Sir Sean's OUTLAND

chrisisall

Being a Connery fan I've pretty much seen everything he's done (with the exception of Finding Forrester for some reason), but the one non-Bond he's starred in that I go back to again & again is OUTLAND.
I love the action, his dialogue, Goldsmith's music, the cool 007 references, it's really high up on my list of favourite films.
If you live in the UK & you own a DVD of the flick, you don't know how lucky you are. Here in the States we are stuck with a DVD that was struck from a faulty laserdisc from the eighties, and Warner never fixed it. A Blu Ray came out recently that I hear is nice, but I'm not gonna invest all that coin in a new system for ONE movie. But I just found out that my cheap little 9" Philips portable DVD player is region-free & plays PAL! So I ordered a Region 4 DVD of the movie on eBay, and it will be the first time I've seen a widescreen version of this awesome film since 1981!

So, fond memories, you still love it, never liked it?

minigeff

Never seen it.

The only thing I consider Sean Connery being any good in, apart from bond of course, is Indiana Jones, and The Hunt for Red October.

After seeing things like Entrapment and The Rock, I just lost interest in the guy.

MANDY1

I think Connery was good in Untouchables as well -{

Thunderpussy

I think Connery is great in most Things. )
a true Movie star. -{

TonyDP

Don't forget The Man Who Would Be King; he gives an excellent performance in that one (though Michael Caine really drives the narrative).

chrisisall

Sean was great in so many films, but Outland was all HIM. Without Connery, honestly, it wouldn't have been as good a movie IMO. The plot was thin, and it needed severe star presence to drive it. And Jerry Goldsmith's music helped, obviously.

Youknowthename

It's been years since I've seen it, but I liked it. Like said above, most of Sir Sean's performances are enjoyable.
Though - please bare in mind I haven't seen Zardoz :v

chrisisall

Youknowthename wrote:

Though - please bare in mind I haven't seen Zardoz :v

I own it. Very trippy flick! I enjoy it!

Colonel Shatner

Outland feels a lot like Alien and I wonder if a similar creative team worked behind both movies. And watch out for one of Berkoff's restrained performances.

I'm very used to Connery, he has a strong presence, but like a lot of typecast A-listers Sean Connery seemed to play Sean Connery. And his Scottish nationalism grates.

BIG TAM

I like OUTLAND too! Yeah, it uses a lot of ALIEN stylings, etc but it's a good sci-fi thriller with Connery in fine form. Apparently, director Peter Hyams intended it as 'HIGH NOON in outer space'.

chrisisall

Colonel Shatner wrote:

Outland feels a lot like Alien

I've always felt like Outland, Alien & Blade Runner all sort of exist in the same universe.

always shaken

i go along with TEPPO Connery as a regular beat cop
thrown into war fare between the U.S govt and the mafia
and he dies ,ive never seen Connery die
also check him out in THE HILL

ChromeJob

Just watched the craptacular DVD of THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING last night. I remember loving it in theaters and seeing it 2-3 times that year. And the home video versions are missing that wonderful shot of him as he's falling, smiling IIRC. The film was released in 4-track stereo, and the darn Warner Bros. dvd is mono. Damn you, Warner, damn you all to hell. (Can you tell I HATE Warner Bros. home video?)

Anyway. That period in which he did THE MAN and THE WIND AND THE LION was IMHO a golden era for him playing character roles that he could sink his teeth into. Some of his scenes in THE MAN are absolutely marvelous.

I also loved him in RED OCTOBER. Great scene with him and Alec Baldwin when they finally meet. I remember seeing a little film called THE NEXT MAN on TV, wonder if it's seeing again.

John Boorman's ZARDOZ is fascinating, incredible design and execution, but I wonder if Sir Sean regretted doing it all those years after. Sure he was in great shape, but he just looked goofy in his costume.

Blackleiter

Here here!

Thunderpussy wrote:

I think Connery is great in most Things. )
a true Movie star. -{

Napoleon Plural

minigeff wrote:

Never seen it.

The only thing I consider Sean Connery being any good in, apart from bond of course, is Indiana Jones, and The Hunt for Red October.

After seeing things like Entrapment and The Rock, I just lost interest in the guy.

Ah, understandable. That is when he was slumming it imo. He had a golden period, the above you mention, also with Untouchables and The Name of the Rose. Things like The Presidio and Rising Sun are okay potboilers but it's diminishing returns. Not to mention The Avengers.

