Sam Neill, the legendary actor who passed away at 78, had a career spanning over 50 years, touching many different genres. He was an actor at the center of pop culture, not only because of his spectacular work in the game-changing 'Jurassic Park', but also because of his work in the horror genre. His best horror performance is in 'Event Horizon', one of the best and scariest sci-fi horror movies of all time. The film follows an astronaut crew investigating a spaceship that suddenly reappears after being missing for years. From there, the story descends into a gory sci-fi nightmare straight out of H.P. Lovecraft. Impeccable production design makes this movie full of little details, including more than a few you might have missed. One of the best of these happened specifically thanks to Sam Neill.
When we first meet Sam Neill's Dr. William G. Weir, he is sporting a crew uniform with an Australian flag. However, this is not exactly the Australian flag. Eagle-eyed fans may notice a difference with the contemporary flag of Australia — a lack of the Union Jack on the top left corner. Instead, we get something else, a small rectangle that's red and black, with a yellow circle in the middle. This is the Australian Aboriginal flag, which is recognized as an official flag of Australia, designed by Aboriginal artist Harold Thomas in 1971. This was neither a mistake nor a random choice, but a personal request from Neill, who thought that is how Australia's flag should look in the film's timeline of 2047.
Neill's attention to detail is remarkable. According to The Sydney Morning Herald, it was director Paul W. S. Anderson who encouraged the actors to wear the flags of their various countries on their uniforms. However, some of the designs are different than we see them today. Joely Richardson, who plays a British astronaut, is wearing the flag of the European Union rather than the Union Jack. Likewise, the United States flag seen in the film has five new stars.
Sam Neill was a horror king. He might not be considered a horror icon the way Robert Englund is, for example, but he was an integral part of some excellent films. 'Event Horizon' is an excellent sci-fi horror movie, while Neill's role in 'Possession' is absolutely electrifying and key to the unnerving effectiveness of that role. Meanwhile, 'In the Mouth of Madness' is the best Lovecraftian movie ever made, and it wouldn't work without Neill's performance as a man descending into madness. Even in less successful movies, Neill was always a highlight in the horror genre. He played the literal son of the devil in 'The Omen III', a movie that may not have been as big a hit as its predecessors, but it does have some gruesome deaths and an enthralling performance from Neill. He also played an excellent villain in the underrated vampire movie 'Daybreakers'.
It's time we refer to Sam Neill as a scream king, an actor who could move between genres seamlessly and make every role unique and memorable. He will be missed.
