Proving Again That In Space - No One Can Hear You Scream

"Event Horizon" came out when I was in high school. I saw it in the theatre with my boyfriend. It was nothing new; just another entry into the horror/scifi cross-over genre. But we loved it none the less.

Let's be honest - there are so many things wrong with this movie:

The Event Horizon is (possibly) the most poorly designed ship in all of scifi history; someone in set design went to town taking the ship from "Alien" and exponentially increasing the haunted-house elements to create a terrifying environment. Too bad no one stopped to ask, "think this thing would fly?" or "why would you have that on a spaceship?"

There's hardly any lighting (the ship is constantly shrouded in darkness). Some rooms are made of spikes, twisting metal, or otherwise life-threatening elements. The medical bay is filled with what look like instruments of torture. Why is the center of the ship filled with a fish tank reminiscent of that at the Boston Aquarium? Who built that stupid hallway thing between the sections of the ship? The internal passageways are made of open grates, bare circuit boards, and ominous green lights.

But, clearly, the esthetic works. Even now. Don't believe me? Just look at "Pandorum".

The CGI is pretty terrible (now); but hey. When the movie came out, it was pretty impressive. You almost want to cut them some slack until you look at "Jurassic Park" and you're reminded that enough money spend can produce digital effects that actually remain impressive after (almost) 20 years.

The plot has gaps; but then again, what movie doesn't?

The dialog and acting can be a bit laughable. "This ship is fucked." Need I quote more?

But somehow, beyond all comprehension, it manages to hold up (15 years after it's release.)

Why?

First and foremost, thank the goth/industrial music industry which has (collectively) sampled the best lines in the film into fame. (Front Line Assembly, Velvet Acid Christ, etc.)

Then, lets talk about actors. Since the explosive popularity of the "Matrix", every nerd and their mother seems to be in love with Lawrence Fishburn and you've got hand it to him - he's good. But the true star of Event Horizon is Sam Neill - a man who plays a "creepy bastard" like no one's business. (If you doubt this, get your hands on "Possession" and get back to me.)

The rest of the cast leaves something to be desired but, that's easily forgiven based on the strength of Neill's performance.

The gore factor is there. Shown some in flashes and quick cuts and some in head-on glory, there are enough bloody dismemberments, maiming, and other atrocities to make any horror fan wet with excitement.

As an avid horror fan I have to admit that I've always been impressed by the Clive Barker-esque effects in "Event Horizon". Reminiscent of "Hellraiser", it really lends some credibility to an otherwise joke of a movie.

Alright. Wrap up time.
Sometimes sentimentality wins out over my cynicism and I actually mange to write something positive about a crappy movie. Stated otherwise, "I still enjoy watching Event Horizon."

The Witch (2015)

You know the drill - there's ALWAYS spoilers. Don't want the movie ruined for you, come back after you've seen it. Also - I'm still without an editor - typos and bad grammar await you! I keep hoping that the cultural obsession with zombies will end; literally every other damn movie that comes 'round seems to feature some sort of shambling, undead being bent on devouring the weak flesh of regular humans. Once upon a time, zombies have have been used as a metaphor for the blind consumerism created by our capitalist society, or the perceived depletion of resources by immigrants, or even the ravages of time and disease on our frail bodies. Now it seems that the deeper social commentary has been lost as audiences mindlessly consume "zombie fiction" in an attempt to keep up with trends. ( How very meta - a film buddy of mine commented on this assessment! ) All of this is just a sideways rant, leading up to my actual point: it seems that zombie may actually...

Mother!

Alright friends and readers–this one is probably doubly filled with typos and grammar errors because I wrote it while angry. Good luck and happy reading. There are unpopular opinions in every realm. As a film student, you can truly strike a nerve when you say things like, "I fucking hate the self-indulgence of independent films and the way people idolize them." Or, you know, "Low lighting and slow pacing does not a good movie make." Or whatever. You can of course, objectively, understand how this happens. When you are creating art–when you are outside the system so to speak–you are free to explore things (subjects, techniques, etc.) that may need to be addressed and that freedom can become intoxicating and go to one's head. While it may seem only right or only fair to respect and accept each creative endeavor that every artist undertakes, it is unreasonable to believe that the world will remain forever patient with the self-obsession artists have. Th...

The Babadook

Spoilers and typos! Enjoy. We often look back nostalgically on childhood, envious of the joy we felt and the boundless imaginations we possessed. How conveniently we forget the other side of that coin: as children, we experience a depth of terror our adult selves continually try to recreate for cathartic entertainment. When we try to bring those childhood fears to life on the screen, we often end up with movies about "things that go bump in the night," which is a somewhat superficial approach. While it does provide an opportunity for a supernatural experience, it ignores the root of our fear: the unknown . As children, we lack life experience. We lack nuance. We lack understanding. Not knowing creates in us fear. Yes, we fear what lurks in the darkness but we also fear the adult world because we do not understand how it works. The Babadook works to exploit both those fears. The short story: a widowed mother of a young boy experiences a mental breakdown and tries to...

i'm kael's ghost

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