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[JohnIan101]

Past Tense


[An earlier version of this PT was originally posted on September 8th, 2011 on JoBlo's "DVD, Blu-Ray & Home Theater Discussion" forum.]

Long labored, bore from tears, motivated by the impossible - where WILL you go in "The Time Machine"...



The motion picture opened on March 10th, 2002. It was made with a budget of $80,000,000 (estimated) and grossed over $56 million during its U.S. theatrical run; counting foreign receipts it made $123,729,176. The film opened number one at the box office, the following week it dropped to number four.

The feature opened against "The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring", "A Beautiful Mind", "40 Days And 40 Nights" and "Return To Never Land".

This release was case only, no slipcover. It did come with a two page booklet, production notes with chapter listing.

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Sorry, don't have a weekly ad scan, predates my archive. I should - in the final week of December '04 I started collecting Best Buy weekly ads. Broken in six month intervals, stored in large Manilla envelopes - each noted. I have everyone from 2005 - 2013; most of 2014, but things went sour at the end of August. I have some beyond, but it's incomplete.



Best Buy was the only store with an exclusive, a bonus disc attached to the case. This set streeted on July 23rd, 2002; sold for $14.99, came in a printed cardboard sleeve (which can fit inside the case).

Did not buy on release day, bought two years later from Wal-Mart and the exclusive through Ebay years later (didn't start buying DVDs until 2003, November). Have moved them into a two disc case. The film DVD is gold, unlike current which is silver.

"Inside The Screenplay" is a 6:01 minute featurette, strangely named "Writer & Director Commentary" on the sleeve. "Read The Screenplay" is text based, self-explanatory.

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Rant.

What have you done? Thousands of years of building and rebuilding, creating and recreating so you can let it crumble to dust. A million years of sensitive men dying for their dreams... FOR WHAT?

- George (time traveler)

I don't get the hate. It's a sold feature with sway moments of awe which is sorely lacking today. You don't have to rush into your story; dash to conclusion for what? Take the time to enjoy the world created.

Before you ask, not a remake of the 1960, George Pal classic of the same name. But rather a reimagining of the concept. One of the few reboots - in my opinion that works.



Director Simon Wells (great-grandson of author, H.G. Wells) did a good job creating a throwback. A drama about love lost and the great lengths a man would go to find it once more. No easy answers and in a way heartbreaking, his goal is beyond reach - even with time itself in his hands.

If you haven't, do - the '60 adaptation. George Wells (Rod Taylor) was more animated and optimistic than Alexander Hartdegen (Guy Pearce). Then again, he went forward for the sake of knowledge (to see how humanity progressed) not as a way to save his sweetheart. By the way, there's a good fan made, modernize trailer...

Go to YouTube, type "The Time Machine (1960) Trailer Personal Edit" in search. Or if you know how, "H-Ho2nvGuWw". It's still there (as of writing), checked. Uploaded on February 16th, 2010 by Jamie Demeter. There is another "The Time Machine (1960) Trailer (Fan Made)", but it's pretty straight forward.

I do like that bit of continuity; Simon Wells making movie by Wells. AND I enjoyed the cameo by Alan Young who plays the florist. Young played David Philby in the 1960 version, George's best friend. The role in the remake now played by Mark Addy.

Found out about while researching.

There is a CGI animated "The Time Machine" coming out later this year, celebrating the 120th anniversary of the novel. It's directed by Clyde Lucas. And stars Young as the voice of George Wells. I wanna see it.



This was the first film I saw Sienna Guillory in. So strange, I loved her as Jill Valentine in "Resident Evil: Apocalypse" (2004). I recall searching IMDb after watching and finding out she was here as Emma, the dead girlfriend.

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The glitter and the glue, all that noise.

- Nina Gordon

Man, this has to be addressed, it keeps surfacing on various message boards.

The drift.

How can the machine travel in time when its relative position keeps changing as the Earth spins on it's axis and rotates around the sun? He should materialize in space - world is no longer at that spot.

This isn't explicitly mentioned, but is shown. Some logical deductions - the answer.

Phased anchoring...



Once the optical blades are spinning at the proper rotations, generating its own gravity, the automated system turns on the temporal sphere. Which you notice has created it's own gravity well.

