Search - Event Horizon on DVD

MPAA Rating: R Content Advisory: Graphic Violence, Adult Language, Gore Movie Release: 1997 DVD Release: 12/15/1998 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV - Closed Captioned Edition: Special Collection Audio Tracks: English, French Subtitles: Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 37 mins Studio: Paramount Members Wishing: 7 Genres: Science Fiction, Horror, Sci-Fi Horror See Also: Event Horizon, Event Horizon, Event Horizon [Blu-ray], Event Horizon [Special Collector's Edition], Event Horizon [Blu-ray]

In this sci-fi/horror scarefest, Dr. William Weir (Sam Neill) is a scientist who has designed a spacecraft called Event Horizon which will explore the outer reaches of space past the planet Neptune; the ship employs a special transport mechanism that, in effect, creates a black hole that the ship can pass through, allowing it to travel tremendous distances in a few seconds. The Event Horizon mysteriously disappears in the midst of a mission with no trace of either the ship or its crew, but it reappears in Neptune's orbit after a seven year absence and it's sending out a distress signal. The spaceship Lewis and Clark, and Dr. Weir, are sent to investigate; the crew -- Captain Miller (Laurence Fishburne), pilot Smith (Sean Pertwee), engineer Justin (Jack Noseworthy), navigator Starck (Joely Richardson), physician D.J. (Jason Isaacs), and emergency technicians Peters (Kathleen Quinlan) and Cooper (Richard T. Jones) -- are already tired and unenthusiastic about this assignment, and somewhat confused by Weir's reports. The crew of the Lewis and Clark are convinced that Weir is not telling them something, and when they discover the Event Horizon, they find that things are not what they seem, and an evil presence has taken over the ship. Incidentally, the term "event horizon" describes the outer boundaries of a black hole. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Laurence Fishburne - Captain Miller
Sam Neill - Weir
Kathleen Quinlan - Peters
Joely Richardson - Starck
Richard T. Jones - Cooper

One of the few genuinely frightening films of the last few years comes to DVD in a disappointingly sparse package from Paramount. In fact, the disc is so sparse that the only extra to be found is the theatrical trailer; viewers won't find so much as a Sam Neill filmography or even a production credits screen.
Aside from the utter lack of complementary information, the disc does boast a rather impressive Dolby Digital 5.1 mix, which makes frequent and strong use of the bass channel. The film's atmosphere depends largely on creepy, ambient sounds, and these are reproduced well using the surround speakers, with the dialogue filtered clearly through the center channel.
Visually, the disc is no less impressive, although the DVD's digital quality tends to make certain CGI effects used in the film far more obvious than they would normally have been. Much of the film is comprised of shadows and darkness, which the disc handles well; there is little to no film grain in the darker areas and the brights do not bleed.
In general, the overwhelming lack of extras on the disc will make it a difficult purchase for anyone other than a die-hard fan of the film, but those who are not concerned with extras will find the film's quality more than satisfactory. ~ Andrew Hercock, All Movie Guide