THE PLOT THUS FAR
Welcome to a 1970s’ version of the future, where the pants are wide, the music is groovy, and the new frontier is interplanetary. When a new assistant captain (Liv Tyler) arrives on the Omega 76, tensions spark, and more than asteroids collide. This smart and quirky film-festival favorite stars Patrick Wilson, Jerry O’Connell and Matt Bomer. Take a journey on an out-of-this-world adventure.
WHAT WE THOUGHT
“Space Station 76″ has been getting dismissed as Ron Burgundy in Space. Everyone smokes and everyone else is pining after each other. Basically, it’s a 70s parody taking place in a setting not unlike Space: 1999. The little girl who can’t keep her pets alive is funny, but everything else feels like it’s been to death. Matt Bomer and Patrick Wilson work their asses off, it’s just that I can’t say that any of the material is that strong.
Science Fiction from before 1977 is an amazing thing. It’s a hard thing for people born after 1980 to imagine a world where Science Fiction was dominated by philosophy, social issues and pressing concerns. But, this film takes a look at that time when Science Fiction was just a spectacle excuse to tell stories about the future and our need to protect it. I paired this film up with “Silent Running” and I have to admit that it made for a hell of a double feature. The shared aesthetic and push for social issues in space provides comedy where you would never expect it. I don’t expect it everyone to love it, but the film deserves a chance.
The DVD comes with a featurette, outtakes and deleted scenes as the special features. The A/V Quality is sharp for standard definition. The transfer is smooth, but that wide 2.40:1 setup would’ve looked way better in HD. The Dolby 5.1 surround track is also supportive. In the end, I’d recommend a purchase to the curious.
RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW!
