It’s no surprise to anyone who knows me that horror is easily my favorite film genre. From mediocre slasher sequels, to cerebral psychological horror, to haunted house tales, I can find merit in nearly any horror flick out there. Of course, this also leads to October being one of my favorite times of the year. TV channels are overrun with reruns of nearly every classic of the genre, and I can almost always find a favorite playing on some channel (usually AMC). That being said, I’ve decided to do something a bit different this Halloween season.
For each day this month, I will be doing a sort of analysis or review on a select horror movie of my choosing, or one chosen by a friend or relative. What I discuss may vary greatly from film to film, and I will be picking from all corners of the genre. My hope is that, after reading these posts, you will feel the urge to go out and appreciate some of these movies as much as I do. Of course, there will be varying degrees of spoilers for each film, so be warned!
Without further ado, let’s begin!
October 1st
Event Horizon (1997)
What’s it about?
Taking place in the near future of 2047, Event Horizon is part of the rare cross-genre of sci-fi horror. Taking inspiration from Alien, The Shining, and Hellraiser, this film is a descent into madness that has to be seen to believed. The crew of the USS Lewis and Clark have been sent out on a rescue mission near the orbit of Neptune. After waking from stasis, the crew is informed by Dr. William Weir (the always fantastic Sam Neill) that the distress beacon they are following was sent by the Event Horizon (that’s the name!), an experimental craft that had disappeared seven years prior. Weir informs them that the Event Horizon was experimenting with wormholes to figure out faster than light travel, a technology that he helped develop. When the Event Horizon went through the wormhole, they never came back. Until now.
When the crew boards the Event Horizon, they quickly discover that all of the crew is either dead or missing. What did the crew find on the other end of the wormhole, and did they bring it back with them? The crew of the Lewis and Clark soon finds the answers to these questions, all while dealing with their own personal demons. The only thing that would await anyone on the other side of the portal is pure chaos.
What Works
This movie was released around the time when computer generated effects were growing in popularity, which could set off some red flags for a number of audience members. Anyone who lived through this time and goes back and watches these films now can attest to how truly awful CGI was in the 90’s. Luckily, Event Horizon tries not to rely on them too much. Director Paul W.S. Anderson and Paramount Pictures did an excellent job of bringing in production and set designers who knew how to create breathtaking practical effects and studio sets. They even hired Crispian Sallis, the set director behind classics such as Aliens (the inspiration is glaringly apparent) and 12 Monkeys. The long corridors and minimal lighting really give this film a “haunted house in space” feel, which is clearly what they were going for. It’s even said that the original script had monsters in it, but Anderson wanted to go more The Haunting and less Alien. One set in particular that I always found breathtaking was the spiraling hallway that leads to the ship’s gravity core, a hallway that feels like the tunnel to Hell itself.
Sam Neill and Laurence Fishbourne (as the hardened Captain Miller) turn in solid performances, as they usually do. The rest of the cast are also all serviceable in their own way, although the incredible Jason Isaac is criminally underused. Overall it’s a dark, truly unsettling movie that plays with some interesting concepts.
What Doesn’t Work
That being said, Event Horizon has the same problem that many horror movies unfortunately suffer from. It is very clear that most thought and passion in this production went into the visual aspect and the creation of an unsettling atmosphere. It seems obvious that the movie’s budget of $60 million was mostly spent on actor’s salaries and production design. The plot has an interesting setup, but it really starts to unravel in the third act. While the movie can be forgiven for some of the nonsensical parts as it really starts to embrace its Lovecraftian and Dantean roots, there are truly some plot points that seem to just happen to bring us to the next gory set-piece. While I feel like Sam Neill’s performance is solid, it seems the writers don’t exactly know what to do with his character either. His motives are unclear and he seems to pop in and out of places when the plot needs him to. While this same complaint can be applied to most slasher villains, Dr. Weir is expected to be more thoughtful and cunning than that.
There are also issues with tone later on into the film. While the film usually embraces and basks in its dark, foreboding tone, there are moments of levity and comedy that don’t really seem to mesh well with the rest of the film. While I would often appreciate moments of levity between scenes of horror (Get Out does this masterfully), it just seems out of place here. Most of this comedy, of course, comes from Richard T. Jones’ Cooper. There’s a scene of him trying to make his way back to the ship, all the while accompanied by his commentary on what is happening to him. It’s all a bit silly.
The movie’s biggest problem is having clear inspiration from other classics, but never even coming close to reaching the heights of those films.
Scariest Moment
While this movie truly has many unsettling moments, thanks in part to the top notch makeup design, there is one scene that stands out above them all. This scene occurs when the crew of the Lewis and Clark are finally able to decode the last recording left by the crew of the Event Horizon. This recording shows the crew in their final moments, and has been affectionately referred to by film crew and fan alike as the “blood orgy.” Trust me, it’s just as lovely as it sounds. The most shocking part about it all is knowing that apparently test audiences were so horrified by the original cut that Paramount forced Anderson to cut nearly 90% of the scene out. I’m holding out hope for an inevitable full cut one day, cause I can’t help but be curious about what they didn’t let us see. I’d link the scene in question here, but it seems that even Youtube doesn’t think it’s safe for the eyes of the average viewer. So if you really are curious about the “blood orgy,” it seems you’ll have to hunt down the film yourself.
Is it Worth Watching?
This is a difficult decision for me. While I personally love this film, even through its numerous flaws, I can understand how many people could think it was abysmal (need I direct you to the sub-30% rating on Rotten Tomatoes?). I think it is an underrated, entertaining film in a subgenre that really needs more good films in it. For those who enjoy set design, practical effects, and some good ol’ fashioned gore, I would certainly say that this movie is worth your time. However, if you tend to like your horror more cerebral and thought-provoking, you won’t find much here. It’s a gory, maddening ride that some may find unnecessary and excessive, but damn if I don’t have a weak spot for horror films starring Sam Neill.
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That’s it for day 1! Tune in tomorrow for my next film: Martyrs. This French exploitation classics is one of the most diabolical, evil, most fucked up movies I’ve ever watched…and it is easily one of my all-time favorites.
Rising Action 