My second favorite kind of sci-fi movie is the time-travel / time-paradox movie, and Denzel Washington’s latest Deja Vu is a pretty good addition to this genre. It suffers from a few small illogical connections or loose ends (easy to have in a time-paradox film), and felt a bit like they left a few important facts out for time’s sake (no pun intended). Overall, really nice time thriller. The main lesson? You can make a difference if you push the envelope!
The other movies in this genre I have really enjoyed include:
- Memento – Though this was not really a time-travel movie, the way in which it was filmed, and the main character’s memory problem forced you to try to connect events in time. Nice. The lesson learned? We often prefer self-deception to the truth.
- The
Jacket – a nice movie where the time traveler gets revenge on his tormentors. The lesson? Don’t be mean to crazy people. - The Butterfly
Effect – probably my second favorite film in this genre. The lesson? If you try to go back and change events, you fix one thing, but screw up another. - Back to the
Future – the king of time-travel movies, I love all three. The lesson? The future isn’t written yet, so make it a good one. - Donnie
Darko – I actually had to look this one up on the internet to figure out what happened. Seeing the Director’s Cut made it a lot clearer, since you actually got enough info to piece things together – not so in the theater version. This is not one of my favorites, and is a little too dark and dreary for me. Lesson? Time travel can make you insane.
Any others in this genre I should see?
Any others in this genre I should see?
Seeker,
The movie from this genre which I think you would enjoy most is Run Lola Run
Other notables I liked from this genre are:
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Groundhog Day
Somewhere in Time
All these films are guaranteed to mess with your head but more than that, they are really good movies that are enjoyable.
Cheers!
Crap, 12 Monkeys didn't show up in my post but that's a good one too.
Oh!! Here is the trailer for Run Lola Run :)
Oh Man. 12 Monkeys is one of my all time faves. And so are Groundhog Day and Back to the Future, too.
I loved the original Time Machine too.
There is some time travel in Harry Potter and the Prizoner of Azkaban, as well. :) Have you been watching NBCs new show Heroes? It has some time travel in it. I know they arent entirely about time travel, but they are awesome.
I wanna see Deja Vu.
Kate and Leopold was kinda sweet too :)
I remember a tv series back when I was a kid called "Time Tunnel." The set-up was the gov't had created a time tunnel to travel back and forth in time. Unfortunately, the first two "chrononauts" got lost and kept shifting around in time. During each episode they landed in a specific period where they tried to change history, only to fail.
Star Trek also has a number of time travel/alternate reality stories which are quite good, notably the original series' "City on the Edge of Forever" (I think that's the name). Star Trek is usually more thoughtful in its exploration of the time travel issues and the problems they involve. And, going back to the original series' episode "Mirror, Mirror," ST also explores the idea of an alternative universe wherein the Federation is an expansive and imperialist (and evil) entity. It used this premise over several different manifestations of the ST series.
Time travel is an intriguing concept. I've often wondered just which historical period I'd like to visit. Tops would be 4th century Athens before they lost to Sparta. First century Rome, 16th century Florence and London would also be on my itinerary. I'd like to go back and stand outside the presidential box at Ford's theater when Booth came along (I'd be armed with an AK-47). I wonder if xians would dare go back to those last 3 days of Jesus' life!
Seeker,
You really should check out Millennium (1989). Although the CGI graphics is a little hoaky compared todays standards, it is well worth the watch. A little time tunnel meets end of the world sci fi.
Plot Summary:
Millennium was awesome! My dad and I used to watch it together all the time!
You should rent and watch the "Millennium" tv series. Sehr gut!
I can't believe I left off Groundhog Day, one of my favorite movies. I think I saw Millenium a long time ago, cool plot.
The Millenium series was pretty cool, but my favorite was the episode where they lampooned Scientology. I wish I could own it!
Do you remember the name of that episode?
Jose Chung's Doomsday Defense
I looked it up, it's season 2, #9. I guess I'd have to borrow or buy the set.
http://www.tv.com/millennium/jose-chungs-doomsday…
Louis brought up TV shows and two of my favorites from a few years back were Quantam Leap and Sliders.
seeker, if you want a copy of this episode e-mail me with an address.
I'd like to enter into this fray briefly, to observe a few things:
1. For all of the ire that we aim at one another, science fiction brings us together. Please notice LOUIS (?!?!) offering to send SEEKER (?!?!?) an episode of a television show.
2. I am disgusted at this offensive display of solidarity and humanity. Surely we are all better at hating one another than this.
3. Seriously, it's kind of strange how vociferously we disagree and dehumanize one another and are yet capable of acting like decent human beings to one another in different contexts. There's a message in there, somewhere.
4. Finally, all of this nerdery is lame. I am not interested in science fiction or television. As such, I will be returning to my German board game of settlement and trade: Settlers of Catan. Because board games are way cooler than science fiction television. ;)
German board game of settlement and trade
I bow to your geekdom.
