The Time Machine

TV, The Time Machine (1964)

'The Time Machine' is one of those classics in the vein of 'Jekyll and Hyde' or 'The Invisible Man', and the story is strong, shining through any patchy effects. In fact the effects are very well done and make the film a worthwhile watch, even 50 or so years later. The appreciation of the characters, mainly the man who does the time travelling and his Scottish friend is what helps you care about the story, and a Victorian man in the future is simply a great concept. In some ways the scenes in his future/our past are more compelling than the distant future of Eloi and Morlocks, especially as he meets his friend's son, at two different ages. Being made in 1964, the '66 sequence would have been most exciting, what with nuclear attacks and volcanoes erupting against it, but this is the only moment which takes you out of the story, knowing that never happened, and the model work, as good as it is, is clearly model work.

The great friendship between the two men and understanding, even the final realisation of where he has gone, make it rise above a typical sci-fi film of the '60's. The horror of the Morlock's, that people could become these underground-dwelling, mutated, cannibals, feeding on the simple folk above is still a strong image, and long before Indiana Jones was even an idea, you see a Morlock decay before your eyes. Effects, story and characters. All of a good standard, what more could you want?

For children this would be a great film - I first saw it when I was young and impressionable, and that shot of the Morlock running around on fire always stayed with me. It may not be able to compete on the same terms as massive blockbusters and celebrity stars, but if you want a film you'll enjoy, look no further.

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