Techtite's DVD Reviews!

"In one of the most amusing time-travel twists in history, Wells confesses his true identity to Amy, only to have to "prove" it by going with her via time machine, a few days into the future. They then catch a glimpse of the morning paper, only to read that the ripper's next victim is Amy! Can they change the future, in time?"

---from the review

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PG, or not PG? I'm at odds of whether the ratings board in 1979 was on hard drugs, or just very, very trusting of their future generation, to allow so many kids to see "PG" movies that were quite clearly worthy of an "R". It was bad enough for them to give such PG simplicity to the 1978 remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, or Logan's Run, or Sheena, both including a fair amount of nudity. However, given the violence of this film, such PG rated simplicity is too much! True, the camera "artistically" pans away when Jack the Ripper does his latest murderous act, and yet imaginations run too wild for PG audiences' tastes. One scene has Jack the Ripper "ripping" through a prostitute's mid section, while another has him slit a woman's throat with a scream. While these acts aren't shown as much as implied with sound effects --and fake blood by the bushel full-- his final kill leaves a crime scene --complete with disembodied arm-- that is way too intense to be shrugged off as "PG." Mind you, I love the film, as I would any R rated thriller. It's the rating's board calling this "PG" that irks me.  What was the MPAA thinking???

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Time After Time

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A Techtite Review

The Film : Of all the time travel movies ever made --and there have been a lot of them!-- few would say that Time After Time isn't one of their favorites. With a truly brilliant integration of sci-fi, romance, and gritty crime thrillers rolled into one, it would be hard for a time-travel film to top this one. 23 years later, few have even come close.

The story involves H.G. Wells himself (Malcolm MacDowell), who has a dinner party to unveil his latest project; a real time machine! This moment is interrupted by the police, who have traced the infamous Jack the Ripper to Wells' home...namely, one of Wells' distinguished guests (David Warner). As you'd expect, the serial killer uses the time machine to escape to 1979 (i.e., when this film was first released), and since Wells believes that he has released a madman into what he believes is a future "Utopia," he takes it upon himself to retrieve him.

The following movie is both at once a gritty crime drama, and an amusing "timeless" romance. Wells falls in love with a modern woman unlike any woman he's met before; a bank teller named Amy Robbins (Mary Steenburgen, who later married MacDowell, for a short time, in real life). In one of the most amusing time-travel twists in history, Wells confesses his true identity to Amy, only to have to "prove" it by going with her via time machine, a few days into the future. They then catch a glimpse of the morning paper, only to read that the ripper's next victim is Amy! Can they change the future, in time? It's among the best parts of this thriller, to see them do everything in their power, to do just that.

Of course, a movie is only as good as its cast. MacDowell might be better known as a villain in other films, though as renowned sci-fi author H.G. Wells, he is exceptional. Likewise for Steenburgen, who excellently portrays her modern, feminist character --and potential murder victim-- as someone to sympathize with as well as share a few laughs with (her way-too-modern conversation with a conservative H.G. during dinner, is among my choices for Top Ten Best "date talk" movie moments of all time!). Meanwhile, Warner portrays Jack the Ripper brilliantly, with conversations shared with H.G. that conveys both a confidence in the classic sci-fi author, yet arrogance in thinking nothing H.G. does can stop him. After all, what can Wells tell the police? The truth...?

If you were wondering who was responsible for such an ingenious plot; it's writer/director Nicholas Meyer. To many "Trekkies," he is responsible for two of the best Star Trek films ever offered: The Wrath of Khan (uncredited; he mainly directed it), and The Voyage Home. His additional writing career includes many popular films, though it's Fatal Attraction which non-Trekkies remember most strongly. In the case of Time After Time: Imagine a film with a stronger romance, yet just as much grit, and you have a small taste of this film's strengths. Any fan of good science fiction thrillers should give it a look...as should their friends, who like a good crime drama as well. It's truly one of the best such films I've seen.

---Techtite

The DVD :  Commentary is by Malcolm McDowell and of course, writer/director Nicholas Meyer. I was a bit miffed that Mary Steenburgen was not on hand, though while married to him for ten years soon after this film (they even had a son and a daughter together), scuttlebutt is that their separation was not too friendly. I doubt she'd be able to share an audio booth with a man about the film which began their ill-fated romance in real life. However, the McDowell/Meyer duo provides enough anecdotes and commentary for an acceptable contribution to this DVD.

However, aside from the obligatory theatrical trailer and some menu screen stuff (cast, etc.), that's about it. I suppose that's enough, though how about deleted scenes, or the like? I guess I should be thankful for the film being offered on DVD at all, though in the long run, maybe they could've given one or two added features on the DVD...again: maybe.

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