Film Review: Time After Time

Before I get into my last entry for Classics Retold, I want to thank everyone who participated - for joining in and making this so much fun, and for all the Classics love I got to indulge in this month!  I hope everyone enjoyed reading their Classic and all the adaptations!

Now, Time After Time is a film that takes the idea of H.G. Wells' time machine and creates a romantic action story where H.G. Wells tells his friends about his time machine (like in the beginning of the book) but one of his friends, unbeknownst to him, is actually Jack the Ripper.  When the police come to H.G.'s house to arrest the murderous Doctor Stevenson, the Doc nips into the time machine and travels into the future.  There's a safety on the machine though that if a certain lever is not attached it returns to it's own time after a few minutes.  So H.G. gets his machine back and decides he must go after Stevenson and bring him to justice.

The look of the time machine and the explanation of how it travels through time, is pretty close to the book, so I was very happy with that.  Although the special effects is pretty lame, it's obvious that, at the time, this was top notch work, and I appreciated that.  There's really no connection between this film and the original book except for the time machine, but I found this movie extremely enjoyable.  It's funny, charming, and romantic, with some exciting and scary scenes.  There were a couple of times in this movie where I was literally on the edge of my seat.

Most of the humor comes from H.G. trying to adjust to this new culture (which happens to be San Francisco in the Seventies) as he tries everything from eating at McDonald's to driving a car.  Malcolm McDowell is utterly charming as H.G. Wells - he's sweetly befuddled, and shyly gentlemanly in a time when that isn't really appreciated.  Except by Mary Steenburgen's character who is delighted by H.G.'s manners and also helps to bring him out of his shell.  The chemistry between Malcolm McDowell and Mary Steenburgen is fantastic (it did blossom into a real life romance) and their interactions were a highlight for me.

Doctor Stevenson is suitably sinister and seemingly untouchable in this time, where the police won't help H.G., and it's so easy to find women of "loose morals" to kill. The resolution is tense and fitting, and very satisfying especially when it comes to how H.G. and Amy can continue their relationship.  This is a wonderful film that is a great tribute to H.G. Wells' The Time Machine.

Film Review: The Time Machine

Because the original 60s adaptation of The Time Machine was a long wait in my Netflix queue, I decided to watch the 2002 adaptation instead.  This version starred Guy Pearce as the Time Traveler (or Alex), Sienna Guillory, Samantha Mumba, and Jeremy Irons.

There are many changes made to the story in this film.  The main character has a name now - Alex - and he's a professor in America who's seems rather shy and nerdy but is in love with beautiful Emma and just after he proposes to her and she accepts, something terrible happens and she dies.  Now Alex is moved to make the time machine to go back and prevent Emma's death which as it turns out, he can not because she ends up dying another way.  Alex travels into the future to try and find out why you can't change the past and then comes across the Eloi and Morlocks.

The movie gives a completely different character arc to the time traveller and a completely new twist on the Eloi and Morlocks.  The Eloi are still the Morlock's prey but the Eloi are more human and the Morlock's are considerably less human - downright scary actually.  They are crazy powerful and some have developed psychic powers.  The evolution of the Morlocks and the Eloi are a little shrouded in mystery, and I missed having that sense of scientific logic behind their development.  There's really not much in the way of real logic in this story though.  There's quite a few plot holes, and it's rather cheesy and cliche too.  The plot is very predictable, even though it only takes elements from the original book.  It's entertaining at times because of the action, and the creepiness of the Morlocks, and I thought the time elapse effects and how they showed time travel was really cool, but overall as a film, I can't say I was very impressed with this one.

Review: Morlock Night

Morlock Night
by K. W. Jeter

Plot Summary:

Just what happened when the Time Machine returned?

At the end of Wells' classic tale, the traveller returned to the far future in search of his Eloi love.  Having acquired his device for themselves, the brutish Morlocks have come from the desolate far future to Victorian England to feed upon docile humanity and cause mayhem and disruption.  But the mythical heroes of Old England have also returned, in the hour of the country's greatest need, to stand between England and her total destruction.

Review: 

There are a few things that surprised me about this sequel to The Time Machine.  The first is that we don't see anything of the Time Traveller.  This story has little, if anything to do with the ideas of time traveling - as time travel is more of a device to deposit the ultimate evil in our midst.  And not even the Morlocks are the main villains of the story.  So this is a sequel that completely overlooks the main character of the original, the Time Machine, and the Morlocks.  This story focuses more on the return of England's mythical hero - namely King Arthur and Merlin.  I suppose on it's own, this is an interesting tale but the fact that it has little to do with further developing any aspect of The Time Machine so that the story could be worthy of being a sequel kinda bothers me.  There's just none of the ingenuity and cleverness of the original tale, and more of an adventure romp with Edwin Hocker as he tries to find and combine the different Excaliburs that have been taken out of their time.  And with each new issue or challenge, the main characters resolve it rather quickly, making the story feel even more unrealistic.

Most of the characters were very one-sided, especially Edwin Hocker's sidekick - the taciturn Tafe who seemed more like a prop and had very little personality.  Just overall - from the plot holes (Merlin can time travel?  I don't understand why there was such a problem with Excalibur then...) to the poor characterization this was just such a disappointing read that had me disinterested and unengaged.  I think it was very interesting that the author tried to work in the old Arthurian legends and a little bit of Atlantis besides, and there was a twist in the end that I didn't see coming, but I wouldn't recommend this book to fans of The Time Machine.

Amazon  Goodreads

Review: The Time Ships

The Time Ships
by Stephen Baxter

Plot Summary:

There is a secret passage through time ...

and it leads all the way to the end of Eternity. But the journey has a terrible cost. It alters not only the future but the "present" in which we live.

A century after the publication of H. G. Wells' immortal The Time Machine, Stephen Baxter, today's most acclaimed new "hard SF" author, and the acknowledged Clarke, returns to the distant conflict between the Eloi and the Morlocks in a story that is at once an exciting expansion, and a radical departure based on the astonishing new understandings of quantum physics.

Review:

When I first started this book, the insightful intellectual way the author approached time travel really impressed me.  There's so much more to the idea of traveling through time, that thinking about time linearly can not encompass, and the author really opens up your thinking through this story.  I can't pretend that I really understood all of it, especially towards the end, despite the very lucid way the author describes this exploration of time travel.  I think all that scientific information woven into this constantly evolving tale of new futures and new pasts is the highlight of this book.

The author also captures the time traveler's forthright voice in relating his adventures, and because this book is much longer than the original by H.G. Wells, we get a better sense of his character and a better persepective on his actions especially when contrasted with the new, more enlightened Morlock, Nebogipfel.  I think while it was sometimes difficult to sympathize with the time traveler because of his prejudices and his irrational instincts, it was very easy to sympathize with patient and understanding Nebogipfel who seemed to be the best of humanity in an odd inhuman way because he was so rational and his only goal was to obtain information. Which was an interesting idea in the book.  That that is the highest achievement mankind should strive for - trying to learn about everything.  There are a variety of other characters the time traveler encounters on his journeys through time, but these two were the main protagonists, and the other characters, while well drawn, did not stand out as much.  The main focus is on the way the different experiences changes the time traveler.

What really disappointed me about this book was the extreme length.  I felt it started off strong and there were so many ideas and theories to touch on that it was a very interesting read.  But it began to be too much for me after awhile, when every chapter seemed to highlight some new idea or some new world and I really wished the time traveler would settle someplace already.  It's difficult for me to say this because I felt that all the pieces of the story worked together as a whole and probably everything was needed to really explain all the aspects of time travel the author wanted to get across, but the pace became ridiculously slow, and by the last third of the book, I just wanted it to be over.  The ultimate conclusion the time traveler came to, was a little less satisfying as well.  I don't want to give any spoilers, so I won't say much on that except it didn't really seem that it was the best situation for him.

As a thought-provoking and illuminating story, I'd recommend science fiction fans to check this book out.  I personally find time travel fascinating and although the story really grinds to a halt many times, the different scenarios and theories were really very interesting.  It's not a light read, and it's a story that might appeal to a very select group.

Amazon   Goodreads

Review: The Time Machine

The Time Machine
by H.G. Wells

Plot Summary:

“I’ve had a most amazing time....”

So begins the Time Traveller’s astonishing firsthand account of his journey 800,000 years beyond his own era—and the story that launched H.G. Wells’s successful career and earned him the reputation as the father of science fiction. With a speculative leap that still fires the imagination, Wells sends his brave explorer to face a future burdened with our greatest hopes...and our darkest fears. A pull of the Time Machine’s lever propels him to the age of a slowly dying Earth. There he discovers two bizarre races—the ethereal Eloi and the subterranean Morlocks—who not only symbolize the duality of human nature, but offer a terrifying portrait of the men of tomorrow as well. Published in 1895, this masterpiece of invention captivated readers on the threshold of a new century. Thanks to Wells’s expert storytelling and provocative insight, The Time Machine will continue to enthrall readers for generations to come.

Review:

This is a seminal work of science fiction and one that is surprisingly effective given the brevity of the book.  The Time Traveller tells his tale to a group of his friends - and it is interesting how every character in his time is labeled by their profession and not by name.  Except for the narrator who is never named at all.  The story is wrapped in thought-provoking speculation on the nature of mankind and because the Time Traveller works to understand why mankind has seemingly evolved into the two races he sees in the future, the reader is treated to a discourse on the nature of man's intellect, the need for fear and hardship and the possible outcome of a real utopia.  It's rather a disheartening story when you think of how H. G. Wells visualized the future.  But so readable and engaging - especially seeing how the Time Traveller uses his ingenuity to get back to his time.

There's little in the way of character development - the focus is on the narrative and the world-building and the cleverness of the story.  And while it's possible that the story could have delved more into the relationship between the Eloi and the Morlocks, the believability of the story is maintained because the Time Traveller is more concerned about getting back to his time and away from danger than really recording future history.  So while this story seems very sketch-like, there's so much ingenuity in the main character and in the story that it more than makes up for it.

The actual descriptions of the fourth dimension - time - was a highlight for me.  I loved how possible the author made time travel seem.  And how simple it seemed too, with the comparisons to how we perceive the three dimensions.  If only it were that easy!  This is a wonderful, short read, and so full of incident and mystery inherent in discovering what the future holds.

Amazon  Goodreads

Classics Retold: Master Post

It's time to read and revel in the Classics!  This post will serve as introduction and event hub for all participants in 19th Century and Gothic Classics.  Welcome!  I would so appreciate it if all the participants could please add a link to ALL of your Classics Retold related posts to the following page so I can add it neatly to the list below.

>> Add your Classics Retold post links here <<

All participants have picked a Classic novel to read and review, and also read and review related adaptations, spin-offs and retellings in any format (from page to screen!). Other related posts can be for character analysis or the influence of your book in pop culture.  Or anything you can think of that explores aspects of your book.  I'm hosting 19th Century and Gothic Classics, while my fellow lovely blogger co-hosts are in charge of the following:

Ancient to Renaissance Lit Classics - Alyssa @ Books Take You Places
Mythology - Brittany @ Book Addicts Guide
Children's Classics - Alison @ The Cheap Reader
American and Misc Classics - Wendy @Excellent Library

Please check out their blogs for more Classics fun, and also check out the links below!  Sadly we are not looking for any new participants for this event, but do feel free to read and comment on everyone's posts!   There are a couple additional events for Classics Retold:

• Alison at The Cheap Reader has created a Classics Challenge question series which can be added to your posting schedule.  Check out this post for more information.
• Angela at Angela's Anxious Life is co-hosting a Classics related giveaway hop from Sept 10th-17th - check out this post for all the participants.

