Director Paul W.S. Anderson Interview: Celebrating 25-Years of His Cult Classic 'Event Horizon'
In an exclusive interview, the divisive filmmaker now reflects on the dark place he was in his youth when he made the twisted sci-fi horror film, the perfect timing needed to get it made, and dealing with critics.
There are certain things younger cinephiles will sadly, never experience. Yes, streaming or perhaps (illegally) downloading any film you want at the touch of a button gives anyone, anywhere, at any time is the ultimate convenience for any movie lover. But that will never be the same as walking into a Blockbuster, smelling that strange mix of plastic, musty carpet and popcorn. The thrill of grabbing the last copy of a classic you wanted to watch one more time. The endless search to find a new favorite. Literally judging a book by its cover, because without Rotten Tomatoes or FilmSpeak, there was no online review or synopsis to know what the movie whose case you were holding was about. That might all sound exhausting to anyone under the age of 25, but it is, none-the-less, a lost age of cinema.
Paul W.S. Anderson
Yet there is a catch to the modern convenience we all have. Without that era, without the DVDs on those shelves, and without stores such as Blockbuster, some films would have never become what they are. Granted, if a film gets online buzz these days, that buzz can spread like internet wildfire, but we consume so much more these days, audiences rarely get a chance to savor the flavor of a film. When we consume a new series in a matter of days, or switch over from Disney+ from Netflix if we get bored, we’re not really giving anything a chance any more.
Director Paul W.S. Anderson realizes his Event Horizon may not have been what it is today if it weren’t for the era in which it was created. He describes his now cult classic, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary as having “an intensity that really developed an audience over time”. He goes on to say “It really suited that intensity, because it's not for everybody. You know, it's one of those movies that I think if it went straight out onto streaming, it would draw a certain audience, but then there will be another audience that would never ever watched it.” Anderson, reflecting on the cult status of the film doesn’t believe you can have that in the 21st century. “I think Event Horizon really benefited from from DVD in particular. A lot of people who wouldn't necessarily go for a science fiction horror movie, have kind of seen the film and been affected by it, which I think is good.”
The film when released did not fair well with critics. Roger Ebert, who was more than fair with the film simply thought it was derivative at best, hosting characters that lacked any real knowledge of what was happening. The film was one of the last bastions of the angst-ridden, Generation X jaded energy that is indicative of that era, and perhaps that’s why it slowly caught on after its theatrical run. It gained such great word of mouth that it eventually became a cult classic, garnering rereleases of the DVD or Blu ray, and now the 4K release, and was an example of fans begging to see the director’s cut long before the Snyderverse plagued the internet.
Sam Neil in Event Horizon (1997)
Anderson, now in his late 50s also recognizes what most do with age, that he isn’t the same man he was 25 years ago, and doubts very much he could even make Event Horizon today. “I think it would be hard for me to embrace some of the really dark imagery in the film. I'm a father with three children now. I was a young man who had a certain darkness within me that the movie really allowed to come out. I [had] just done a PG 13 movie with Mortal Kombat. So, like doing an R rated movie, I think I really reveled in it in a way that I'm not quite sure I could kind of revel in it again.”
One thing the director has not lost is his passion for filmmaking. Anderson has often received less that favorable reviews from critics, but he never allows that to slow him down or be anything other than the definition of unapologetic. “I'm sure my critics would accuse me of never kind of becoming anything more than juvenile” Anderson says. “There's definitely still the heart of a 13-year-old boy beating inside of me [thinking] ‘I would love to see that movie’. That to me, is my guiding light. I just think being a filmmaker is the best job in the world. I still can't believe that I get paid for directing movies, for making up these stories and putting them on film. So I'm a very happy camper, and I feel very lucky doing what I'm doing.”
The 4K Anniversary edition of Event Horizon is available now.
Check out the full interview with Anderson, below:
