Time After Time (A)

STARS...
Malcolm McDowell, David Warner, Mary Steenburgen, Joseph Maher, Patti D'Arbanville, Charles Cioffi

PLOT SUMMARY...
When Jack the Ripper, in 1890's London, steals H.G. Wells operational time machine, young H.G. pursues him through time,
to 1979, San Francisco.

QUICK SCAN....
This film could be compared to "The Time Machine". TIME AFTER TIME features romance, action, and great use of the San
Francisco locations. Malcom McDowell and Mary Steenburgen have great chemistry, as the lovers from different times. David
Warner is very spooky as Jack the Ripper. A highlight is McDowell's first trip to a fast food restaurant.
SYNOPSIS...
Following another grisly murder in 1890, London, Jack the Ripper uses H.G. Wells time machine to escape. When the machine
automatically returns to the past, Wells takes it to 1979, San Francisco, in pursuit of the evil Jack.

In modern day San Francisco, Wells has fun encountering the modern world. He also meets and falls in love with a pretty bank
teller, a very modern woman. In the meantime, Jack is killing women in the city by the bay.
In a showdown between Jack and Wells, Jack escapes in the time machine, but Wells removes the key, sending a screaming
Jack through time and space, without benefit of the time machine. The bank teller decides to travel back in time to 1890,
London, with Wells.

DIRECTOR: Nicholas Meyer
YEAR & RATING: 1979 (PG)

Review:

WAR OF THE WORLDS, Directed by Byron Haskin, is a true classic of 50's Sci-Fi that has held up surprisingly well over
the years.

Gene Barry ("Burke's Law") is a scientist on a finishing trip near a small California town. When strange meteors fall in a field
nearby, Barry is called in to investigate. In the process of doing that, he meets a beautiful young Library Science teacher from
U.S.C., Ann Robinson ("Dragnet" circa 1954), and her uncle, a pastor. Using a geiger counter, Barry determines that the
meteor is "hot". Before he can investigate further, Barry is invited to the local square dance. Barry, perhaps to prove he's just
folks (or maybe to get closer to the attractive Robinson) complies.

Later in the evening, three locals approach the meteor. The top to the "meteor" screws of and a long necked, snake-like object
pokes out. The three decide to make contact with the E.T. and become famous. One of the guys ponders, "What are we going
to say to them?" Another replies, "Welcome to California." Waving a white flag, the three approach the object. The snake-like
object pulsates and zaps them out of existence. The FX in this sequence, by Producer George Pal, Director Haskin, and
Director of Photography G. Barnes, are top drawer.

At this time, the power shorts out at the square dance. And speaking of short, Barry's tie in this scene is extremely short,
reaching only halfway down his shirt front. I guess that was cool in the 50's. Anywho, the watches of everybody at the dance
have stopped. This is a fun and different way to show that weird stuff is going on.

When the police go to investigate a fire in the vicinity of the meteor, the ashes of the three dead guys are found. Then the alien
snake appears and zaps a cop car to kingdom come. Once again, the quality of the FX here is quite good.

Soon, more meteors (alien ships) land in the area. Barry, no dummy, tells the sheriff to contact the military. In short order, the
military shows up, as well as other scientists. We also learn that alien ships have landed in other countries. Naturally, the media
shows up too. When Barry is asked by the press to tell them about the Martians, he replies, "They may be able to smell
colors," I'm not sure exactly what this means, but, courtesy of Screenwriter Barre Lyndon, the viewer is given a fresh and
thought provoking concept to mull over, the hallmark of good Sci-Fi.

Subsequent battle scenes, between the military and three pleisiosaur (aquatic dinosaur) shaped floating alien craft, protected by
bell jar-like transparent force fields, are excellent. These are the best man versus alien invader scenes filmed, not having been
surpassed by later Sci-Fi films.

