Dreadfully Boring

It is not only a funny movie, but it allows a great amount of joy for anyone who watches it.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

If you're interested in the topic at hand, you should just watch it and judge yourself because the reviews have gone very biased by people that didn't even watch it and just hate (or love) the creator. I liked it, it was well written, narrated, and directed and it was about a topic that interests me.

I can't believe that it took me so long to watch this movie. It has practically everything I love in it: Lovecraft, Stephen King, and a ton of references to look for and spot and conjecture about. In short, I'm very disappointed in myself for not watching it sooner. In my defense, I had no idea it was even about a book, so, there ya go.I loved the plot to it. It was creepy and took many unexpected twists and turns. Reality itself gets distorted in interesting ways that did not come across as cheatery and contrived. It also raises some interesting questions about readers and the free will of the characters in fiction.Sorry, a small digression here. Just pretend for a moment that it's true (c'mon, you can do it, you guys read horror and sci-fi. I know you have imaginations). That a fictional character is aware of what is happening to him or her. They realize this but can't do anything about it. They are forced to live through whatever unimaginable horror the author can think of to inflict upon them. I can't imagine anything more horrifying. I'm not really talking about meta-horror, exactly, because to me it's a different kind of awareness.Anyways, you didn't read this to get my half-assed attempt at midnight psychology. You want to hear about the movie. It starts out with a bang and the pace keeps up until the last fifteen minutes or so. It does start to slow down a bit near the end but it's a necessary slowness so it's acceptable. The plot stays on point throughout without any digressions that don't add to the movie.The effects are top-notch and some really managed to give me the creeps. Some of the creepier ones are also the most simple. Maybe not simple to pull off but in the plot they're somewhat minor happenings but add to the general atmosphere and general creepiness. The bridge into Hobb's End. The changing picture. Simple, but very effective. And the creature effects? Excellent.Sam Neill is very believable as the cocky insurance investigator, totally convinced he is the master of his own, cynical view of the world. Julie Carmen is very able in her role, if a little lat at times but since I've never seen her in anything else I'm not really sure if that was an acting choice or her typical acting ability. Jürgen Prochnow is perfect as the "author" of the end of the world. Oddly enough, this is not the first time Jürgen has brought about the Apocalypse. The first time was in a movie called 'The Seventh Sign" (which I'll be reviewing soon). He's perfect as the elusive Sutter Cane. Even the secondary characters are played well.And of course, all the references. I'd love to point out as many as I noticed (and I'm pretty sure there's more I didn't) but since some are plot points I don't want to spoil anything for you. I don't like to assume that just because a movie is older then it's ok to tell the whole story. Suffice it to say that there are many and Lovecraft and King fans alike will have many happy egg hunts.There is only one part that I don't get and it bugs me: SLIGHT SPOILER AHEAD BUT A MINOR ONE - How on Earth did he figure out that the book covers make a map? Was it wiping the ink under his eyes? I have no idea.

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.

Carpenter clearly has fallen down the stair's onto his head or has been lobotomised because his talent for making good film's has completely dissolved by the time this arse piece came out of his a s s h o l e. I like the theme tune at the beginning/end of the movie but that's about it. It's Kind of an interesting concept involving reality imitating art or the will of a mad arsehole hellbent on aligning reality to his f ucking book...,but its a poor attempt to be fair. It's main failure is not the f ucking acting or special effect's but just a lack of depth to the story, leaving the viewer with a sense that the movie is quite underdone & finishes in a quite unrewarding place for the paying punter that has sat through all that schitt. & after going over the movie later on in your head, you recall the many a gimicky/surreal scene that now stand's to reason as they were there as merely filler material for this baggy trouser's movie.

Second best Lovecraft movie I saw (I watch them in chronological order), after Cast a Deadly Spell. I can not say I'm amazed, but it is a very pleasant surprise. It's not ordinary monster horror although some monsters appear. It's based more on mystery and suspense than on scary scenes. Effects are very good for 1994. and Sam Neill is perfect choice for leading role.7,5/10