rotten eggs

The Time Machine {1960}

The original and widely cosidered the best adaption of ' H G Wells ' short story. Although the film does not stay true to ' Wells's ' story this is nevertheless a very entertaining and well made film with some very nice special effects, which in there day were quite innovative and unlike todays CGI ( Computer Animated Images ) do not have that horribly digitized and lifeless look . The painstaking stop motion photography being used here to great effect. Rod Taylor plays the part of our time traveller. Opening with a wonderfull section, which by the way is the only part that stays true to the story. Returning from the distant future back to his mid victorian house he tells his friends , who have been waiting impatiently for him , of his fantastic journeys into the future, much to their almost total disbelief .Even though days earlier he demonstrated a working scaled down model of the time machine which upon being activated by one of his friends, dissapeared before there very eyes and was instantly sent into the future......which rather obviously they thought was a mere conjurers trick or something. The only remnant he brings back from the future is a flower which he gives to his friend 'Filby' . 'I bet you won't find that species anywhere' , he says , offering some small proof of his story. Travelling in time through three world wars , the third one inexplicably in 1966 , the time traveller moves on to the year 802701. Here he meets the ' Eloi ' . A gentle peacefull people who rather oddly still remember the wars some 326 years earlier. He saves ' Weena ' from drowning upon his arrival and forms a very close relationship with her. Astonished at the ' Eloi's ' lack of compassion to there fellow man and almost complete unfruitfull existence, he soon discovers the ' Moorlocks '. A subhuman race with glowing eyes , green skin and a mop of white hair who live underground beneath a giant sphinx like structure who cannot bear the sight of bright light. This is the darker side of man turned cannibal who feed on the Eloi . Stealing his time machine and 'Weena' from him our hero finally confronts the 'Moorlocks ' in there underground chambers. Setting everything ablaze and freeing ' Weena ' and her people , he escapes there clutches only to find himself seperated behind the large iron door of the Sphinx. At this point which he returns to his home and friends to tell them his tale. I won't give the end away here! In ' Wells's ' story the time traveller travels to the very distant future and witnesses some very strange creatures , giant cockroaches and strange landscapes. He also travels to the past.......all this though is missing in this adaptation as are other sections. But it's still a most entertaining film though as i say and far far superior to the recent remake. Of particular note are the special FX especially when moving forward in time in his laboratory. We see a mannequin in a shop window change her style of clothes over the passing years as fashions come and go. A candle burn down and flowers open in seconds and the sun and moon race dizzyingly across the night sky with the passing of time. Also the time machine itself which is a wonderfully realized piece of victoriana , very plushly and intricately designed. Very high quality widescreen DVD transfer here. Beautifully detailed colors and photography. The extras one gets are nice too. A 48 minute documentary entitled ' The Journey Back ' is absolutely fascinating which tells of the story behind the actual ' Time Machine ' prop which was used in the film. How it was created and ended up in an ' Acme ' store with several parts missing until it was spotted and eventually lovingly restored to it's former glory . Hosted by ' Rod Taylor ' this is an excellent extra and we even get a little dramatic episode where he meets up with his old friend 'Filby'. It also has some very interesting information on the special effects by Gene Warren and Paul Barr .Other usual extras are story boards and a trailer . Definitely worth buying this DVD if your a fan of this film........even if your not! Thoroughly recommended!

CRYSTAL EGG