Thank you for visiting, and special thanks to all the wonderful bloggers who are making this event happen! I look forward to visiting ALL the blogs this month! :)  Tomorrow I'll be posting my review of The Time Machine, my chosen classic!

Emma 
Dee @ Dee's Book Blog

• Introduction post

Persuasion
Daphne @ Gone Pecan 

Paola & Alix @ A Novel Idea

• Introduction post
• Review: Persuasion
• Film Review: Persuasion (2007)

Pride and Prejudice 
Melissa @ Harley Bear Book Blog

• Introduction Post

Andrea @ Beauty but a Funny Girl

• Classics Retold Question Challenge

Jorie @ Jorie Loves a Story

• Introduction Post
• Review: Pride and Prejudice

J. Dudgeon

• Introduction Post
• 10 Things I Love About Pride and Prejudice
• Film Review: Bride and Prejudice
• Film Review: Lost in Austen

Jane Eyre 
Amy @ Book Goonie

• Review: Jane Eyre
• Review: The Eyre Affair
• Review: Jane

Merin @ Read and Reviewed

• Introduction post

Sherlock Holmes 
Alisa @ Picture Me Reading


The Count of Monte Cristo
DoingDewey

• Review: The Count of Monte Cristo
• Review: The Sultan of Monte Cristo
• Review: Crux & Giveaway
• Review: Edward Maret

The Three Musketeers
Cassi @ Bright Forest

• Introduction
• The Musketeer VS Three Musketeers
• Three Musketeer Book vs Movie

Wives and Daughters 
Whitney @ She Is Too Fond of Books

• Introduction post

North and South 
Rachel @ Paper Cuts

Tess of the D'Urbervilles

Amanda @ Off the Book

Les Miserables 
Tory @ The Sleeping Latte

• Introduction post

The Phantom of the Opera 
Krista @ Krista's Picks

Frankenstein 
Faith @ StudentSpyglass 

Fi @ Bookish Outsider

• Introduction Post

Treasure Island 
InkSpired

• Disney's Treasure Planet
• N.C. Wyeth's Treasure

The Invisible Man
Melydia @ Utter Randomonium

• Introduction Post
• Review: The Invisible Man
• Film Review: The Invisible Man (1933)
• Film Review: The Invisible Agent (1942)
• Film Review: The Invisible Man's Revenge (1944)
• Film Review: The Invisible Man Returns (1940)
• Film Review: The Invisible Woman (1940)
• Classics Retold Wrap-up

The Time Machine 
Charlene @ Bookish Whimsy

• Introduction post
• Review: The Time Machine
• Review: The Time Ships
• Review: Morlock Night
• Film Review: The Time Machine (2002)
• Film Review: Time After Time (1979)

Classics Retold Update

Sign-ups for Classics Retold ends tomorrow, so this is your last chance to join in on the fun in September and read that classic that's been taking up space on your bookshelf (or e-reader)!  I decided to compile a list of all the participants so far in my category: 19th Century and Gothic Classics, including a link to their introduction posts.  If I didn't add your introduction post to this list, please let me know and I will update it!  Thank you guys for participating!

Check out this post to sign-up!

Jane Austen

Emma 
Dee @ Dee's Book Blog [Introduction post]

Northanger Abbey
Mrs. Silverstein @ Reading on the F Train

Persuasion
Daphne @ Gone Pecan 
Paola & Alix @ A Novel Idea [Introduction post]

Pride and Prejudice 
Melissa @ Harley Bear Book Blog
Andrea @ Beauty but a Funny Girl

Charlotte Bronte

Jane Eyre 
Amy @ Book Goonie
Merin @ Read and Reviewed [Introduction post]

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Sherlock Holmes 
Alisa @ Picture Me Reading
Alice @ Alice in Readerland [Introduction post]