A handful from the 70s stand out, such as The First Great Train Robbery, A Bridge Too Far, but many are interesting failures, even the successes like Time Bandits don't quite hit the spot.

alphaagent

you guys watched Marnie by Hitchcock? Sean is great in it, very classic Bond. It is from 1964 so he is still in the same vein

Blackleiter

I also though Sir Sean put in a good performance in The Anderson Tapes, although the impact is blunted by the fact that he spends a considerable amount of time wearing a mask.

Napoleon Plural wrote:

minigeff wrote:

Never seen it.

The only thing I consider Sean Connery being any good in, apart from bond of course, is Indiana Jones, and The Hunt for Red October.

After seeing things like Entrapment and The Rock, I just lost interest in the guy.

Ah, understandable. That is when he was slumming it imo. He had a golden period, the above you mention, also with Untouchables and The Name of the Rose. Things like The Presidio and Rising Sun are okay potboilers but it's diminishing returns. Not to mention The Avengers.

A handful from the 70s stand out, such as The First Great Train Robbery, A Bridge Too Far, but many are interesting failures, even the successes like Time Bandits don't quite hit the spot.

Sir Hillary Bray

Outland is one of those movies that was on all the time when I first got cable TV, so I have seen many, many times. As someone above noted, it is ALL about Connery. Good supporting performances from Frances Sternhagen and James B. Sikking (just before Hill Street Blues, I think) but Sean is basically a one-man force on the side of good. Peter Boyle is strangely benign as the heavy, and all he gets from Sean is a punch in the face at the end, but overall Outland is one for Connery to be proud of.

Best Connery performance I have ever seen is The Hill.

Blackleiter

The Hill is a must-see for anyone who doubts Connery's skill as an actor. A tremendous performance!

Sir Hillary Bray wrote:

Outland is one of those movies that was on all the time when I first got cable TV, so I have seen many, many times. As someone above noted, it is ALL about Connery. Good supporting performances from Frances Sternhagen and James B. Sikking (just before Hill Street Blues, I think) but Sean is basically a one-man force on the side of good. Peter Boyle is strangely benign as the heavy, and all he gets from Sean is a punch in the face at the end, but overall Outland is one for Connery to be proud of.

Best Connery performance I have ever seen is The Hill.

chrisisall

Blackleiter wrote:

The Hill is a must-see for anyone who doubts Connery's skill as an actor. A tremendous performance!

I agree!!
And "A Fine Madness" (1966) is a great one too, strangely, Irvin Kershner directed it, who knew they'd end up together doing NSNA?

twinarchers

You can get a Blu Ray player very cheap and it will play all your DVD's. Many players will make your DVD's look better. I have the Outland DVD and I cant watch it. Thanks for the info on the faulty Laser Disc Player. I always wonder how a company can do that. The Full Frame side looks ok but the wide screen side is unwatchable. The Blu Ray looks great from the review sites I have seen. I will get it one day. Love the Anderson Tapes too but they change the movie from the book which my mother loved at the time. The little boy in the wheelchair helps him get away. I hate the ending and it cost the studio many box office dollars because of it.

Thunderbird 2

Outland was a real attempt at a western in space and from what I remember works well. I know it wasn't by the same folk who did Alien, but it was made at Pinewood, so I wouldn't be surpriswd if set pieces and props may have overlapped between the two. Plus the film reflects the grimy industrial hard work feel that the Aliens films invented, with characters working to pay the bills, rather than the sleek ships and just cause aspects of STrek and SWars.
I liked Sir Sean in this, playing a blue collar character more reflective of himself, and Frances Sturhagen is great as the cranky Doctor he has a love / hate banter with on screen.

All big screen actors have successes and howlwrs, I feel that Indy Jones was the last big hurrah for Sir Sean. The Rock, Entrapment and Extrardinary Gentlemen capitalised on the fact he was cast. The Untouchables, The First Great Train Robbery, Highlander I and Last Crusade were films that cast him as great characters. The fact he was playing them was the icing on the cake.

A great actor who made some latter mistakes in his career. As a Scot myself, I vehemently disagree with his political views. Lets keep the United in the United Kingdom. However his thespian (and athletic skills as.a young man) are a commendable legacy.

chrisisall

Nice write up! -{

Thunderpussy

It's been years since I've seen it but as other have expressed
I was impressed a great gritty remake of " high noon ". I agree
That like Alien, it made space look like somewhere you'd work
Not glamorous at all. -{