The machine is suspended off the floor, feet retracted.

The sphere is now anchored to its relative locale. Someone standing outside of that sphere (once aggravated) will not see the chrononaut nor the machine, they vanish. The device is out of phase. Temporal momentum happens and once at his particular destination/whim, traveler brings it out of phase; back into synch with the rest of the world.

All the while never moving from his point of activation, since the apparatus is tethered.

Which is why the machine is off the ground - terrain change; Hartdegen did plan in advance.

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Footnotes.



Above is a still from an alternate scene not included in the delete footage on the DVD. Only appears in the trailer for two seconds. Alexander goes further into the future and sees a new, more advance Eloi world (clearly influenced by Vox [Orlando Jones]). Next is the final version.

This was the new world he witnessed after fighting the Über-Morlock (Jeremy Irons). Filmmakers changed their minds and gave us a barren, Morlock owned world (without a master mind controller). The bleak vision was probably done to give him real motivation to change the future.

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You can see from the poster on the top, this was slated for a December 2001 release, but the date was changed because of 9-11. DreamWorks had to cut out and rework a pivotal action scene set in 2037. Not a reshoot, CGI to make different - pushed back the release from December 24th, 2001 to March 10th, 2002.

What was it?

The excavation on the moon for "Lunar Leisure Living", causing it to crack and shatter. The scene in the final film is somewhat similar to the pre-altered version; Hartdegen is handcuffed and is forcibly taken by soldiers to their Humvee - to the underground shelter.

Unlike the film, moon fragments are impacting - one of them hits a skyscraper causing it to collapse. As the building falls, the soldiers run for safety, Alexander runs back into his contraption and jumps. Events follow the same course. This disaster happens on August 8th, 2037. I guess they felt this was too close to the Twin Towers falling.

Within the exclusive, "Read The Screenplay" there is no mention of the meteor shower, Instead it reads:

Then another tremor - the most violet yet - like a shock wave nearing them -- building --

The earth begins to shake and quake and undulate violently - as if gravity itself is rebelling.

Whole portions of the presented screenplay has areas which simplify read - "OMIT". This script appears to be the post 9-11 version.

THIS screenplay reflects the positive Eloi future. A time when humanity isn't land based, they have a floating city. The gear readout displays, July 11th - 63,542,781,045.

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I wish this had happened.



In early 2004 there was a report that executive producer, Arnold Leibovit and Warner Bros. were working towards a sequel, a mini-series.

The character, Dr. Alexander Hartdegen would face a new peril.

No word if Guy Pearce would've reprise or even what venue for broadcast (network or cable), or even syndicated.

Obviously didn't get made, but I would like to know what it was about? Was a treatment or full teleplay written?

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Just Because.



A screen snap of actress Myndy Crist - "Jogger" from 2030 (she's pretty). Don't know; in the display window behind them - is that a blue micro mini-skirt or booty shorts? Either way I approve. *nods*

Done. On September 10th, 2015 we'll have a vision of yesterday when you had robots stealing your crap. I suspect they're hocking it for pills from the elderly (when they're not stealing themselves) for fuel. They do that, you know. EVEN Twiki - hell his name says it all. I feel for Dr. Huer, always on the guard, his blood pressure meds.

[JohnIan101]

Best Buy - September 8th, 2015


Gotham: The Complete First Season
Exclusive something (bonus disc?) DVD $34.99

The Walking Dead: The Complete Fifth Season (available now)
Exclusive lenticular cover; BD only $39.99

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CDs

"Chvrches - Every Open Eye" CD single with exclusive coupon for $2.00 off the later album $1.99 (available September 25th, 2015)
"Scarface - Deep Rooted" with 3 exclusive bonus tracks $9.99 (available now)
"Five Finger Death Punch - Got Your Six" with exclusive t-shirt set $24.99 (available now)
"Iron Maiden - Speed Of Light" CD single with exclusive t-shirt and coupon for $2.00 off the later album $13.99 (now available)
"Slayer - Repentless" CD single with exclusive $2.00 off coupon for the later album $1.99 (available now)
"Keith Richards - Crosseyed Heart" with exclusive bonus track $13.99 (available now)
"Meliora - Ghost" with 2 exclusive bonus tracks and limited edition trading cards $11.99 (now available)