The Next Reel Film Podcast Outland • The Next Reel
“If you’re looking for sterling character, you’re in the wrong place.”
In the early 80s, Peter Hyams was trying to get a western made. Unfortunately for him, no studio was interested in the genre right then; as far as they were concerned, westerns were dead. Then Hyams made the realization that westerns were still alive but that they’d been transposed to the world of sci-fi. And with that, he wrote “Outland.” Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we continue our Movies and Their Remakes series with the ‘remake’ of “High Noon,” Hyams’ 1981 film “Outland.” We talk about the comparisons between this film and “High Noon,” and deliberate on the screenplay structure here, noting how the waiting-for-the-showdown bit works so much better here because there’s so much more story before getting into it. We chat about Hyams and the look he achieves with his DP Stephen Goldblatt and production designer Philip Harrison, not to mention Introvision, the amazing model work and megasound. We discuss Sean Connery, Peter Boyle, Frances Sternhagen and more, looking at what they each bring to the table. We touch on the fun special effects of heads blowing up and people decompressing in space and mention what really happens to a human body in decompression. And we chat about Jerry Goldsmith, chalking up another great score to one of our favorite ‘J’ composers. It’s a really fun sci-fi romp that not enough people are talking about, so check it out and tune in!
Film Sundries
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Trailers of the Week - Andy’s Trailer: Creature Designers: The Frankenstein Complex — "I grew up on creature features, reveling in their magic and thriving on the wondrous stories they told. This doc looks like it’ll offer an incredible chance to hear directly from some of the wizards behind these amazing creatures and I can’t wait to check it out!”
- Pete’s Trailer: Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates — “This is it, a high-water mark in gender equality: Anna Kendrick and Aubrey Plaza out-bro the bros.”
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