Somewhere in Time was released in 1980 and directed by Jeannot Szwarc.  A captivating romantic drama that weaves together the themes of love, destiny, and the enigmatic nature of time. Set in the beautiful backdrop of Mackinac Island, and it’s Grand Hotel, the film was based on the novel, Bid Time Return, by Richard Matheson.

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The story begins in 1972 when young playwright, Richard Collier (played by Christopher Reeve), is handed a gift by an old woman at his college play’s after-party.  The Edwardian dressed woman, looks like someone out of a play herself, and taking his hand in hers, she says “Come back to me”, then turns and walks away. Richard is awestruck by the gold pocket-watch she had placed into his hand.  Years later, having achieved success and almost forgotten the incident, he vacations at the Grand Hotel and is completely infatuated with the photo of an actress Elise McKenna (portrayed by Jane Seymore) from 1912.

The infatuation becomes an obsession. He tracks down any and all information that he can find on the actress. Eventually seeing a photo that identifies the old woman with his pocket-watch as the same Edwardian actress.  He returns to the Grand Hotel, where Elise’s photograph had first captivated him. Here he finds out details about the past, that push him to embark on a temporal adventure. Already madly in love, Richard travels to the past, to meet Elise.  She in turn, must fall in love with him. Their connection transcends the boundaries of time, raising questions about the power of love to overcome temporal limitations, and reality itself.

In addition to its philosophical themes, this classic movie captivates audiences with its visual and auditory aesthetics. Meticulous attention to detail in costume and set design skillfully depicts the contrasting eras of the early 20th century and the late 1970s. John Barry’s enchanting musical score adds to the film’s ethereal atmosphere, evoking a sense of longing and nostalgia that complements the narrative. Beyond the time paradox, it also delves into the notion of time as a social construct. Richard’s journey prompts the audience to reflect on the subjective nature of time and how it is influenced by our perceptions and emotions. Through Richard’s deep longing for Elise, time becomes a malleable entity that transcends conventional understanding. The film encourages viewers to ponder whether time is an objective reality or merely a construct influenced by our collective beliefs and experiences.

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As the story reaches its climax, it embraces a bittersweet conclusion that blends heartache and transcendence. The film poses profound questions about the nature of love, the power of human connection, and the limits of our understanding of time. Through its captivating performances, mesmerizing visuals, and thought-provoking themes,  One of my all time favorite films, this time travel movie is not determined to change the past, but merely to experience it, and perhaps that is the secret to the fluidity of time.

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Directed by George Roy Hill, Slaughterhouse Five was based on a time-travel novel by the same name, written by Kurt Vonnegut. It was directed by George Roy Hill. Slaughterhouse Five tells the story of Billy Pilgrim, a WWII soldier who becomes “unstuck in time” and experiences moments from his past, present, and future, out of order. A classic of American literature, Slaughter House Five explores the human experience including themes of war and death.

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The non-linear storytelling, gives the viewer the same disjointed confusion that one would expect it’s hero to be experiencing as he leaps about in time. The film’s unconventional narrative structure, creates a unique and immersive viewing experience, as the audience goes through the same events from multiple perspectives. Michael Sacks in his portrayal of Billy Pilgrim, is another standout aspect of Slaughterhouse Five. Sacks perfectly captures the vulnerability and intensity of the role, making his character very relatable.

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Despite its many strengths, Slaughterhouse Five is not without its flaws. The easily offended might find it’s depiction of violence and bleak world view disturbing, but for those who have been through tough times, this can be understood as how life is for some. Others lacking focus, may find it’s slow pace and confusing narrative structure, challenging to follow. But if you can handle war movies or like time travel films, it is not one to miss.

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Despite these criticisms, Slaughterhouse Five is a powerful and unforgettable film. A classic of American literature, it is widely regarded as one of the defining films of the 1970s. Its impact on the film industry and its influence on subsequent generations of filmmakers cannot be overstated. Whether you’re a fan of war films, science fiction, or simply a good story, at least once in your lifetime, you should tune in and go along for the ride, that is Slaughterhouse Five.

