John Carpenter's In the Mouth Of Madness Is Coming To 4K Blu-Ray In Time For Halloween

When it comes to horror, John Carpenter easily ranks among the genre’s greatest filmmakers. With a storied career that includes numerous cult-classics to his name. Soon, one of his lesser-known works, In The Mouth of Madness, is getting a new Limited Edition 4K Blu-ray from Arrow Video on October 28. This version features all-new cover art and a long list of special features. Even better, you can preorder the Lovecraft-inspired thriller at a discount via Amazon, where it’s down to just $36.69, saving you nearly 40% compared to its $60 MSRP.

$36.69 (was $60) | Releases October 28

The Limited Edition release from Arrow Video is a brand-new 4K restoration from the original 35mm camera negatives, and it has been enhanced with Dolby Vision, HDR10 compatibility, and Dolby Master Audio 5.1 and 2.0 audio. Like other releases from Arrow Video, you’re getting several physical extras as well, like a reversible sleeve with original artwork, a poster with new and original illustrations on both sides, and a collector’s book offering essays by several film critics and historians.

The steelbook cover uses the original–and eerie–theatrical poster art for the cover, and for on-disc special features, you can expect a mix of archival audio commentary, newly filmed interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, and brand-new featurettes:

In the Mouth of Madness special features

Reversible sleeve showcasing both original and newly commissioned art by Francesco Francavilla
Double-sided fold-out poster with original and newly commissioned artwork by Francesco Francavilla
Perfect-bound collector’s book with new essays on the film by Guy Adams, Josh Hurtado, Richard Kadrey, George Daniel Lea, Willow Catelyn Maclay, and Alexandra West
Archival commentary track with director John Carpenter and producer Sandy King Carpenter
Archival commentary track with John Carpenter alongside cinematographer Gary B. Kibbe
Newly recorded audio commentary from filmmakers Rebekah McKendry & Elric Kane, hosts of the Colors of the Dark podcast
Making Madness: A new on-camera interview with producer Sandy King Carpenter
Do You Read Sutter Cane: A brand-new conversation with actor Jürgen Prochnow
The Whisperer of the Dark: An archived sit-down with actress Julie Carmen
Greg Nicotero’s Things in the Basement: Vintage interview with FX maestro Greg Nicotero
We Are What He Writes: A fresh featurette celebrating John Carpenter and In the Mouth of Madness
Reality Is Not What It Used to Be: A new appreciation piece by film scholar Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
Horror’s Hallowed Grounds: Archival featurette exploring the movie’s filming locations
Home Movies from Hobb’s End: Candid behind-the-scenes footage
The Making of In the Mouth of Madness: A classic making-of featurette
Original theatrical trailer plus television promo spots

$18 (was $34.93)

If you don’t feel like waiting or mind watching the movie in 1080p, you can pick up In the Mouth of Madness on standard Blu-ray for just $18. Released in 2018, this is a high-quality version of the movie from Shout Factory, using 4K scans of the original film negatives. While you will be missing out on all of the new content from the Arrow Video version, the archival bonus materials on this release are still great overall for a tour of the filming locations, behind-the-scenes documentaries, and the insightful audio commentary tracks.

In the Mouth of Madness starred Sam Neill as John Trent, an insurance investigator exploring the recent disappearance of a celebrated author of horror novels. When his investigation eventually leads him to a small town, Trent finds himself questioning his very sanity as the boundaries between reality and fiction begin to merge, with all of humanity at risk. The film is the final chapter in the unofficial Apocalypse Trilogy of films from Carpenter, which includes The Thing and Prince of Darkness, movies that also deal with cataclysmic themes.

The movie is heavily inspired by the work of author HP Lovecraft, with the title itself being a play on his novella, At the Mountains of Madness. While In the Mouth of Madness was a box office flop, it still received positive reviews and it has been reevaluated over time as one of Carpenter’s most technically impressive movies with its polished production and meta-narrative.

In the Mouth of Madness isn’t the only John Carpenter movie getting a fresh release this year. New collectible 4K Blu-ray steelbook editions of Halloween, Halloween 2, and Halloween 3: Season of the Witch are all out soon, and each one features new art, 4K restorations of the respective films, and a wealth of extra content. Carpenter directed and composed music for the original Halloween, while the two sequels saw him take on writing, producing, and composing duties. You can also grab the Shout Factory Collector’s Editions of the Halloween films that Carpenter was involved in. Each one is a 4K Blu-ray that features original art on the case and on the slipcase cover.

John Carpenter’s Vampires is also getting a new 4K Steelbook Edition launching for $45 on November 4. While not as well-regarded as Carpenter’s other works, Vampires is still a fun vampire-slaying romp that’s worth checking out. Preorders for the new Steelbook Edition are available exclusively at Amazon.