I continued watching films set in San Francisco and tonight I screened Time After Time, the sci-fi thriller from 1979. Time After Time is an ingenious time travel novel that crosses H.G. Wells with Jack The Ripper to create a very engaging movie.
A close friend of H.G. Wells is secretly the serial killer known as Jack The Ripper. In order to avoid capture by Scotland Yard he steals away in Wells' famous time machine and ends up in modern day (1979) San Francisco, where the machine is on exhibit as a model created by Wells. Wells follows him to San Francisco wear he discovers that The Ripper has already begun a new series of murders.
The movies novel idea is supported by an extremely engaging cast. Malcolm McDowell is the idealistic and somewhat naive Wells. David Warner is at his sinister best as Doctor John Stevenson, aka Jack The Ripper and Mary Steenburgen plays Amy Robbins, a Bank Of England employee who crosses paths with both Wells and Stevenson and becomes targeted as The Rippers next victim.
One of the enjoyable aspects of the film is watching the H.G. Wells character observe and adapt to modern society. McDowell plays it in a perfect state of befuddlement. What would a time traveler think of modern day America. there is a brief homage to the car chase in Bullitt when a taxi drives full speed down California Avenue and the same sound effects of Steve McQueen's Mustang are used.
The ploy moves briskly and is highly engaging. The ending could be more dramatic and the special effects are definitely retro and don't hold up. This is one movie that could use a remake.
At The Movie House rating ***
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