Alexander Dumas

The Count of Monte Cristo
DoingDewey

The Three Musketeers
Cassi @ Bright Forest

Elizabeth Gaskell

Wives and Daughters 
Whitney @ She Is Too Fond of Books [Introduction post]

North and South 
Rachel @ Paper Cuts

Thomas Hardy

Tess of the D'Urbervilles

Amanda @ Off the Book

Victor Hugo

Les Miserables 
Tory @ The Sleeping Latte [Introduction post]

Gaston Leroux

The Phantom of the Opera 
Krista @ Krista's Picks

Mary Shelley

Frankenstein 
Faith @ StudentSpyglass 
Fi @ Bookish Outsider

Robert L Stevenson

Treasure Island 
InkSpired

H.G. Wells

The Invisible Man
Melydia @ Utter Randomonium

The Time Machine 
Charlene @ Bookish Whimsy [Introduction post]

And for another fun event to sign up for (this time in July) check out Love Triangles 101!

You love them or you hate them, but you probably want to talk about them!  So check out this post to sign up!

Classics Retold: The Time Machine

For the Classics Retold event in September, I've chosen The Time Machine by H.G. Wells as my text.  I've never read the original, and for a book that revolves around something so iconic as a machine that travels through time (H.G. Wells also coined the phrase) it's a shame I don't know more about this story. I don't even know what it was the time traveler in the novel saw.   There are a few sequels and retellings related to this novel, but there also seems to be a few books and movies that take the idea of H.G. Wells himself using his Time Machine.  (This worries me.  Is the original novel not engaging enough to adapt?)

Here are the books and films (one film actually) that I'm planning to explore for  Classics Retold:

The original (and pretty short) classic novel The Time Machine

The Map of Time by Felix J. Palma which has H.G. Wells as a character involved in a plan to save lives and literary characters.

The Time Ships by Stephen Baxter is a sequel to The Time Machine  that brings in modern knowledge of quantum physics to support the original story.

"Time After Time" is a wonderful movie I saw earlier this year where Malcolm McDowell as H.G. Wells accidentally reveals his time machine to Jack the Ripper and must travel to the future to capture him when the Ripper steals the time machine.

If I have time, I'll definitely throw in one of the film adaptations of the book - I haven't decided which one to watch yet!

And something extra cool that I came upon when searching for H.G. Wells things - a rare audio interview between Orson Welles and H.G. Wells.  I'm amazed to be able to hear H.G.'s voice!  It's really not what I thought he would sound like.

To sign up for the event yourself and join in on the fun, check out this post.  Sign ups end May 25th.

Classics Retold (sign up post for 19th Century & Gothic Classics)

Classics Retold  is a project hosted by Alison @ The Cheap Reader, Alyssa @ Books Take You Places, Brittany @ Book Addicts Guide, Charlene @ Bookish Whimsy (ME!), and Wendy @ Excellent Library.  Similar to Project: Fairy Tale from earlier in the year but for this project we are reading a classic book and then reading or watching retellings, spin-offs, or adaptions of it!

The Details:

• September 2013 will be our month to post everything.
• Each blogger will choose a classic they'd like to read.
• They read their classic and read or watch as many retellings, spin-offs, sequels or adaptions of their classic as they can. They will post reviews or their thoughts on each one during September.
• 1-4 bloggers can work on a "main" text. They can work independently or work together. You're allowed to all read/watch the same things or split the work up.
• To participate in this project, you only sign up for one classic (and its adaptions).
• Optional: You're allowed to work on other classics/adaptions if you'd like. Find the bloggers covering the book you're interested in and ask to do a guest post!
• Optional: Do other posts about your classic: character analysis, where else to find the characters, the book’s influence on culture, memes, etc. It can be literally anything involving your classic.
• Optional: Do a sign up post after I clear your classic. It will help spread the word about the project and you’re able to bounce your ideas off of your readers. They may even give you ideas of books/movies to use for your classic!
• For a classic to be useable for this project, it should have at least 2 adaptions, spin-offs, sequels, or retellings.
• Sign-ups for the project ends May 25th.

