Best time machine movie

The Wolf · Sep 2, 2006

Butterfly Effect was quite good.
I like a good time travel story, especially when all the pieces fit together. I thought Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure was a clever story and entertaining movie.
Somewhere in Time is another classic time travel story. I have a question for the people that have seen it a few times: where does the watch originate?

Sincerely,
The Wolf

Quigley Brown · Sep 2, 2006

ClassicIsBetter said:
I thought Butterfly Effect was pretty good, despite Ashton Kutcher (who was actually not bad in the movie.) One of the more original movies to come out of Hollywood in quite some time.

I think it got its title from some sci-fi short story (titled differently) I read a long time ago where a company offered hunters a trip back in time to prehistoric days to shoot dinosaurs. They had to stay on designated paths and kill a dinosaur that was just about to die anyway as any slight change...ever so minor..may affect the future. Well, some guy stepped on a butterfly and when they returned to present day the world was totally different. Anyone else know of that story?

Kent Allard · Sep 2, 2006

Quigley Brown said:
I think it got its title from some sci-fi short story (titled differently) I read a long time ago where a company offered hunters a trip back in time to prehistoric days to shoot dinosaurs. They had to stay on designated paths and kill a dinosaur that was just about to die anyway as any slight change...ever so minor..may affect the future. Well, some guy stepped on a butterfly and when they returned to present day the world was totally different. Anyone else know of that story?

That would be the classic "A Sound of Thunder" by Ray Bradbury. Read the story, avoid the movie at all costs.

I'll chime in for Time After Time along with the rest of the crowd. That was the first time I saw Malcolm McDowell as a hero and I was really impressed. I'm also a big David Warner fan so that was a plus for this one too.

Somebody else mentioned Primer which is also really good. Be warned though, you'll need to watch this one several times to figure out what exactly happened. There's an entire message board dedicated to figuring out what happened in that movie.

ClassicIsBetter · Sep 2, 2006

Kent Allard said:
Somebody else mentioned Primer which is also really good. Be warned though, you'll need to watch this one several times to figure out what exactly happened. There's an entire message board dedicated to figuring out what happened in that movie.

I only saw it one time, hence my confusion. It's a good confusion though. It's definitely not a movie for those seeking mindless entertainment or typical Hollywood movies. I'm still trying to find out where the actual ending and beginning are. Good thing the movie is only an hour, for repeat viewing. Even though it's a little known movie, it is available through Netflix for those wanting to check it out.

ClassicIsBetter · Sep 2, 2006

Quigley Brown said:
I think it got its title from some sci-fi short story (titled differently) I read a long time ago where a company offered hunters a trip back in time to prehistoric days to shoot dinosaurs. They had to stay on designated paths and kill a dinosaur that was just about to die anyway as any slight change...ever so minor..may affect the future. Well, some guy stepped on a butterfly and when they returned to present day the world was totally different. Anyone else know of that story?

Wasn't it called The Chaos Theory or something like that? Your description sounds familiar. I remember reading through the reviews on Amazon, someone mentioned it was based on a short story called "The Chaos Effect" written the 50's or something, by a weatherman. I have no idea what truth there is in that.

EDIT: Missed the post about "Sound of Thunder." Sorry, I just woke up and must've missed that post!

Feraud · Sep 2, 2006

Kent Allard said:
Somebody else mentioned Primer which is also really good. Be warned though, you'll need to watch this one several times to figure out what exactly happened. There's an entire message board dedicated to figuring out what happened in that movie.

Primer is an excellent time travel movie. But certainly not for those who want to sit back and not think! A second viewing is recommended.

Ken · Sep 3, 2006

I vote for 'Donnie Darko' and 'The Terminator'. 2 quite different films, but both Time Travel and both quite brilliant in their own way.

To be honest though I always find myself getting frustrated with time travel in movies as you nearly always workout paradoxes which are a nature of the subject really.

Ken

John in Covina · Sep 3, 2006

Butteryfly

There is a SIMPSONS Halloween Episode that is a take off of this that is one of their funniest ever.

