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| The Time Machine (1960); Movie of the Month (#1) | |
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| Topic Started: Oct 15 2009, 10:31 AM (284 Views) | |
| 24thcenstfan | Oct 15 2009, 10:31 AM Post #1 |
Something Wicked This Fae Comes
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The first movie picked by the the Movie of the Month Club is The Time Machine (1960). Airs: October 17th, 2:30pm on TCM (Turner Classic Movie) Movie summary:
Director: George Pal Writers: David Duncan (Screenplay) H.G. Wells (Novel) Release Date: August 1960 Genre: Science Fiction, Adventure, Romance Staring: Rod Taylor as H. George Wells Alan Young as David Filby/James Filby Yvette Mimieux as Weena Sebastian Cabot as Dr. Philip Hillyer Tom Helmore as Anthony Bridewell Whit Bissell as Walter Kemp Doris Lloyd as Mrs. Watchett Source ---- Comments can be posted on the thread before the movie starts, but please wait until after the movie airs to post major movie/plot discussion. Thanks. 
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| 24thcenstfan | Oct 17 2009, 01:09 PM Post #2 |
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Something Wicked This Fae Comes
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Movie begins in 20 minutes. 
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| AmVet | Oct 18 2009, 04:37 PM Post #3 |
Commodore
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Did anyone else watch it..?? I hadn't seen this film for a while and it's better than I recall. |
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| Swidden | Oct 18 2009, 04:46 PM Post #4 |
Professional Gadfly-at-large; Provisional wRench-fly at large
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I don't have TCM as part of the satellite package, but I remember this film well. I give it a 7. The combination of H.G. Wells story and direction by George Pal makes it a great classic science fiction film. |
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| 24thcenstfan | Oct 18 2009, 05:24 PM Post #5 |
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Something Wicked This Fae Comes
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I watched it. I just haven't had a chance to type up my comments about the movie. I figured I would have more time to discuss the movie starting tomorrow. I've had two weeks worth of programs to get caught up on this weekend. Among other things. Overall, I enjoyed the movie. I rate it a "7" on the poll. More comments to follow...  |
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| 24thcenstfan | Oct 18 2009, 05:26 PM Post #6 |
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Something Wicked This Fae Comes
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You don't get TCM either (noting your comment about AMC too)? Man!  Okay, when we are trying to figure out our next movie hopefully it will be something you can watch too.
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| Dandandat | Oct 18 2009, 08:30 PM Post #7 |
Shirley
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I didn't watch the move this weekend but I have seen it many times befor So what three books would you take to help rebuild the human population? |
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| TribbleMom | Oct 18 2009, 10:03 PM Post #8 |
Rear Admiral
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My first vote would be for the Complete Works of Shakespeare. He pretty much covered a whole gamut of topics, everything from comedy to tragedy, most of them including morality lessons. I imagine a lot of people would say the Bible (or Koran or Torah) because these are holy books. Unfortunately, having studied the Bible in my youth in church, it's a horrendously boring read in places, and I think a lot of people would get lost in the chapter that describes who begat whom for umpteen generations. If that didn't lose them, surely all the symbolism in Revelations would lead them to believe that that particular book is the diary of a bad acid trip. Sorry I missed the movie. Read the book quite a few years ago. |
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| Dandandat | Oct 19 2009, 08:08 AM Post #9 |
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Shirley
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I would bring: A book on human history, as to try and avoid the mistakes of the past which have lead to the state of the future that he Professor had found. A book on science, as not to have to reinvent the wheel A book on agriculture and domestic living, as with out the Morlocks the Eloi would now need to learn how to provide for themselves. |
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| 24thcenstfan | Oct 19 2009, 08:45 AM Post #10 |
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Something Wicked This Fae Comes
