5 Star

4K Sci-fi True Grit.

Arrow Film bring us another classic Sci-fi film, this time from 1981, a film written and directed by Peter Hyams (Time Cop, 2010: The Year We Make Contact), it’s commonly agreed that it is a reworking of High Noon, but in space. Where a man takes his job far too seriously, and he won’t back down in the face of insurmountable odds. The bonus is that Sean Connery (The Untouchables, The Name of the Rose) takes the lead role, so you know his character is hard-as-nails. Another bonus is that in Blu-ray, you get to see DoP. Stephen Goldblatt‘s (Batman Forever, Lethal Weapon) excellent filming style and the practical visual effects of William Mesa (Deep Blue Sea, The Fugitive). Classic Sci-fi in 4K, Marvellous.

Man has ventured out into the solar system, and of course financial enterprises lead the way. Jupiter’s moon Io is rich in titanium ore and mining outpost Con-Am 27, is where we are set. These outposts are all franchises and compete to be the most productive, because when you produce lots of cash you get a big bonus, and everybody loves a big bonus.

When you work hard, you play hard, and to keep the revelry safe the company employs Federal Marshals. Federal Marshal William O’Niel (Sean Connery) is two weeks into his one-year tour. He lives for his job, but it isn’t the life for his wife Carol (Kika Markham, Killing Me Softly, Franklyn) and their nine-year-old son Paul (Nicholas Barnes, Heidi (TV Series), Romeo & Juliet (TV Movie)), she soon makes it clear with a dear John video call.

Down-hearted but with a job to do, he meets General Manager Mark Sheppard (Peter Boyle, Taxi Driver, Red Heat) who tells him to keep his nose clean and just do his tour, he likes his men to work hard and to play hard, and enjoy their bonuses. To back him up, he has sergeant Montone (James Sikking, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, The Pelican Brief).

It just happens here.

When one of the miners decides to take a walk outside with his spacesuit, Montone just says that it is one of those things that happens every now and again, but O’Niel wants to know more, and he turns to the taciturn Dr. Marian Lazarus (Frances Sternhagen, The Mist, Raising Cain). She says she can’t help as the company claims what is left, for burial at ‘sea’. When O’Niel is called to a miner having a psychotic event, and he is threatening to kill the prostitute he is with, O’Niel takes a softly-softly approach while Montone goes through the air ducts to come from behind. Just as O’Niel is about to apprehend the Miner Sagan (Steven Berkoff, Hamlet (2024), We Still Kill The Old Way), Montone drops in and blasts him with his shotgun. O’Niel is not impressed, but Montone says he thought Sagan was going to kill the prostitute.

I’m unpleasant, I’m not stupid. Of course, I’m sure, I can count.

This leads O’Niel to find out why these psychotic events are on the rise, and after managing to find Sagan’s remains he takes a blood sample, and gets Lazarus to analyse the sample. What they discover is a deadly secret.

I’m gonna bust Sheppard.

Watch as O’Niel goes up against corporate greed.

It is great to see classic Sci-fi on 4K, thanks to Arrow Film.

Outland

Limited Edition 4K UHD 3rd November

4K ULTRA HD LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS

• Brand new 4K restoration from the original 35mm camera negative by Arrow Films
• 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray™ presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
• Original lossless stereo 2.0 and DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround audio options
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Archive audio commentary by writer-director Peter Hyams
• Brand-new audio commentary by film critic Chris Alexander
• A Corridor of Accidents, a newly filmed interview with writer-director Peter Hyams
• Outlandish, a newly filmed interview with director of photography Stephen Goldblatt
• Introvision: William Mesa on Outland, a newly filmed interview with visual effects artist William Mesa
• No Place for Heroes, a brand-new appreciation by film scholar Josh Nelson
• Hollywoodland Outland, a brand-new visual essay by film historian Howard S. Berger
• Theatrical trailer
• Image gallery
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Pye Parr
• Double-sided foldout poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Pye Parr
• Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing by film critics Priscilla Page and Brandon Streussnig