You mentioned Memento. I loved that movie too. In fact I saw it in the theater. There is a big hole in the plot though. How the heck does Leonard remember his own condition? You said the lesson you learned from Memento was "We often prefer self-deception to the truth." I believe the question that Memento asks is much deeper. I believe Memento asks are we the sum of our memories? This question is also put forth by Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
Seeker, I am also surprised that you liked Groundhog Day so much because it of the very heavy existentialist themes. I too like Groundhog Day because the movie takes place on my birthday :)
Cineaste,
Leonard doesn't remember his OWN condition, does he? Doesn't he remember Sammy Jankis's condition? The tattoo on his arm reminds him of his own situation when he becomes confused: Remember Sammy Jankis (that spelling might be horribly off). Anyway, I think that he assumes that his own confusion is tied to the existence of Sammy, and thus explains his situation.
Seriously, it's kind of strange how vociferously we disagree and dehumanize one another and are yet capable of acting like decent human beings to one another in different contexts. There's a message in there, somewhere.
I think the answer is that only sci fi can bring world peace! Seriously though, one of my favorite SF books, Ender's Game, is always out there on the horizon as a movie. I hope it makes it!
"We often prefer self-deception to the truth." I believe the question that Memento asks is much deeper.
I dunno, I see the climax of the movie as saying just that – when he burns the pic at the end, we realize that, to deal with the guilt of having overdosed his wife, he is willing to take advantage of his memory problem and deceive himself into thinking that someone else did it.
Because board games are way cooler than science fiction television. ;)
I am not a board game geek, nor a D&D freak. However, I do have the third edition (Mayfair) of Cosmic Encounter, with the expansion pack that adds lucre and moons.
You can't be both "not a board game freak" and the proud owner of a Mayfair game WITH an expansion pack. It is impossible to have purchased an expansion back without becoming a freak about it.
I think the answer is that only sci fi can bring world peace! Seriously though, one of my favorite SF books, Ender's Game, is always out there on the horizon as a movie. I hope it makes it!
Ender's Game is also one of my favorite Sci Fi books. And Think likes Tolkien. I went to London in the late 80's to buy some early editions of Tolkien's books.
Sam, I can't remember ROFL! It been a while, hehe.
It is impossible to have purchased an expansion back without becoming a freak about it.
But…but…it's the ONLY board game I ever geeked out on. I mean, Magic the Gathering doesn't count as a board game, does it?
I swear, besides those two and my Star-Trek version of Uno, I only have the usual pedestrian games like Sorry, Cranium, and one of my personal favorites, The Ungame. And of course, I'm no slouch at Canasta, Hearts, and 21 ;). Just this past weekend I made $5.50 at Black Jack, playing with quarters at the dinner table (of course, my wife was the House, so she probably pulled in some more money, and all the money I "made" came out of the house till).
If you've played Magic: the Gathering, you've sacrificed, for the rest of your life, your freedom to describe others as geeks in anything other than a "Yeah, me too." fashion.
Also, gin? Ever play gin? I can't get enough of that game.
You mean Rummy? I've played a couple of types, but I'm not really sure what gin rummy is.
My bro is into cribbage, but I don't know how to play. My granddad, who taught us to play cards, also played pinochle, but we never played it.
Seeker, Aaron, any way that you can enable gravatars on 2or3?
Only true geeks could ever get this excited about stuff on a blog-site.
I don't think typepad supports gravatars. Lemme check.
Literati is my game of choice. I happen to play at it for hours (shhh!). One of my worst obsessions. Scrabble started it.
And Quantum Leap was my television world back in the day. ahhh the memories.
In Rummy, you lay down the tricks when you get them. In Gin, you hold the tricks until you can discard with less than ten, or when you can gin, which involves discarding and playing all of the remaining cards in your hand.
Is it possible that I am the least geeky in this blog? All I can say is "Wow!" that's some heavy geekness you guys are in.
Woah there Aaron – if I'm not mistaken, just last week your wife totally p3wned your idea of getting a Wii for the house. Grown men shouldn't be buying video game machines. You're a geek, just like the rest of us.
I didn't say I wasn't a geek merely that I was in awe of all of the geekiness going on in here.
But you're right grown men shouldn't be buying a video game system, now excuse me while I go look for an expansion pack to an obscure German board game about settlement and trade. :)
You've got me there.
One more sleeper favorite I forgot to mention, along the same lines of Kate and Leopold, but more campy, was Just Visiting.
Romantic comedy time travel. My favorite character is the king's attendant (slave), who is treated like an object. When they go out to a restaurant, he sits on the floor and they throw him table scraps, to which he replies "you're so good to me master."
Later, he finds his self worth and love in a funny couple of scenes. If you liked Kate/Leopold, you should check this one out too.
Just saw another simple but nice romantic time-shift story, starring Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves, called The Lake House (2006). Not bad. Not great, but not bad.