4K Ultra HD Review – Outland (1981)

      Outland, 1981.

      Directed by Peter Hyams.

      Featuring Sean Connery, Peter Boyle, Frances Sternhagen, James B. Sikking, and Kika Markham.

      SYNOPSIS:

      Peter Hyams' 1981 sci-fi western film Outland is now available on 4K Ultra HD, thanks to Arrow Video. The company has provided the film with a Criterion-like presentation, including over an hour of new bonus content, along with a poster and booklet. The film also boasts impressive visuals.

      Often likened to "High Noon meets Alien," Outland might not rank among Sean Connery's top ten films for many fans, but it remains a compelling thriller that offers plenty of suspense. However, I do have a few issues that I will address.

      Connery portrays Marshal William T. O’Niel, who has just arrived at a mining outpost on Io, one of Jupiter's moons. His wife, Carol (Kika Markham), and son, Paul (Nicholas Barnes), have come along despite their concerns about the job. O’Niel, who has traveled throughout the solar system for various assignments, frustrates Carol as their son has never known life on Earth.

      On the other hand, Peter Boyle plays Mark Sheppard, the station's supervisor who is pleased with the rising productivity among his workers, despite a string of suspicious fatalities. While he expects O’Niel to stick to his responsibilities, the new marshal feels compelled to investigate the mysterious deaths, reluctantly aided by Dr. Marian Lazarus (Frances Sternhagen), who prefers to accept the company’s official explanation.

      The company, known as Con-Amalgamated, is frequently referred to simply as “the company” by the characters, drawing parallels to Alien, released two years prior. The film's grim working environment also invites comparisons to that movie as well as to the Rebel Alliance in Star Wars.

      Certainly, High Noon is also a reference point here, as the core narrative is inspired by that classic western, which I reviewed on Blu-ray last year. Outland features elements of a police procedural, with O’Niel probing the deaths and uncovering that Sheppard has been enhancing productivity using a drug with severe side effects.

      The supply shuttle arriving at high noon is on its way from beyond Jupiter, carrying hitmen called by Sheppard to eliminate O’Niel. This sets the stage for the climactic third act where the marshal confronts these adversaries. One of my criticisms lies in the actions of one hitman, which strike me as particularly foolish; while the scene appears visually striking, it lacks logical sense.

      Another issue I have is that the film's similarities to Alien can be quite distracting, from the design of the sets to the interactions between characters and technology. While these flaws do not completely spoil the film for me, they prevent it from being recognized as a classic.

      Arrow Video has released Outland on a single 4K Ultra HD disc, without a complementary Blu-ray, which doesn’t concern me. Like many films from its era, certain scenes in Outland lose quality in 4K compared to standard-definition broadcasts or VHS, as the higher resolution exposes some shortcomings in the special effects, but this is to be expected with older films.

      In terms of extras, Arrow maintains its Criterion-like approach with several new supplements, including a poster and a booklet featuring essays by Priscilla Page and Brandon Stressnig (Arrow only provides me with check discs for their releases, so I can't comment on the quality of any printed materials).

      The first new bonus is an insightful commentary track by Chris Alexander, editor of Fangoria and a knowledgeable voice on the film. He thoroughly prepares to explore the movie, making it enjoyable for fans. Additionally, there's an archival commentary by director Peter Hyams included.

      Moreover, Hyams participates in A Corridor of Accidents: An Interview with Peter Hyams, which is 52 minutes long and expands upon topics from his commentary, though there's some overlap.

      New interviews with director of photography Stephen Goldblatt and visual effects supervisor William Mesa run for 29 and 34 minutes, respectively. No Place for Heroes is a new 18-minute interview with film scholar Josh Nelson.

      Lastly, Hollywood Outland (21 minutes), a carryover from previous editions, examines Hyams’ work through the lens of “insider/outsider auteurism,” as described by filmmaker Howard S. Berger. Almost any prominent serious director could be characterized in that way, as many are auteurs who challenge the Hollywood system, but it’s a thought-provoking perspective concerning Hyams.

      The disc also includes a couple of trailers and an image gallery. This is my first experience with Outland on home video, so I’m unsure if any older extras are absent.

      Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★

      Brad Cook