pdshiff Her cranky, bad-tempered but courageous character as Connery’s sole ally willing to help him was a hoot - she’s excellent in this role and film.
The doctor is a smart arse to everyone, then Connery comes around and says he'll 'kick her arse all over the room'. I would have loved to have seen that happen.
@@richardmalcolm1457 , yes, but those crappy movies back then were created with a budget of like 50k $. Today they can't create a good movie even with all the money in the world.
A good example of how sharp the writing is in this is that the marshal was specifically brought to the station because they thought he was corrupt and would play along. When he realizes this he hates who has become and turns against it. Most writers would have just made him a paragon of virtue from the beginning with no flaws. An idealized hero that is barely human.
I don't remember that part. I thought they just wanted to get rid of him by sending him somewhere where he wouldn't be a nuisance. I will have to watch it again.
porcupineracer2 You are correct. He was sent to this crappy isolated mining colony because he was a pain in the ass to the management in his past assignments. That's why Shepard was questioning him in the beginning of the movie to make sure O'Neil was going to be cooperative.
This really is one of those criminally underrated films. The effects look a bit dated (some of the bluescreen shots stick out) and the pace is a very slow boil, but the cast is excellent (with special mention to Peter Boyle in what I believe is one of his few villainous roles), the story rock solid and the performances all hitting the right notes. As a sci/fi film it may feel you leaving a bit wanting, but as western/crime drama, it's damn near pitch perfect in my opinion. :)
I find this movie to be pretty average. It’s not good or bad it’s just “meh” relative to other similar films from that era like Alien, Aliens, Blade Runner, Total Recall, etc.
@@sonnyblack0870 It's certainly on a slower burn and more low key than the ones you mentioned. And that can test the patience of some. No hate if you don't dig it. Just not your jam and there's nothing wrong with that.
I love Outland. It owes much to high noon but this is a plus point. This sort of slow burn is very much out of fashion these days, more’s the pity. The pacing is very ‘Arrival’ by Villeneuve and like the first 75% of sunshine, which is a triumph before slightly losing its way.
I just found out about this film yesterday and watched it today, god damn it's awesome! Classic hard science action movie that belongs in the collection with those films!
Fun fact: The salvage crew that is picking up Ripleys escape pod in the beginning of Aliens are actually wearing the spacesuits from Outland. In my head it is so the same universe :)
As well as both films sharing similar production design, the general moral nihilism of the characters in Outland suggests that they could quite easily be Weyland-Yutani employees.
this movie also has two of Sean's best quotes (apart from bond) - "I'd like it really soon. Or I might just kick your nasty ass all over this room." and "my men? My men are shit!"
I've must've watch this movie a 1,000 times back in the day when HBO had like 4 movies a month and each one would air several times a day. It was awesome.
It was a nice change from the average sci-fi (as much as I love Alien, some of the plastic creature shots (or later franchise CGI) take away from the mystery). We need to live as if, until proven otherwise, the Fermi Paradox is true. This story sets that precedent.
This is a great "late night with the lights off" sci-fi thriller. This flick is like a perfect stylistic bridge between Alien and Aliens: Special Edition (the extra scenes of the mining colony at the beginning).
Saw this at the theater when it came out. Thought it was GREAT. Space flick with SHOTGUNS...now that's real and gritty. This one is is high on my all time list.
Definitely under-rated but not one of the greatest. I can forgive some of the special effects (heads exploding, cheap version of a zero-G chamber) but the kid who plays O'Niel's son was near-worthless. Peter Hyams had to have known how bad his performance was upon first viewing. Why the kid wasn't replaced and his scenes reshot is a mystery to me. It wouldn't have taken much time or extra money considering how few scenes he was actually in. I'm going to guess that he's only in the movie because Hyams owed one of his parents a favor and couldn't replace him.
For me, his odd performance strengthens the fact that the kid has been born and raised on space stations and has never set foot on Earth. He's obviously immature for his age and socially inept due to his upbringing.
100%! Outland is by far my favorite film, however I have to say that Paris, Texas is my favorite film of all time because it contains the greatest scene of any movie i've ever seen.
