OUTERWORLD: My New Favorite Sci-Fi Romance Film

The other night, after completing a blog post, I wanted to wind down with a free, random film through Amazon’s Prime Instant Videos. My goal was to find something entertaining that I hadn’t seen, yet isn't anything I’d prefer to see on DVD rather than on my PC. I’m tellin’ ya, it’s a tough call sometimes.

I’d scrolled through numerous listings and was about to give up when I spotted the cool-blue image of a science fiction film called OUTERWORLD (1987). "Hey now, what is this little number?" I thought. This film was new to me.

I learned that OUTERWORLD, which was written and directed by Philip J. Cook (also new to me) is actually a revamped version of the film BEYOND THE RISING MOON (a.k.a.STAR QUEST). Apparently, it ran on the SyFy Channel and then went to video. From what I’ve read, the new version has CG effects as well as new scenes and tighter editing.

Anyway, the image caught my eye because of the woman’s face dominating it (because it was a thumbnail, I initially couldn’t see the man’s image on the left. More on him later). I read the description:

She was genetically engineered by an evil corporation to be the perfect emotionless spy and assassin. Now they can't control her. Asked to kill one too many times and developing feelings she wasn't supposed to have, Pentan must outwit her evil creators before they destroy her and succeed in the ultimate corporate takeover. Hailed as an ingenious sci-fi triumph, Outerworld's intergalactic battles and tale of space-age espionage will blow your mind!

Uh, “ingenious sci-fi triumph” and it’s going to "blow" my mind? Yeah, okay, so I was betting that never was a truer hyperbole ever spoken, but I was intrigued by the idea of a genetically engineered female spy and assassin—especially since her name was Pentan. Wow! And think about it—how many SF films feature a female action hero at the helm? Precious few, unfortunately. Plus, I immediately began to wonder if the film had a romance attached.

In Case You Missed Them: 15 Posts About Sci-Fi Romance Films

I've blogged about a fair number of SFR and romantic SF films that I'd seen, so I decided to compile them into a handy reference list. I'm presenting them in order of "best to worst" in terms of my personal taste, which is another way of saying your mileage may vary. Extremely, in some cases. :)

TIME AFTER TIME: A Classic, Super Fun Romantic SF Film

Let me just say that I’m really enjoying Amazon Prime. All of those thousands of films and television shows included in the price? Wow. While watching video content online doesn’t compare to IMAX or Blu-ray, it’s perfect for those times when I’m winding down for the day and need a little random entertainment.

I’d already discovered the film OUTERWORLD and was hoping I might find something else along those lines. Luckily, it didn’t take me long to discover TIME AFTER TIME (1979). Directed by Nicholas Meyer and starring Malcolm McDowell, David Warner, and Mary Steenburgen, TIME AFTER TIME has a high concept premise:

H.G. Wells pursues Jack the Ripper to the 20th Century when the serial murderer uses the future writer's time machine to escape his time period.

Many of you have probably already seen this film. As an SF/F fan, I’m not sure why I was so late to the party. I’d encountered the film’s poster many times throughout the years, so it’s not as though I’d never heard of it. Maybe there were too many other films competing for my attention. Anyway, when I happened upon it while scrolling down the list of SF films offered through Amazon Prime, I decided to watch it.

The steampunkish poster design drew me in and I’m sure I was seeing it in a new light given that I’ve got a lot more steampunk under my belt than as a youth. Plus, I’ve always liked actor Mary Steenburgen’s work, so when I noticed her name in the description, I immediately wondered if the film had a romantic component.