Event Horizon [Blu-ray]

Paul W.S. Anderson

Overview

A sci-fi-horror outing with slasher movie sensibilities, Event Horizon tells the gory, suspenseful tale of a group of brave astro-travellers who head off towards Neptune to learn the fate of the title ship, a craft created by Dr. William Weir (Sam Neill) to successfully navigate the vast distances of deep space. Launched on a test mission seven years prior to the rescue mission, the Event Horizon mysteriously disappeared and now has just as mysteriously returned. Accompanying Weir aboard the battered Lewis & Clark are Captain Miller (Lawrence Fishburne), navigator Starck (Joely Richardson), doctor D.J. (Jason Isaacs), engineer Justin (Jack Noseworthy), pilot Smith (Sean Pertwee), two emergency technicians Peters (Kathleen Quinlan) and Cooper (Richard T. Jones) and others. Just before they arrive at the lost Horizon, Weir finally tells his cohorts that the ship was special because it is equipped with a device that has the capability to create a black hole that enables the ship to quickly jump between dimensions of time and space. Once aboard the vast derelict ship, the members of the Lewis & Clark are met with a series of horrifying sites. Though the Horizon's crewmembers are dead, the rescuers soon discover that something is very much alive in the ship and that something is toying with their minds in terrifying ways. Viewers should be aware that this film contains some graphically gory scenes.

Product Details

Release Date:	03/23/2021
UPC:	0826663209884
Original Release:	1997
Rating:	R
Source:	Shout Factory
Language:	English
Time:	1:36:00
Sales rank:	4,887

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Laurence Fishburne	Miller
Sam Neill	Weir
Kathleen Quinlan	Peters
Joely Richardson	Starck
Richard T. Jones	Cooper
Jack Noseworthy	Justin
Jason Isaacs	D.J.
Sean Pertwee	Smith
Peter Marinker	Kilpack
Holley Chant	Claire
Barclay Wright	Denny
Noah Huntley	Burning Man
Robert Jezek	Rescue Technician
Teresa May	Vanessa
Emily Booth	Girl on Monitor
Michael Kamen	Composer

Technical Credits

Paul Anderson	Director
Jeremy Bolt	Producer
Lloyd Levin	Producer
Lawrence Gordon	Producer
Nick Gillott	Executive Producer
Ross Adams	Sound Effects
Computer Film Co.	Special Effects
Jane Shannon	Casting
Chris Munro	Sound/Sound Designer
Computer Film Company	Special Effects
Mass. Illusion	Special Effects
Animated Extras	Special Effects

Editorial Reviews

Often referred to as "The Shining in space," British director Paul Anderson's follow-up to the enormously popular Mortal Kombat (1995) also bears more than a passing resemblance to Stanislaw Lem's short-story Solaris (though with a decided slant towards the horrific). Unquestionably an exercise of style over substance, Event Horizon sustains its running time and frequently shifting theories of time and space with solid performances by Laurence Fishburn and Sam Neill. As the captain of the ship sent to investigate the disappearance of the titular spacecraft and the creator of the said time-bending craft respectively, Fishburn and Neil lend much needed weight to a story that borrows heavily and frequently from multiple sources. Though the film is marked with a number of shocking images in addition to a handful of intriguing concepts, the languid pacing (likely an intentional effort to build a foreboding sense of dread) robs the film of the needed trajectory to truly penetrate the mind of the viewer. It often seems that as soon as the audience is drawn in to the admittedly horrifying concept of a connection with Hell by means of experimental dimension-shifting spacecraft, they are pulled from the dark hypnosis of the admittedly awe-inspiring production design through a series of implausibly drawn situations and questionable motivations on behalf of the characters. As previously mentioned, the menacing design of the Event Horizon and it's Notre Dame cathedral-inspired black heart are nearly enough to induce nightmares alone. This observations not withstanding, it's a shame that Anderson couldn't parlay the often involving story and talented actors into a more effective story.