I just watched Outland for the first time last night. It's a very well made film. It could be described as a space western that has a strong central performance from Connery and solid special effects. I would recommend a watch if your a fan of Sean Connery, westerns and the sci-fi genre.
Thank you.I enjoy all of your reviews. I have had Outland for many years and like you, have watched it countless times and have never grown tired of it. Frances Sternhagen is priceless
I feel like Alien, Outland and Bladerunner all coexist in the same cinema universe. Bladerunner for Earth, cislunar space, Outland is like the colonies, Alien like the overarching reach of humankind going out to the stars.
Nice positive review. It has its flaws but overall is very underrated. Nice to have a sci-fi without relying on alien invaders or robots (although I love them) for a change.
Informative retrospective. I will have to revisit this 80s classic. As a young, ten-year old boy and HUGE Alien fan, Outland was a sure viewing. It was very gritty, violent/bloody and tensely scary! I really felt for Connery's character.
Great movie! Great review as always. I just have a problem with the Jupiter moon Io in a movie which has a very realistic feel to it. It is virtually impossible to colonize due to its intense geological, tidal and volcanic activity, the other three large Jupiter moons have different issues - certainly not ideal for mining...... A fictional Planet and moon would have been better. Yep, sometimes the less one knows about a certain subject, the better... I apologize for the nerdy talk. I don't want to spoil the movie for anyone. I simply ignore astrophysics in most sci-fi movies anyway. I still recommend this movie though. Sean Connery holds it all together and is just great here.
Well, I think the socio-economic hypothetical aspect of what mining on any PLAUSIBLE body in the solar system (such as an asteroid, or a safer moon, such as Titan) is well thought out here; abusing miners for the sake of easy profits is an old tyranny that could arise again under isolated circumstances, for colonial government taking advantage of isolation to get away with crimes is an equally old tyranny. As for the ridiculously exaggerated decompressions, which would be overboard anywhere the film was set, I think that arose from the macabre sensationalism surrounding a deep sea decompression accident a few years earlier where several sailors did, indeed, die like that, prompting Hollywood to conclude that all decompression was the same. Thing is, there is considerable difference between suddenly dropping from 9 atmospheres to 1, and from just 1 to 0. That's my nitpick for the day.
+Ryan Schneider True! Sometimes ignorance is bliss.... I myself always have an issue with non-musician actors playing a musical instrument. It will never look realistic to me and throws me off. Russel Crowe in "Master and Commander" clearly had training (the bowing looks quite accurate) but I have seen way too many pro violinists to spot after one single frame (LOL) that he has no clue. For starters: his "coach" forgot to teach him vibrato. Crowe holds his left hand dead still while we hear the glorious vibrato of the violinist who actually recorded the track. Oh well...
I saw this last month. Very atmospheric and tense in places with a commanding turn from Connery. I wish he was more like this in the disappointing Never Say Never Again.
It would be awesome if this was in the same universe as the Alien films. I could totally see it. The set designs are extremely similar, both stories have a nefarious but distant corporation pulling the strings, and even the uniforms appear very similar, down to the logo designs.
Late reply, but it probably wouldnt surprise you that the Costumes in Alien and Outland (and Event Horizon) were all desingned by the same guy, John Mollo.
It's interesting to note that the spacesuits (minus the helmet) from this movie were later worn by the salvage team that rescues Ripley at the start of Aliens.
Art, Set design, Model construction and design, even the music were all done by the same crew that made Alien. the director and cast were the only thing that really changed.
When star wars first aired on "ontv" it was one of the three they played galaxy of terror, star wars: a new hope, then Outland, it was a great retelling of high noon
I remember seeing this movie in an old picture theatre, close to my area, in 1981 on a Tuesday morning session. They even had a wurlizter organ playing before the feature.
This was one of my favorite Movies...I remember the SciFi Magazines with OUTLAND o front page, and Alien. The late 70s and mid 80s were a great time for scifiadventure. This was a very unique view of a space movie...with out lazers and monsters...loved Connery. He was a convincing Space Marshal.
