Event Horizon [Blu-ray]Event Horizon [Blu-ray]
Its name: EVENT HORIZON. The high-tech, pioneering research spacecraft mysteriously vanished, without a trace, on its maiden voyage seven years earlier. But a weak, persistent signal form the long-missing craft prompts a rescue team, headed by the intrepid Captain Miller (Laurence Fishburne, THE MATRIX and MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE III), to wing its way through the galaxy on a bold rescue mission. Accompanying Miller is his elite crew and the lost ship’s designer (Sam Neill, JURASSIC PARK); their mi
Rating:  List Price: $ 21.99 Price: $ 11.49 Bill Cosby, Himself
One of America’s most popular comedians, Bill Cosby treats his fans to a funny, satirical and heart-warming concert at Toronto’s Hamilton Place Performing Arts Center. His material ranges from marriage and the unending trials of parenthood, to the side-splitting antics of the very young, and a hilarious encounter with a dentist’s drill and needle. Insightful and witty, this highly entertaining film is a rare cinematic treat, filled with all the spontaneity and electricity that only a live perf
Rating: List Price: $ 14.98 Price: $ 6.97 |
(out of 438 reviews)
(out of 179 reviews)
Review by Stephanie Sandlin for Event Horizon [Blu-ray]
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Update: 1/23/06
Some comments edited due to this writing being included in the spotlight reviews section.
-end update-
Event Horizon.
First of all this isn’t a perfect film. It is, however very good and worthy of purchase.
Many other reviewers have savaged the film for being too slasher, too weak or open to intrepretation. I would offer many of them were expecting general science fiction not a bloodbath in space. The gore is what makes them take a step a back. The gore serves the story very well. Hell isn’t a primrose path.
Many other reviewers have covered the plot in detail. So I’ll avoid being redundant in that aspect.
What makes the movie good is that its a taunt piece of space horror. You hit the ground running almost immediately. Pacing and storyline are well done (amazing some people don’t get the story details – made perfect sense to me). The set design and visuals are simply sublime. There is good character development. Sam Neill plays Dr. Weir to creepy perfection. The Event Horizon calling to him in his dreams by using his deceased wife is disturbing.
Lawerence Fishborne as Miller delivers a good performance with edge.
The other actors hold the story up well too.
One of the other elements that makes the movie enjoyable is that it doesn’t lay it all out for you. Sure, we see the hell the Event Horizon crew endured in limited blips. The movie lets your imagination run wild just how bad things got. I kept wondering to myself – ok its bad, but just *HOW* bad is it? Not until almost 3/4 of the way through do we get some answers as to the fate of the original crew.
The ending also is open to intrepretation – makes you think. The short latin message recieved also built the story nicely too. “Liberate Tutame Ix Inferis…”
In the end analysis, this movie is a combination of science fiction and horror. Its a uneasy marriage, as the combination isn’t done very often (vs. regular sci-fi). To that end, many of the people who wanted to see science fiction got the unpleasant surprise that this was more of a hellraiser in space than a ‘star trek.’
It also didn’t help with cinematic audiences that the cliched “good guy saves the day and himself” doesn’t fly here. Good guy does save the day, but gets dragged into hell with Wier. Not a pleasant end for Miller.
If you are a fan of both genres (scifi/horror) you’ll enjoy this like I did. If you are more inclined towards sci-fi only this one probably isn’t for you.
Falls just short of brilliant in my opinion. The bashers need to be honest with thier tastes instead of bashing for gore. Event Horizon isn’t Star Wars. EH accomplishes what is sought to do quite effectively.
There are rumors of an extended edition with deleted scenes being re-edited in. Length is said to be over 2 hours. Lets get this out on the market!
Not recommended of course for the kiddies either.
****
Review by Adam Sharples for Event Horizon [Blu-ray]
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This DVD is a bit of a rip of to be honest. Many times I’ve read online forums and read copious preview blurbs stating that there was going to be a directors cut of this movie, restoring 40 minutes of blah…blah….blah…Yawn.
