It’s time yet again to Social Distance the heck out of this epidemic and watch a movie together while still staying in three different states: North Carolina, Florida, and California. Next up for the Tri-State Watch Party, we went with another one of our favorites, In the Mouth of Madness.
The Netflix Watch Party app ended up being a little complicated, so we just set a time to hit “play” and then chatted through instant messenger. Click the jump to read some highlights from the conversation.
The Players: Elizabeth, Hannah, and Kathryn. Nathan had a Grateful Dead stream he was watching, and we weren’t sure how much Mom and Dad wanted to see this particular movie, so it’s a Sisters Watch Party this time.
Kathryn
Ready to play whenever!
Elizabeth
Ready here too
Hannah
Yep
Kathryn
Playing!
Elizabeth
Oh I almost forgot the intro music I LOVE IT
Kathryn
I can’t put into words why I like this movie so much, I just do.
They’re obviously printing a bunch of copies of this poster in this intro. Suppose there are still copies of it floating around?
Elizabeth
Waaant
Hannah
It has all of the fucking weird and scary and it attempts to explain almost none of it
ooooooh
There he is
Kathryn
This dude played the devil in the TV show Brimstone
Hannah
So handsome
Not that dude obviously haha
Kathryn
Sam Neill himself
Elizabeth
I’M SORRY ABOUT THE BALLS!!!!!
Hannah
The lighting/camera work in these bits especially is really fun
Kathryn
“ME NEITHER!”
Hannah
NOT THE CARPENTERS
(I just lost my drink while I was sitting down the whole time)
Elizabeth
hahaha I forgot everybody sings along
Kathryn
God that look of wondering follower by utter despair
Hannah
He can .almost. do Jack Nicholson
Kathryn
SUBLIMINAL HORROR IS ALWAYS THE WORST HORROR.
Hannah
YIPE
goosebumps
Elizabeth
Oh hey David Warner, totally forgot he was in this
Hannah
I love this as an alternate-reality sequel to A Christmas Carol
Elizabeth
Ooooooo
Kathryn
Not sure why you would let David Warner to be alone with a violent patient, but okay…
Hannah
heh
Elizabeth
All the stuff on his face really reminiscent of the end of Event Horizon….
Hannah
eesh yeah well they went full Hellraiser there
Kathryn
So John Carpenter did ALL of the music for this?
Elizabeth
Sounds like it
Halloween costume his blue jammies with black crosses all over it
Hannah
OH DUDE
how have I never thought of that before?
Elizabeth
Hee
Kathryn
I would love to do that and then see which random people would “get” it.
Took me ages to actually hear what they’re saying in this scene
Elizabeth
watching him slowly come across the street….
Hannah
Almost wish he would’ve showed that from inside the cafe the whole time
Elizabeth
same
Weird ADR there, but I forgot about the eyes
Kathryn
How do you not meet demand for ADVANCE orders?
Hannah
heh, good point
Sip your booze, Sammo
fucccckkking Chuck, of course
Elizabeth
One of my favorite Heston roles
Kathryn
Wonder if anyone got his gun yet?
Hannah
heh
Elizabeth
Heh
Hannah
Her lips say, “You read books” but her lips and shoulder pads say, “GUESS WHAT DECADE THIS IS”
Elizabeth
hahahah
Hannah
I think I always missed that they actually mention Stephen King
Elizabeth
I was just thinking that “Is this a veiled reference to Stephen King oh wait they just brought him up”
Hannah
It is fun to me that Sam Neill starts off as a borderline unlikeable character. That seems like a good storytelling choice
Elizabeth
Yes, not a Mary Sue by any means
“it’s cute, put it in the press kit” is a great line.
Hannah
ew, Sam, stop it, put your arm down
Elizabeth
Kick im in the balls lady.
Hannah
That really does make me physically uncomfortable and I would pay money to have Sam Neill 6 inches from my face
Elizabeth
Agreed
Hannah
I wonder if this is another case of Sam actually trying an American accent and just getting to muted kiwi
Elizabeth
Sounds like it, it’s not jarring whatever it is
Hannah
It’s not, but it’s not 100 percent American, either
Kathryn
BE-ah
Hannah
Chechov’s face rub
Luke Crane would’ve licked it
Elizabeth
Right?
