In order to tone down this almost documentary aspect. Mouthwash Madness's cartoonishness is reduced to subtle yet omnipresent sound effects. Rythm, athmosphere and characterisation is rendered solely through sound design, always one tone below speech level, thus avoiding need for a musical score that would divert viewers attention.
>4) Wide set of influences
Despite it's seemingly childish and simplistic facade, Mouthwash Madness is a tribute to its development team's knowledge range.
Marie and Bess's (Elizabeth) names directly reference Biblical Visitation (Luke 1:46), both women carrying the same thing in their womb, namely mouthwash instead of babies, and bonding over it.
Explicit use of Schubert's Ave Maria (op.52 no.6) lead into that direction.
These names also bring to mind Louisa Mary Alcott's classic "Little Women" about four sisters of opposite characters dealing with an impoverished household, illness and the constant threat of death.
All the while not telling a horrific plot, "Mouthwash Madness" directly reference horror movies staging conventions, as an affectionate homage rather than to mock them.
Title is a deliberate pun on John Carpenter's 1994 film "The Mouth of Madness". Setting and atmosphere subtely spoof cabin fever genre codes, such as "Evil Dead" or "Shining". All the way down to small notes of eerie musical ambientation to better suggest underlying thrill.
Ann's possession bring an inkling of supernatural into otherwise mundane events, which has always been the mark of classical Fantastique category as defined by Maupassant two centuries ago before becoming slowly dilluted into Gothic horror by Hammer Production Ltd.
Thus it should be clear for anyone that Mouthwash Madness not only should be turned into an animated series, but that it was also intended as such and most certainly will.