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More on the movie... Overall I liked the story. I think in the human exploration and creativity department, H.G. Wells is right up there with a lot of the great philosophical thinkers, writers and inventors that mankind has ever known. While I hope mankind has a more positive future than the one foretold in George’s travels, it does bring up the possibility of what will happen if as a world we can’t get our act together and stop the wars, the fighting, the hatred... Personally, I have to wonder if mankind (as a whole) is all that capable of eliminating that aspect of our history. Just like what was shown in the movie, we continue to war with one another. With an increasing level of weaponry and technology, the potential for hurt and destruction continues to increase. In the movie, there are still groups (one group) hating on another even in the far distant future when George came upon the Eloi and Morlocks. However, this may speak to one element of mankind that can never be completely done away with. Specifically, our potential for violence and how a small part of that is being aggressive enough to want to live, to achieve and to grow. The Eloi had failed to tap into that spark of life just yet. The Morlock’s on the other hand went to the extreme end and used the Eloi as a source of food in their quest for survival. The million dollar question is how do we strike that balance in society without us going to the extreme to achieve our goals? As mentioned already, I gave the movie a "7". I would even push that to 7.5. While I mostly enjoyed the move, I think the story lagged a little bit. I also thought there were some plot holes with the Morlock and the Eloi. The movie is still very thought provoking and forward thinking. Especially since the movie is based on a story written well over a hundred years ago (published in 1895). Characters I think George and Mr. Filby were the two most interesting characters. Also the Eloi and Morlocks as a group. George had a lot of heart and it was fun to experience his first time traveling experiences. Filby was indeed a good friend to the end. It was interesting to see what could be with the Eloi and Morlocks. Special Effects The special effects were not particularly advanced (from the point of our time), but the time lapse photography was instrumental in making this film a success. Showing the changing times made the viewer feel like they were really going into the future with George. I especailly liked the changing look of George's home. Sets and Props I loved George’s home and the changing environments as he time traveled. I even liked the architecture in the Eloi’s time. I thought the inside of that large Eloi eating place looked like a parking lot with all of those white stripes on the floor though.  It echoed like sound stage in there.The time machine was pretty neat. The spinning wheel thing behind the chair and the design. George didn’t really go into how his time machine worked though. That type of story detail could have been left out so not to bore the average movie goer. Instead, focusing more on the adventure of it all. Always wondered why he needed to sharpen the thing that seemed to control the time machine. Costuming/Make-up I liked the period costuming for George and his friends. Also, it was fun to witness all of the style changes that the mannequin in the window went through. Women’s styles have certainly undergone a lot of changes in the last 100 years or so. Men’s styles have changed, but they have stuck to a general shape (pants, jacket and shirt type of thing). The Morlocks looked highly realistic. They looked like weird creatures to me. The Eloi’s outfits weren’t that creative or realistic. The Eloi had no ambition, so they didn’t appear to create the clothing. They didn’t seem like something the Morlocks would have created. Its possible it was something the people wore long before the wars that led to the division of the Eloi and Morlocks. All in all, there didn’t seem to be a lot of thought put into their costuming. Could have just been a budget thing. That silver suit that the older Mr. Filby was wearing in the future was a bit bizarre and seemed out of place even for the time. Odds and Ends I thought it a little unrealistic that Weena would go from acting like a sheep one minute, and being so curious the next. Especially when she was sitting with George and she was asking about his relationships in his time, the women in his life and how women wore their hair. Its almost like they skipped a few stages of mental development/education so that they could create a male/female love interest between the two characters. Also, I was a little sad that George decided to return to the Eloi’s time. I thought the story was leading up to him deciding that 1900 was his time. He seemed content and okay with that at one point. The possibility of his returning some day is a nice prospect though. Was it really George’s place to go back to the future to help the Eloi? I suppose he cares too much for the future of the human race to sit by on the sidelines. However, I suspect the Eloi would have learned to fend for themselves in time without George. And what about the Morlock’s? Were they all killed in the fire? |
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| 24thcenstfan | Oct 19 2009, 09:02 AM Post #11 |
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Something Wicked This Fae Comes
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I would bring: A comprehensive English Dictionary. That way the Eloi could learn to read, write and expand their linguistics/education. In case of the movie, George would have to act as teacher for a while. Like you, I would also bring some type of Agricultural book that taught basic farming and even animal husbandry. A comprehensive history of the world book might be in order too. There are a lot of other kinds of books that would come in handy, but natural societal development will have to take care of that. They have shelter, so they can expand on that.
