Space Station 76

Space Station 76. It's not a bad film, neither is it a good film, nevertheless it is watchable. The film has a reference to Valium and to be fair watching it gives you a feeling that you are on tranquilisers, as the film has a gentle almost tranquil effect from the calming Elevator type music playing in the background, to the slow composed way the actors speak.

I did not find the film to be over humorous, in fact it barely raised a smile but it was addictive. The characters were well developed and interacted well. The sets are well designed and the reference to the seventies makes it seem somewhat timeless. The film played out a little like an afternoon soap opera.

Whether the film will over time develop into a cult film, maybe! Give the film a try as it has its moments.

Unless the viewer is *very* familiar with the 1970s ... the fashions, culture, music, attitudes, behaviors, etc ... much of the impact of this movie will be lost. There are a multitude of references to that era that are presented with such subtlety that they are very easily missed. From the top-loading VCR to the mood ring to Tab soda can to the "I'm OK, you're OK"-speak of the robot shrink to the rainbow color distortion in the telecoms projection, the film is loaded with them. Clearly the production designer, costume designer, and set decorator did their research on the period. That aspect of the film was wonderful. The story line? Not so much.

I can't remember the last film I saw that frustrated me as much as SPACE STATION 76. I remember reading reviews when it hit the festival circuit and thinking how awesome it sounded. Then I was disappointed when it was finally released on home video and never found it's way into stores. I finally ordered it on Amazon (DVD because there was apparently no Blu-ray release) and…ugh…I want to like this movie more. It's not horrible. In fact, there's a lot of hilarious stuff in this movie. But the execution...the lack of any real main plot thread…it's aggravating. The premise is perfect: a science fiction film based on the imagined future of the 70's with a modern bent. Jessica Marlowe (Liv Tyler) is a new arrival on the station and finds that she's having trouble with her new crewmates. Captain Glenn (Patrick Wilson) is a closeted homosexual, an alcoholic, and a misogynist who resents Jessica's assignment under his command. Ted (Matt Bomer) and Misty (Marisa Coughlan) are unhappily married and have a daughter, Sunshine, who suffers more than anyone else aboard the station. Finally, there's Steve (Jerry O'Connell) and Donna (Kali Rocha); another picture perfect couple, Steve cheats on his wife while she remains home drinking wine and tending to their newborn child. SPACE STATION 76 is basically a comedy/soap opera that follows the lives of our deep space rejects as the tensions mount. The movie is apparently based on a stage play and I'm sort of curious to see it.

Rarely had I seen a movie with so much going on but very little actually happening. Of all the subplots bubbling around each other, the thread with Marlowe, Ted, and Misty could probably be considered the "main" plot since it gets the most attention. Jessica and Ted are also the only decent people in the whole movie. Literally everyone else in the movie is pretty unlikeable. Funny, but unlikeable. The crew of the station and their significant others are two-faced, fickle, and brimming with distaste for everyone around them. You really start to feel bad for the little girl trapped in the middle of it all. At no point do they come together to overcome some obstacle or achieve a goal; there is no growth of any sort in SPACE STATION 76. In the end, no one has learned any sort of lesson or changed in any sense. The big climax seems to be the realization that their squabbles are small and stupid in the grand scheme of things. It's all very unsatisfying, story-wise. Although, with some tweaking, this could have worked as a mini-series or potential full television series. Actually, that sounds pretty good. I'd watch that. But as a 90 minute film, it falls pretty far short. It's a bummer because I wanted to love this movie. Still, aside from the aimless nature of the plot, this movie works well in most every other sense. SPACE STATION 76 is obviously someone's passion project and it shows in the details.

The production design and the visual gags are where the movie shines. Casual audiences might not see the charm in the simplistic sets and retro costuming. Fans of cheesy 60's and 70's science fiction will love it. It's very much a classic design with a modern (miniscule) budget. The CG effects are limited and cheap, and they fit the vibe of the film just right. Most of the film's humor is derived from the setting and it works. A prime example: the station has a therapist on board, Mr. Bot. Mr. Bot looks like a cheap 80's children's' toy robot and he's programmed to latch on to key phrases, distributing advice…and Valium…to his patients. It's a fun recurring gag. Ted is missing a hand and has had it replaced with what reminds me of an old Nintendo power glove that he must physically plug into a wall to recharge. There's a great ongoing bit where one character's repeated attempts at suicide are foiled by the system's automated safety protocols. There's a lot of really good stuff in this movie and there were more than a few scenes that got a laugh from me. The problem is the dull ensemble melodrama it's all wrapped around. I hate to say it but I'm not sure there's enough to elicit a recommendation out of me. Fans of the genre it's satirizing will probably find enough to enjoy but, if you're like me, it'll leave you feeling unsatisfied. It's all sadly forgettable.

The idea of spoofing 70s sci-fi TV shows is great, even if it's been done before. (And better, as in "Galaxy Quest.") This has all the right trappings in terms of sets, costumes and soundtrack track choices, as well as a game-enough cast. But where is the script? There are a few half-baked comic ideas here, but few if any of them are developed beyond the level of the verrrrrry mildly amusing, at best. There's less than a SNL skit's worth of actual laughs here. Worse, the characters are mostly irritating, with ideas that are potentially funny (Wilson's Captain being a closet case) and those that really aren't (two sets of bad, oblivious parents) both simply repeating themselves without building toward any big payoff. In fact, what they build toward is a weirdly serious scene at a Christmas party where everyone reveals how much they hate each other, something that might actually be cathartic in a movie that WASN'T aiming to be a comedy. I just don't know what the filmmakers were thinking. It's very strange to go to all this trouble and expense to mount a sci-fi fantasy satire, and seemingly forget to include much in the way of actual humor. No, the humor wasn't too "subtle" for me--deadpan is one thing, but this was just flat and lacking wit. A pity.

I went into this not wanting to watch it - and was left a little perplexed by the dislike for this film; as was my other half. I think part of it could be cultural and us Brits having a different sense of humour to Americans/Canadians (which is where this film has thus far been released).

Frankly, I found this a lot more entertaining than comedies like 'Bad Neighbors', 'This is the End', 'Pineapple Express', 'Hangover'... or basically anything with Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill or Michael Cera - these sort of films generally seem to unimpress me and make the rare list of things I end up turning off. I'm not saying they are terrible films... I'm just saying that *I* think they are terrible utter rubbish 'movies' (or rather, polished turds) that should have never been made. Again; probably my different sense of humour, contrastive to a lot of reviewers here who have echoed similar thoughts about Space Station 76.

Now, Space Station 76 isn't paced to have you laughing at every second - and it is deliberately slow as a film; rather, it's a window into daily life in space coupled with awkward discourse and events amongst the small community on the ship. It's evident this is going to end up as more of a cult movie: it deserves to be.

The sets are wonderfully put together and create a consistent sense of galactic immersion, the acting is brilliant, the cast is filled with a lot of familiar faces from great films and the comedy delivers well. Yes, it might not all be inoffensive - but it's pretty brilliant.

This is a great movie the way it is. Things do get a little dry at either end of the film but it's forgivable.