One other bit of merchandising was a novelization written by Alan Dean Foster, who also wrote the novelization of "Alien". It's a well-written book, which gives some background on life at the mining colony, as well as filling in a couple of plot holes (like why O'Neil doesn't call the space station for help with the killers).
Good concise look back at this under-rated sci-fi thriller which relocates the rough frontier mining town to the outer solar system. Frances Sternhagen is excellent in her supporting role and it's worth noting just how underplayed Peter Boyle's performance is, perhaps too underplayed - calm and even-toned delivery of lines you'd expect him to deliver in anger.
This is one of the first movies I remember ever seeing in my life as a toddler in the 80s. The scene where the guy goes down the lift into open space was the creepiest shit I've ever seen and scared the hell out of me.
I enjoyed this movie very much on several viewings. You can see it borrows it's mood and atmosphere a lot from Alien and a couple of others like the 1972 classic 'Silent Running', but it has a voice of its own. Good hommage to 'High Noon'.
I just came across you reviews. I thought it would be good if you reviewed Outland then saw this. I think Outland is a very under rated film. I love the atmosphere and tension created throughout, especially shots of the countdown clock signalling impending showdown.
I know it's been three years since your post, but I believe Outland is worth viewing more than once. When I was itching for a Bluray to buy I picked this one despite having only seen it once, and that was maybe two decades earlier. I bought it, watched it and never regretted it. Despite a few minor issues the movie just feels *right*. It has a great atmosphere, great music and nearly every actor turns in a solid performance. I watched it a few months back late one night and I expect to watch it once more within a few weeks. Everything that's right about this movie really holds up to repeated viewings in my opinion.
I remember seen this as a teenager on TV. One of the few movies in my life that was really memorable - what a fantastic movie role for Sean Connery. So him, yet so not him (in his usual roles). You have made me go rent this again. Thanks!
yeah i did hear Jerry had a tough time on ALIEN. The editor Terry Rawlings and Ridley had temped a lot of the movie with Jerry's older music and wanted to use that. They went into detail about the score on the DVD/ Blu ray documentaries.
Even watching this as an 12 yo pimple faced youth still on my Star Wars high this film truly effected me on a dramatic level . This was one of my first sci fi drama experiences and i was enthralled from the first frame. The tension in almost every scene is palpable and it just builds to this understated but suspenseful crescendo . I think it may have only done modest box office biz because it didn't feature monsters or aliens or a fantastical Mars setting, it was all very realistic
I would not call the movie great, but it is definitely solid. Totally agree with your review, the Alien "look" is all over this movie, a nice little reference to Weyland-Yutani would have been great in this. Sometimes i think that Alien, Outland and Blade Runner take place in the same universe...
You can count the number of 80's sci-fi films that still hold up well on both hands - and OUTLAND is one of 'em. Not as groundbreaking as BLADE RUNNER, not as iconic as TERMINATOR, nor as taut as ALIENS, OUTLAND still manages a surprisingly compelling take on HIGH NOON in space. The effects still largely hold up, even if the science is more careless; but it's Connery's performance that still rides over any weak spots.
Another fantastic review, Oliver! Funny to think Pay Roach trying to kill Sean Connery's character in this and then Last Crusade, only a few years later.
Thank you Oliver, for another excellent review! One of the greatest aspects of "Outland" is that it is realistic. No aliens, no fantastic FTL ships. It is a gritty movie that could easily become reality on a mining outpost. One of the taglines is "Even in space, the ultimate enemy is man." - which is probably the case (other than the deadly environment. Corporations care nothing about their employees as long as the employees get the job done. And with Earth's population increasing it's easy to see people wanting a space mining job no matter what. That acting is excellent. Great movie (IMHO).
Great film with absolutely superb production design/art direction and the entire look of the piece is stunning. Features a memorable foot chase and a solid Connery performance although the final climatic high noon showdown is fluffed after a long build up to it.
Fantastic review as always Olly! I've still not seen it but this has made me want to get it ASAP!! (Lol at the heads blowing up) Thanks buddy, really good review!!
