Save your money for something good and enjoyable

good back-story, and good acting

A brilliant film that helped define a genre

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

This is Lovecraftian horror done right! It has the budget, it has the talent and it definitely has the style. Atmosphere is the key for any movie inspired by the works of the great Howard Phillips, and this one gets it! The horror is not in your face, it is eerie, subtle and ever present. It might not be always visible, but in the back of your mind you know it's there if you close your eyes.. This movie is a must watch for all horror fans, but for anyone who has tasted the insanity of Lovecraft's works and has not looked away, it is a tasty mouthful indeed!

I have been somewhat disappointed by Carpenter this year, "The Fog" was pretty good, a bit flawed, but still highly enjoyable. "Prince of Darkness" had some mediocre and dull parts, but had some great concepts, a good atmosphere and some good effects. "In the Mouth of Madness" has some of the same problems "Prince of Darkness" had, and much like "Prince of Darkness", it has many good elements that save it from being completely mediocre and elevates it.I liked this one better than "Prince" since it has a really good performance by Sam Neill, his character was really enjoyable to watch and you sympathize with him because of his charm, without him the film wouldn't have been as entertaining, unfortunately. I believe I liked the build up better than the action itself, once monsters start appearing and we find out more about what's happening the movie sort of becomes standard, nothing bad but nothing great either, much like "Candyman" this movie lacks more rules to its horror, it just feels like a bunch of random events and ghouls appearing just because.The ending is a bit inventive, predictable, but still riveting to watch. The movie actually has some creative moments and some great special effects to accompany them, but it never becomes more interesting than its premise.Overall, a good film that falls flat at moments but has some great ideas and very suspenseful scenes that save it.PD: Points extra for Robot Monster.

This movie blows my mind with its plot. I never knew I could take a liken to the horror that is H.P. Lovecraft. John Carpenter has changed my perception on that now. How was it?...AMAZING! No, to simple. Utterly and visually MADNESS!(no pun). Like really. How does something like this with just practical effects make such outrageous and horrifying monsters seem so real? I gotta appreciate this movie even more, because today's standards this movie wouldn't fly. At all. Period. CGI would made this film have no weight and look cartoonish at most. Sam Neill(an older actor that I enjoy watching I admit) does his best here feeling the dread and fear of paranoia, that he completely looks like he lost himself in the role. And you know what else? HE COULD OF! You see those thing on set, you would have something to be afraid of!! Again, making my point about the problems with today's horror.I never seen this movie beyond this review. Now? I have. And I'm happy to say I completed Carpenters Apocalypse Trilogy making me a complete fan for good. I enjoyed the hell out of this movie and respect Carpenter more than before. 9/10

As someone who has read all of Lovecrafts books I can assure you that this movie has a strong Lovecraftian vibe to it. And even the title seems to be some sort of homage to Lovecrafts work, I presume (In the mouth of madness -> Innsmouth ?) Or maybe I'm just over-interpreting things. Who knows?With that being said I really enjoyed the movie. It was refreshing and different. Sometimes the prospect of "not knowing what's real or not" is even scarier than straight up gore or monsters. After all the fear of the unknown is the ultimate essence of true horror. This movie had plenty of it so I can't complain.