Apparently the jury is still out on whether you can make a horror movie in outer space, but you can definitely make a western and here is a superb example. It was produced a few years after Alien and bears its obvious stylistic influence in every frame; they could easily be set in the same fictional universe of faceless, despotic corporations bent on maximizing profits no matter the human cost. While Hyams plays with western tropes, like the new marshal who arrives at a corrupt frontier outpost, he also considers modern themes as well. (Modern for 1981 anyway.) There a heavy emphasis on surveillance cameras, communications intercepts, and the pervasive — or maybe invasive — computer screens, giving the whole film an atmosphere of paranoia and technological overreach. Plus, Frances Sternhagen plays a doctor so cantankerous she makes Bones McCoy look like Patch Adams. What’s not to love?

blends the dirty, lived-in blue collar sci-fi detail of Alien and a conspiracy noir/morality play western with sean connery essentially acting as the lonely space sheriff investigating the brutal exploitation of mining workers at the hands of a corporation that drugs and kills them for profit efficiency. hyams stages all the genre-bending with incredible craft; filthy sets and squibs and gorgeous analog fx as the dexterous camera moves through the space rig replicating the thrilling chases and shootouts you'd expect to see tracked on horseback or in a grimy city street.

I love that somebody made an Alien knockoff that borrows only the least commercially appealing aspects of that film: Strong anti-capital subtext, gorgeously detailed used future sets and miniatures, long, mute dialogue scenes with text-based computer interfaces, you know, all the stuff that made Alien such a huge smash. This rules.

There once was a cop named O’Neil
Who bad guys he’d vanquish with zeal
Space boss gives him trouble
Sends assassins on double
By High Noon they've been made to squeal.

(sorry)

Pings two of my biggest fetishes in that A) it's not just HIGH NOON in space but one that replaces the fear of rabid anti-communism with its own anti-capitalist streak; and B) it's loaded with analog effects tech (specifically Introvision, an in-camera front-projection compositing process). I know it's weird but I get a genuine kick out of Connery storming through a set of burnished fiberglass saloon-style swinging doors.

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Film #29 of the March Madness 80s Sci-Fi Movie Challenge!
letterboxd.com/naughty/list/march-madness-80s-sci-fi-movie-challenge/

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Gritty low budget film that maximizes its impact by pulling a "High Noon" in space! I was surprised that a film so low tech, low budget, so raw and unpolished could end up entertaining me! But I have to admit once the clock came into play the tension levels increased dramatically!

The first time I saw this I thought he said "I'll slap your nasty asshole all over this ship" to the lady doctor. Pretty sure I mis-heard him but I've never been able to disassociate that from the film.

This film is quite simply a western in space... And its pretty good. Its bleak, its dark, it takes all its visual and thematic cues from both Alien and Blade Runner and basically tells the story of High Noon in that environment. It sounds awful and cheesy when I put it like that. But it's not. It's actually pretty good.

It's visuals on the powerstation show a well designed film that cares about the universe it creates. The direction is simple and purposeful. I'm not sure I could handle people having sex dancing in the pub all the time, but other than that very impressed.

The acting is good too. I had long forgotten that Sean Connery could act and do more than just James Bond. Here he gives us an excellent performance and one that I wished he would reproduce on other films. Genuinely surprised and enjoyed the whole film. I'd watch it again.

Yes, I watched it again. Yes, it's still awesome. Yes, it's still one of the most underrated sci-fi films of all time. Yes, it's still one of Sean Connery's best performances. Yes, Peter Hyams is still an under-appreciated director. Yes, that foot chase through the station is still brilliant.

I have reviewed Outland at length previously and I don't have anything to really add to that review, but I really like sci-fi films like this that are not really sci-fi films at all and have a real dirty, industrial feel and look to them. There's probably a list in there somewhere but I've no idea how I'd phrase it or if people would know what I'm on about.

Either way, one day someone's going to remake this, it will be shit, and this will be rediscovered for the excellent film it is and should have been recognised as such much earlier.

This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

State power vs capital

I only found out about this movie because of the song High Moon on the heavy metal album Space Metal by Star One. I'm glad I did because it's right up there with The Thing, Back to the Future, The Fly, and They Live as one of my favorite 80s sci-fis, flaws and all. also if anyone knows where I can get my hands on a copy of the infamous Harlan Ellison review I would love to read it.

Really good looking space western riff with a solid Sean Connery performance holding it down. My biggest beef with it is that the last act didn’t feel particularly earned or satisfying, but it was still fun to watch. It might have also felt that way because when 50 dudes got off that ship towards the end I fully thought they were all coming for the sheriff and I was enthused with the insanity of that so it was a little disappointing when it ended up just being two dudes with slightly better guns than him. Anyways, definitely worth a watch if you need more blue collar space vibes in your life.

High Noon in space.

Eine riesige Raumstation, mysteriöse Morde, ein Komplott der "Firma" und ein heldenhafter Marschall.

Outland ist ein wirklich guter scifi Thriller/actioner der eine feine Story in einer menschenfeindlichen Welt erzählt.

Allein das Final zieht sich ein bisschen.

Für seine fsk 16 Freigabe doch Recht blutig an einigen Szenen.

feel like the one assassin blowing the whole greenhouse to hell for no reason at the end there did more to damage the company’s bottom line than Sean Connery’s crusade against the general manager. I loved a lot about this. Great miniatures and comping, bold blocking within the frame. I wish they’d scraped together the money for 1 or 2 more sets. The 5th time seeing that bar and the sleeping cages made the place feel more bare than it should have.

Pretty good western in space with Connery.  Effects are dated but not awful.  Overall it’s a good time.

Cool miniatures. Great feel. Obviously heavily influenced by Alien. Beyond that it’s ok.

Same art director as Event Horizon which is pretty cool

Apparently the jury is still out on whether you can make a horror movie in outer space, but you can definitely make a western and here is a superb example. It was produced a few years after Alien and bears its obvious stylistic influence in every frame; they could easily be set in the same fictional universe of faceless, despotic corporations bent on maximizing profits no matter the human cost. While Hyams plays with western tropes, like the new marshal who arrives at a corrupt frontier outpost, he also considers modern themes as well. (Modern for 1981 anyway.) There a heavy emphasis on surveillance cameras, communications intercepts, and the pervasive — or maybe invasive — computer screens, giving the whole film an atmosphere of paranoia and technological overreach. Plus, Frances Sternhagen plays a doctor so cantankerous she makes Bones McCoy look like Patch Adams. What’s not to love?

Encantador western espacial de inflexible clasicismo que puede exasperar un poco, pero la presencia y el brillo de Sean Connery te devuelve la calma. Una mezcla entre High Noon, Alien y algunas ideas de Carpenter. Faltan los sintetizadores, eso sí.

A fun thriller that makes space grimy and working class, the way it should. I
I could see this being in the same universe as Alien, without the xenomorphs, just the time clocks and coveralls.
Probably my favorite Connery performance at the moment.