Celebrating a Movie the Critics Hated: The Bizarre Cult of "Somewhere in Time"

American Thinker ^ | 10/6/2013 | David Paulin

[GeronL]

Superman?

[Dixie Yooper]

Jane Seymour was smok’in hot, Christopher Reeve could still walk and they kept the Mackinac Bridge out of every shot. Great movie!

[publius911]

I liked this movie. Of course, anytime the critics rave about a film, I never bother watching it. It the artsy-fartsy, tea and croissant crowd love it, it’s usually crap.

I have agreed with you about that my entire life.
But I first saw this film unintentionally, by accident.

Remember double features?
By way of background, I am a lifelong fan of science fiction novels generally, with a special fascination with the 'time travel' theme. That year a film arrived that was 'must see' for me--- not this one --- The Final Countdown. To my surprise, it was a double bill day and the other film was--- You guessed it.

Twenty Five years later, my wife and I actually visited the Grand Hotel and Mackinac Island, a fascinating place even had the film never existed, not on SIT weekend. It was a memorable trip for me and that hotel is awesome. Worth the trip for that alone.

[tanknetter]

Richard Matheson, who contributed so much to “The Twilight Zone” was responsible for it.

Matheson was inspired by another time-travel writer, Jack Finney (who also wrote the basis for Invasion of the Body Snatchers and Assault on a Queen). The character of Dr. Gerard Finney (played in the movie by George Voskovec) is a tribute to Jack Finney.

Finney's time travel works - novels and short stories, are very, very good and definitely worth the read. I got into them with his "About Time" collection of short stories, which came out right about the same time as Back to the Future and my seeing "The Final Countdown" for the first time.

[publius911]

The 18th variation of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini again shot to fame as a result of the movie.

Ironically, in the fan site, as well as the original story the music mentioned was Mahler, which had no part in the film.

[okie01]

“I don’t think we fully appreciated its beauty during our honeymoon.”

You weren’t supposed to...

[hinckley buzzard]

I saw this film when it came out. I had no idea it had achieved the status of a cult classic in the interim. But it was a unique film experience. The fact that pukes like Canby and Ebert panned it only makes its appeal more poignant.

[FlingWingFlyer]

I love The Final Countdown too! Great movie, IMHO. Great soundtrack too.

[pugmama]

Then you have read Diana Gabaldon’ Outlander series?

http://www.dianagabaldon.com/other-projects/movies-mini-series-and-musicals/minifaq/

[usconservative]

You weren’t supposed to...

;-)

[Betis70]

Another sicko who is a Blue Velvet fan. And despite it getting panned by fans, Twins Peaks: Fire Walk With Me. And Dune.

Never saw Eraserhead, but apparently I like David Lynch movies, so ...

[savagesusie]

I agree, no sexual chemistry-— but the movie is like eye-candy and was mildly interesting, but a little too slow for me. Music was beautiful, as was the photography.

One of my favorite movies is The Scarlet Pimpernel with Jane Seymour. Lot of chemistry in that one and clever dialogue/story! I think Jane Seymour is a much better actor than Reeves-—but Reeves was absolutely perfect in Superman. (Sexy wasn’t necessary although he was very cute). I don’t think I liked any of his other movies very much.

[BenLurkin]

I had read the book before seeing the movie. Book held my interest a little better.

[Vendome]

Every American girl I ever dated loves that film.

For the life of me I don’t get it.

[Vermont Lt]

I think it was that song that had a lot to do with the movie’s longevity. It was haunting.

[Verginius Rufus]

Never saw the Christopher Reeve version of “Superman.” Did see some George Reeves TV shows of Superman when I was a kid.

[GeronL]

I remember those reruns, I liked them

[DemforBush]

Eraserhead is decidedly “out there”, but definitely worth a look. It’s on youtube, if you’re interested.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ddLpY28B6A

[null and void]

The scene where Christopher Reeve pulls the1970’s penny out of his pocket and triggers his return to modern time was really dramatic and really well done.

I must disagree.

The scene would have been far, far better if when he looked at the coin he eeeaaahahh and dropped/flung it from his shaking hand as if it were white hot.

Why? That would have left a 1970's coin with her. She could look at it and know instantly where he was from and had went.

And THAT would provide the context she needed to know to track him down on stage, lo those many years later

A Lincoln cent before 1909, with a Lincoln Memorial reverse?

The coin tells her the whole story.

She sees her first Lincoln cent, and it has the wrong back.

She had to agonize over why that was for another 50 years until the Memorial replaced the wheat.

Then she knew, she knew...

[null and void]

That too. The system should not tolerate time travel to any point before time travel itself was invented.