You get 2 DVDs. The first disc is where you will find the ORIGINAL THEATRICAL VERSION. Yes you heard it right…THE ORIGINAL THEATRICAL VERSION. Gasp, how can this be, what about the deleted scenes….etc. Well, there are deleted scenes but they have not been put back into the movie, something which will be explained later on.
I already had bought the first DVD release and was looking forward to seeing deleted scenes put back into the movie. This release IS better though as you get a very nice looking anamorphic version and you get DTS which sounds sweet. But this still is the original.
The second disk contains a good making of documentary and some other supplemental behind the scenes stuff however the best part of this disk is the deleted scenes and after listening to the commentary it soon becomes apparent why there wont be a directors cut. Also the quality of these deleted scenes are terrible. The print is covered with pen markers and edit markers and looks like its been made by a first year film student.
You find out that a lot of the “CUT” stuff was actually from different versions of the movie that was used during screenings to help gauge reactions from the audience and could no way be re-integrated into the film.
Also, because this movie was made in the pre-DVD era the studio dumped a lot of the deleted stuff away as it was envisaged that none of this would ever see the light of day again. One example is the deleted crew torture sequence which was to be part of when weir was showing hell to fishburn. However this no longer exists on film and is only on poor quality video.
So, to sum it up what you have here is this.
1. A better looking and sounding version of the movie previously released (Nice DTS track!!!)
2. An interesting commentary
3. Some nice extras that put the rumours to bed about a directors cut.
If you dont have the movie already then I would recommend you getting this one as this is probably the best version you will see until paramount release it in HD.
Review by C. Upperstrom for Event Horizon [Blu-ray]
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Event Horizon is a horror movie and a sci-fi movie. This combination is very effective and terrifying. An extremely imaginative storyline and top notch special effects. Event Horizon is very graphic as far as gore and somewhat disturbing overall. Not for the weak stomach or weak mind. A must for a horror fan and a sci-fi fan.
Review by Duston Barto for Event Horizon [Blu-ray]
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In scientific terms, the Event Horizon is the precipice of a black hole, the point of no return before one is hurled into the endless unknown. How appropriate for this Sci-Fi set gothic Horror. I loved this twist on the derilict spaceship plotline. At the beginning of the movie it feels like another Star Trek – Battlestar Galactica-esque movie; you are in deep space searching for a lost ship and then when you find it there are no life signs. The movie stays calm for exactly 15 minutes.. then all Hell breaks loose, literally. I have seen such darkness come from H.R. Geiger as and artist, and Clive Barker as a writer so you will understand my shock when I found neither name attached to the film. With a feel like “Hellraiser” and nonstop action like – well, anything with Bruce Willis – “Event Horizon” grabbed my attention from the first pulse-pounding chord of it’s soundtrack to the very last (?) scream. I enjoyed seeing the dark transition of Dr. Weir from a seemingly normal scientist to an individual so obsessed that he becomes the darkness we all fear. Sam Neill has shown a tremendous expanse of acting through the past several years, from a Palentologist in “Jurassic Park” to the fantastic “Merlin” even as far back as “Dead Calm” he has unerringly played the good guy, it’s a delicious twist to have him cast as the antagonist in Paul Anderson’s horrifying tale. The one hard point in the movie is the decision one must make as a viewer, can you really hate this man? From the beginning of the movie we share his pain and loss, we share his desire and then are challenged to share his mania a truly unique psychological horror. I must give this a perfect “10″ as this movie shows no signs of a “cheese factor,” no overacting, nothing overdone and everything played and built to perfection. This is where reality and fantasy meet to push the envelope within the mind.