I personally would not bring the Bible or any other Holy or religious book. There will probably be a section on religion in the history book. Other than that, if they want to develop their own religion, then that will develop in time. No need to influence them in that area IMO. I would try to bring more practical books. Books that would help them feed, clothe, shelter and provide basic education. |
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| Dandandat | Oct 19 2009, 09:46 AM Post #12 |
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Shirley
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Have you seen the movie too or have you just read the story? The story by H.G. Wells and the movie are a bit different; of course time constants forces the movie adaptor to pick and chose what parts of the book to recant; but more surprising is the fact that underling moral story is a bit different between the book and movie. In the movie (which came out at the height of the cold war) humans created their fate through nuclear war. The movie than takes a more simple approach at warring against the perils of war, with the result of two perpetually opposing factions, one of which has taken complete control over the other. In the book (which came out during the height of the industrial revelation) humans created their fate through the follies of class divisions between the working class and the aristocracy. When first encountering the Eloi the time traveler deduces that their childlike existence is due to the fact that somewhere along the line humans concurred all the adversities that earth had to officer, including most importantly aggression and class strife. The Eloi where the culmination of a human race who had no adversity to test their minds and who lived in a communist utopia. By this point the book is a warning against the darker parts of pure communism (Not Stalin's communism that has not yet occurred by Well's time). In a communist utopia, where every need is met by carful planning and adherence to collectivism, there can be no innovation because the individual is not rewarded for innovative behavior and the society has no need for such innovation. The result is that humanity losses the ability to reason and become the childlike Eloi. After the Travelers time machine is stolen; the Traveler discovers the Morlocks. By this time the Traveler revises his earlier hypotheses and now believes that some time between the story narrators time and the future time; somehow the aristocracy decides to take their industry and place it underground as to keep the surface of the earth clean and beautiful for them to enjoy. Some time after that the aristocracy forces the working class to perpetually live underground to care for and work the machines of industry; while they the aristocracy play the day way on the surface of the earth reaping the rewards of the working class. Some time after that the aristocracy losses their ability to reason because they have spent their lives playing the day away and turn into the childlike Eloi. The child like Eloi become easy pickings of the working class, who have spent their lives underground keeping the machines of industry running. There is a class revolt and the Morlocks become the oppressors rather than the oppressed. The working class now uses their technology to keep the Eloi as cattle. This latter half of the story of course is a warning against the darker parts of capitalism and what the result would be if the aristocracy of the industrial revolution continue to take more and more advantage of the working class. That eventually through this behavior the aristocracy will be singing their own death warrants by becoming to fat and happy at the expense of the working class. H. G. Wells was a proponent of the socialistic society; so the Time Machine is his attempt to scare the aristocracy strait; but like any good thinker he is able to explore the follies of his own ideals and honestly put warnings for his own side in his book as well. Cold War America however was in an ideological battle with the "pretenders" of the working class party and a cautionary tail in favor of the working class would not have been "politically correct" so the 1960 movie adaptation dropped the class strife angle and went with a cautionary tail against nuclear war far. Also there is a different relationship between Gorge and Weena in the move than between the Time Traveler and Weena in the book. The movie suggests they fall in love and that Gorge goes back in part to be with Weena. In the book the Time Traveler and Weena really only become friends and Weena even dies in the book. At the end of the movie after leaving Gorge's dinner party, where Gorge recounts his time traveling story, his closest friend goes back to Gorge's house because he forgot something (I can't remember what) and discovers that Gorge is no longer there; that he went forward in time to be with Weena. The friend also discovers that along with Gorge being missing that three books from Gorges library are alls leaving, prompting the friend to ask the maid (and so the audience) what three books would you take if you where going forward to rebuild humanity. At the end of the book the Time Traveler's good friend is the narrator; and is present in the Time Travelers house when the Traveler takes another journey through time after the dinner. The Traveler promises his friend he would be back in a half hour; but sadly by the time the friend his narrating the story to the reader, three years after the events being narrated, the Traveler had not yet returned. Also in the book, after escaping from the Morlocks but before returning to his dinner party the Traveler goes forward in time to witness the death of the earth. The movie tries to make good on this part of the book, but doesn’t really have the time to do it. Instead when Gorge escapes the Morlocks he accidently pushes the leaver forward hard, and thing get rather cold for him which is meant to shadow the dyeing earth; but then he quickly reverses direction and goes to his diner party. As some more information, in the first release of H.G.Well's story in a magazine; his editor made Well's add to the original story the final outcome of the Eloi and the Morlocks. So in the part of the story where the Traveler witnesses the death of the earth, he finds to creatures still alive; a small fluffy rabbit type creature and a large ugly bug like creature. He finds that the fluffy creature is hunted and eaten by the bug create and than discovers that the fluffy creature is more humanoid than bunny like. Of course the fluffy creature was the future fate of the Eloi and the Morlocks turned into the bug like creature. "Evolution" was also a big debate in Well's time so its not surprising the editor wanted this angle in the story as well; but while Well's was using the new concept of Evolution to create his Morlocks and Elois, it wasn't the really point of his story and didn’t like the ending the editor made him add. So when the book was final published Well's removed the bug/bunny portion. |
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| Dandandat | Oct 19 2009, 10:19 AM Post #13 |
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Shirley
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I agree; My dad was into these types of old Scifi movies (as well as old war movies) when I was a young'n and at that time my little mind didn’t grasper the larger story being told, but I was captured by the time laps part of this movie and it may be the reason I liked it so much and still do. I like where the store mannequin changes cloths and George refers to her as his campaign on his journey; commenting on the clothes she "decides" to ware and whether he likes them or not. Or when the boards start plopping on his windows at the start of his journey or when he gets bumped around because of the nuclear war still gets me existed despite the old effects. In fact in some ways I like these old effects better than the new effects they come out with now. When I see some movies made to day, I find my self roiling my eyes at how silly unreal somethings look. But I don't do that with old movies even though the effects are "worse" in some ways. Its like watching TOS; my wife always laughs at me when I watch it because she can't get over the old effects and thinks I'm being stupid for liking the shows. Yet despite all the modern effects of the last star trek movie, I would not rank it as better than TOS. |
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| 24thcenstfan | Oct 19 2009, 01:40 PM Post #14 |
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Something Wicked This Fae Comes
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I too liked the changing styles of the mannequin. I also liked the changes with the candle, the ice and view through George’s workshop windows and the changing status/environment with the large sundial out in his yard.
