Event Horizon – Special Collector’s Edition
Picture: B-
Sound: B Extras: B Film: B
Though it went by so fast that no one noticed that 1997
was a big year for the Science Fiction film.
There was the laid back (and overrated) Gattica that received all
kinds of raves, yet is not discussed much.
George Lucas reissued Star Wars in a restored print that now
amounts to several changes ago. Then
there were three films that went out of their way to combine Science Fiction
and Horror. Jean Pierre Jeunet’s Alien
Resurrection was the most explicitly humorous, offering Sigourney Weaver,
but not too many places to go. Paul
Verhoeven’s Starship Troopers was a send-up of Fascism as giant
extra-terrestrial insects battled the human race back on earth and was as
darkly humorous as it was prophetic, even if critics missed the point. Then there was Paul W.S. Anderson’s Event
Horizon, the darkest and bloodiest of all the films.
Of all the films above, it had the least commercial and
critical success, yet those who saw it and appreciated it knew what a
remarkable film it was. Nine years
later, the following and acknowledgement of how ahead of its time it really was
is evidenced in Paramount’s new 2 DVD Special Collector’s Edition. The film has built up to being a constant
rating winner and video seller, so Paramount has made a move conceding how
popular the film is and that status only continues to grow.
The film stars Sam Neill as Dr. William Weir, a man
haunted by his past and nightmares. A
gothic ship called The Event Horizon has gone missing and the last transmission
is so static and bizarre, that those in power are willing to send another ship
to investigate. Headed up by Captain
Miller (Laurence Fishburne) and a bonded, reliable crew (played by a great cast
including Kathleen Quinlan, Joely Richardson, Jason Issacs, Richard T. Jones,
Jack Noseworthy, Sean Pertwee and Peter Marinker) seems more than equipped to
get the job done. Unfortunately, the
same dark force that consumed the first ship and its crew is waiting to destroy
them on every level and the result will be a living hell.
These days, just about every film in the genre promises
that, then delivers something akin to Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood, but Event
Horizon nearly received an X-rating for its blood, guts, gore and thematic
mix of shock, action and exceptionally well-written storyline by screenwriter
Philip Eisner. The film delivers the
goods the way commercial Hollywood films used to when they tried. Add Anderson’s love of the genres here and
the results of this film produce a brilliant, cutting-edge mix of so many great
parts that it can still jolt and audience and the film world is still catching
up with it. Up there with John
Carpenter’s remake of The Thing (1982) as a film that pulls no punches
in its depiction of a graphic, creepy horror that never quits once it gets
started. Is this force supernatural, or
just reading the centuries of taught guilt and many religions deeply imbedded
in the human psyche after centuries of evolution and somehow surviving as a
species against all odds. The story and
images dig deep into that psyche, even if a few items are more derivative than
one would like.
When it is, however, it is really good at it. Films that loom over this one include the
original Haunting from 1963, Ken Russell’s Altered States,
Carpenter’s The Thing, Ridley Scott’s Alien and Stanley Kubrick’s
The Shining. However, instead of
the digital-era hacks who confuse stealing with influence and are clueless as
to the term homage, the love of the past films is only equaled by the energy to
aspire to their best dynamics. You
could do an essay on other subtle intertexual references, intended by the
filmmakers and not, but it was enough that Anderson is now the hottest
commercial director in the genre. He is
the one who finally gets Alien vs. Predator (reviewed elsewhere on this
site) done after years of turn around, has already made Mortal Combat a
film success, put Resident Evil on the map when the producers
unfortunately lost George Romero and is about to remake Death Race 2000
(also reviewed on this site) as Death Race 3000. This film essentially set him for life in
the genre and is at least a minor classic in the genres it covers. Thanks to this new set, the influence can
only grow.
The anamorphically enhanced 2.35 X 1 image was shot by the
late, great Adrian Biddle, B.S.C., in real anamorphic Panavision. This is one of the most distinctive works in
a career of many that includes the remarkable V For Vendetta as his
final masterwork of cinematic imagery.
It is a great-looking film with exceptional editing, production design,
visual effects, art direction and other clever details that make it rich and
unique in the genre. There is even some
early digital computer-generated effects, but most of this is not digital and
that is one of the reasons it holds up so well. It reminds us why great model work means something. The transfer here is not bad, but has some
detail issues, Video Black is a tad off and the framing is off a bit, losing a
sliver of information on either side.
Otherwise, it is good and it is no surprise that Paramount has picked
this to be one of their first films available in the Blu-ray and HD-DVD
formats.
The sound is here in Dolby Digital 5.1 and though it is
not noted anywhere on the packaging, an even better DTS 5.1 mix is also here as
rumored and it is rich, thicker and more effective than either Dolby 5.1
(English, French) mix. In all cases,
however, there is a slight pulling towards the center channel of the entire
mix, which throws off the soundfield a bit.
Though only Dolby’s logo appears in the end credits, but this was a DTS
theatrical release and this critic screened it as such. It was only the studio’s 19th DTS
release, though the format was around a few years. Michael Kamen composed the music with Orbital and the end theme
by Prodigy is, shall we say, unforgettable for all kinds of reasons. This was just before this kind of hardcore
Electronica went widespread.
Extras include a feature length audio commentary by
Anderson and producer Jeremy Bolt on DVD 1, plus theatrical trailer, video
trailer and four featurettes. One is on
the making of the film in five sections, a Secrets section with one
deleted (the only one with the original production audio) and two extended
scenes that are really good with commentary by Anderson on all, The Unseen
Event Horizon offers storyboards for an unfilmed rescue scene and
conceptual art that shaped the film and Point Of No Return featurette in
four parts again with Anderson commentary that shows the technical making in
new ways that give further insight into just what a remarkable production this
is.
Anderson said some items like film clips were not saved
because it was not the DVD era, but it was the LaserDisc era and plenty of
special editions were being made in that format. However, this is a terrific set of extras for a film that is
finally getting its due. Event
Horizon – Special Collector’s Edition is one of the best DVD sets we will
see all year. No wonder it will be out
in three versions by year’s end!
- Nicholas Sheffo
