Event Horizon The Underrated
1997 People Had Hope!
*** THIS IS AN IN-DEPTH REVIEW WITH SPOILERS ***
When my mother went to Blockbuster, we were members with our cards and all where six movies would cost only like $10.00 for rentals. Good times! Well, I was a fan of the Alien franchise, Ripley being a role model to me. I wanted to watch Alien III because it was the one I didn’t watch, but the movie wasn’t there.
The guy behind the counter suggested Event Horizon. He said that the movie was science-fiction and had some horror factor to it. He said I’d like it. So, my mother rented it, and when coming home, we put pushed play on the VHS and the movie that changed my perception of time and space started…
2015: First permanent colony established on the moon.
2032: Commercial mining begins on Mars.
2040: Deep space research vessel Event Horizon launched to explore the boundaries of the solar system.
2040: The Event Horizon disappeared without a trace beyond the eighth planet, Neptune. It is the worst space disaster on record.
2047 NOW
The movie revolves around the Event Horizon, a starship capable of FTL which is, according to the laws of physics, impossible. The Event Horizon was part of a Code Black project, meaning higher than “Top Secret” because of its capabilities. All those people knew was that the starship and its crew disappeared around Neptune’s orbit.
When Dr. Weir joins the crew of the U.S.A.C. Lewis & Clark a Search and Rescue ship, he meets with Captain Miller, Dr. D.J., Medical Technician Peters, Lieutenant XO Stark, Rescue Specialist Lieutenant Cooper, Pilot Smith and Ensign Justin, he must explain the unexplainable: how his starship could bend the laws of physics.
[image error]Event Horizon – 1997
Many, still shaken by the disappearance of the crew, are tempted not to trust Dr. Weir until he takes a piece of paper and explains the way his starship worked. While many believe a straight line is the fastest way to get from Point A to Point B, Dr. Weir assured them the correct answer is
Point 0.
The temporarily folding of space and time would create a gateway which suggested the creation of a wormhole to get through the distance needed and reappearing where they should be according to plan. However, the starship disappeared for seven years.
Relativity Drive
So, I do love Event Horizon for many reasons I’m not going to start enumerating them. However, there are some holes in the FTL physics or more accurately, “pseudo-physics.” The demonstration given by Dr. Weir was the suggestion of a wormhole.
We all agree on that. However, the core itself is a replicated or artificially constructed black hole used to create a wormhole. While no one ever encountered a black hole, touched its goo and come back to talk about it, Dr. Weir figured it out somehow and build one to power the ship.
Note here, I’m not an astrophysicist and even less a scientist, just a very enthusiastic sci-fi nerd who reads all about science.
[image error]Event Horizon – 1997
Now, Dr. Weir explained that the way to travel faster than light is to actually cheat it by creating short cuts implying that the actual core is the famous wormhole theory using the demonstration of the point A and B with the piece of paper. What I liked about it? They never mentioned in the movie that it worked. How? Event Horizon originally aimed for Alpha Centauri, did it go and that’s what is out there, chaos or did it just went to another dimension or mirror universe?
Then again, scenes in the movie make the entire process look more like a hyperdrive system.
When Dr. Weir mentions the drive using focused gravitons, it implied he used the overly immense gravity of an artificial black hole to bend space itself to allow it to go faster than light.
If you saw the movie, you must remember Ensign Justin sticking his finger in the “black hole goo” and the core pulling him when eventually, Cooper brought him back. That wouldn’t happen like this at all in real life. However, before bitching about the movie’s pseudo-physics, let us remember that Dr. Weir expresses his belief about the event to
be impossible.
The Event Horizon appears in the stratosphere of Neptune, therefore, its gravity would imply the ship should’ve crashed or find itself pulled by its gravity. Then again, who knows what is keeping it out there since it is haunted or inhabited by something from another dimension.
[image error]Event Horizon – 1997
If you wonder about the Lewis & Clark vessel, their engine is an ion drive acceleration process. This process imply that the engine uses individual atoms as a mass reaction to propel a ship that is, let’s face it, incredibly more massive.
