There’s nothing like the future of the past. The Space Station 76 depicts a futuristic space station as if it were made in the 1970s. The oddly alluring drama-comedy is less concerned with the sci-fi aspects of its premise than the quirky characters:

• One woman spends her days socializing with a valium-prescribing psychiatrist robot.
• The captain, played by Patrick Wilson, is a mustache-wearing, cigarette-smoking curmudgeon who hates his life.
• Another man, with a hand that looks like Nintendo’s Power Glove (it may actually be a Power Glove), longs for a more exciting life, or at least for Liv Tyler.
• Jerry O’Connell.

I’ve already used the word “quirky” once and I’ll use it again before this review is done; no word describes Space Station 76 better. Director Jack Plotnick has created a ridiculously fun environment for his strange cast of characters to interact, and while most moviegoers will never see nor even hear of this movie, what he has assembled is totally worth it.

The movie rests largely on the screenplay and the actors who bring it to life, though the intentionally cheap, original “Star Trek”-esque set design is a character on its own. Patrick Wilson is fantastic and perfectly cast as Captain Glenn; Marisa Coughlan, who plays the valium-loving Misty, totally owns her role. Liv Tyler and the rest of the cast play well off one another.

Space Station 76 isn’t for everyone. It’s quirky, and despite its premise it’s not a spoof of the genre. In other words, it’s no Galaxy Quest. But thanks to its 1970s vibe and rich character development, Space Station 76 is worth the journey.

Review by Erik Samdahl.