As a kid I was freaked by Event Horizon (1997)
My review is on the submitted reader reviews child board: let me know what you think.
The bed never felt so good, but I slept with the light on that night
My 11 year old self felt exactly the same
I think there's something to be said for sci-fi horror, it's possible that I am a fan of the genre because of this film. If this film was set in a church, abandoned mental hospital, etc etc it would not be as scary - the fact that this ship turns up after so long is in itself freaky. Also the concept that 'hell' could be some kind of extra-dimensional place freaked me the hell out (similar to Matter or Surface Detail by Iain M. Banks, I forget which been meaning to re-read)
Event Horizon is a truly great film, way ahead of its’ time and one that is winning a late but well-deserved revival and recognition on DVD……the film archivist that I am would however like to kick the film’s producers up the bum for destroying the edited footage instead of preserving it.
I can't remember if it's a 15 or 18 in the UK, I suspect 15. It annoys me that people cut out things
just to keep the rating down. When I watched the Prometheus outtakes it was all just sex and drinking as far as I can remember - absolutely ridiculous, if the scene aides the story then DO NOT cut it out. I was not aware of any Event Horizon cuts but it really wouldn't surprise me.
The one thing ~ aside from the gory subject matter of Paul W S Anderson’s film ~ that disturbs me is how everyone’s eyes in the film seem to look, as though they were mirrors
Gore and visual FX in this film always gives me the creeps but I think in hindsight the pacing of the film is the worst thing for scare factor (like the prelude of the recording before they even get there and the bizarre video logs which would seem cliché and cheesy these days, maybe even back then I dunno). I feel when I watch EH that you are actually alone on that ship, the suspense is epic.
I have seen much better films probably even better horrors (horror is usually a lame genre of film imo, once you've seen Gasper Noe films or
A Serbian Film SAW/general gore is laughable) but EH sticks in my mind for the cast, the pacing, the fx, the cool spinny thing (lol) and the general atmosphere of the film. It seems like a lot of films but isn't I guess is what I'm saying.