Starring: Laurence Fishburne, Sam Neil, Kathleen Quinlan, Joely Richardson, Richard T.Jones, Jason Isaacs, Sean Pertwee.
Director: Paul W.S. Anderson.
I've always legitimately loved Event Horizon, no matter how objectively bad it really is. It never has, and likely never will be, anything more than a cult classic that is loved for its insanity and willful disinterest in being anything more than exactly what it is. That self-awareness, and commitment to its own lunacy over traditional quality, is what makes it the cult success that it more or less is.
Sam Neil is also my favorite actor (most days, anyway) and, well, he's a lot of fun here. So, considering I just want to do silly movies right now, here is Event Horizon.
I feel like my opening paragraph paints a somewhat unfair picture of this film: By qualifying it as a cult film, or as "objectively bad" I don't mean to undersell the film as a whole. I really do absolutely love this film and have for years. It just doesn't hold up under real critical scrutiny but is purely a "popcorn movie" in it's purest sense. That isn't to say it isn't intelligent or well-done, though: just that it's fully aware of its own identity and unique set of strengths and weaknesses, and handles itself very well with that qualification. But it opens with a techno music credits sequence and a text opener that...
Whoo! 2015 we established a moon colony. Must have missed that. Still on track for a 2032 Mars Mining Colony, though.
As silly as all that is-and it IS silly in that whole "sci-fi/horror mashup" way(I think that mashup worked exactly once with Alien)-the use of disorienting photography with the spaceship stuff is really clever. Director Paul W.S. Anderson deliberately plays with this element(even showing Sam Neil upside down in a shot before turning right side up) to completely play with the audiences equilibrium. It's well done photography, and sets the tone for the whole film.
The storyline is actually a pretty cool one: a search and rescue ship(don't recall many of those in science fiction) is dispatched to locate a ship-the titular "Event Horizon"-that has been missing for a long time and has a superstitious reputation as something of an albatross and has reappeared just as suddenly as it disappeared. Sam Neil plays Dr.Weir, the unhinged scientist who created the titular spacecraft and it's gravity drive(basically predating the large hadron collider by many years-so, no moon colony in 2015, but they predict the collider...so, there's that.
Neil gives one of my favorite horror movie dude shouts in history, slowly rising in volume until it's cut off. I feel like he just would have kept raising in volume if nobody had said "cut." It's a good scare, though.
The crew of the amazingly named Lewis and Clark are a colorful bunch, but a little less(but not much less) generic than most spaceship crews: like I said, colorful. They're a fun cast and have some fun dialogue to keep themselves afloat no matter how weird or technical things get. This lighthearted dialogue has one specific, and fully realized purpose: to make them relatable and familiar. The real feat of this, though, is that it this familiarity promotes the sense of doom that Event Horizon pushes.
This gloom and doom is also wonderfully presented: there is virtually no bright colors(costumes are drab and monochromatic), lighting varies between sterile and dim, and the physical space of the set is cramped and claustrophobic(everyone is on top of one another in ever scene). It's interesting, and maybe even something of a weakness, that Weir is presented as our audience in: the familiarity and chemistry of the rest of the cast only accentuates Weir as an outsider and, as such, makes us outsiders as well. Captain Miller takes control of the narrative quickly enough(in fact, I plan on examining the dual-narratives of Miller and Weir through their conflict later), but it's still odd. Maybe the mindset was Weir sets that doomed tone in contrast to the rest of the crew, which would make sense.
Not a few minutes after the light hearted banter and Weir's information dump, we have the first big moment of doom: Weir plays the transmission from the Event Horizon, which is basically shrieking and growling, which spooks the crew and us. Sean Pertwee as Smith gives great reactions to all the scary stuff in this movie: it's just "not wanting to be there" over and over. But he's fantastic. This cast really is excellent.
It doesn't take long for the conflict between Miller and Weir to become important. No sooner have they attached to the ghost ship does Miller insist Weir stay on board: the blocking of the scene has them literally square off. They hunch over, look each other in the eye, raise their voices(only a little, though: they're still feeling each other out) and their stances mirror one another. Miller wins the argument, much to Weirs chagrin, but it's only the first time the two bump heads. I mentioned earlier about their conflict driving a sort of dual narrative: Weir begins as the focus, having the intelligence on the ships design and functions, but Miller is in charge. Miller demanding Weir not enter the ship diverts the assumed narrative while also changing the very definition of that narrative: Weir is struggling to maintain his role as the central voice. Miller is not only taking command of Weir as a shipmate, but also as the films main character and, as such, displacing Weir. That may be more meta than the film probably meant it, but I like reading too much into things. It's kinda why I do this.
The set design of the gravity drive looks cool but, really: why are there spikes everywhere? There is just no real purpose to this design other than to look scary. I suppose that's fine, it just doesn't make any real sense.
Richard T.Jones is one of the unsung heroes of this movie (along with Sean Pertwee): as Cooper, the main spacewalk guy, is so chatty while in danger. Also, completely willing to brave that danger to save the lives of his fellow crew. The character is a lot of fun and keeps things relatable. Honestly, I feel like if I were in his situation I would also just keep talking, too. Cooper also becomes the next focal point of the on-going conflict between Miller and Weir: Cooper attempts to confront Weir over what he saw in the gravity drive but is shouted down. What this does is give Weir some of his power back. Weir is able to take control over that situation (gleefully suggesting Cooper is delusional, and placing a hand on Cooper), but Miller fights back by also controlling Cooper. The moment is enough, though: Weir takes them down to the gravity drive and asserts his knowledge of it. Once more, the two men engage in a power struggle.