Review by LGANS316 for Event Horizon [Blu-ray]
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Version: U.S.A / Paramount / Region A, B, C
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
MPEG-4 AVC BD-50 / High Profile 4.1
Running time: 1:35:57
Movie size: 32,42 GB
Disc size: 40,01 GB
Total bit rate: 45.06 Mbps
Average video bit rate: 36.31 Mbps
Dolby TrueHD Audio English 3452 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 3452 kbps / 24-bit (AC3 Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps)
Dolby Digital Audio French 640 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio Spanish 640 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio English 224 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 224 kbps / Dolby Surround
Subtitles: English / English SDH / French / Spanish / Portuguese
Number of chapters: 17
#Audio Commentary
#The Making of Event Horizon – 5 Documentaries (1h:43m:01s):
#Secrets – Deleted Scenes (26m:36s)
#The Unseen Event Horizon:
–The Un-Filmed Rescue Scene (2m:52s)
–Conceptual Art (3m:20s)
#The Point of No Return : The Filming of Event Horizon (8m:03s)
#Theatrical trailer (HD) and Video trailer
Review by Daniel Jolley for Bill Cosby, Himself
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I still have vivid memories of being a kid and hearing Bill Cosby do his The Dentist sketch on a show called Solid Gold. It was easily the funniest thing I had ever heard in my life, and I went around telling everyone just how hilarious Bill Cosby was. At the time, I only knew Cosby from his Picture Pages segments on Captain Kangaroo and the Fat Albert cartoons, and I actually felt like some type of visionary when a little television vehicle called The Cosby Show debuted soon thereafter based to a large degree on the comedy you will find on both the album and video of Bill Cosby, Himself. A few of the skits in this performance were translated almost directly to the screen in the show’s first few episodes.The Bill Cosby, Himself video is hilarious; I still laugh every time I watch it, no matter how many times I’ve heard the routines. There was a time when I practically had The Dentist memorized, but I still love to hear it (and I felt privileged indeed to hear that story told again on the occasion I had to see Cosby perform live some years after this video came out). Cosby’s humor resonates so well with audiences because he is describing and joking about things we all know and understand to some degree. He doesn’t need to use foul language or tell dirty jokes in order to reach his audience. He comes in, sits in a plain old chair in front of the live audience at Toronto’s Hamilton Place Performing Arts Center, and just starts talking about the humorous things in life. The audience feels as if Cosby is one of them, and the connection between audience and comic is immediate and powerful.The comic material on Bill Cosby, Himself, deals primarily with family life – marriage, children, etc. He makes the birth of his first child a hilarious journey into the delivery room, explains that parents age and lose a lot of their intellect because of the brain damage that characterizes all of their children, explains how differently his parents treat his own children compared to the way they treated him, offers a wonderful illustration of the talent fathers have of getting out of doing things, and describes quite vividly some of the antics of his own five children over the years. He also describes the typical weekend activities of people who go out drinking and questions just how hangovers and nausea can be considered essential parts of “having a good time.” Bill Cosby knows people, and he knows what will make them laugh; he is also one of the greatest storytellers in the world. He is at his funniest on this video, and I really can’t imagine there is anyone out there who would not enjoy watching Bill Cosby, Himself. This is comedy at its very best.
Review by S. M. Anderson for Bill Cosby, Himself
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I was so happy to find out this was coming out on DVD. I owned the video of this and watched it so much I ended up wearing the tape out. This to me is Bill Cosby at his stand up best. After all these years I still find myself laughing hard, with tears running down my face like it’s the first time I’ve seen his performance. Bill Cosby is an awesome story teller. Hiss set is simple. The stage, and a chair. He tells a story and he really has something to talk about. Unlike some of the comedians to today that cuss to fill in the space where they ran out of things to say. Bill Cosby knew how to be funny without all the foul language.
