Jeff Bollen Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 Something struck me when I watched this movie last weekend (third viewing overall). For years, I thought the ship's design was completely asinine and served no practical purpose, unlike the corridors in Alien, which were creepy simply by virtue of being utilitarian (small, dimly lit, exposed exhaust manifolds, etc.). But I may have an explanation. Whether Claire killed herself during or after the Event Horizon's completion, her depression likely tortured Weir throughout their relationship and thus, the ship reflects Weir's emotional pain. I think it would've been interesting for the characters to discuss this: "Who designs a ship like this?" "Weir says everything has a purpose." "Do you believe him?" "I don't know. We are talking about a guy whose wife offed herself in a bathtub." "Yeah, I'd be surprised if we didn't see any of his demons here." And something else, I used to think a docking mechanism would be preferable to the central corridor explosives, but the latter may be less failure-prone and more effective in propelling the foredecks away from the singularity. If so, then this adds a great ethical dimension to Weir's character; in spite of scaring the crew, he gave them the best possible chance to survive if the gravity drive malfunctioned. Thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J. D. Stembal Posted May 10, 2015 Share Posted May 10, 2015 I never thought too closely about this movie, but it scared the shit out of me, gave me nightmares, and I was an adult when I watched it. I figure that the structure of the ship and the explosive charges are to provide a satisfying resolution to the film more than anything. It's hard to see Weir as an ethical character. Wasn't the whole crew expendable in his eyes? It's been a while since I've seen Event Horizon. I much prefer the 2007 movie, Sunshine, which is a more modern update of Event Horizon in the same sci-fi horror suspense genre. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Bollen Posted May 12, 2015 Author Share Posted May 12, 2015 Weir becomes a villain about 2/3 into the movie; his grief over Peters's death triggers his possession and transformation. In that moment, his true self dies, for all intents and purposes. And when Miller detonates the explosives, the possessed Weir screams in dismay, foiled by his formerly good self's contingency plan. Sunshine is an interesting one; I may re-watch that at some point, also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Bollen Posted May 13, 2015 Author Share Posted May 13, 2015 Forgot to mention: I was never frightened by the movie, even at 13 when I first saw it. Insidious, on the other hand, literally had me looking over my shoulder afterward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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