EVENT HORIZON

Movie Reference

Event Horizon is a 1997 Sci-Fi horror film that takes place on board a spaceship that has returned from Hell.  The film itself is super dark and gory, and it wasn't really to my tastes. I found the plot and story intriguing, as religion and occult has always fascinated me.

I was recommended to watch this film as it pertains not only to my subject matter (hell), but also visually it encompasses elements of what I want to include. The design of the ship is essentially a "hi-tech Gothic" space cathedral. It can be plainly seen in the above screen grabs - the pillars and long corridors are visually similar to that of the inside of a cathedral.

The walls of the spaceship are built in metal blocks that seem to form sandstone bricks when the light hits them.

The consoles and controls of the ship are similar to that of a baptismal font.

The use of concentric circles and outwards emanating lines puts me in mind of a stained glass window, or halo.  

The actual design of the ship is a large cross shape - notable in that all cathedrals are laid out in this form:

Another application of this 'hi-tech Gothic' can be found in Warhammer 40k's model Rogue Trader Cruiser (which is also built in the shape of a cross). In the artwork, clear references to cathedrals can be seen (such as high vaulted walls and ceilings, stained glass windows, wings, peaks and repeated column structures):

I really like this combination of science and religion because it creates a bridge between two very separate beliefs. I will research more in to the way films cross this over, and I will study some more of the art of Warhammer 40k to establish a better visual representation of the subject. On eof my friends recently bought the book "The Horus Heresy: Collected Visions" and I have had the opportunity to have a leaf through it. It contains some beautiful illustrations from various artists, and it's interesting to see how they combine the topic of religion and technology.