I Watch Films: Lifepod

 

Lifepod (1981)

It’s 2191 and the space liner Arcturus is heading for Callisto. The computer Main Cerebral orders everyone to abandon ship. A few crew and passengers are left behind. Amongst them is a reporter and the major shareholder in the space line. As the oxygen is removed section by section they make their way to the biobridge where the captain is refusing to leave. After an argument with the captain who blames the computer, everyone except the captain (and a bird) leave in a lifepod.

On board the lifepod they disagree about where to go; Callisto too far, an abandoned mining camp too risky, back to the Arcturus unlikely to help. The Arcturus seems to be following them. They argue, the computer on board is on a ceiling track that goes from compartment to compartment. There’s some kind of mind control helmet that’s risky but they need to use it to navigate. The shareholder in the shipping line turns out to be the villain.

This is not a good science fiction film, though it could make a fine if forgettable episode of a TV show. The sets in the ship are dull, while those in the lifepod are okay, a spark of imagination in the computer robot on rails, and the long, thin, submarine-like shape. None of the characters stand out. The reporter has glasses camera, and the recording bit (which I think does the sound?) is visible on his chest so everyone knows he’s recording.

Watch This: Cheesy, talky space adventure
Don’t Watch This: Takes a long time for anything to happen, and it’s not that interesting