It's very rare to see the villain not some truly evil guy. They do that in nearly every film. It's lazy writing to make the good guy who kills him and henchmen work. Basically everything in hollywood is the good guys vs Hitler and the Nazis. When there's a film about killing Nazis then no one questions why they're killing Nazis. They don't show them as humans, just purely entertainment fodder. That's what villains are in most shitty films. In real life most enemies are complex and make good points about WHY they're doing what they're doing, and the good guy struggles with deciding on how to handle the situation until the bad guy out of desperation crosses the line and forces his hand. I really like when there's a powerful bad guy who makes killing someone a really huge part of his life, like the mafia don who keeps giving a guy chance after chance, because it's real, when that guy vanishes then the heat will be on him! The villain doesn't have to be cold-blooded like his henchman, he's the thinker/boss that keeps those lunatics in line. But in shitty films they make him even more deadly and sinister! It's like when a General is leading the charge with his army. Total bullshit. He's the tactician and too valuable to be getting his hands dirty. It just buggs the hell out of me.
Thank you for this. I saw this movie when it first came out in the theatres and I loved it from the beginning. I still watch it from time to time and you're right -- you never get bored with it.
I just watched this on STARZ, I’ve never seen it before. It has Lots of action and Sean Connery being Sean Connery, which I love. I love good Sci-fi westerns. And I really enjoyed the ending.
I would say this could be a prequel to Alien. It is not as far into the future as Alien, and closer to home, with no interstellar travel. In this story humanity's farthest reach is merely Jupiter, not other solar systems.
DrQuagmire1 Yes, obviously not an OFFICIAL prequel, but the plot follows well, and nothing contradicts Outland taking place years before Alien in a VERY similar universe.
RetroRobotRadio true. if anything, a movie like this could be considered a side-quel. meaning it takes place in the same universe, while not directly connected to the series itself. especially since the late great Jerry Goldsmith did the music for both this and "Alien.
There is also similar themes of a cut throat corporation with off world interests that see's it's personnel as expendable.There is also tension between the government personnel (Federal Marshal/Colonial Marines) and the corporate representative. The film could take place around the time as Alien.Even during the time of Alien,there had to industrial activity close to home in the Solar System and star flight is likely very expensive. It would make sense that older,proven forms of interplanetary spaceflight,while slow,would still be the most efficient mode of travel.
I have always placed Outland in the Alien universe in my head canon. I also feel the creators of Isolation felt this too as the law enforcement on the station are referred to as Marshals and their uniform and insignia bear a resemblence to those in Outland.
A rare sci fi movie that feels like the real world. The new TV sci fi series 'The Expanse' feels very similar. Whenever I see Peter Boyle in this I feel like he's Rob Reiner. I especially enjoy the part of this movie that shows that Sean's character is a bit of an A-hole but for righteous reasons and he's stuck on a crap assignment because he wouldn't go along with corruption. So he's actually a true hero.
One of my favorite sci-fi movies, great cinematography, music, lighting, and acting. Very engaging and has memorable scenes that will stay with me forever (like one of the drug dealers walking through the quarters and the way he looks around and moves)
I think it does exist in the Alien universe. I always saw a Trinity of movies: Blade Runner showing what the future looks like on the Earth, Outland showing how resources are obtained, and Alien showing how they are transported to Earth.
Just found your channel a few weeks ago. I like the format, it's very entertaining. Outland is a favorite sci-fi for me. You mentioned Capricorn One. Have you considered a review of it. Thanks for all the great reviews.
The Outland comic looks very cool. It's a good story concept, and not a bad sci-fi movie. It's kind of the beginnings of the cool 80s sci-fi tech in the movies. Like Aliens, RoboCop,and others.
Here is a fresh comment - Very and truly underrated Sean Connery gem! Nostalgic for me first finding it on VHS, then on TV and now Blue-ray. Great story and acting from just about everyone.
One thing you didn't realise was that the character of Dr. Lazarus was written for a male actor. They changed that to Frances Sternhagen but didn't change a single word of the script. Not a lot of people know that.
I saw this movie with my family as an 11year old. It was my first rated R movie. My dad wanted us see Escape from New York, but it was already done with theatrical run. A great flick. One of my high school science teachers made references to the idea of decompression in space.