Yaaaa chills up my arms
AND AGAIN
Hannah
nope nope nope
Kathryn
God, even knowing that jump scare is coming…
Elizabeth
I forgot about it
I remember seeing this and thinking he wasn’t really a smoker, do we know that?
Hannah
Y’know, I had that thought, too
Details like this make me think this was based on a book
Kathryn
This is neat because he COULD just be having a manic episode here for all we know
Elizabeth
I love that dismissive “…cute.”
Kathryn
Him singing America the Beautiful here is just perfect
Hannah
haha yes
why…is there a horn…in the glove box
NEVAH NEVAH NEVAH…throw chips at a drivah
Kathryn
This shot of the lighted cab in the darkness…
Is it…a bicycle horn?
Elizabeth
hee
Don’t YOU have a bicycle horn in your glove compartment?
Hannah
I’m a bell in the glove box woman
Elizabeth
Kathryn
Hannah
And here Styles summarizes the premise
Elizabeth
Yep
Kathryn
Heeeere we go…
Elizabeth
That sound when he’s lit in red ..
Hannah
Oh man, I was headed to Mom and Dad’s the other night and there was this like 7 year old girl walking in the middle of the road
If it had been nighttime…eesh
nope
nope nope nope
Elizabeth
aaaaaa
YIPE
Hannah
The sound cue is unfair but so effective
Elizabeth
“He was okay?” Not even close.
Kathryn
WHY DON’T YOU MAKE TRENT DRIVE, STILES?
Elizabeth
Man it is HIS TURN TO DRIVE
Jinx!
Kathryn
Jinx!
Hannah
hahah
I love this shot
and then blammo, daytime
Elizabeth
Man alive, the lightning in the clouds UNDER them
Hannah
yes!
Kathryn
“You drive.” A LITTLE LATE FOR THAT.
Elizabeth
SERIOUSLY
Hannah
I love how “covered bridge” is shorthand for New England
Elizabeth
Worse things to be known for, for sure
We need to do a road trip where we visit filming locations like this
Hannah
Man can wear a pair of jeans with boots, lemme tell ya
Elizabeth
Boy howdy
Hannah
nice focus pull there
Elizabeth
Has the car just seen some things or was it always that crappy?
Kathryn
Almost a jump scare
Hannah
heh not sure
Kathryn
“I’ve read about it. And so have you.” She just has zero patience.
Hannah
Changing paintings is a thing that gets me every time
Kathryn
Me too! So effective.
Elizabeth
Me too!
Hannah
nope
Elizabeth
NOPE
Hannah
Yeah I don’t think he’s trying to change his accent
Elizabeth
“The view was from the East.” Love that bit.
Hannah
yes!
Kathryn
Real honest to God church there.
Hannah
is it?
Kathryn
Outside Toronto
Hannah
jesus
Kathryn
I think it’s possibly shuttered now
Hannah
Makes you wonder what they thought about being the setting for this
Elizabeth
Road trip
Hannah
Toronto filming locations would be an .awesome. road trip
Kathryn
You’ve all seen The Seventh Sign, right?
Hannah
Jurgen Prochnow is Germany’s Morgan Freeman
Elizabeth
Dogs springing into action at once like that I just love.
Hannah
Loooong time ago
Elizabeth
Seventh Sign, with Demi Moore?
Kathryn
Yep, Jurgen Prochnow is fantastic in that.
Elizabeth
She’s disguising an accent too isn’t she?
Kathryn
“Well FUCK THAT.”
Hannah
I’m not sure if she’s disguising an accent or just not…that…great…?
Elizabeth
Heh, yeah her delivery is off
Kathryn
Little of column a, little of column b.
Elizabeth
NO WAY SHE’S HOLDING HIS PEEN
Hannah
I NEVER SAW THAT BEFORE
Wait, it’s not his left hand?
Elizabeth
ME NEITHER
Hahaha it COULD be his hand.
Hannah
hahaha
YOU SEE WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE, ELIZABETH
Elizabeth
I think the painter was veeeeeeery clever
I DID NOT WANT TO SEE HIS PEEN
Hannah
haha HELL NO
Kathryn
This actress is amazing, so sweet and UTTERLY menacing
Elizabeth
Very!