While it is economical on fuel generation, its low velocity becomes a handicap as it would progressively accelerate. So, when Dr. D.J. says that the activation of the core would generate enough G-force to liquify a skeleton, it is most likely wrong.
[image error]Event Horizon – 1997
So, we can agree that while the entire pseudo-physics isn’t a hundred percent on the spot, it isn’t entirely wrong either. At its core, it is still
quite impressive.
Cyber Gothic Architecture
The overall look of the Event Horizon ship inspired by the Notre Dame Cathedral is one of the most original thought. Because the movie harmonized itself with both science fiction and horror, a gothic look is a perfect choice.
[image error]Event Horizon – 1997
The “meat grinder” corridor between the front of part of the ship and core engine, told by Dr. Weir that its purpose is solely to reduce the effects of the gravitational field, is the design of the famous and beloved French cathedral. Down to the exterior design is a result of mixing images of the landmark. The structural scaffolding was actually inspired by the rose window.
[image error]
The ship itself, coming back in scanning by Lt. Stark, as alive brings the theory that whatever the ship ended up within when it disappeared, came back with it as either an entity or some kind of organic microscopic self-aware presence that made the ship its home and needs more humans to bring back with it.
The Horror Factor
There are many scenes in throughout the entire movie that demonstrates horror. While there are some classics, “the cat scare” with the empty glove hitting Captain Miller when he visited the Event Horizon for the first time to look for the crew when the artificial gravity was offline.
It also disregarded African Americans as being the first one to die. Actually, Lt. Cooper lasts to the end, and Captain Miller sacrifices himself to save the last three members of his crew.
[image error]Event Horizon – 1997
The unknown is actually the main focus of the horror factor throughout the movie. The crew is looking for a way to leave the Event Horizon while the Lewis & Clark is under repair—attached to the Event Horizon’s exoskeleton, caused by a breach triggered by Justin’s curiosity surrounding the engine when exploring the ship for survivors and logs.
Three members of the rescue crew faced strange hallucinations coming to life before their eyes. Dr. Weir’s wife who committed suicide due to neglect, Captain Miller who abandoned a member of his crew to burn alive on a mission, Peters’ missing her child because of the Event Horizon are the following incidents leading to the belief that the ship is alive, possessed
or haunted.
Nobody left alive, corrupted logs on a CD, distress called received by NASA missing parts of a message from the original crew all lead, again, to the unknown. What happened to the crew? Why is the Event Horizon back where it disappeared and why does it look like a tomb? Why are everything corrupted or missing parts?
[image error]Event Horizon – 1997
While Dr. Weir is the one forced to come out with explanations, he tries to rationalize the crew’s reaction to hallucinations created by the “insert whatever foolish psychological explanation you want” to calm the crew down, but nothing works in his favor.
After all, Dr. Weir is the one target for the ship, his ship.
Some Brains For Latin?
It is evident that the first crew from the Event Horizon had a smart captain. How do we know? Because he shows off his Latin, however, one could think it is his trademark phrase, just like Captain Picard had in Star Trek The Next Generation every time the Enterprise would go on a mission, “Engage!” or “Make it so!”
Captain John Kilpack clearly says at the beginning of the visual log on the touchscreen of the central station, “Ave atque vale,” meaning, “Hail and farewell.”
[image error]Star Trek TNG – Captain Picard
The unknown that we established is the focal point of the horror set in revolves around the corrupted CD log, and the distress call sent with distortion. The message from a human voice, hearth through a cascade of screams and cries, seems to speak some sort of language that only Dr. D.J. can recognize.
D.J. is an introverted man, reserved and not quite social but very protective of the people he loved. Walking around with a cigarette either in his hand or his mouth, he wears a vest with many medical tools and syringes. Later in the movie, it is clear D.J. and Captain Miller are close friends and served for many years together.
When the first distress call plays, Dr. D.J. recognizes words in Latin and replay the voice lost in a cacophony of lamentations and agonizing voices, “Liberate me,” which would mean “Save me.”
