underrated horror films. I'm glad it developed a cult following.

“Do You Read Sutter Cane?” I must have watched this movie over a decade and a half ago in middle school & that line still sticks with me! If you’re interested in another underrated Carpenter film, I really love “Prince of Darkness” (1987). Like this one it’s also a very intriguing & original take on cosmic horror elements mixed with possession horror

You pretty much nailed it with the "Cthulhu" reference. Movie/story is heavily influenced by H.P. Lovecraft and other "cosmic" horror.

In Cthulhu lore, Sutton Cane would be Nyarlathotep. He is a tall, dark man who foretells the return of the Old Ones.

Thanks for reacting to this movie. So few have. In addition to John Carpenter films, you might also appreciate some of the early works of Guillermo Del Toro. He’s hugely influenced by H. P. Lovecraft. He’s known primarily for “Pan’s Labyrinth”, the first 2 “Hellboy” movies and the best picture Oscar winning “The Shape of Water”, but his most Lovecraftian film would be one of his earliest, “Chronos”. Just some suggestions…😊 BTW, my fave John Carpenter film is “They Live”. Whatever you think that might be about…it’s not…

Sam Neill is a marvelous actor bunnytails. I highly recommend Dead Calm with Sam Neill, Nicole Kidman, and Billy Zane. A fantastic thriller!

If this is your jam you should try Needful Thing’s or Gerald’s Game, if you can’t tell I’m a Stephen King fan.

Yeah, I'm a HUGE, HUGE fan of this flick too! There's another Lovecraft inspired film called, CAST A DEADLY SPELL (1991), that feels like what if J.K. Rowling was a Lovecraft fan? That's how I'd describe CAST A DEADLY SPELL. It's a period piece set in the 30s, a detective noir tale, with magic and Lovecraftian horror. Ever so slightly tongue-in-cheek, but mostly played straight.

'Lord Of Illusions' is another film with a steady creeping mystery vibe made around the same time as this one. I always lump these two films, along with 'Event Horizon', into their own mid-90s brand of building dread since they came out close to each other.

Sam Neill was also the villain in another John Carpenter film, Memoirs of an Invisible Man.

Alan Wake was 100% inspired by this movie.

“Event Horizon” would be a great follow up to this 👍

Sam Neil played in many movies besides Jurassic Park. He’s a very good actor. This movie was creepy but very, very weird as well.. still good though.

Favorite Sam Neil film is Event Horizon. Followed closely by Jurrasic Park.

Thanks for the upload, glad you enjoyed that underrated gem. If you're looking for some more quality atmospheric lovecraftian stuff, i would definitely recommend "the empty man" from 2020, it's just insane.

Another John Carpenter movie I highly recommend is Escape From New York, released in 1981. Besides being my favorite John Carpenter movie, it is my number one favorite movie ever. If you want to see Sam Neill in another great role, in the final movie of The Omen trilogy, he plays the adult Damien Thorne, the Anti-Christ.

Nice reaction! John Carpenter rules! Have you seen 1986 'From Beyond' starring Jeffrey Combs and Barbera Crampton. It is another cosmic Lovecraft story that is CRAZY-Good. You haven't seen THE THING!!!!? It will knock your socks off. THE THING is top shelf horror.

You would LOVE "Big Trouble in Little China" (also John Carpenter). More fantasy/comedy horror, I guess? Different vibe to In the Mouth of Madness, but definitely unique. Sam Neill (the guy from Jurassic Park who was the main character in this) is in another great atmospheric horror movie called "Event Horizon". Creepy. As. Fuck. Sweet dreams...?

Lovely reaction - 18:30 "Has she been assimilated into ... the weirdness?" is a phrase I need to incorporate into my own life lol - Carpenter was the B-movie craftsman par excellence in the 80s - he's said he wished he'd been born earlier during the studio era; I think his role model is the no-nonsense Howard Hawks, who helmed the 50s version of The Thing, along w many other classics - Carpenter's key films include Halloween; The Fog; Starman; Christine; Escape from New York; They Live; Big Trouble in Little China - another Lovecraftian Sam Neill film is Possession, tho it's much more extreme - Julie Carmen is so strong here; I'm surprised she's not a bigger star - let me think of some more Ouroborous reality-bending films to recommend: Cronenberg's Videodrome and Naked Lunch; Lynch's Mulholland Drive; Altman's The Player; Maya Deren's experimental short Meshes of the Afternoon (w Teiji Ito score); Jordan's Company of Wolves (the best werewolf film); BBC Singing Detective and Sita Sings the Blues are magnificent, but more challenging

One of my favorite John Carpenter films! This is the final chapter in The Apocalypse Trilogy, beginning with THE THING 1982, Prince Of Darkness 1987, and now In The Mouth Of Madness in 1994.

