Thoughts from the Ledge: The dark intensity of Sam Neill
In the Mouth of Madness (1994)
In the Mouth of Madness — Courtesy of New Line Cinema
As if this flick couldn’t be any cooler than it already is, we have Neill and the always intriguing David Warner together in a film directed by the Maestro himself, John Carpenter. Throw in Charlton Heston and Jurgen Prochnow and now it’s a party!
When horror writer, Sutter Cane goes AWOL, Sam Neill’s insurance investigator, John Trent is sent to find out what happened to him. The disappearance occurs after the release of his latest book entitled, Horror in Hobb’s End.
Going deep into the world of Cane’s hysterical fans and partnering with Sutter’s editor, Linda, Trent sets out to find what’s really going on in Hobb’s End only to find out the town doesn’t really exist and the author is up to no good dabbling with a force of evil in the black church at the center of the quaint burg.
Carpenter and Neill kick it up a notch with this film. Delving into the nether regions of reality and fantasy, John Trent loses his soul and his mind along the way. Neill is ultra-convincing as a man dancing on the precipice of madness. This is a veritable tour de force for him.
Event Horizon (1997)
Thoughts from the Ledge – Sam Neill – Event Horizon – Courtesy of Golar Productions
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What can you say about a movie that has Laurence Fishburne and Sam Neill in it? This film is the perfect marriage of horror and science fiction. Seven years after Event Horizon disappears, the crew of the Lewis and Clark are sent to find out what happened.
This is when things get crazy and edgy. Event Horizon was built as part of a secret project to generate a wormhole to propel the ship on interstellar space flights. Unlike popular opinion, the ship was not destroyed. Neill plays Dr. Weir, the expert on the gravity drive of the ship.
Fishburne is the stalwart Captain Miller of the Lewis and Clark. When they get to the Horizon, carnage and mayhem are all over the place. It appears that the crew mutilated and tortured one another as well as indulged in cannibalism among other things.
What caused the madness? Miller and Weir are about to find out. Somehow the gravity drive has unlocked a dimension of hell and possessed the ship. No one is safe and potentially no one will survive.
Neill clearly relishes being evil and this may be one of his finest acting efforts. Fishburne is always watchable in a commanding role. The direction and unique storyline are what makes this flick compelling.
Versatility Is Key
Sam Neill may just be one of the best utility actors around today. You can put him in any type of film from dramas, comedies to adventures and horror and you know he will deliver 110%. This thespian definitely has career longevity and many more works ahead of him.
Next: Thoughts from the Ledge: David Warner – master chameleon