However, later on, when D.J. is sitting in the stasis chambers of the Event Horizon along with Captain Miller, the doctor shows concern and fear which is out of character for the “nerd” of the crew and mention his mistake.
[image error]Event Horizon – 1997
He heard the message of Captain John Kilpack wrong and clarified what he truly said, “Libera te tutemet ex inferis,” which translates to, “Save yourselves from hell.”
Also, yes, people agree that the latin was actually wrong. “Save me” would be, “Salvum me” but the translation would be “Free me” for the words, “Liberet.” Going in that direction, “Save yourselves from hell” would be, “De inferno liberabis.”
Curiouser and Curiouser
The Event Horizon strangely designed its depressurization chambers with its sequence that couldn’t be canceled from either side of the airlock when activated. While it is a reasonable precaution for the starship one would think that an abort command should be available or a vocal control from a commanding officer such as the XO of the crew, Lt. Stark. I mean, it did take a total of 90 seconds for the depressurizing process.
While I find it strange for Justin to wake up and to want to commit suicide after seeing what they refer to as some type of hellish dimension that the Event Horizon went to, I do not understand when the possession leaves him not wanting to die.
[image error]
He clearly states that the dark is coming for them. So, everything points out to a horrifying view and vision of what awaits them. While I know he doesn’t need to go to the extreme of ending his life, it would’ve made it more realistic for him to say something about his intentions or clarify his vision of what he saw.
While some saw that the body reaction of Justin is right when expelled from the Event Horizon and the time it takes for Miller to get him back in as he was already waiting for him outside in his astronaut suit, I somehow believe that the blood coming out should boil and evaporate? Something seems wrong in that scene to me.
Overall Horror
To me, it is clear that Dr. Weir suffers from a PTSD state after the suicide of his wife and the ship takes advantage of it while slowly possessing his mind. If you are used to paranormal horror movie such as those speaking of demonic or ghost possessions, then you would recognize those signs that Weir shows throughout the movie. Especially following the event of when he scratches his own eyes out in agony.
Then, he shows superhuman strength, capable of lifting a human being way larger or taller than himself as if they weighed nothing. He also performs surgery on D.J. after sneaking up on him following the warning Captain Miller gives his friend about Weir gone psychotic on them.
[image error]Event Horizon – 1997
We see a previous scar on D.J.’s chest from below his clavicle to his ribcage. Later on, the doctor’s body is displayed hooked above the surgical table by the flesh of his back, chest cavity entirely open.
Peters‘ gone, Cooper stuck in space, Smith‘s gone with the Lewis & Clark, Justin in stasis stabilized by the doctor before his horrifying death, this only leaves Captain Miller and Lt. Stark.
It is almost as if the ship is securing the crew of the Lewis & Clark to be its next victim to bring to the dimension it went to the first time it disappeared seven years before the distress call. Once Weir is out of the starship into the vacuum of space, another Dr. Weir shows.
[image error]Event Horizon – 1997
Of course, it isn’t the original one, I stipulate here that he might be the embodiment of the ship. He’s the Event Horizon. How did I come to that conclusion? Well, for once he is naked and shows scars all over his body and has his eyes back.
His attitude and personality are entirely different than what it was. He can also make hallucinations evoking that he is now part of the
supernatural dimension.
Hell is just a Word!
The horror factor of the Event Horizon is good, and many scenes still show up good on your small screen. Only a few shots here and there are obviously superposed and CGI. However, not enough of them to destroy the movie.
The storyline is excellent, the acting is done by great actors, and I do highly recommend this movie to any fan of either science fiction or horror, even paranormal. This movie was able to mix together science fiction and paranormal. Not many stories can do it, but this one did it in a
significant way.
[image error]Event Horizon – 1997
After all, hell is not religious in this context, it is only
used as an image that most people would have when thinking of a hellish place.
Weir refers to it as a dimension of pure chaos. So, why not give it a try and
see if it is up to your standards?
The ending is up to you! Did Stark, Cooper, and Justin made it home or is the ship waiting for the core to come back?
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