Customer Reviews

The Time Machine

5 star:		(189)
4 star:		(53)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

This review refers to the Warner Bros. DVD edition of "The Time Machine"(1960)......

I am so impressed with how this 43 year old classic Sci-Fi film looks and sounds on the DVD, that I am going to start with that this time. I wasn't expecting it to look as great as it did because the editorial review here gives it 3 out of 5 stars on both the picture and the sound. If you are a big fan of this film, or thinking of buying it as a gift for someone who is, you will not be disappointed with this transfer. The picture is presented in the original widescreen format,so you won't miss a bit of the action. To watch it you would think you went back in the time machine to 1960 and were viewing it for the first time. It is clear and sharp with vibrant color.The soundtrack is remastered in Dolby Dig 5.1 and is a welcome enhancement.The DVD also includes a terrific Behind The Scenes documentary called "Time Machine...The Journey Back". The film's star Rod Taylor hosts and fans will love this informative feature. You'll get a good look at how the actual machine was made and the journey that it has taken in the last 40 years as well as other interesting tid bits. This feature has it's own scene selections to choose from or you can just watch it straight through. The film may be viewed in French and has subtitles in English and French.(my only teeny complaint would be that the black bar area is not used for these subtitles, they are at the bottom of the film).

The story based on the novel by H.G. Wells is as captivating today as it ever was. You know the tale.....
George(Rod Taylor)has all the time in the world. He tells his friends an incredible story of his adventures traveling through the ages in a time machine that he has built. As his story begins, he starts out slowly traveling through the 20th century. He doesn't like what he sees. War and destruction seem to be the fate of civilaztion.He pushes foward, quickly, and the years fly by. Finally stopping in the year 802701,he comes across what seems to be a paradise on earth. Clean air,fruit growing in abundance, and a society of young beautiful people, the Eloi, who don't seem to have a care in the world. But even in this Utopian like civilazation there's trouble amiss.The Morlocks are running things from underground and they are just as scary today as they ever were.So it's up to our guy George to save this future civilazation from the evil Morlocks,and try to get back home to the year 1900 for an 8pm dinner appointment..whew,what a great story!

Directed brillantly by George Pal("7 Faces of Dr. Lao"/"Atlantis the Lost Continent"), the film also boasts the great talents of Alan Young, Sebastian Cabot, and the lovely Yvette Mimieux, as "Weena", who adds a little romantic interest to the story. The film was awarded a well deserved Oscar for it's special effects(also discussed in the featurette) for Gene Warren and Tim Barr.The movie is rated G, although the scenes with the Morlocks might be a little scary for very young children.

A great story, fabulous film and an outstanding DVD. So go back in time, with your old friend "The Time Machine"..enjoy...Laurie

I wonder how many minds were blown back in the day when George Pal's The Time Machine (1960) was released? I'm not so much speaking of the special effects (which were, and still are amazing), but more so the concepts presented within the film, with regards to traveling in the fourth dimension i.e. moving back and forth through time all while occupying the same space throughout...I know, I know, the ideas had been around for some time as author H.G. Wells had created the work the film was based on way back around the turn of the 20th century, but surely the film reached a large audience, quite a few probably never having read his novel. Produced and directed by George Pal (When Worlds Collide, The War of the Worlds), a pioneer in fantasy and sci-fi cinema, the film stars Rod Taylor (World Without End, The Birds), in what is probably his best-known role as George, a scientist with a hankering to break on through to the other side. Also appearing is Alan Young, whom many may recognize as the voice for Disney's Scrooge McDuck (he also was the only actor from the original film to appear in the recent 2002 remake starring Guy Pearce), Yvette Mimieux (Where the Boys Are, The Black Hole), Tom Helmore (Vertigo), Whit Bissell (Airport, Soylent Green), and Sebastian Cabot (Kismet), whom many may remember as the rotund Mr. French from the late 60's television show `Family Affair'.

