Rent The Time Machine (1960)

Classic Science Fiction Adventure - The Time Machine review by GI

A nostalgic science fiction adventure film that deserves a modern audience. Adapted from the celebrated novel by H. G. Wells it tells the story of a late Victorian British inventor (Rod Taylor), obsessed with time, who builds a machine with which he intends to explore the future. On his journey he barely survives a nuclear war but manages to travel nearly a million years forwards in time where he discovers that humanity has evolved into two distinct species; the gentle, pastoral Eloi and the industrial, underground dwelling Morlocks but he's in for a shock when he discovers how one uses the other. This is a great story, with a good solid action hero in his first major role. There's no attempt at getting into complex science and the film never attempts to explain how the machine works. This is a family film with some added menace to give that little bit of a scare just to make it memorable. There's some vague attempt at condemning war and industrialisation and a grimace at slavery but the film isn't concerned with being too meaningful. This is just a plain old slice of hokum that entertains all the way through. By today's standards the model work and effects may seem clumsy but these sci-fi/fantasy films of yesteryear are still marvellous when watched today. Here there is a great vision of a future world, an iconic time machine, and some neat monsters to give you a nightmare or two!