I always did feel like the movies atmosphere and sustained tension worked better than the actual scares itself. While the mind games the ship plays on the crew are suitably creepy, they don't really do the job. But that aforementioned sense of doom is really what makes it work.
An energy drain once again brings Miller and Weir to equal footing, probably for the last time before the narrative decides to redefine Weir entirely. The two men race to the gravity drive (Weir knows what's going on, Miller does not:once again the balance of power is distrupted...this movie really is focused a lot on power relations), and Weir makes the decision to go into the weird green crawlspace to fix it. Interestingly enough, Weir eventually asks for Miller's help before being confronted by a ghost. Miller doesn't appear to hear Weirs cries, and is instead confronted by his own personal ghost. Both men are equals again...but Weir does not backup Miller's claims of "seeing things."
Smith: "I haven't seen anything but I don't need to see anything. This ship. Is. Fucked."
Weir: "Thank you for that scientific analysis, Mr.Smith."
Smith(freaks out and lunges at Weir): "You break all the laws of physics and you think there wouldn't be a price!" -My favorite exchange. Also what I used to quote whenever anyone brought up the Large Hadron Collider in conversation way back when that was new. We get an important moment from D.J.(who puts a knife to Smiths throat in a moment of stress...fan theories abound on who D.J. really is(he does also react when Weir tells everyone that the mission is code black)), and Miller once again asserts control over his crew. This is important because Miller was losing his control after his experience with the supernatural while Weir gains some ground.
Miller regains more lost ground saving Justin from his decompression and then confronts Weir. Miller maintains the high ground, since Weir is A)both flummoxed by what is happening as he literally has no explanation for supernatural stuff and B)partially possessed by this point. I would have to say that THIS is probably the last time they're on the same level in the narrative. From here, Weir is re-purposed as an antagonist. Well, okay, there is still one last argument about abandoning the ship before Weir officially distances himself from Miller's authority and goes off to gouge out his own eyes.
Laurence Fishburne does a great job with a very difficult and awkward monologue. The dialogue is kind of cringeworthy and poorly written, but he manages to muscle through it. We follow up with the now famous(or infamous) montage of Hell footage, which supposedly has an even crazier extended scene somewhere out there on the internet. I think it probably does work better in the quicker version: never underestimate the power of imagination over visual shock value.
"I have no intention of leaving her, Doctor. I will take the Lewis and Clark to a safe distance and then I will fire attack missiles at the Event Horizon until I am sure she's vaporized. Fuck this ship!" My second favorite bit of dialogue from the film. Probably also one of the most rational horror movie reactions ever, honestly.
Poor Smith. Possessed!Weir places a bomb on board and, ever reluctant to go back on board the Horizon, searches for it. He finds it, just in time to see it count down to zero and has the MOST heartbreaking reaction ever before being blowed up. Cooper is then blown out into space for the movies last amusing gag (somewhat undermining the climax, really, but it's amusing). He blows his air tank and shouts "Here I come, Muthafuckerrrrrrrssssss!" It's a really funny line. We then jump to D.J. being immediately killed off by Weir. There's some odd mood whiplash but, as I said earlier, the movies content is never able to really live up to its tonal and atmospheric ambitions.
Weir shows up again with his eyes sewn shut to wrap up the plot with more than one "eye" line of dialogue. "Where we're going, we won't need eyes to see." "LOOK at her, Miller. Isn't she beautiful?" Neil relishes the dialogue, though(as he does throughout the whole film, really) and does great with it, but it's not exactly fantastic writing. Finally, the scene is undermined by more of Cooper's comic bits, which is funny("That's right, I'm backohshitIcan'tstop") but doesn't do the scene any good...then a cliched hull breach sequence that looks good and has some good acting by Fishburne and Richardson but never really manages to really be super exciting. Most of this movie is an excellent set up and the power struggle between Miller and Weir, and then it kind of falls apart under its own weight. Not the strongest climax in horror history, really, which is kind of tragic.
I feel like there was a joke on a Weekly World News when the Hadron Collider was activated: "First images of the Hadron Collider show Laurence Fishburne fighting demons" or something to that effect. It made me laugh at the time, being a fan of this movie. Miller and (sort of) Weir have a final confrontation but it doesn't really follow the previous parallels of the two characters (Weir having lost any real agency and becoming an avatar for the supernatural evil aboard the shop). Honestly, the earlier confrontation with the blind Weird probably should have been it for that character, and allowed Miller to directly confront the power on the ship. But, hey.
"We're safe, Stark. We're safe" being said as the door closes is a really strong last moment in its ominousness, though.
Final Thoughts: It's like there are two versions of Event Horizon happening right in front of us: there is the one that is presented via performance, set design and cinematography that is dark, moody, atmospheric and frightening. Then there's the one that exists in the script, which is mostly cliches and (and it pains me to say this) mostly hackneyed gore effects. As I said before, the movie never really lives up to its potential as anything but an entertaining diversion. That said, the cast is excellent if occasionally under utilized (Kathleen Quinlan in particular is capable of a lot more), and it has an excellent sense of atmosphere and establishment of tone. Fun cult movie.
Final Rating: Three Stars for being fun.
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