Event Horizon

[Mog Elffoe]

That could be because it was based on Conrade's Heart of Darkness, which was originally published in 1902 about, well, pretty much the same thing except that the novel takes place in Africa. Making Heart of Darkness into Apocalypse Now made quite a bit of sense, but that the end, you still had to end up with a man drive mad with power in an extremely primitive culture. The question is whether or not there is actually a culture in Vietnam as primitive as the one depicted in the movie. I agree that the movie becomes very surreal at that point, but then again, so does the book.

Oh, I'm up on all that stuff--I just find it very amusing that I start thinking of something as purely geeky as Ravenloft Mists while watching a film like Apocalypse Now, know what I mean? It doesn't exactly scream "D&D."

 

[Welverin]

The problem a lot of people have with Event horizon is that they wwcth it as a science fiction movie, when ot's really a Lovecraftian science/fantasy/horror movie.

It seems to be a general problem, put spaceships or other high tech in a movie and people think it's sci-fi regardless of what it's about.

 

[paulewaug]

hmmm...I think this is a well done Horror /Hellraiser in space movie, but I have never really got a Cthulhu vibe off of it?

What am I missing? Just the unthinkable extra dimension evil thing?
Didn't seem the same to me....But maybe it Is the Sci-Fi trappings throwing me off.

Also it reminds me more of Mutant Chronicles/Warzone
more than Warhammer 40,000...Although I guess the 'folding space' to pass thru (the Warp) part is pretty accurate. But the rest of the movie reminded me more of the Dark Symmetry of the MC universe more than "Chaos."
Also given credence by Fishburn's character, he seems to get by a lot on faith at the end- I liie to thing that the dark animate force living in the ship had very little to get a hold of in him because he was basically a morally strong person and had faith. Not necessarily Religious belief but Faith.
If that doesn't make sense than don't worry about it its Late!! hehe


RE:Apocolypse Now and Heart of Darkness and Chtulhu...
I am really looking forward to Pinnacle's Wierd War:Vietnam. It is apparently going to have some nice Lovecraftian inspired goodness!

 

[Kesh]

I'll post more later, but the real problem with Event Horizon is the writing. It feels like they took a rough draft of a screenplay and filmed from it. The characters are one-dimensional, the plot is a bit thin and several events happen just to happen.

I'm very disappointed in the film because it could have been phenominal. As it stands, it's an example of a good idea executed poorly.

I still love it though.

 

[Tarrasque Wrangler]

Sometimes I see an irredeemably bad movie, in which conception and execution were just completely devoid of any artistic motive. I'd stick something like Armageddon in that category.

Even more disheartening to me, though, are films like Event Horizon. You can practically see the pitch meeting for this: "Haunted house in space, real creepy vibe, nameless fears like The Shining, etc.". Sounds like an intriguing pitch, right? But then they just made a hack-fest with scenes lifted straight from other, much better films.

I want to blame the writers, but there's the kernels of some neat ideas in there, although their dialogue SUCKS ("Mama Bear? Open the airlock, Mama Bear!"). There's some really shaky casting, but Laurence Fishburne and Sam Neill should be strong enough to support some bad players. Ultimately, I feel the blame lies with the incredibly underwhelming director, who took an interesting concept and made a very slapdash film with it. This guy should never be allowed near a camera again, let alone near a property like Aliens vs. Predator.

 

[barsoomcore]

TW, you said it.

Event Horizon could have been great -- but what a letdown. Sure it has a couple of good jolts, and the first half is pretty creepy, but it's a classic case of what my wife calls "lunchbag letdown" -- where you get all excited about what's in the bag, only to open it and find a dried-up peanut butter sandwich and a bruised banana.

Sam Neill should have been better, but his performance so falls apart at the end of the film. Granted he gets some idiotic dialog to plow through, but come on.

Paul Anderson's hackness is well-established: this is the man who gave us Mortal Kombat, Soldier, and Resident Evil. THERE'S a record that's pretty much unequivocal, though we do have him to thank for that one startling shot of Milla Jovovich's jovovo.

 

[Berandor]

Event Horizon is simply a mess from what I remember. As others have stated, it started fine, but then crashed and burned and disintegrated on screen.

It's a very good example of how Paul W.S. Anderson can ruin almost any movie idea, no matter how good.

Berandor

 

[Mog Elffoe]

I think that Paul Anderson gets a bad rap. The only movie of his that I just plain *HATED* was Soldier. For the most part he makes decent high budget 'B' movies. I mean, it's not like he's Albert Pyun, or anything.

What worries me about his AvP movie is that Stan Winston isn't involved AT ALL. If you're making an Aliens vs Predator movie then you've just GOT to pony up the dough to hire Stan and his team. That's a no-brainer. I'm still going to go see it, but I have to admit my expectations are low. But then, I went in to Resident Evil with extremely low expectations and came out of the theater feeling very satisfied.

 

[Aaron L]

I just don't get it. I really liked Soldier as well.

 

[Tarrasque Wrangler]

I think that Paul Anderson gets a bad rap.

Making bad movies will earn you one.

For the most part he makes decent high budget 'B' movies.

Those two ideas ("High budget" and "B-movies") are mutually exclusive terms. B-movies, in general, have lousy budgets. Event Horizon had a $60 million budget. By way of comparison, Star Wars had a budget of approximately $33 million, adjusting for inflation.

What worries me about his AvP movie is that Stan Winston isn't involved AT ALL. If you're making an Aliens vs Predator movie then you've just GOT to pony up the dough to hire Stan and his team. That's a no-brainer.

What worries me is the godawful plot I read about. The one that throws out all of the continuity of the source films.

I'm still going to go see it, but I have to admit my expectations are low. But then, I went in to Resident Evil with extremely low expectations and came out of the theater feeling very satisfied.

Yeah well, keep seeing crap and that's what Hollywood will keep serving you.

Now me, I'd like to see Hollywood pair up Paul W.S. Anderson (The director who can ruin any good idea) and Paul Walker (The actor who can ruin any movie). Finally, the team-up YOU demanded. My guess is one of two things would happen:

1. Their mutual suckiness is so strong it cancels each other's out, and the result is a Evil Haunted Drag Race movie so good it makes Citizen Kane look like a festering pile of doggie spew.

or 2. The two Pauls enter a room. A colossal mediocrity rift opens up in the space between the two, and the collapsing singularity vaporizes them both. If we can somehow rig it so the resultant explosion takes out a press junket for Honey, all the better.