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A science fiction war film about a modern nuclear-powered-aircraft carrier that travels through time to the day before the December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor. Produced by Peter Vincent Douglas and Lloyd Kaufman and directed by Don Taylor, the film contains an ensemble cast starring Kirk Douglas, Martin Sheen, James Farentino, Katharine Ross and Charles Durning.

The USS Nimitz, a nuclear powered carrier leaves Pearl Harbor in 1980 for the mid-Pacific to conduct naval exercises. Martin Sheen plays Warren Lasky a civilian systems analyst for the warship’s manufacturer, who is taken along on a mission for the government working as an expert in efficiency.

Flashing lights and electrical phenomena suddenly envelope the Nimitz and draw it into a vortex. All of the ship’s techincal equipment fails as her crew drops to the floor in pain when it makes contact with the vortex. When they can get back on their feet again, they are still in the mid Pacific, but they have no contact with the fleet command at Pearl Harbor. Kirk Douglas as Captain Yelland is convinced that the radio silence is due to a nucleaar attack on the USA. He launches reconnaissance aircraft RF-8 Crusaders who return with images of Hawaii from 1941, including a photo of Battleship row containing all the battleships ready to go.

The US Department of Defense and Navy worked with the film production, using the real vessel USS Nimitz (CVN-68) as the set. The background imagines and scenes are of actual operations aboard the vessel. The film Final Countdown was a relative success when first released.

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The time tunnel is a top secret project that allows Drs. Tony Newman and Doug Phillips to travel in time. However these first experiments don’t always go off exactly as planned and the educated explorers find themselves tumbling into situations that put their respective knowledge, ingenuity and courage to the test, as the link with the laboratory and present day is not always stable. The pair of American scientists, now swirl in a maze of ages up and down the time line. Randomly dropping into a new fantastic situation, these adventurers are monitored and aided whenever possible by their partner scientists who maintain and power the tunnel at its source.

Created by 20th Century Fox, the Time Tunnel aired on ABC for just a single season between 1966 and 1967. But American television being what it was in the 60s; they gave us 30 whole episodes to enjoy. Robert Colbert and James Darren star in this sci-fi time travel adventure series which was shot in full color. The series is set, realistically just two years ahead of it’s broadcast time, in 1968.

The time tunnel, so named because of the psychedelic hallway that results from a major government endeavor to build a time machine called project Tic-Toc. The experiment Tic-Toc is based in Arizona, in a massive hidden subterranean structure than extends 800 floors below the surface of the ground. The time travelers share a joint direction of top secret project with Lt. General Heywood played by Whit Bissell. Dr Anthony “Tony” Newman is played by James Darren and Dr. Douglas Phillips is played by Robert Colbert. Scientific specialists monitoring and assisting these daring heroes are John Zaremba as electronics expert Dr. Raymond Swain and the beautiful Lee Meriwether as Dr. Ann MacGregor who keeps tabs on the travelers bio signatures and monitors the relative stresses of force and heat that the travelers are exposed to by the tunnel. We are told that the complex in total employs over 12000 specialists that help maintain and securely run the facility.

The other 30 episodes

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Released in 1975 by TVOntario, Canada’s version of PBS, The Adventures of Timothy Pilgrim tells the story of a young orphan boy living on the streets that finds an old trunk that’s really a portal in time to the year 1775. In the past he befriends Zachariah Gibson, a traveling salesman who sells medicinal cure-all elixirs of dubious quality.

Zachariah feels that people don’t like him and that he cannot trust anyone. The two form an unlikely bond across time that teaches Zachariah the value of friendship. Heartwarming and morally educational that demonstrates that regardless of the era, we all need be loved by each other.

nb: This rare 1970s TV show appears to only be available in 480p SD resolution. It’s still very watchable and enjoyable!

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