I love it when he talks about his wife going into labor and grabbing his bottom lip and lifting it over his head screaming “I want morphine!!!!!” “Mom can’t have drugs; the father can have all the drugs he wants.” He talks about how his parents want to get into heaven and treats the grandchildren better then they treated him as a child. Brain damaged children, feeding chocolate cake to the children for breakfast. How fathers are more fun then Moms because fathers are allowed to have gas. The Baby poo poo. He talks about being high and laughing for no reason. Drugs and paranoia, Getting drunk, going to the Dentist. Brain Damaged children saying “I don’t know” when you ask them a question.
You can appreciate the material because you can relate to it. Some of what Bill talks about you may have experience yourself, and now you can laugh about it if you did not laugh about it before. Granted the sound quality is not the best, but considering this was taped in 1982 you can’t really be too upset. Just turn up the volume and enjoy!!! This is a wonderful, wonderful DVD you should own to round out your stand up comedy collection. You will watch this over and over, and laugh each time you view this DVD.
Review by S. Lawrenz for Bill Cosby, Himself
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Being a guy who sometimes stays up late on Friday nights, I see a lot of comedians on those 2a.m. shows that run comedian after comedian. Almost every one them tells tasteless jokes, filled with comments about (bad) intimacy with the girlfriend or specific bodily functions. The tasteful comedian is a dying breed it seems. Humor has descended to its lowest common denominator.
Bill Cosby, Himself is great proof that you don’t have to be tasteless and obscene to be funny. His comedy is clean, and has always been, which makes him a breed of performer I find to be very rare in today’s market. It is this fact, and the fact that he somehow is able to capture life in its truthfulness and bring out the humor in it that makes him among the best comedians of the past 50 years.
For me, a guy who’s had extensive dental work done, every time I see the dentistry bit, I can’t stop laughing. He had it, right down to the sound of the pick on the teeth and the drill slipping. It wasn’t funny when I was having it done, but Cosby somehow can bring it out. This is where his comic genius shines.
Cosby really is a genius. If you haven’t seen this, it’s definitely worth a look, as is just about any stand-up he’s done.
Review by for Bill Cosby, Himself
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If you have seen this one, you know how devestatingly hillarious it is. Bill Cosby takes the everyday occurrances of life and presents it in such a way that you cannot help but roar with laughter. There is something for everyone to relate to in his routine. It is as if he holds up a mirror which reflects both the light-hearted and the serious events in our lives, but with a filter that lets us see it in oh so humorous a way! From his animated depictions of “natural child birth” to the difficulties of a person who has overindulged at the bar, Cosby takes the events that are seemingly too intense to discuss publically and tells them in the full light of the stage. He unveils the truths in our lives by telling the tales of his life in quasi-fictional fashion. What makes this comedy routine stand out, is that it does not use profanity or vulgarity as a comedic tool, and yet it doubles you over with laughter.
Review by Renate Reichenbacher for Bill Cosby, Himself
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This video had me cracking up numerous times. This complete andunabridged version of his 1982 concert from Toronto, Canada is a truelaugh riot as opposed to the purely laughable CD album version, with only 7 cut and edited routines. I had it, and now I’ve sold it, I have chosen to keep this video for good. The first few times I viewed this hilarious classic, I couldn’t believe “The Cos” would actually use “Carlin and Diceman”-style terminology like “Jesus Christ”, “Dammit” (not really that bad by today’s comedy standards), and even “A**hole”. Whoah Mama! Anyway, his take at the beginning on people using drugs and alcohol freely are knee-slapping humorous, as well as the section on his own parents becoming grandparents to he and his wife’s five children. And speaking of his wife, oh wow, I really hope that she’s not the vicious harpy that Bill jokingly protrays her to be. This video is great, I treasure it’s presence, I like to watch it every week or so. A true comedy legend has been showcased tremendously well, and I certainly hope Mr. Cosby eventually re-releases his catalog of rare and obscure comedy recordings from the late ’60′s, ’70′s, and mid ’80′s. I look forward to that, I hope it’s done. See this video, you’ll enjoy it immensely!