Hannah
yes!
Elizabeth
Michelob product placement, sort of
Hannah
The accents are all over the place in this, heh
Elizabeth
Today is MOMMYS DAY
Yipe!
I love the pieces of plot all over the place, like the town really was based on a whole bunch of books and it’s not important what part of the story you’re in
Hannah
heh yes, good point
Kathryn
Pretty sure that upside down cross isn’t part of the actual church.
Elizabeth
Nooo I imagine not
Kathryn
She sniffed whatever was on the wall. At least she didn’t lick it.
Elizabeth
I WAS JUST THINKING THAT
Hannah
audible jump scares all over the shop
Kathryn
Lordy, Nathan’s taken up writing on an old typewriter and that sound is going to CREEP ME OUT NOW.
Elizabeth
I love em, I don’t care, I’ll take a jump scare in any medium
Hannah
“I always thought I was making this up” is pretty creepy
Elizabeth
Everybody since Lovecraft has done Lovecraft better.
Hannah
haha
Kathryn
He built the best sandbox for everyone else to play in
Hannah
And then got his racist ass dead
Elizabeth
Pity he was such a raging racist
Hannah
haha
Elizabeth
jinx
Kathryn
He lived a miserable life and then died, the end.
Hannah
WFF had a quote from him about how he knew Hitler was silly but “gosh darn it, I like the lad”
Kathryn
Ugh
Elizabeth
Truth
That he’d say that I mean, not that Hitler was a likable lad
Kathryn
The “I’m losing me!” Is probably her worst delivery.
Elizabeth
Yeah, agreed.
Hannah
Somehow her being off from the get-go helps with the turning into a monster stuff, I think
Kathryn
The church wasn’t in the painting before, was it?
Hannah
I don’t think so
Elizabeth
I don’t…think so?
Hannah
Mrs Pickman as a feature on Disney World’s Haunted House
Haunted MANSION dammit
Elizabeth
Heh, 1980s animatronics for sure
Kathryn
God that horn-blatting music sting gets me EVERY time.
Hannah
yep!
Elizabeth
The whipping tentacles under the dooooor!
No no dude get back in the car
“I have to he wrote me this way” is another great line
Hannah
yes
hahaha
That punch back
Elizabeth
hee
Moves like this make me want to learn to hotwire a car juuuuuuuust in case
Hannah
not as easy these days
Kathryn
That little pout just before she swallows the keys is probably her best delivery.
Hannah
This bit always freaked me out
Elizabeth
aaaaaaaa do not like body horror
Hannah
Driving away from somewhere and winding up right back there is true nightmare stuff
nooooo thank you
I SAID NO THANK YOU
Elizabeth
hahaha
Hannah
I love John Carpenter getting the most out of multiple takes with his extras and stunt driver
Elizabeth
Hee
I like that the idea of “just drive through all of them” was so well subverted with her showing up in the middle of them
Kathryn
Huh, was this movie pre-airbags?
Looking that up
Elizabeth
Google says airbags are 1970s
Hannah
prrroooobably? I remember when seatbelt mandates weren’t a thing
Elizabeth
beat ya!
Hannah
And yet no safety matches
Kathryn
Heh.
Hannah
Safety matches are bad for Hollywood
Somebody do a mashup of this and Fleabag please
Elizabeth
eeeeeee
Kathryn
Nooooo, not sexy…
Hannah
haha, no
Bad flex, Sam. Baaaaad flex
Elizabeth
I love that idea of a cumulative effect, that the old books were so popular, the new one will push it over the edge.
“I think therefor you are.”
Hannah
Cartesian Horror
Elizabeth
THAT LOOKS LIKE EVENT HORIZON
Hannah
I WAS JUST GONNA SAY THAT
Kathryn
Looks very HR Geiger too.
Hannah
Her reading the narration here is a very cool thing
Elizabeth
Very
And the fact you don’t see what she’s saying but he does, nice
Kathryn
I’m sure people have pieced together as much as they can of the words on the ripped paper.
Yeesh
Elizabeth
I swear Supernatural has used that same spot for the Crossroads Demon.
Hannah
You just know some of these shots have been framed in such a way to eliminate a Circle K
Elizabeth
Right?
Kathryn
Heh. Robot Monster.