The Evil Book! It's a usually dependable and fun gimmick for a horror story. The movie The Evil Dead featured an "evil book," as did The Mummy. A peculiar "evil book" was featured in the creepy movie The Ninth Gate starring Johnny Depp. One classic movie, Night of the Demon, relies more on the idea of writing down magical runes. This particular "evil book" movie is having fun with the insane popularity of Stephen King (the same "S. K." phonetic initials as "Sutter Cane") and the universe of the influential old-time horror writer H. P. Lovecraft, the man who gave us Cthulhu -- and we all know that Cthulhu icth the helmcthman of the Enterpricthe.. (I suspect that "Sutter Cane" is a spoonerism for "cutter, sane," as in the "The sanest thing you can do is go around hacking away at people." Reassuring, isn't it, that illiteracy is still a big problem in the world?) Thank you, by the way, for wising me up to Alan Wake, I was not aware of that. A vaguely similar, earlier John Carpenter movie is Prince of Darkness, although that's more into cosmic physics, and this star Sam Neill also stars in the "Is Hell in higher dimensions?" outer space horror movie Event Horizon. I'm glad you called out Dark City, which I think I like better. If you've not seen the dark horror comedy The Cabin in the Woods, you need to, because there's Lovecraftian s**t going on behind that as well, plus it has Sigourney Weaver as a baddie. Personally, I like a novel that gets a little revenge on all these "evil book" movies. It's called Flicker, by Theodore Roszak, and it has its problems, like a dreadfully passive protagonist, but it's all about the idea that from the very beginning, there has always been something fundamentally diabolical about visual media, from the very earliest days of motion pictures on into the present. Do you think you would ever enjoy just good old NON-horrific paranoia movies? There are classic "spies and assassins" movies for that, like Three Days of the Condor, The Parallax View, and Marathon Man. Thank you, "T'Bun," for this delightful (in its way) window on what you're into. Looking forward.

Sam Neill is amazing in a creepy film called "Possession" from 1981 and so good in "Event Horizon". I think you will really enjoy them.

If you liked Sam Neill in a darker/horror type movie he was also in Event Horizon (1997) which is set in space. Something less horror, more dark mystery is The Mist (2007) which is based on a stephen king book. You might like to check them out, see how they poll

I'm so happy you liked this movie--I saw it in the theater when it came out. I loved the weird, Lovecraft-y nature of it. You might consider the book The Land of Laughs by Jonathan Carrol (I think). I read it a few months after I saw this movie, & it's got similar vibes. Aside from the Thing, another John Carpenter horror movie my friends and I liked was Prince of Darkness. Thanks for the great video, and best wishes.

So I wanna make an Lovecraftian movie based on Sam O'Neal's works. He's involved in dealing with the devil's child on a spaceship outside of Neptune while reading a dinosaur book to kids where he's a Steven King type of Merlin. If ya get where I'm going, well you odd...but I get it...

Hadn’t seen that before thanks Bunny it did have a blade runner/dark world vibe. I was watching another I know you would like though lower budget has the blade runner/terminator feels is “Trancers” stars Tim Tomerson Helen Hunt. John Carpenter of course its Escape from New York- Kurt Russell shines as a bad guy

If you love the Lovecraftian vibe, you would love The Magnus Archives audio stories

"In the Mouth of Madness" is arguably one of the best Lovecraftian films that isn't written by H.P. Lovecraft. The looming dread and mounting tension presented in the film, knowing that the character's incapable of averting what's about to transpire no matter what he do, now that's the stuff nightmares are made of. Also, do you read Sutter Cane? 😅

I miss Jurgen Prochnow. He was always a good, evil character. Loved your jump reaction near the end...lol...and I have never heard of this movie as well.

I'm so glad you loved this... I have been a huge fan of this movie since it's release... and have not yet seen a reaction for it. The H.P. Lovecraft themeing, and the cosmic dread it invokes is very unique and makes it stand out from the crowd. And yes, you should totally watch The Thing. It is my all-time favorite horror movie.

This is one of Carpenter's best easily top 5! You should check out John Carpenter's Vampires.

One of the best mind-fuck movies. I remember first time watching this one summer as a kid. Late at night ofc. Probably won't have the same effect these days as it did as a kid in the 90s. But still... great movie in my opinion.