Quigley Brown said:
I think it got its title from some sci-fi short story (titled differently) I read a long time ago where a company offered hunters a trip back in time to prehistoric days to shoot dinosaurs. They had to stay on designated paths and kill a dinosaur that was just about to die anyway as any slight change...ever so minor..may affect the future. Well, some guy stepped on a butterfly and when they returned to present day the world was totally different. Anyone else know of that story?

MrBern · Sep 5, 2006

The original 60's Planet of the Apes and its sequels, tho not th recent incarnation.

Feraud · Sep 5, 2006

MrBern said:
The original 60's Planet of the Apes and its sequels, tho not th recent incarnation.

ooooh, those are good ones.

MrBern · Sep 5, 2006

Feraud said:
ooooh, those are good ones.

In many ways, a better bunch of sequels than th starwars or trek films.

Incidentally, since some people are mentioning the twilighte zone eps,
I've alwasy loved The Odyssey of Flight 33. I just love when they look down over manhattan and see dinosaurs. And in true TZ fashion, we're never quite sure of the outcome.

There were lots of cool TZ eps w/ time travel. Like when Cliff Robertson plays a 19th century wagontrainer heading to Cali, goes over a ridge & ends up at a diner where he gets some medicine for his kids.

Or when BusterKeaton uses a 19th century invention to jump to th 1960's, then anothr scientist helps him get back, and neither likes the other's time period. And all the 19th century stuff is done as a silent film.

Or the Natl Guard tankcrew who find themselves best upon by indians & realize they are upon the Battle of Little Bighorn.

Feraud · Sep 5, 2006

MrBern said:
Or the Natl Guard tankcrew who find themselves best upon by indians & realize they are upon the Battle of Little Bighorn.

That is a great episode!!
The Twilight Zone showed too much creativity for one television program.

tallyho · Sep 5, 2006

Since we are on a Twilgiht Zone love fest, I will throw in a couple more. There was one that had a fresh second lieut. show up at the very end of the war and takes charge of a beat up old squad that just wants to by pass a cave filled with japanese soldiers. He wants to asault it saying "first day of the war, last day of the war, they are the enemy and must be wiped out". He ends up going back in time, becomes Japanese and is now with a just as cold Japanese officer who wants to assault a cave filled with American holdouts on Bataan. The Japanese officer uses the same line as him to justify attacking the Americans.

Another episode involved a WW1 pilot showing up at a modern day Air Force base. A very intersting episode about courage and duty.

It certainly seems like a lot of TZ episodes revolved around time travel.

McPeppers · Sep 5, 2006

I have to agree with Star Trek IV being it...

As awesom as BTTF was...

How can you beat the computer scene with Scotty? You just cant.

happyfilmluvguy · Sep 10, 2006

this isn't a movie, but I always used to watch Quantum Leap after school when I was in Junior High. It's a television show, but an interesting one. The main character basically leaps through different parts of time to fix problems in an individual's past. Each episode began when he would look in the mirror, and see the individual he leaped into, while the real individual switched places with him in his time. It's a pretty good show, I think.

Twitch · Sep 10, 2006

Upon revisiting this thread I have to add that as far as the movies about time travel I'd have to say that the original Time Machine with Rod Taylor for 1960 was an influence on me as it instilled the concept that there are a wealth of possibilities out there.

penfencer · Sep 14, 2006

The best time travel film hasn't been made yet. Jack Finney's Time and Again is my all time favorite time travel novel. It was never made into a film. The story takes place in turn-of-the-century New York City. It would make a great movie.

The Wolf · Sep 14, 2006

I agree

That was a great book. It was considered unfilmable at one point. Now, anything is possible.

Sincerely,
The Wolf

Feraud · Sep 14, 2006

penfencer said:
The best time travel film hasn't been made yet. Jack Finney's Time and Again is my all time favorite time travel novel. It was never made into a film. The story takes place in turn-of-the-century New York City. It would make a great movie.

That was a good read. Many years ago I read Robert Redford purchased the rights with the intention of making a film. I wonder if this will ever be made.

Doctor Strange · Sep 14, 2006

There are lots of great time-travel *books* that could be made into smashing films or miniseries. Isaac Asimov's "The End of Eternity" is one of my favorites.

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