Hmmm... is this as mainstream as Film Gutter has ever gone? Maybe, maybe... but to be fair there are probably a handful of mainstream or near-mainstream movies that do deserve the Film Gutter treatment. I've got a few in that sort of ballpark, the likes of Freeway and Requiem for a Dream lined up for the gutter treatment this year, but to get the ball rolling is a real cult favourite in the form of Event Horizon. Paul W.S. Anderson's bleak slice of horror sci-fi certainly has a devoted fan base, but how does it stand nearly 25 years on – and how on earth can a film released in 1997 nearly be 25 years old? That time sure shot by… For those of you not already familiar with it – and I appreciate many of you might be – I'll give a brief precis. Captain Miller (Laurence Fishburne) leads a group of swarthy spacegoers pulled from leave for a mysterious mission. They're joined by Dr William Weir (Sam Neill), who reveals they're out to recover the lost ship Event Horizon, which was attempting to open a wormhole in space but went missing. But as soon as they get on board the seemingly abandoned ship, they find a series of strange visions and dark events waiting for them – and the steady realisation that the ship has been somewhere far beyond the realms of known space... There are a lot of iconic moments within this movie, and I must admit that this was a rewatch that I enjoyed immensely – especially bearing in mind how many Film Gutter offerings I would shudder at the thought of coming back to. There's much to like here, with some enjoyable performances – even though some seem to be almost deliberately overdone – and an engagingly dark storyline with some great visuals. The scene in the vents where the lights go out (you'll know the one if you've seen it) remains among my favourite scenes in all of horror. The plot moves along at a good pace, and certainly keeps you on your toes as each character faces their own personal nightmares. However, even though this is a movie I have a soft spot for, if I'm going to really look myself in the eyes, I can't say that it's a stone-cold classic of the genre. Some of that is arguably down to the fact that there is a far more unpleasant director's cut that was deeply unpopular with the company's execs, and that remains lost today – many people still hope some day to see a completely uncut version of this one, although that still seems unlikely. The CGI is the thing that has dated most horribly, and there are moments of this that are silly and over the top when watched back. The ending is a little unsatisfying, and there is at times that Hollywood horror habit to fall back on things like jumpscares and fakeouts that to me feel a little beneath a movie that has this good a concept. Everything looks decent, but Anderson is no master filmmaker – a look at his directing back catalogue will confirm that, though hats off that he's always found work and made money with his films – so there are some shots that might have been done better. There are little flashes of gory and bloody moments, but those are not as much as they might have been, so you dyed-in-the-wool gorehounds might feel this one isn't for you. In conclusion this is a movie I do like immensely, but it's only fair to recognise its shortcomings – and if that uncut version does ever see the light of day, that will probably be even more down Film Gutter's alley... RATING: 7.5/10. Is it a move I like a lot? Yes, yes it is. But I think some of that is more emotional and connected to the memories of it, and if I'm going to properly put on my reviewer's hat and look critically this is a movie that does have some flaws and could ultimately have been done better. It's one I'll likely come back to again, and if you like sci-fi horror this is definitely worth watching. It's not as extreme as some we've watched, but it's certainly a fun concept and could work better for a few of our more squeamish readers... TODAY ON THE GINGER NUTS OF HORROR WEBSITEABSORBED BY KYLIE WHITEHEAD (BOOK REVIEW) THE HEART AND SOUL OF HORROR MOVIE REVIEW WEBSITES |
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