Journey to the Center of Time

7 March 2005. For its era, this time travel movie is on par with most of its low-budget, neglected sci fi movies of its time. With poor special effects, with cheesy acting, this somewhat ambitious sci fi movie attempts to push the envelope but falls somewhat flat. It wasn't until the next few years, when sci fi gains a respected reputation does the quality of sci fi move forward much. This B-sci fi movie makes use of the unbelievable effects and lame acting that goes with a minimal budget. The plot is average to decent but gets lost by the end with no where to go, unlike Outer Limits on television dared to go at the time. Four out of Ten Stars.

This is definitely one for the books - the book being "Bad movies to laugh and point at." It's simply an endless fountain of badness; bad acting, writing, plot, sets, dialog, special effects - and how wonderful to find all that in one place. It's quite possible this movie has some redeeming features but who really cares? Oh an the best line from any movie ever! Says the handsome, plastic looking scientist guy to the scientist girl in the impossible heels: "You're very pretty. For a girl." After that - how can you not love this marvelous mess?

In this film a group of scientists time travel to a low budget future and then back in time to a low budget prehistoric past. Total hokum with little to recommend it. I'm not sure why I even selected this for watching.

I wouldn't say this movie is "bad" because I was entertained for the most part though probably not in the way the director intended. The cast is pretty hilarious. Just watching these four "characters" wandering about is a sight for sore eyes. I liked the Kissinger-look-alike Scientist, the white-machinist-looking businessman Stanton (reminds me of the guy who does/did the horoscope for The Onion), and especially his buddy who stays behind looking over the shoulder of "Dave" while making the most inane comments and looking cheerful throughout. The memory of the women standing by the computers out in back brings tears to my eyes. There's also an pseudo-intelligent little twist towards the end - and the ending was cool.

As I understand it, Ib Melchior and Dave Hewitt had a falling out over 1964's The Time Travelers. Both are credited with coming up with the story, but Hewitt left the production and Melchior wrote the screenplay and directed this little sci-fi B-film classic himself. Hewitt wrote his own version of the movie and later directed it as 1967's Journey to the Center of Time, making just a slightly different version. I can't remember ever seeing what is essentially a remake arrive just three years after the first movie's release. But then again, both films were grist for drive-ins where few people probably noticed the similarities. These movies had me scratching my head wondering if I had seen it before on TV where, after repeated viewings, I was able to make the connection between the two films.

This one is really bad yet it was fun to watch. It is a story about time travel with an absurd plot, a dreary script, a hokey set, illogical actions, and a strange and bizarre ending. Nevertheless, it was fun to watch. I purchased it on a two sided DVD with H.G. Wells "Things to Come" on the other side. This movie too is strange, but it was worth buying. What is worth noting is that the actor who plays "Doc" Gordon in Journey is also in "Things to Come" as the Jew. If you enjoy hokey science fiction this is worth looking at.

JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF TIME seals us into a dull room filled with dull people doing dull things. This is where we are doomed to stay, interrupted only by a few giant lizards and Lyle Waggoner. This movie is boredom captured on film. Few movies dare to hit us over the head so continually with utter nothingness. So little goes on that time itself stops, ceases to be, ends forever. Our hearts seem to shrivel with our brains as we watch. Watch this only if you have lost all reason to live, or if you are among the teeming throng of Lyle Waggoner fanatics. Otherwise, your soul shall die...