Do you read Sutter Cane? I do now. As of October, Echo On released the much-anticipated novelization of John Carpenter's 1995 film In the Mouth of Madness. I'm happy to say it's fantastic.
For those who don't know what I'm talking about, let's take a dive into the movie:
John Trent (played by Sam Neill) is a hard-nosed skeptic, which makes him the perfect insurance investigator. He is called in to investigate a claim made by Arcane, the publisher of the best-selling horror writer Sutter Cane.
Cane has gone missing and his new book is on the verge of being delayed. A lot of money is riding on this and this could be the downfall of Arcane if they don't get the book.
Cane's books are seen as entertainment to some and real to others and so he could be seen as the guy who's outselling Stephen King or the mad prophet of the apocalypse.
Trent believes the disappearance is all a publicity stunt, but as he delves into Cane's books, he discovers where he could be hiding, which turns out to be the fictional town that Cane created. Little does he know that Cane is the real deal and the new book he's about to complete is the final step in allowing a world of monstrosities, mutations, and madness to become one with our reality.
From the artistic visuals to the mind-altering sequences, this movie was a true descent into the mouth of madness. It was a bomb in its time but is regarded as a cult classic now. In its implications of horrible things edging their way into our peripherals, this has come to be mandatory viewing for anyone who loves fiction inspired by H.P. Lovecraft. This movie is also the third part of Carpenter's Apocalypse Trilogy (after The Thing and Prince of Darkness).
The book itself follows the movie for the most part with a couple of changes that might have helped the readers to better visualize some of the miraculous events of the movie. Otherwise, this film offers some good glimpses into Trent's perspective and the author (whoever is using Sutter Cane as a pseudonym) adds in some dialogue and a few scenes we weren't treated to in the film. This does exactly what a novelization should do by giving us a little more than what the movie provided. It's a keeper. A-
I came across In the Mouth of Madness back in 2008 or 2009 when my fascination with horror had reached a fever pitch and it has remained a favorite ever since. I'm glad Echo On is working on giving us books like this. They also released a novelization of Session 9 which I'll be glad to try out. More on this some other time.
Written by Nick Montelongo
For those who don't know what I'm talking about, let's take a dive into the movie:
John Trent (played by Sam Neill) is a hard-nosed skeptic, which makes him the perfect insurance investigator. He is called in to investigate a claim made by Arcane, the publisher of the best-selling horror writer Sutter Cane.
Cane has gone missing and his new book is on the verge of being delayed. A lot of money is riding on this and this could be the downfall of Arcane if they don't get the book. Cane's books are seen as entertainment to some and real to others and so he could be seen as the guy who's outselling Stephen King or the mad prophet of the apocalypse.
Trent believes the disappearance is all a publicity stunt, but as he delves into Cane's books, he discovers where he could be hiding, which turns out to be the fictional town that Cane created. Little does he know that Cane is the real deal and the new book he's about to complete is the final step in allowing a world of monstrosities, mutations, and madness to become one with our reality.
From the artistic visuals to the mind-altering sequences, this movie was a true descent into the mouth of madness. It was a bomb in its time but is regarded as a cult classic now. In its implications of horrible things edging their way into our peripherals, this has come to be mandatory viewing for anyone who loves fiction inspired by H.P. Lovecraft. This movie is also the third part of Carpenter's Apocalypse Trilogy (after The Thing and Prince of Darkness).
The book itself follows the movie for the most part with a couple of changes that might have helped the readers to better visualize some of the miraculous events of the movie. Otherwise, this film offers some good glimpses into Trent's perspective and the author (whoever is using Sutter Cane as a pseudonym) adds in some dialogue and a few scenes we weren't treated to in the film. This does exactly what a novelization should do by giving us a little more than what the movie provided. It's a keeper. A-
I came across In the Mouth of Madness back in 2008 or 2009 when my fascination with horror had reached a fever pitch and it has remained a favorite ever since. I'm glad Echo On is working on giving us books like this. They also released a novelization of Session 9 which I'll be glad to try out. More on this some other time.
Written by Nick Montelongo
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