I sometimes get a lot of flak for praising "Event Horizon," usually from folks who either think it's gloomy, derivative and convoluted, or feel director Paul W.S. Anderson is the worst thing to happen to movies since Ed Wood. Sure, the movie isn't the most original (or logical) piece of sci-fi horror to come along the turnpike, but really, since when do those two elements make the case for a great film? What truly matters (especially in horror) is how the movie makes you feel, and "Event Horizon" (a balls-out horror film disguised as science fiction), is moody, atmospheric and, at times, really scary. Who gives a rat's ass if it makes a lot of sense? As for Anderson...sure, everything else he's done is crap, but even the worst batter in baseball can occasionally hit one out of the park. Just ask Michael Cimino, who hasn't made a single movie worth a shit since "The Deer Hunter." Even though every criticism ever leveled at "Event Horizon" is arguably a valid one, I love the movie anyway, and I must not be alone. Why else would Paramount be willing to give this box-office flop the old full-blown, 2-disc, special edition treatment? Maybe admitting you love a movie like this is akin to admitting Duran Duran made some great music, or that Spam is actually quite tasty. It doesn't matter. What truly matters is that this edition is a huge improvement over the initial bare-bones edition released in 1998, chock-full of extras fans of this guilty pleasure will love.

In the year 2047, the Event Horizon, a spaceship that can create its own black holes to instantly travel from one point of the universe to another, and has been missing for seven years, suddenly pops up around the orbit of Neptune. The ship's designer, Martin Weir (Sam Neill) accompanies a typically eclectic crew of the rescue ship, led by Captain Miller (Laurence Fishburne, in a stoic performance), to find out where it has been the past seven years. Once they board the Event Horizon, they discover the ship has brought back something evil from wherever it's been (another dimension, presumably Hell), which seems to be able to get inside your head and exploit whatever past sins you've committed...at least sometimes, since it's never explained by Weir, Miller & Dr. Peters (Kathleen Quinlan) are subjected to hellish visions, while others aren't, nor is it understood why, if the entity possessing the Event Horizon is so powerful, it doesn't simply finish off the whole crew from the get-go. I guess that simply isn't as amusing as watching these folks picked off one-by-one in predictably gruesome fashion. Aside from the spectacular production design (easily the coolest since the original "Alien"), how various characters meet their demise is the main drawing point of "Event Horizon," which suffers from a weak & disjointed script, which might have the viewer wondering if there is a point to the whole thing if it weren't for the fact that the movie itself is extremely well-executed. An overall feeling of dread is present from the opening credits, and seldom lets up. What we're watching may not always make a lot of sense; many scenes (creepy as they are) don't jive with the overall concept of the story, while others exist simply to provide false scares or gratuitous gore, but it doesn't change the fact that, for the most part, "Event Horizon" is atmospheric, unnerving & scary anyway (much like Kubrick's version of "The Shining," which was sometimes frustratingly baffling, as well). And, like "The Shining," one thing Anderson & company achieve is making the Event Horizon seem like another character in the film, not just an elaborate piece of set-design.

From a picture standpoint, I didn't notice much difference between the image of this version and the one released in 1998. Overall, it's fairly decent, with some noticeable white flecks and a few smudges. More sound options are available on this disc, though. This time, it's rendered in both 5.1 and 2.0 Dolby Digital, as well as a 5.1 French language track. Audiophiles are likely to enjoy the creative use of balance and overall clarity.

Director Anderson & producer Jeremy Bolt offer a pretty entertaining and informative audio commentary. Perhaps they overstate the relevance of the movie just a bit, but "Event Horizon's" cult fans should enjoy it. Better yet is the feature-length, five-part making-of documentary (you can watch each individual chapter, or as a whole), which covers nearly every aspect of the film's production (as well as some of the problems they had when testing the film). Also included are trailers & some deleted scenes, the best of which shows the Weir character explaining while he needs to go on the mission to begin with, and unfilmed storyboard segments with commentary by Anderson, as well as some conceptual artwork. "The Point of No Return" is another "making-of" featurette. In essence, fans pining for more info about the movie will undoubtedly love all the extras included here.

An underappreciated cult classic if there ever was one, "Event Horizon" is definitely an example of style over substance, best appreciated for it's look and tone than its actual story. But what can I say? It's creepy as hell, a movie that deserves kudos for its overall freakiness. Paul W.S. Anderson may very well be a directorial hack, but at least this one time, he delivers a film that gets under your skin without you even realizing it. For fans, even though the film itself is no expanded version or director's cut, the second disc of bonus features definitely make this collector's edition worth replacing your previous bare bones disc for. Highly recommended. Similar Films: "The Shining"; "Alien"; "Solaris"; "Hellraiser"