The story begins in Victorian England with the arrival of a group of distinguished looking gentlemen to the home of their colleague George, played Rod Taylor. Thing is, George invited them for dinner, but has yet to appear himself, that is until he busts through the door, disheveled and unkempt, with what may be the most fantastic tale any one has ever heard, which takes us back five days prior as George, who's an inventor by the way, is having the same group over to reveal his latest invention, a machine that would allow for one to travel backwards and forwards through time. It's all theoretical as the device has yet to be tested, and George is met with skepticism by all except for one, his friend Filby (Young). Anyway, after the guests leave, George decides it's time to put his machine to the test, and what do you know? It Works! One should know the impetus for George's desire to travel forward in time is based on his dissatisfaction with the current state of human development, specifically out penchant for fighting with each other, and he desires to see a world without conflict, among other things. As he goes forward he stops a few times but that which he wishes to avoid continually presents itself, eventually driving him into the year 800,000 where the world has become an Eden-like paradise populated by people called the Eloi. There is no need to work, no laws, no gooberment, just a carefree lifestyle...with a hideous underbelly in the form of a group called the Morlocks, grotesque underground dwellers who are, well, what they are and share a chilling relationship with the Eloi...

I found this film to be great fun, and one of the best science fictions films I've seen in a long time. As far as its faithfulness to the source material, I couldn't really tell you, but I did get the feel that there was a lot of respect involved towards Wells' vision, especially given the film focused a great deal on the moral aspects and implications of who we are and how they may affect future generations. This, along with superior special effects (which earned the film an Academy Award for 1960) really helped sell the film overall. Some of the effects may seem quaint by today's standards, but back in the day this had to have been cutting edge stuff. The passage of time indicated by all the meticulous stop motion work, among other things, looks amazing. I also really liked the whole `Victorian' feel of the time machine itself, a sense that it was truly created within the time period specified. I thought Taylor did very well presenting a man driven by his desire to find the best in humanity, only to discover the more things change, the more they tend to stay the same. It felt like there was real growth from within the character, growth that stemmed from experiencing so much in so little time. I especially liked the character of Alan Young as Filby as to me he represented sort of the general populous of society, those who live their lives day to day, living within their world, content to make things better through small steps than great strides. I can't remember the specific dialog, but there was a scene that illustrated this well in where Filby tries to convince George to destroy his machine and makes a remark with regards to how we have to live within our time and make the best of it that we can...

Warner Brothers provides an excellent wide screen (1.66:1) transfer on this DVD. The colors are sharp and vibrant, and the picture quality nearly flawless. The audio, available in both English (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 2.0), comes through clean and clear. There are some special features, including a theatrical trailer and cast and crew bios. Also included is a 47 minute documentary that looks like it was made for television broadcast as there's obvious stopping points for the inclusion of commercials. The piece, titled The Time Machine: The Journey Back, is hosted by the star of the original film Rod Taylor (looking much older), and offers a lot of details about the film, but the main focus seems to be on the machine itself, how it was developed, created, and its long and curious history after production on the original film ceased. This takes up most of the 47 minute running time, with what is left used to create a sort of reunion tale as some of the original actors resume their character roles for a short bit. I found this extra to be really interesting, and it helped me to appreciate the film even more, but I did feel it got a little schmaltzy (even creepy) at times, especially when Taylor would look up in the air and speak like he was talking to producer and director George Pal, who passed away in 1980, and I think this featurette was shot in 1993.

Cookieman108

Oh, in case you're interested, there is no formal seating in the future, only throw pillows, so if you ever get a chance to travel forward in time, BYOC (bring your own chair)...