One of the things I have learned to appreciate and enjoy is the tangibility of some of these old school special effects. Items looked real. A character’s actions looked real. Movement in general looked more realistic. In modern day CGI, there is sometimes a lack of depth with action or “item” that is computer generated. On the flip side, computer generation can enhance in ways that older technology never could (or would be much harder to reproduce). Especially in creating certain environments on the green screens. Older technique doesn't necessarily equal bad or lacking in realism. |
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| AmVet | Oct 19 2009, 01:45 PM Post #15 |
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Commodore
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Most books/ stories that are converted to film are almost always completely different in one way or another. There are details that are left out of hundreds of film versions for fear that it will not be "accepted" as part of the story by the viewer, monetary reasons, time, etc. I share 24's sentiments regarding Weena. The one scene in the entire film which I did not like was how her peers were oblivious to her almost drowning, simply sitting around eating fruits when she was moments from going under. Re: The Three Books One has to pretty much automatically assume that the first is The Bible. Given the time period plus the year in which the picture was made added with the type of man that George was represented as. The other two could have been War and Peace & Crime and Punishment, but that's my opinion. One more thought: I thought that the Star Trek episode entitled "The Apple" bore a very strong resemblence to this film. |
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| Dandandat | Oct 19 2009, 02:03 PM Post #16 |
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Shirley
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I don’t think the intended messaged was for the audience to guess what books George would have taken. Filby asks the Maid/himself/the audience "Which three books would you have taken?"
What was it that you didnt like about this scene? Edited by Dandandat, Oct 19 2009, 02:04 PM.
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| Dandandat | Oct 19 2009, 02:34 PM Post #17 |
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Shirley
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Filby says these two lines in the movie:
Cleary he has misgivings of the power a Tine Machine would give to its user. Its kind of odd that he isn't to upset that his friend won't off to create a new humanity; effectively making him self a pharaoh. But on the same hand it could be said that George couldn't help himself but to go back, no matter how content he might have been with 1900 or how resigned he was to humanities fate. The allure of that much power, might have proved to much for him. Which than begs a reexamination of what three books to be taken. If you intended to be a pharaoh what three books would you than take? The bible might than be the first book I took. No need to take the time to invent a new religion; just use the already documented one and simply put your self in a lead role. A man with a Time Machine could easily pull off the role of Jesus. After that a book on science and agriculture would still be in order. After all the Pharaoh needs to provide for his subjects else they will eventually turn on him. |
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| AmVet | Oct 19 2009, 02:49 PM Post #18 |
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Commodore
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That no member of the community tried to help her out of the water. |
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| Dandandat | Oct 19 2009, 03:07 PM Post #19 |
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Shirley
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Does a cow try to help another cow that is dieing from drawning? |
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| 24thcenstfan | Oct 19 2009, 03:31 PM Post #20 |
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Something Wicked This Fae Comes
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That scene bothered me too. Watching people being totally unconcerned about the potential death of this person was annoying to put it mildly. I think that was the point of the scene though to illustrate how the Eloi lacked the ability to reason enough to care about the well-being of someone else. How they failed to recognize the value of Weena’s life.
Good call. The followers of Vaal were quite niave as well. Although, I think they might have showed a bit more awareness of their being and purpose than the Eloi.
I think animals in general occasionally show great depth in the caring department for other animals and even people who are hurt or distressed. I don’t know to what extent a cow would be capable though. They do show certain protective instincts toward their offspring. Like a lot of animals do. It surprises me that not even on some basic instinctual level that the Eloi didn’t even react to the distress Weena was exhibiting. Its possible that they just haven’t leaned to differentiate between normal and abnormal. However, there wasn’t even so much as a raised eyebrow that I recall. That seemed odd to me. |
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