EVENT HORIZON
US, 1997, 95 minutes, Colour.
Laurence Fishburne, Sam Neill, Joely Richardson, Kathleen Quinlan.
Directed by Paul Anderson.
While the setting is outer space, with echoes of Star Trek, the plot is the old house of horror where characters are haunted and successively disappear. Again, this has been done in space with Galaxy of Terror and, of course, Alien. Which means that this film is entirely derivative - and its screenplay is of the swearing-instead-of-wit kind. Another drawback is that Sam Neill is too urbane to be a villain. While there are some exciting moments and the effects are often impressive, this is a rather ordinary horror in outer space.
1. The popularity of science fiction in the latter part of the 20th century? The tradition of Star Trek? The contribution of Aliens? The exploration of the universe? Travel? The future?
2. The themes of dangers in the exploration of space? Dangers in science and the development of technology? Scientists and their power, `playing God'? Issues of madness? Explorations of evil? Opening up the unknown, destruction? Survival?
3. The title and the ship lost in space? The ship having gone through the black hole and into Hell?
4. The focus on the future: the ship and its technology? The special effects for time travel? For the black hole (and the credits)? For the appearances terrifying the characters? For destruction and explosions? The musical score?
5. The screenplay - the blend of the original with the derivative, the trite and the expected, the expletives (and the lack of wit in so much of the screenplay)?
6. The initial information about the year 2047, exploration, expeditions, the loss of the Event Horizon? Audiences identifying with a future only 50 years away?
7. Rescue missions, the staffing, the scope, the abilities? Official secrecy?
8. The nature of the mission, going into hibernation, emerging, the quest, finding the Event Horizon? The exploration of the ship, the discovery of the people missing, the bodies, the bloodshed and gore? The mystery? The finding of the disk - playing the visuals, the Latin cries, finding the visuals of the destruction? Justin and his going through the hole, his collapse? The psychological pressures, people's imaginations? The destruction? The timing of the air available, the need to repair the ship? The nature of the technology for opening the black hole? The deaths, the captain dying and saving his ship? The madness of Dr Weir? Wanting them all to go into his Hell? The two survivors?
9. Dr Weir and Sam Neill's performance, Sam Neill as urbane and well-mannered? The initial dreams and his wife (and the repetitions, the fears, the eyeless wife)? The creditability of the mad scientist? The introductions, the long sleep for 56 days, his dreams as he came out of hibernation? The expert, the building of the Event Horizon? His hopes, the secrecy? His participation in the exploration, the mystery of the dead people? Justin and his disaster? People being haunted - and his denials? His reactions, knowledge? The angers of the staff? His clashes with the captain? The growing fears and angers, images? His going to change the circuit, his being haunted by his wife? Her suicide? The build-up to the finale, the loss of the rescue ship? His wanting to go through the black hole? His madness, fighting the captain, programming the hole? The discussions about Hell? His own blindness, his death? The reappearance, his becoming monstrous? His presence in Starck's dreams?
10. The captain, stern, decisive? His interactions with each of the members of the crew? The exploration of the Event Horizon, his moving backwards and forwards, his own personal fears and the burnings, the condemnation of the man he left behind? The decision about the timing? The confrontation with Weir - and giving his life for the safety of the ship?
11. The doctor and her strength, her son? The exploration, her fears, decoding the disk? Caring for Justin? The growing crisis, getting the air cylinders, lured back by her son, her death?
12. Cooper and his talk, his ability with repairs, the exploration, the crises and the explosion, his going off into space, his quick-wittedness for the return, participation in the finale, the blood flowing throughout the ship, with Starck? Surviving?
13. Smith, tough, suspicious and arrogant? Going onto the Event Horizon? His own work, the repairs? His not taking advice - and killed by the explosion?
14. T.J. and his work with those involved in trauma, his helping the others, literate with the Latin? Coping better than the others? His death?
15. Starck and her work, skills? Decoding? The flow of blood, her survival - and her final dream with Dr Weir?
16. The survival of the expedition? The offers of hope for the future despite the dangers?
17. The conventions of the Alien films, galaxy of terror? Space as unfriendly, the psychological pressures, destruction?
18. Psychology and fears? The religious dimensions and going through to Hell - the religious language of the screenplay, especially in the understanding of Hell? Human beings and their arrogance and inflicting hell on others?