Hannah
haha that mirror motion
Elizabeth
So flinchy
Hannah
heh that dude has been a surfer in everything
or he looks like the dude who has
Elizabeth
I was just looking at his name in the X-ray. Never heard of him but damn he looks familiar.
Kathryn
X-ray?
Elizabeth
Hover over the top of the screen, you get a prompt to see who’s in the movie
In Prime anyway.
Kathryn
Heeeere we go…
Elizabeth
One of my favorite scenes!
Hannah
SAME!
Kathryn
What is she TALKING about with the bodies?
Elizabeth
Yipe!!
Love that, every time.
Kathryn
Sam Neill just THROWS himself into that scream.
Hannah
yes!
Screaming is HARD to do
Elizabeth
Creeped me out so much the first time I saw it, I loved it
Kathryn
I always had this idea that that alley scene might have originally led to something more.
Elizabeth
The microadjustments he keeps doing, so effective
Hannah
“I know I sent you off alone” eep
Elizabeth
Any time a story makes the narrator unreliable like that…
Hannah
yuuuup
Kathryn
MONTHS AGO
Elizabeth
“The book’s been in the store for seven weeks..”
“The movie comes out next month…”
Hannah
The way this story just oozes back in on itself
Elizabeth
Yes!
Hannah
Man there’s a jump scare coming up that I thought was at the beginning
haha, “…there’s a movie.”
Don’t ever turn off your recorder. The best things get said when you say goodbye
Kathryn
That reminds me of the story 1308
2408
1408 damnit
Hannah
heh 1408
Elizabeth
Hee, I’ve told jada that a couple times, you always get gold after they think they’re done talking
Kathryn
He really sells the terror here
Elizabeth
yes he does!
I love the condition of the door
And the hallway
Hannah
yessss
haha the same thing he does when he steps in triceratops shit
…that one, that was the one I was thinking of
Elizabeth
HHAHAHAH the jump scare gets me EVERY TIME
Kathryn
Haaa
Even knowing it’s coming
Elizabeth
This ending for crying out loud
Hannah
snort-laugh
fucking awesome
Elizabeth
It’s been WAY TOO LONG since I watched that
Kathryn
Now I’m gonna soak in this theme song.
Hannah
The ending swelling into this fucking badass guitar music
Elizabeth
yes!!
Hannah
More horror movies should leave you feeling unsettled but also TRIUMPHANT at the end
Elizabeth
Yes that’s the perfect way to put it! You get done feeling like you accomplished something!
Kathryn
Look up John Carpenter’s Lost Themes album. GREAT music on there.
The “no animals were harmed” disclaimer in the credits is followed by “Human interaction was monitored by the Inter Planetary Psychiatric Association. The body count was high, the casualties are heavy.”
Elizabeth
I NEVER NOTICED THAT BRAVO CREDIT GUYS
Kathryn
MAN I love that music.
Hannah
haha awesome
I didn’t stand up during that whole movie
(granted, merciful run time)
Kathryn
Me neither!
Now I’m gonna have nightmares tonight. WORTH IT.
Elizabeth
If this ever makes it to Netflix UK I hope like hell the Flixwatcher Pod covers it
Super high engagement score
Kathryn
High rewatchability.
Hannah
I was just thinking I would become a Best Pick patron if when they get done with Oscars winners you could just pay them to discuss ANY FILM
Elizabeth
Yes!
Hannah
I just .reluctantly. turned on the lights
Elizabeth
I’ve only just now turned on the little desk light by the computer, the rest of the place is pitch black
Kathryn
Pretty bright here, and Nathan’s got The Grateful Dead playing upstairs. But looking out the window and seeing a car drive by in the dark gave me a chill FOR NO REASON.
Hannah
Heh, that movie came out in 1994 (of course, ’cause y’all saw it in college). So points deducted for the 80s-ness… or we’re just being way too generous about the early 90s
Looking for a present for that hard-to-shop-for person? Want to buy them (or yourself) a square foot of a castle in Scotland? Look no further! You can support the restoration of Dunan’s castle, legally call yourself Lady or Laird, AND if you use this link to get there, you can support this podcast too! ScottishLaird.co.uk.
If you want to follow along with Fanart Fridays, check us out on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and Instagram