The Fans That Turned a Flop Romance into an Enduring Classic
an extract from Robert Cettl's book Film Tales: Movie Trivia in the Age of DVD (on sale now in print and soon in e-book)
Director Jeannot Szwarc came late into the production of Jaws 2 and virtually saved the production for the studio, turning it into a huge commercial success. In return, Szwarc was allowed to make another film as a favour, a film that he felt personally committed to: an unusual time travel romance called Somewhere in Time, adapted from a novel by Richard Matheson, a former collaborator of cult producer Roger Corman and one of the creative team behind the early Twilight Zone. However, the studio was not impressed by the promise of this film and shortly into it cut the planned budget virtually in half. Although this necessitated much change in shooting style and design, the director persisted, making his romantic movie the way he felt it should be made. However, all involved were disappointed to find that the film received an ill-advised release process and proved a flop: few people went to see it and critics loathed it. Nevertheless it did sell to cable television where it screened regularly over the years and was there re-discovered by fans. Some of these fans soon organized their own newsletters, gatherings and even excursions to the hotel around which the film is set. In due course a website dedicated to the film and its following soon emerged.