If you haven't seen it yet (don't think it's on the channel at least), you should check out Jacob's Ladder. Excellent film that has inspired the creation of another great video game series.

If you liked this I highly suggest the Ritual. It's an amazing horror movie that's full of impending doom

You might want to watch Event Horizon

YES, girl! This, Dark City, all these things are my favorite genres and subgenres of fiction too. (AND Star Trek.) Lovin' you and your channel.

Another John Carpenter film you might like is Prince of Darkness.

The Cell (2000) had some insane visuals, similar dream logic stuff.

Hi Bunny. Got a creepy good movie for you called The Sentinel (1977). Stars Christina Raines. Don't think anyone has reacted to it yet. Don't miss out on this gem.

This is a fun Lovecraftian horror film. Sam Neill in this and Event Horizon cemented his status in my head as a top tier horror actor.

You would probably love "Silent Hill" (2006)

if you're too much afraid don't hesitate to come safe into my arms :) Nice react! Kiss from France.

Well, if you have an itch, you must tend to it. Funny subtext about the leg instead of editing it out. Humor.

"It DOES remind me of Alan Wake." This film was EXPLICITLY the main inspiration for Alan Wake, according to Sam Lake.

Alan Wake definitely took a lot of inspiration from this. I really wish there was more cosmic horror in film.

Oooo this is a Lovecraftian treat!

You have to watch The Thing at least once in your lifetime.

You like Lovecraft… *proposes immediately *

The 3rd movie of Carpenter's Apocalypse Trilogy, alongside The Thing and Prince of Darkness, is Iconic.

Sam Neil is an awesome actor. A great movie with Sam Neil and Nicole Kidman is Dead Calm 1989

One of my all-time faves!

Can you imagine if John Carpenter wrote for Star Trek?

This is the 3rd in Carpenter's Apocalypse Trilogy (THE THING, PRINCE OF DARKNESS, IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS) which deal with the potential/actual end of the world.

I watched the premier of this at a Midnight showing alone on a Friday night with what turned out to be a huge fight outside the cinema! So I was essentially John Trent at the end!

Blue Velvet is a really creepy psychological thriller.

Sutter Cane is based on H.P. Lovecraft. Even though this is not technically a Lovecraft based movie, it still perfectly catches the feel and atmosphere of his work. A great Lovecraftian movie and it's one of my favorite John Carpenter movies =) This movie, The Thing and Prince of Darkness are part of Carpenter's Apocalypse trilogy - Different plot, but they have the same theme ;) Other Carpenter movies: The original 1978 Halloween movie, Escape from New York, The Fog, Big Trouble in Little China, Assault on Precinct 13, They Live, Christine, Body Bags and John Carpenter's Vampires =)

I was managing movie theaters when this film released, built and previewed it after closing when everyone was gone. That is the ultimate way to experience it. For it to have been any better, I'd have had to be holding an axe while I watched it. The brilliance of the third act twist is when the viewer realizes that the movie they're watching is the same as the one in the movie, the one that drives everyone insane. John Carpenter's "PRINCE OF DARKNESS" (1987) is a hoot, too. Lovely reaction!!!

Love to see love for this film. John Carpenter is the goat

There are so few horror movies of this scale and ambition, it deserves far more love than it gets. The creature designs and make up effects are some of the best of the 90s. The Thing and Prince of Darkness are two Carpenter movies that go nicely with In the Mouth of Madness. Also for big, high concept horror with amazing effects I recommend Lifeforce(1985), it's a trip but a one of a kind experience.

So at the beginning, when the cops 'just happened' to appear and start shooting... Cane wrote that. Great reaction to a great movie.

Others have already brought out things or said things I wanted to say like how In the Mouth of Madness was one of the three Carpenter movies in his apocalypse trilogy (The Thing, Prince of Darkness and In the Mouth of Madness) and how this movie is a "thinking person's horror movie". Like the movie The Thing, critics just didn't "get" this movie when it released, but as time went by it was seen in a more positive light especially by the viewers. Yes, the movie is heavily inspired by Lovecraft. The title, In the Mouth of Madness, is a play on Lovecraft's, At the Mountains of Madness. The fact you get the movie and enjoyed it so much I'm now going to see what else is in your catalogue of videos (I already see Prey) and how you react to them.

Given the painted portrait of the two people by the lake in this movie, did anyone else take a minute on the ending "two bunnies" screen to see if anything might be... amiss?

This movie blew me away the first time I saw it. It still freaks me out to this day. H.P. Lovecraft is awesome. John Carpenter is my hero.

