Behind the Scenes - A 4th Gallery

Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)

 

I quite like the occasional comic book and don't mind the odd superhero, however I just can't get on with Superman in any form.

With that said it may come as no surprise that I haven't seen this particular film or am I ever likely to so it's a big thanks to blog-follower Tim for pointing out this small scene of interest.

What makes it especially good is that I've a keen eye for a recycled prop and I think I've spotted a
couple here.

The backpack is an absolute definite reuse of the Outland backpacks, made for that film, as this behind the scenes image will reveal.

 

The second observation is that the helmet may be the same as featured in Unidentified Flying Oddball or whichever of its various titles you care to know it by.

 

It's hard to be certain and its a safe bet that that production had recycled it from somewhere else before but it does have quite a few distinctive features.  As ever with these things feel free to correct me if you know better.

 

Steve

Outland (1981) Comic

Heavy Metal Magazine published an adaption of Outland beginning in June 1981.

Usually such things can be rather perfunctory and lacklustre affairs but this has art by the great Jim Steranko who knows a thing or two about rendering a spacesuit.

There is a marked difference between this and the film design because firstly Jim is like a god and can do whatever he pleases and secondly because, as you may have previously noticed, comic artists love a fishbowl helmet because it allows them the opportunity to convey facial expressions far more clearly.

Steve.

Outland (1981) film poster

Just a lovely bit of work, this.

As ever with these things the artist isn't as easy to find as the image but I'll edit when I find who it is


Steve

Outland (1981)

John Mollo, Costume Designer, gave propmaker; Andrew Ainsworth a free hand to produce the helmets and backpacks for this futuristic feature.  Like the whole of the film, the look is functional and lived-in with a dirty realism.   After all the story takes place on a mining colony on Io, Jupiter’s moon, where the men are extracting titanium from the airless vacuum of the planet’s surface so anything too swish or shinny is going to break the tone.  It’s not really sci-fi we’re selling here.

This is High Noon in Space with Sean Connery as the heal-digging-in sheriff who's going to make a stand and a difference.  And that star-casting is perhaps one of the reasons that there are a lot of little lights inside the helmet.  If you’re paying for Connery then you need to be able to see Connery behind the visor!

Watching this when it first came out bored me to distraction but you get a little older, tastes mature and now I happen to think it’s a minor classic with a timeless plot that translates through any genre.

The suits are not the most stunning ever designed but they went on to appear in a few other films and a British Airways TV commercial.

Steve