Fun if you don't expect too much

Rating: 7/10 (2 July 2000)

(minor spoilers in here) This movie has made a lot of people mad. Mostly people who want a lot more than shock tactics and old-ideas-reworked from a film. I was lucky really, I saw an interview with someone involved in making it (the writer I think). He was pretty lighthearted in describing how he wanted to do a haunted house movie in space. Lo and behold; EVENT HORIZON is a haunted house movie set in space. I laughed out loud when the ship is found parked in the upper ionosphere, perfectly placed to have constant lighting and thunder outside. For the most part it is a stylish, well paced fright fest. The acting and the dialogue is actually really good. Despite the fairly limited character development, the performances managed to convince me that the rescue crew had been together for some time. Great cast too; Sam Neill is still in his IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS mode and appears to be having a ball. The film also contains some of the most unpleasantly realistic scenes around (slow decompression anyone?) It's no world beater by any means, or in any genre, and it all gets a bit silly just prior to the climax. But it's classy, darkly comical and shocks with aplomb. The design is gorgeous (if you like high-tech design that ranges from art deco to neo-gothic) and for me the soundtrack is a milestone of both electronic and orchestral movie scores. (Orbital, Michael Kamen and the London Metropolitan Orchestra do horror! Very cool.) Loads of fun.