Like most people, I had only seen this classic science fiction movie on television. That never detracted from the story, which is one of the best that Wells wrote, but it didn't prepare me for how great this movie looks and sounds. The DVD provides brilliant color and a generally sharp picture with only a little, infrequent softness that I suspect is from the original film. I was surprised at how clean the transfer is. I did not see any scratches, dust or other defects. The movie is presented in its original, widescreen aspect ratio. The sound is also excellent. It has been remastered in Dolby Digital 5.1 and it is an excellent job for a movie that is forty years old. As you would expect from such an old sound track, most of the action is in the center and front channels, but it uses the rear channels (especially noticable in key scenes, as when Rod Taylor is making echoes in the ruined dome building) and the subwoofer kicked in a few times, also. The disc provides more extras than you would expect from a Warner release of an old movie. It includes a trailer, filmographies for the three lead actors and George Pal, and a very good behind-the-scenes documentary. The documentary was produced by Bob Burns 32 years after the making of the movie and focuses on the important part the time machine prop played in the making of the movie and it's history since, with an interesting account of how Burns found and then restored the original prop. The documentary also features a scene in which Rod Taylor and Alan Young recreate their characters from the movie, acting out a scene that might have appeared in the movie but did not. The scene uses the restored time machine prop to good effect and it was rather touching to see these much older actors slip so comfortably into their roles. You could tell that this movie had been one of the high points of their careers and they remembered it fondly. Likewise, Whit Bissel recreates his character in a short monologue full of a sense of nostalgia. This old documentary was much more informative and interesting than a lot of the publicity puff pieces included on more recent films as extras. I highly recommend this DVD. It delivers far more than I ever expected and does this classic movie justice.

The film version succeeds in retaining much of the charm of the short story. The open scene of a dinner amongst friends in a civilized English gentleman's house is very well done and the time travelling special effects were remarkable for the time. Wells wrote the book in 1895 - and by keeping the setting at that date (and not updating to the decade of films release - 1960s) we can enjoy seeing the reaction of the traveller to events that we know very well - such as the First and Second World War - and the nuclear age. Thus helping to ensure that the fantastic events that are to come are quite believable.

The film strays a little in the characterisation of Weena (a member of the Eloi people and the travellor's love interest) - but the carnivorous Morlocks are still quite scary and have even been known to frighten a few of todays kids, who have seen most things at the movies.

A 5 star movie for those who enjoy classic science fiction. Ranks alongside 'Forbidden Planet', and 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers' for its ability to provoke thought as well as to entertain.

It's finally coming! Even with all the glitz and glam of today's sci-fi movies, some still stand the test of... TIME. Such is the case with The Time Machine! True there are a few things about the movie that date it, but it will forever remain as one of the best sc-fi stories we've ever known. That credit goes to H.G. Wells as much as to George Pal, for presenting this tale to us on the screen as well as on the written page. The Time Machine is certainly a worthy entry into the realm of DVD technology. It's a colorful romp through the eons on a fabulous Machine that, viewing on DVD, would be a virtual treat to the eyes and ears. Not to mention the nifty extras that come with it, like a sort of 'Behind the Scenes' look at the movie in a documentary "Time Machine: The Journey Back". And to me, it's always a little added treat to view the original theatrical trailers, especially as crisp and clean as the DVD technology allows. If you're a fan of Pal's wonderful films, a great companion DVD would be Arnold Leibovit's "The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal", which is also now available on DVD. This documentary not only covers The Time Machine, but all of Pal's other marvelous works, including "War of the Worlds", "The Seven Faces of Dr. Lao", "Conquest of Space", "Destination Moon", and many, many more. If you had a copy of this documentary on tape, then you're going to want to own it on DVD too! Why? Because Arnold has included almost two hours of extras on the DVD! It's almost like having a whole extra documentary all about George Pal! "The Time Machine" and "The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal" go together like bread and butter, in my opinion. My hat's off to the DVD transfer of Time Machine, as well as to Arnold Leibovit, for the DVD transfer of Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal and all the extras he's added!

I know it's dated, but that doesn't keep it from being a decent and entertaining film. George Pal's version closely follows H.G. Well's book written in in 1895, except for a few changes. In the movie, the Eloi are normal sized people with blonde hair that can speak, instead of being much smaller and mute. The Morlocks resemble Troll dolls with light bulb eyes that make them seem less sinister than the book does. Weena, the female Eloi that almost drowned, is captured and eaten in the book, but Pal kept her alive so there was a reason for Rod Taylor to return to this time in the future.

