30 May, 2007: Reviews from London
The following reviews were posted on the London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival website:
 
This was one of the most amusing and enjoyable shorts I have seen in either the LLGFF or other festivals in many, many years. I thought the director summed it up in the Q&A when asked why he made a film of this topic "because I have been to many LGBT festivals over the years and wanted to not make a film about either coming out or killing yourself!"
 
It presented some anti/non-stereotypes of gay men without making the point feel laboured. It was a sweet story with great characterisation and some very well paced visuals. Squashing the inflatable Dalek was possibly the highlight of the twelve screenings we've attended this year! Well done, I hope to see more from this team in future programmes.
Posted by Will
 
This was very funny, and may have been the best short I saw this year (either this or the very different Bugcrush, anyway). The comic timing is very sharp, the performances are terrific (particularly from Adam Richard is a scene-stealing drama queen) and there is a killer last scene. Wonderful.
Posted by Alex
 
And from the blog "Starting Over":
My personal highlight though was Australian director John Richards' Outland - a first date movie hampered by trying to keep the new man away from your sci-fi nerdiness (and the fanatic friends who just happen to pop over). Outland really succeeds not just with a great script but actors with a flair for comic timing and delivery – it's a blast, very funny and a joy.
davidstartingover.blogspot.com

14 March, 2007: Outland gets another mention in Beat Magazine
Here's what Melanie Sheridan had to say about Outland in her column Comedy in Beat Magazine issue 1055:

29 November, 2006: Report from Dallas
This isn't strictly relevant, but why do all long-haul flights come equipped with a screaming child? And why does that child always come with parents who show no interest in taking control of the child? And why have they always given the child a name that would be more suitable for a Dickensian prostitute? (in this case, "Molly")
 
Now you would think that for all three of these conditions to occur simultaneously must be fairly rare - expressed as a Venn diagram it would look like this:
My Venn Diagram
 
As you can see, the point of intersection is very small - and yet there's one on every flight. How do you do it, Mr QANTAS?
 
Anyway, Dallas. Famed for its fictional oil barons and presidential assassinations, Dallas was to see the first international screening of Outland. Dallas is a huge, sprawling city in the Texan style - everything is big, and every building is surrounded by a car-park, giving it an odd "exploded" quality - it's like someone photocopied an Australian city but accidentally hit "enlarge". You don't walk in Texas, you drive. In HUGE gas-guzzling assault vehicles, past billboards with REAL WATER cascading down them. Yes, in Box Hill you can't water your marigolds, but in Texas you can pour water down advertising billboards to sell whatever it was they were advertising. Sadly the only solution to global warming will be to destroy America, which is a shame, because everyone in Dallas was so nice.
 
The Out Takes festival has to be the best organized festival I have ever attended, and all the guests were looked after by the amazing Albert Lujan - Albert is like the Love Boat's Julie The Cruise Director, only cuter. Every day Albert would organise our lives, and sometimes buy us snacks - really, every home should have one.
 
We were nervous about the screening - would they understand the accents? The references? Would the humour translate? Our concern wasn't helped by the taxi driver who asked if we were from Montreal - damn this strong French Canadian accent of mine! But in the end the response was as good - if not better - than the Australian screenings. (There was also a lovely moment when Kay, Out Takes resident ex-pat, led the ushers in a rousing "Aussie! Aussie! Aussie! Oi! Oi! Oi!". That's what's so grouse about Aussies - we're classy).
 
The day after the screening I took part in a panel about independent film-making at Dallas' SMU. I'd assumed the "U" stood for "university", and the "S" was probably "southern", but I hadn't worked out the "M". It's "Methodist". Obviously. So now I was going to tell Texan Methodists how to make gay science-fiction fan-club themed comedies in Australia. And I think we can all learn something from that. Also on the panel were the charming Rob Williams, writer/director of Long Term Relationship; Stewart Wade who wrote and directed the exceptional Coffee Date; and the fabulous Kim Fishman, producer of Fat Girls. Here's a picture:
The panel at SMU
 
We met some lovely people and some lovely films - apart from those listed above we also saw the documentary Small Town Gay Bar, which you must not miss, and our Newest Best Friends Toni and Israel's film R U Invited? (don't miss the Dallas Sheraton show on their website).
 
Everyone was fantastic, the festival was brilliant, and I never want to eat Tex-Mex ever again. To finish off, what trip to Dallas would be complete without shooting Kennedy? Here's one we shot earlier:
The panel at SMUThe panel at SMU
X marks the spot
 
Evil Dr Chris and the Book Depository
Evil Dr Chris and the Book Depository
 
Second Gunman
Second gunman
 
Thanks to everyone in Dallas - hopefully one day they'll have us back!
 
COMING SOON - Austin.

13 October, 2006: Outland reviewed in VicBears Ink
Here's what Will Gauvin had to say about Outland in the October edition of the Melbourne Bear Club's newsletter:

13 September, 2006: Outland gets a mention in Beat Magazine
Here's what Richard Watts had to say about Outland in his column Art Of The City in Beat Magazine issue 1030:

4 September, 2006: Outland in Texas - again!
We've been selected for the 2006 OUT TAKES Dallas Film Festival! The festival runs from 27 October to 5 November, see our Screenings page for more. We love Texas!

2 September, 2006: Outland in Texas
We are thrilled that we've been included in the 2006 OUTer Gay and Lesbian Science Fiction / Fantasy Film Festival in Austin, Texas. We'll be screening on November the 4th. Check out the Screenings page for details, or go directly to the festival website.

31 August, 2006: World Premiere a Success
We're absolutely overwhelmed by the turnout (we had to put on an additional screening!) to our premiere, and by the positive reaction. Thanks to everyone who came along and made it such a success. Hopefully we'll have some pics up soon.