Let's talk acting. Gene Barry, who had mostly stage experience up to this point, gives an intense, overly emphatic performance.
Little is seen of the smooth sophisticate he was later to portray on his TV series, "Bat Masterson", "Burke's Law", and "Name
of the Game". Well, there's nothing wrong with growing and improving as an actor, and this film shows that Barry has done
plenty of that!

Ann Robinson, as the Library Science teacher fulfills the standard requirements of the 50's Sci-Fi female co-star: brunette,
beautiful, and less competent than her male co-star. Robinson doesn't really seem credible as a teacher of college level classes.
I guess producer George Pal believed his scientist needed a love interest of basically equal social standing. I guess it's another
50's thing.

My favorite scene is when the aliens, having invaded Los Angeles, blow up L.A.'s landmark City Hall. The fact that I worked in
that building, for eight unpleasant months some years back, may have something to do with my enjoyment of the scene.

The Music, by Leith Stevens, varying between spooky and religious, is a bit overdone, having aged less well than the rest of the
movie. By 50's standards, however, it was right on, and can be appreciated on that level by a simple twist of the mind. Besides,
forty years from now, film critics may be saying the same thing of a Music Composer like John Williams!

WAR OF THE WORLDS should be highly watchable for most Sci-Fi fans, whether or not they've read H.G. Wells' classic
source novel, or heard Orson Welles' famous radio adaptation. Anyone who doesn't like this film is a dirty Martian! Smelled
any colors lately?

TARS...
Rod Taylor, Yvette Mimieux, Alan Young, Sebastian Cabot, Tom Helmore, Whit Bissell

PLOT SUMMARY...
When a Victorian scientist invents a time machine, he travels into the far, far future where he encounters a strange, bizarrely
fragmented society.

QUICK SCAN...
This film could be compared to "Time After Time". THE TIME MACHINE features romance, action, and FX. Rod Taylor,
("Hotel"), is dynamic in the title role of the time traveler. The Academy Award winning, Special Photographic Effects are a
treat. A film highlight is a torch battle between Taylor and the Morlocks, in their underground world.
SYNOPSIS...
In 1900 England, a disheveled George Wells finally shows up for the dinner party he threw for friends at his home. He claims to
have spent the last five days as a traveler in time. In flashback, we see George visit 1917, 1940, and 1966, encountering a
World War in progress, EACH time he stops.
Eventually George arrives in 802, 701 A.D., where society has devolved into two groups: the naive Eloi, and their slave
masters, the underground dwelling Morlocks. George falls for a cute girl, named Weena. George leads the Eloi in a successful
revolt against the Morlocks, then returns to the present.

As his mostly disbelieving guests leave, George says a final farewell to his best friend Philby. With that, he hops in his time
machine and zips back to the far future, to be with Weena, and to help the Eloi build a new civilization.
Eventually George arrives in 802, 701 A.D., where society has devolved into two groups: the naive Eloi, and their slave
masters, the underground dwelling Morlocks. George falls for a cute girl, named Weena. George leads the Eloi in a successful
revolt against the Morlocks, then returns to the present.
As his mostly disbelieving guests leave, George says a final farewell to his best friend Philby. With that, he hops in his time
machine and zips back to the far future, to be with Weena, and to help the Eloi build a new civilization.

                   http://www.sciencefiction.com/t22htm
                   http://www.sciencefiction.com/t23htm
                   http://www.sciencefiction.com/f4.html

IMDb title search

[time: 667] [machine: 87]

The following titles matched the time machine
(Years searched: 1890 to 2005)

     5 x movies
     1 x tv-movies
     1 x tv series

Movies

   1.Time Machine, The (1960)
   2.Time Machine (1992)
   3.Time Machine (1997/I)
   4.Exotic Time Machine, The (1997)
   5.Two-Wheeled Time Machine, The (1997)

TV-Movies

1.Time Machine, The (1978) (TV)

TV series

"Time Machine" (1985) TV series

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© a.r.e.a./Dr.Vicente Forés López
Universitat de València Press
Creada: 22/02/2000 Última Actualización: 07/03/2000