As gorgeous as the new time machine is, its hard to imagine it can ever top the beauty of the original. Watching the film again today the elegance and detail in the design astonish me. The machine is unforgetable but its the intelligently crafted story and character filled casting in this version that can still fill young hearts with wonder at the possibilities of time travel. Its amazing how the initial half of the film seems as contemporary a tale as when it was first invented. It is only in the land of the far distant future that the film turns into a traditional pulp heroic adventure. But the evil underground dwellers, the morlocks with their blue skin, white hair and glowing eyes remain quite scary and create wonderful tension and excitement. This is a really fun adventure film that warrants its classic status because it can still be apreciated today.

Accompanying the film is a sentimental featurette documenting the finding of the original time machine in a thrift shop and its loving restoration. The film is hosted by the original star Rod Taylor who reprises his role with his co-star Alan Young (Wilbur Post on Mr. Ed) at the end of the feature performing a ten minute skit that imagines a scenario where H.George Wells returns in his time machine to convince his friend to time travel with him to prevent his death in a soon to happen WWI plane crash. The affection for this film for everyone connected with it is palpable as they wistfully delight in telling stories of the experience. Oddly enough one of the big reasons I purchased this DVD at this time was the cover art was so beautiful I had to have it. Click on the Amazon.com icon for this film to see a larger version. It must be one of the best movie posters ever made. Good companion pieces to this film are Fantastic Journey and Journey to the Center of the Earth.

George Pal's The Time Machine is one of his classic science fiction films and was given a Hugo for dramatic presentation. When released in 1960, it allowed us to see how technology could or would change our lives. In this telling of H.G. Wells' reknowned tale, Pal has made the Eloi older (they were adolescents in the book) and thrown in some 20th century history. The conflicts between the Eloi and the Morlocks are still here, as is the basic storyline. Pal's difficulties in getting a proper budget show up occasionally, but the overall result is an entertaining and thoughtful film. What most reviewers comment on are the film's look at the future, the love story, or the Oscar-winning special effects. What is often overlooked is the film's score by Russell Garcia (The Glenn Miller Story, Touch of Evil) which is a simple but effective and moving composition. Also overlooked is the story's portrayl of enduring friendship and the things we lose with the passage of time. The friendship that George - The Time Traveler (Rod Taylor) shares with his neighbor and friend David Filby (Alan Young) are compassionately developed through the story. As George moves thru time he learns of Filby's passing from Filby's son and we feel George's loss. Garcia's music punctuates the loss and reminds us it is something that we all will experience in life and in time.

and sometime stilted dialogue, this remains one of the most watchable and entertaining films of the genre ever made. FAR superior to the new version. A definite must-own.

The Time Machine is a Science Fiction classic. George Pal too H.G. Wellss classic story and made it a reality. From the costumes to the intricately detailed Time Machine itself, the movie is a stand out in special effects, art direction and make-up.

Rod Taylor was fantastic and played his character with a real sense of amazement. (If you have seen the new version  it lacks a real important element  characters anyone cares about.) This movie has a charm and romance that Yvette Mimoeux could only portray.

Even George Pals visions of what the 80 and 90s would be like are not far off. Who could forget the classic mannequin in the window sequence  watching fashion styles change before our eyes. The key to most of the special effects in the film was of course  stop motion animation. Whereby, elements and props and sets are shot one frame at a time while slight movements were made between each exposed frame. Thanks to CGI technology these days  this has almost become a lost art form. When it is done well, like in this movie  it really is effective and shines.

The DVD extras on this one are great. A television retrospective shot in the mid 90s with some of the original cast is really well done. The behind the scenes and event he history of what happened to the original Time Machine are on this documentary.

This is a must DVD for Science Fiction fans. A true classic and a very good DVD for anyone's collection.