The Time Travelers

source: The Time Travelers

Trailer—The Time Travelers

The Time Travelers

I'm surprised to find myself ranking this at a 7; a sterile objectivity would probably rank it no higher than a 5. The thing is, there is an earnestness and humor to the movie, and a certain charm, which has compelled me to watch it twice in just the past year. Furthermore, the film is visually appealing, making effective use of bold colors in the way the original Star Trek series did, and part of the charm I mentioned relates to not only the wonderful character actors who proliferate the cast, but also the inventive prop and other practical effects. The final feature which bumps it into 7 territory for me is the very ending of the movie, which I will not give away, but which I found unusual and even daring, given how firmly The Time Travelers is seated within the low-budget, floridly full color, shclock scifi of the 1960s.

Since it is probably the first sci-fi film I have ever watched, I am a little positively biased in favor of that film. Nevertheless if one ignores the outdated visual effects, and sticks to the general idea of the film, it is still remaining a very interesting sci fi - doomsday film. The story is typical, combining time travel with cold war fear of an impeding nuclear holocaust. There are no easy way outs for the heroes or the portrayed humanity. Add to that the flavor of adventure plus several environmental connotations and you end up with a very interesting package typical of the 60s gloomy era. The final climax of the film, is very unexpected although the makers of the film have allowed for the necessary hinds at the beginning,for the suspicious viewer. Stonglly recommended for the sci-fi enthusiasts.

This is one of my favorites,great camp,lots of inside jokes,a good plot,and if you used to read Famous Monsters of Filmland like I did,there is a special guest shot of Forest j Akerman in it also. This film was also shown in the Air and Space Museum during their sci fi film series. The cast does a good job and some pretty good special effects. For a low budget sci fi flick it covers a lot of ground,post nuclear war,mutants,space travel,love affairs,some wild futuristic music,and of course time travel.I think the ending will leave you thinking,and wanting to see this movie again and again.

This is an imaginative 'time machine' thriller about scientists and technical support thrusting themselves 107 years into the future. This is one of those typical mid 60s sci-fi flicks complete with mole looking inhabitants and of course, female space travelers fitted in skin tight pants. Well worth the backward look into the future. Among the time travelers are: Preston Foster, Philip Carey, John Hoyt, Delores Wells and Steve Franken.

In 1964, a group of scientists create a portal that takes them to a barren, mutant inhabited, Earth in the year 2071. The general assumption is that if a film is picked to be on "Mystery Science Theater", it must be a bad movie. And more often than not, this is correct. They really have found the worst of the worst. But "Time Travelers" is not one of them. Yes, some of the acting is a bit silly, and there to plenty to make fun of. Some of the science does not really make very much sense. But you have to be impressed by the work that went into the androids. Wow. For what was likely a very low budget, the androids come off as some quality work. And mixing in a few clever tricks of the camera turns simple scenes into complex ones.

There are a zillion B&W sci-fi cheapies out there, and every one is somebody's favorite. This is one of mine. Scientists working on a time-camera experiment discover that it's actually a portal. They step through it into the far future, where remnants of a high-tech civilization battle troglodytes for survival. The cave-dwelling good guys and their androgynous androids are engaged in a desperate race against time to build a rocket to take them away from the ruined Earth. Our time travelers fall in with them, fall afoul of them, fall in love with them... well, you know. This movie is one of those irresistible gems where the real battle is between energetic actors, imaginative directors, and talented technical people who toil fearlessly against a low budget and cheap sets. But if you're a fan of the genre, give this a watch. You'll thank me.

If it weren't for Ib Melchior, Irwin Allen would never have made Lost in Space or The Time Tunnel. Yet Allen had connections so Ib mostly shut up. This, one of my three favorite time travel movies from the 60s (then others being the incomparable The Time Machine & Beyond the Time Barrier) is so well done it transcends it's low budget. Every penny is on screen. A group of scientists opens a portal into the future - a horrible one - and must find a way home.