Obviously this project is going to get pretty big so we've split the co-hosting duties up. It's all one big project so you only sign up once for one book (not once on each blog).

Alyssa @ Books Take You Places is in charge of Ancient to Renaissance Lit Classics. (Sign up post)
Brittany @ Book Addicts Guide is in charge of Mythology. (Sign up post)
Charlene @ Bookish Whimsy is in charge of 19th Century & Gothic Classics.
Alison @ The Cheap Reader is in charge of Children's Classics. (Sign up post)
Wendy @ Excellent Library is in charge of American & Misc. Classics. (Sign up post)

Here are some choices for 19th Century & Gothic Classics (but if you think of one not on this list, just comment below and I'll give you the OK for it, if it fits the category. Remember there is a separate category for all American Classics).  I have picked "The Time Machine" by HG Wells for my Classic.
Sign up by leaving a comment on this post with your choice and a link to your blog!

Jane Austen
Emma (Dee @ Dee's Book Blog)
Mansfield Park
Northanger Abbey (Mrs. Silverstein @ Reading on the F Train)
Persuasion (Daphne @ Gone Pecan / Paola & Alix @ A Novel Idea)
Pride and Prejudice (Melissa @ Harley Bear Book Blog / Andrea @ Beauty but a Funny Girl)
Sense and Sensibility

Charlotte Bronte
Jane Eyre (Amy @ Book Goonie / Merin @ Read and Reviewed)
Villette

Emily Bronte

Wuthering Heights 

Charles Dickens
Bleak House
Little Dorritt
Mystery of Edwin Drood
Nicholas Nickleby
The Old Curiosity Shop
Oliver Twist
Pickwick Papers
A Tale of Two Cities
A Christmas Carol

Fyodor Dostoevesky
Brothers Karamazov
Crime and Punishment
The Idiot

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Sherlock Holmes (Alisa @ Picture Me Reading / Alice @ Alice in Readerland)

Alexander Dumas
The Count of Monte Cristo (DoingDewey)
The Three Musketeers (Cassi @ Bright Forest)

George Eliot
Adam Bede
Daniel Deronda
Middlemarch
Mill on the Floss
Silas Marner

Elizabeth Gaskell
Cranford
Wives and Daughters (Whitney @ She Is Too Fond of Books)
North and South (Rachel @ Paper Cuts)

Goethe
Faust

Thomas Hardy
Far From the Madding Crowd
Jude the Obscure
The Mayor of Casterbridge
The Return of the Native
Tess of the D'Urbervilles (Amanda @ Off the Book)

Victor Hugo
Les Miserables (Tory @ The Sleeping Latte)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Gaston Leroux
The Phantom of the Opera (Krista @ Krista's Picks)

Edgar Allan Poe
Masque of the Red Death
Annabel Lee

Ann Radcliffe
The Mysteries of Udolpho

Sir Walter Scott
Ivanhoe

Mary Shelley
Frankenstein (Faith @ StudentSpyglass / Fi @ Bookish Outsider)

Robert L Stevenson
Kidnapped
Treasure Island (InkSpired)

Bram Stoker
Dracula

Jonathan Swift
Gulliver's Travels

William Thackeray
Vanity Fair

Leo Tolstoy
Anna Karenina
War and Peace

Jules Verne
Around the World in 80 Days
Journey to the Center of the Earth
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

H.G. Wells
Invisible Man (Melydia @ Utter Randomonium)
The Island of Dr. Moreau
The Time Machine (Charlene @ Bookish Whimsy)
War of the Worlds

Oscar Wilde
Picture of Dorian Gray

I'll be at Disneyland today, so I'll try to get to comments later tonight, or definitely tomorrow!