In the Mouth of Madness - Arrow Limited Edition 4K UHD

In another instance of a film we’ve covered a few times over getting a bigger new release, we come to what is arguably John Carpenter's last genuinely scary film, In the Mouth of Madness. Completing the unofficial Apocalypse Trilogy of The Thing and Prince of Darkness, this film dives deep into a society on the brink of collapse because a horror writer's monstrous creations are becoming our new reality. From the terrific performance from Sam Neil to the moody and atmospheric photography of Gary B. Kibbe to the bonkers screenplay from Michael De Luca, it was the perfect recipe for terror. Admittedly, nostalgia plays a big part in my love for this film. It was the first Carpenter film I saw in theaters, and I was plastered in my seat by the end. I’ve often worried that, over time and several viewings, the film’s impact would diminish. But instead, it becomes more potent. It’s a horrifying examination of belief and manifestation. It’s not just the creepy slimy things that reside in the dark corners of our consciousness we need to be scared of, it’s what we believe our reality to be. That’s a very unsettling thought. 

As we’ve done more thorough reviews on Blu-ray in the past, here are some links:

• In the Mouth of Madness 2014 Blu-ray Review
• In the Mouth of Madness 2018 Scream Factory Collector’s Edition Review

Vital Disc Stats: The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray 
It has fallen upon Arrow Video to open the first 4K chapter for John Carpenter’s In the Mouth of Madness. This Limited Edition release offers a single-disc 4K UHD pressed on a BD100 disc. Also included is a double-sided reproduction poster, a 60-page booklet featuring several excellent essays and production info. The disc rests in a standard black case with reversible artwork. The whole set slips into a hardstoc slipcase with paper slipcover. The disc loads to an animated main menu with standard navigation options.

Going back about seven years, Scream Factory delivered an excellent Collector’s Edition Blu-ray restored from a new 4K scan. Having recently watched that disc, I wasn’t sure if there was much room for improvement, but Arrow managed to find some space. While the two discs look very similar, the 2160p Dolby Vision image offers some immediate notable improvements in clarity and image stability. It was very nice to see so many clean, detailed lines in the facial features, costumes, architecture, creepy crosses in Trench’s padded cell, makeup effects, and so forth. Then we get the added benefit of tighter, better-rendered film grain that isn’t quite as noisy as previous releases. That sense of three-dimensional depth really comes into its own. Some of the optical effects can look a tad hazy, some early CGI still pokes out a little, but overall it’s a fantastic new transfer. The Dolby Vision grade doesn’t change anything radically but offers more nuance and subtlety in the colors, black levels, and contrast we just weren’t seeing on the 1080p discs. 

Now, a little anomaly I spotted, when viewing in Dolby Vision, it looks like the gamma drops out for about two seconds when the maniac with the axe crashes through the windows and is shot by the cops. It’s mere frames, but I spotted it on two setups. This doesn’t appear on the HDR10 layer on my office setup. Not a huge issue, some may not even notice it. I only caught it after doing disc flips to the old Scream Factory disc during that sequence. It's not a severe enough problem to knock the score any. 

On the audio front, we have the same aggressive and impactful DTS-HD MA 5.1 track returning alongside a very good and moody LPCM 2.0 track. Honestly, this is one where it’ll all come down to preference and how you’re set up. Both tracks are excellent with clean, clear dialogue, great placement for the jump stingers, and Carpenter’s score. All of the points hit for both tracks. The trick is they hit a bit differently. I personally really enjoy the 5.1 track. I like how it punches all of the channels, giving those sides and rears a lot of heavy activity rather than being incidental. For those creepy visions and smash cuts and audio stingers, they can hit out of different channels for a very effective and unnerving listening experience.

In the Mouth of Madness has enjoyed some robust extras in past releases, but Arrow ups the anti with a full slate of archival materias while delivering a new commentary, two new interviews, along with two new video essays. The new materials are worthwhile, Sandy King Carpenter is always fun for a candid interview. The KcKendry and Kane commentary is a nice listen with some insightful points. I wish the Prochnow interview was a bit longer, but for the brief time we have him he offers up some fun personal tidbits. If that wasn’t enough, there’s the excellent assortment of essays in the booklet to read through. 

• Commentaries:
• Audio Commentary featuring John Carpenter and Sandy King Carpenter
• Audio Commentary featuring John Carpenter and Gary B. Kibbe
• NEW Audio Commentary featuring Rebekah McKendry and Elric Kane
• Interviews:
• New Sandy King Carpenter (HD 21:37)
• New Juregen Prochnow (HD 6:46)
• Julie Carmen (HD 9:47)
• Greg Nicotero (HD 16:35)
• NEW We Are What He Writes (HD 33:25)
• NEW Reality is Not What it Used to Be (HD 11:27)
• Horror’s Hallowed Grounds (HD 11:31)
• Home Movies from Hobb’s End (SD 12:08)
• Vintage Making Of… (SD 5:03)
• Theatrical Trailer
• TV Spots
• Image Gallery
• Essay Booklet

While I wouldn’t call it his absolute best, I would absolutely say this is Carpenter’s last great film. I enjoy Village of the Damned, Escape from LA, Vampires, and find Ghosts of Mars to be amusing. In the Mouth of Madness is his last genuinely scary and unnerving feature as a master of horror. While it wasn’t a box-office behemoth, it held up well on video and has done well through several releases over the years. But I think with Arrow’s new 4K UHD release, we can put the stamp down as the definitive edition. The Dolby Vision transfer is terrific, the audio options are excellent, and the combination of new extras and archival bonus features makes this a heck of a disc to check out during these final days of the Halloween season. But then if you’re a true horror fan, every day is Halloween! Highly Recommended