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Time After Time
Studio: Warner Brothers
Year: 1979
Rated: PG
Film Length: 112 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 16X9 Enhanced Widescreen (2.35:1)
H.G. Wells races through time
to catch Jack The Ripper
As I struggled through watching DreamWork's The
Time Machine, I couldn't help but think of
Time After Time, a time travel film done so
much better. Nicholas Meyer (Star Trek IV: The
Voyage Home) made his directorial debut on this
science fiction/thriller which still remains
one of his very best. Though it's amazing it has
taken Warner Brothers this long to release Time
After Time to DVD, the wait has certainly been
worth it. More on that in a moment.
As the film opens on the murky streets of 1893
London, a prostitute is approached by a rather
polite gentleman who introduces himself as John.
As the woman is led into a dark alley, we suddenly
realize that this "John" is actually Jack The
Ripper, as he brutally murders his victim.
Across town, H.G. Wells (Malcolm McDowell) has
invited his friends to his home to show off his
latest innovation -- the time machine. His
presentation is abruptly cut off when Scotland
Yard shows up at his door announcing that one of
the guests, Doctor John Leslie Stevenson (David
Warner) happens to be Jack the Ripper. Through the
commotion that follows, Stevenson manages to steal
the time machine and escape.
Feeling responsible for allowing a bloodthirsty
maniac to roam in future, Wells decides to go
after the Ripper. His travels bring him to
San Francisco in the year 1979 (which happens to
be the release year of the film), where Wells
discovers a strange new world that at first sight
looks like an utopian society.
Like a fish out of water, Wells makes some
hilarious discoveries in his new world as copes
with modern-day traffic patterns, television,
and fast food restaurants. You'll howl as he
walks into a McDonalds and orders a big Mac.
It doesn't take long for Wells to discover the
bad side of Utopia as he finds his quest for
Stevenson is failing.
Things suddenly change for him when he meets
Amy Robbins (Mary Steenburgen), a foreign currency
officer at the bank of London She's a smart,
assertive, liberated woman who immediately falls
for the Englishman's charming personality. The
two bond and eventually fall in love.
The rest of the film concentrates on Well's
pursuit of The Ripper through the modern-day
San Francisco as he attempts to prevent another
murder -- especially when Jack kidnaps his beloved
Amy.
How is the transfer?
I never expected the transfer of this film to
be as incredible as it is.
From the very first moments as the film opens,
you'll be amazed how smooth and film-like the
transfer looks. The smoky-filled sky of London
accented with brilliantly deep red credits that
never oversaturate, just look incredible....and
this is just the opening credits!
The rest of the transfer looks immaculate with
a sharp detailed picture, solid blacks, and no
visible film grain. Skin tones look remarkably
accurate -- so much so that you actually see pink
highlights in the facial tones. The city of
San Francisco never brighter or bolder, with its
deep green foliage and deep blue skyline. The
night scenes effectively bring out all the
brilliant colors of the city without adding any
film grain. This is truly one of Warner's best
looking catalog titles.
The Dolby Surround mix is adequate, though it
does have its limitations. The soundtrack has
a nice dynamic range with even distribution
amongst the front and rears. The rears do an
interesting job of highlighting the film's more
sinister chords of the soundtrack. The problem
is, the music is so strong in the rear channels
that it often overpowers the clarity of the film's
effects, most of which consists of the noise of
San Francisco streets.
Special Features
Time After Time has its flaws in added
supplements, saved by the fact that it sports a
full-length commentary by Malcolm McDowell
and Nicholas Meyer. Meyer talks about receiving
the script while attending the University of Ohio.
It was there he met a playwright who presented him
with a short novel that Meyer optioned into a
screenplay. Malcolm recalls hanging out with
his co-star David Warner during his early days at
Stratford, hanging on to Warner's popularity and
getting women in the process. It's interestingly
brought out that Mick Jagger was originally slated
for the Jack The Ripper part. During the initial
time machine journey, Meyer admits that while the
effects shots were pretty lackluster, none of it
matters thanks to the exceptional story line that
the audience gets caught up in.
What is lacking here is any original promotional
production material (if any exists) on the making
of the film, including 1979 interviews with the
cast or behind-the-scenes footage.
Instead, we get It's About Time, a wasted
essay on many of the time travel films and stories
over the past century. Some of the time travel films
mentioned are Planet Of The Apes, Superman and
Somewhere in Time. Nothing is really learned
through this essay, though it may give you some ideas
on time travel rentals you had not considered before.
Another wasted Cast and Crew page simply
lists the names of the principal actors and crew,
but does not offer any click-on filmographies for
anyone.
Finally, the film's original theatrical trailer
is included as well as trailers for the 1960 and
2002 versions of The Time Machine
Final Thoughts
Anyone seeking a time travel film with brains
should go no further than Time After Time.
Even after 20 years, this film still remains the
best of its kind, and thanks to one of the most
startling transfers one could expect, there isn't
a reason not to add this title to your collection.
Release Date: August 6, 2002
