Unlike "The Thing" this film hasn't aged as well as that masterpiece. It is, without a doubt, a great idea turned into an entertaining story. It's hard to get past the suspicion that it somehow is a response to the overwhelming success of Stephen King. In any case, the acting is on par for a horror flick, although I doubt Sam Neill would claim this to be his finest work, Jürgen Prochnow delivers his usual unsettling character, a pedestrian performance from Julie Carmen and Charlton Heston delivers a stellar imitation of Charlton Heston. There are plot holes galore (why does he turn around instead of simply driving through the bloodthirsty crowd the second time?) It all comes together in the last 20 minutes, though and proves that this was John Carpenter doing what he does best, leaving you with a sense of unease and a wonderful queasy feeling with which to fall asleep.
Review of In the Mouth of Madness
