Released in 1997, directed by Paul Anderson (Resident Evil, Mortal Kombat), written by Philip Eisner, staring: Sam Neill (The Piano, Jurasic Park), Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix) and Kathleen Quinlan (Diagnosis Murder-TV series, Apollo 13). The film is only an hour and 32 mins long and it doesn't feel like a long film, which is always good.
The basic storyline is: in 2040 the 'Event Horizon' dissapeared on its maiden voyage. 7 years later a signal is picked up by USAC (United States Aerospace Command) and the search and rescue vessel the 'Lewis & Clark' is sent to check it out. The crew, along with Dr. Weir who helped build certain parts of the 'Event Horizon' go in search of the ship and find it. But the 'Event Horizon' was no ordinary ship and bizzare things start to happen as the 'Lewis & Clark' crew start to slowly uncover what happened on the 'Event Horizon'. (You just know its gonna go pear shaped when they dock into airlock 13 upon finding the 'Event Horizon')
One of the many things i liked about this film was the way it presents information along the way. At the start of the film typed messages come up explaining what year it is, gives you some of the history of the progress peoplekind has made. You get brief flashes of whats to come, yet at the same time other bits of info aren't presented until the crew uncovers them. For example, the recording of the distress call is played to us early in the film but until DJ filters it and translates it we (and the rest of the crew) dont know what it means. Then theres Peters prophetic vision of whats to come before she chases after the vision of her son etc..
In the film theres these 'images of hell' sequences, these are brief flashes of sick and gory images, which are highly intriguing. If you can, either watch them in slow motion or pause and do a frame by frame cos some of the images are really stomach churning. Its complete genius by putting it in these quick flashes you can get stuff by the censors that would never be allowed past in a million years!
The asthetics of the SFX used in these sequences and the rest of the film is fantosstic! The pics on this page give you a small taste. The interior of the ships, the bodies, the props, splattered crew members etc., make it just a gourgeous movie to watch.
Theres some really good 'moral' bits in the film, with the whole government consiparies covering up what really happened to the 'Event Horizon' and the technological leaps made in the future and how we use power we dont understand without thinking of the consequences.
Initially you think this is a sci-fi film but it very quickly changes into a mix of sci-fi, horor and in a sick twisted way comedy as well (Cooper (played by Richard. T. Jones) is just SO funny). Anyways so this is a fantosstic film, rather scary in palces, has Sam Neill and plenty of blood and gory, so can't fail really.
Finally, the soundtrack is done by Orbital and Michael Kamen, they've put together some really creepy background stuff! With an end credits track by The Prodigy which is so good you'll sit and watch the credits just to hear the music. |
