61 - Event Horizon (1997 - Dir. Paul W S Anderson)

This time on General Witchfinders, we’re heading into deep space — and hell itself — with the notorious 1997 science fiction horror film Event Horizon.··

Directed by Paul Anderson and written by Philip Eisner, Event Horizon is set in 2047. A rescue crew investigates the ship Event Horizon, which vanished years earlier and is now orbiting Neptune.··

After Mortal Kombat (1995), Anderson was suddenly in demand, linked to Mortal Kombat: Annihilation and even X-Men. Instead, he wanted a darker R-rated project. Paramount gave him Eisner’s script, first about alien creatures, but Anderson reworked it into a haunted house in space, drawing on The Haunting and The Shining.··

Filming was rushed when Titanic slipped its release. The first 130-minute cut was heavily trimmed after poor test screenings. One infamous scene, a Bosch-inspired vision of Hell using amputees and adult performers, survived only as brief flashes but fuelled the film’s cult status.··

The gravity drive began as a floating black hole but was redesigned as rotating spiked rings, echoing Clive Barker’s Hellraiser and biblical Ophanim. Built to really move, it rattled so much that dialogue was re-recorded later. Eisner admitted Warhammer 40,000’s “Warp” also influenced the idea.··

At the time Anderson was credited as “Paul Anderson.” He later added the W. S. to avoid confusion with Paul Thomas Anderson. His later films include Resident Evil entries and Alien vs. Predator.··

Filming took place at Pinewood Studios with visual effects by Cinesite and the Computer Film Company. The interior design was inspired by Notre Dame, creating a cruciform gothic cathedral feel. An early space station shot of Dr. Weir took 10 weeks, a third of the FX budget, and was redone more than 20 times. Composer Michael Kamen worked with Orbital for a hybrid score.··

Laurence Fishburne plays Captain Miller of the Lewis and Clark. He later voiced the Silver Surfer, played Jack Crawford in Hannibal, and appeared in A Nightmare on Elm Street 3.··

Sam Neill plays Dr. William Weir. Famous for Jurassic Park, he once auditioned for James Bond, losing to Timothy Dalton, and appeared in Possession and Omen III: The Final Conflict.··

Jason Isaacs appears as D.J., the medic. Early credits include The Tall Guy. He went on to play Lucius Malfoy in Harry Potter and Harry H. Corbett in The Curse of Steptoe. He recalled Event Horizon as “genuinely disturbing,” especially the “hell set.”··

Sean Pertwee plays pilot Smith. Son of Jon Pertwee, the Third Doctor, he appeared in Cadfael, horror favourite Dog Soldiers, and later Gotham as Alfred Pennyworth, reimagined as ex-special forces.··

Event Horizon remains a cult 1990s sci-fi horror, combining gothic design, disturbing imagery, and a cast of future stars. Its lost footage and production stories keep fans returning to one of the most infamous horror films of the decade.·

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