TIME AFTER TIME

* * *

STARRING: Malcolm McDowall, David Warner, Mary Steenburgen, Charles Cioffi, Patti D'Arbanville

1980, 112 Minutes, Directed by: Nicholas Meyer

Description: In late 19th century England, writer H.G. Wells (Malcolm McDowell) unwittingly includes Jack the Ripper (David Warner) in his social circle. When one of Wells's dinner parties is crashed by the police looking for the Ripper, Jack uses the author's time machine to escape. But there's one catch--after it has been used, the machine returns to Wells's time. Thus the literary genius bravely sets out to find his evil friend before he can wreak havoc on another time period, and soon arrives in modern-day San Francisco.  — Amazon.com

Imaginative "what if" scenario has H.G. Wells (played by   (Clockwork Orange star  Malcolm McDowall) pursuing Victorian serial killer Jack the Ripper through time to 20th Century America.

Literary purists may complain, but this movie works because of its sly humour (mostly derived from the classical clash of technology scenarios) and the charming romance between Wells and a shy bank teller played by Mary Steenburgen (who also supplied romantic interest for "Doc" in Back to the Future Part III by the way).

Time After Time makes for excellent late Friday night television fare and is as easily digestible as pop corn. Director Meyer went on to direct some of the better instalments in the big screen Star Trek franchise, namely Star Trek II - The Wrath of Khan and Star Trek IV - The Undiscovered Country.

Sci-Fi Movie Page Pick: Entertaining and light-weight. "What would H.G. Wells say if he saw how things turned out in the end?" a character in Cop Land asks. This time travel story supplies some hints: he spends a lot of time trying to get back to his own time!

Voted
 # 97
 of the
 Top 100 Sci-Fi Movies
 of all time
 by: