Special Features
The region 4 DVD requires an NTSC compatible TV if it is to be seen in its original colour. In the way of special features is a cast and crew list (no biographies or filmographies) and a text section entitled “It’s about Time” which gives some background into time travel themes in literature and cinema. Trailers for Time After Time as well as the 1960 and 2002 versions of The Time Machine are also included. The commentary track by director Nicholas Meyer and actor Malcolm McDowell covers the project’s origins and how McDowell and Steenburgen fell in love during the course of this movie and how this affected their performances (McDowell refers to the film as evidence of their courtship and unsurprisingly considers the romance plot the core of the movie). Also mentioned is how McDowell wanted a change from the heavy parts he had been doing (he was still associated with A Clockwork Orange and had only just completed Caligula), how the music ties into Meyer’s vision, its intertextuality with other Wells themed films and adaptations, its use of locations and Meyer’s belief that the thematic key to the film is the hotel room confrontation between Wells and the Ripper. Comments are also made on the use of costume and the underlying sweetness to the film. It is an entertaining and insightful commentary track, particularly relevant to the film’s blend of genres – thriller, romance, comedy and science fiction amongst them.
Wider Screenings Star Rating
The Movie: 4 stars
Picture: 4 stars
Sound: 3 ½ stars
Extras: 3 ½ stars
WS DVD rating: 4 stars
Wider Screenings DVD Attractions Trailer
(courtesy of YouTube embedded video)