I don't think there is a more Lovecraft film than John Carpenter's In The Mouth Of Madness. John Carpenter's apocalypse trilogy: The Thing (1982) Prince Of Darkness (1987) In The Mouth Of Madness (1994) Please watch The Thing. One of if not the best horror film ever made and another Lovecraft film.

I believe that this movie, combined with the THE THING and PRINCE OF DARKNESS comprise John Carpenter's Apocalyspe Trilogy.

Maybe next you could check out “The Void” for more Lovecraftian madness. Also, “Resolution”, “The Endless”, “Color Out of Space,” “Mandy” to name a few.

John Carpenter did some seriously underrated films in his time. This is a really good film that shows off a serious Lovecraftian bend to it. Other films of Carpenter that I recommend and I like are: Darkstar, Assault on Precinct 13, Escape from New York, Big Trouble in Little China and They Live!

This movie is part of John Carpenter’s Apocalypse trilogy. The other two are The Thing and Prince Darkness. Highly recommended

If you liked this movie, then you should definitely see "The Thing" and "Prince of Darkness", both directed by John Carpenter

Cool vid! A fun horror. Kinda light. If you want to see a grittier one, Sam Neill was also in Possession which is a really nice full-on mind/body horror movie. If you do watch it, note the colour of socks! I'm not quite sure I find these films Lovecraftian, despite sooooo many people saying it is. Lovecraft was more into the dark physical reality (within his lore) of elder beings and great old ones - to which we're completely inconsequential. It's different to John Carpenter's notion of reality blending into a sort of human nightmare simulation etc. I could be wrong, but I've read a lot of Lovecraft and he spends almost zero time on traditional philosphical mindgames. In Lovecraft, you don't really get lines like this film's "I think therefore you are" or "no one's ever believed it enough to make it real". In Lovecraft, people's beliefs are of almost zero consequence (apart from cultists poking the celestial hornets' nests too often).

This movie didn't do very well at the box office. Many critics panned it at the time of its release. I saw it in the theater, and being an old fan of H.P. Lovecraft, I thought it was awesome. Sam Neil was perfect casting for it in my opinion. Glad you enjoyed it. By the way, have you read Sutter Kane?

one of my all time fav films - and its so underrated few people even know about this film

You need to see John Carpenter's masterpiece, no not Halloween, The Thing (1982)

19:37 That's one way to keep your husband from leaving you

Great reaction!!! This movie is one of my favorite films and is highly underrated and doesn't get the recognition it deserves, so it's always awesome to see someone reacting to it. I'm a huge Lovecraft fan and this movie did a stellar job of capturing the feel of his ideas and writing. John Carpenter is amazing and I highly suggest you check out The Thing, it is brilliant and John Carpenter considers it his favorite film he made. Glad you liked the movie and a great reaction!!!

You should check out Possession if you can find it. More lurid film, also Lovecraft inspired, starring a much younger Sam Neill.

Sutter Caine is actually a wink and a nod to Stephen King. Lovecraft and King are both given an homage in this book. (A little teasing to King with just because he's the highest selling doesn’t mean he's the best, a common King critique)

lol, you watch really strange stuff but thats super cool!! I'm ambivalent about this movie, the first half is fanatstic with great tension building ... the second half and the end are sometimes laughably bad. Prochnow is a bad and boring villain and some of the effects are just lousy. Sam Neill is ultimately the only thing that makes the movie absolutely worth seeing ...

Absolutely loved this. I found this channel because this is one of my favorite movies. Loved your reaction. Can't wait to see more reactions from you!

This movie isn't as well regarded as the other 2 in Carpenters Apocalypse Trilogy as The Thing and Prince of Darkness but this on is still a great cosmic horro gem. And being cosmic horror, there are some wet puppets on display, though not as much as the Thing unfortunately

I watched this when it came out on VHS in ‘95. Definitely one of my favorite horror films.

The Thing is probably the best John Carpenter movie. His other pure horror movie that is really good would be Christine. The one you just watched is more like niche John Carpenter.

I have heard of this movie by reputation, but wow that looks a lot better than even I had thought it was. This kind of 'horror' movie is definitely my kind as well. I can't stand shock and gore horror movies, and scare horror movies I have no interest in, but a slow burn psychological thriller I am definitely there for. Sam Neill is a true veteran of the genre and he really carries this movie so well, and there are some quite impressive affects as well. Enjoyed the review as always and thank you for putting this up!

This was filmed about 5kms from where I live. The cathedral is surrounded by townhouses now. Hayden Christensen was the paperboy because he went to school about 5kms from the cathedral.

Excellent yet underrated horror movie!