One thing that I question and it has always bothered me:
How long was the Ripper in San Francisco before Wells caught up with him?
H.G. Wells is like a fish out of water, yet the Ripper has already fit into 1979 especially with the clothing.
Has anyone noticed that or does anyone have any comments?
The Ripper is a different kind of person than Wells. He is much more adaptable and flexible in his viewpoints. He blends in to new situations far more quickly than the deep-thinking Wells can. If any of you know personality theory, Wells is probably an INTJ while the Ripper is an SP type.
shareI think that the Ripper got approximately a 2-hour head start on Wells. However, after Wells arrived in San Francisco, it took him almost twenty-four hours to find the Ripper, which is plenty of time for him to aclimate himself, buy new clothing, learn a few customs, etc. Also, I believe that the Ripper was more willing to take risks regarding his behavior in 1979 than Wells was.
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I'd say their goals were also different. Wells was on a mission to find and stop the Ripper. The Ripper's goal was specifically to blend in and vanish.
From a story viewpoint, it works well with the Rippers comments about the 20th Century. The Ripper was *always* a 20th century man, he was just not born into it.
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Suzdal said:
"From a story viewpoint, it works well with the Rippers comments about the 20th Century. The Ripper was *always* a 20th century man, he was just not born into it."
Yeah. Too true. :o( I remember the 20th century. It was pretty messed up. In fact, it sucked, in a big way.
I *particularly* remember 1979, as especially messed up, for me anyway. For close to twenty years after that I told people I had died in 1979. I meant that figuratively, of course. In about 2003 I saw _Cowboy Bebop_ for the first time, and was immediately struck by Spike's parallel claim to have in some sense "died." I could relate.
I guess everyone knows about how in _From Hell_ the Ripper claimed to have invented or fathered the 20th century somehow. I can believe it.
Ozy
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Another thing is that Wells didn't have the money to buy a bunch of clothes. Whereas, they never showed how Ripper got the money. Though he likely stole it from one of his victims. I agree that Wells wasn't as apt to take risks as the Ripper in the sense of fashion and blending in. However, I don't think "fashion risks" were of great importance to either of them in the sense of being accepted or standing out. Wells is a naive, brilliant-minded inventor from 1893 whose main goal was to get Ripper back to 1893. The Ripper has chameleon-like psychology that he uses to prey upon innocent women, and his main goal was to evade capture and do as he pleases in the new era he went to.
shareStevenson was a doctor, and apparently fairly high in London society. I would say he had a fair degree of ready cash he could have taken with him.
One of the gently humorous ironies about this movie, quite delicious really, was that HG Wells, who considered himself so advanced and forward-thinking, so radical in his view of the future, was completely flummoxed when he actually encountered the future, and was in many ways totally out of his depth. It makes me smile.
You might very well think that. I couldn't possibly comment.
The implication of the movie is that Wells arrived in 1979 within an hour or two of Stephenson - the same amount of time passed in both eras. Which makes no sense to me, as it would seem Wells' coordinates would have been the exact same as Stephenson's - to the hour and minute. You would think he should have arrived at the exact same moment. But then, that would have spoiled the movie, don't you think?
About the money: Stephenson was certainly used to thinking on his feet. He was out on the town that night, while Wells was at home - therefore, Stephenson would have been more likely to be carrying money on him. And considering his hobby, Stephenson could conceivably be in the habit of carrying a money belt with him in case of emergency getaway contigencies.
Also, he did not expect anyone to be chasing him, so his only job was to blend in, while Wells had to not only try to blend in, but find Stephenson's trail as quickly as possible.
While there were certainly psychotics killing people long before Jack the Ripper, the Ripper is considered to be the first modern serial killer, one who not only eluded the police, but apparently taunted them, as well as catching the public's eye and pratically becoming a celebrity in his own time.
Since despite all efforts to prove his identity, the Ripper seemingly appeared from nowhere and disappeared to nowhere, maybe he did travel through time. It's as plausible a getaway as any other.
Perhaps in the far future, he becomes a Klingon Ambassador and gets killed by a conspiracy led by Christopher Plummer?
Some really good points, abs !
You might very well think that. I couldn't possibly comment.
Since despite all efforts to prove his identity, the Ripper seemingly appeared from nowhere and disappeared to nowhere, maybe he did travel through time. It's as plausible a getaway as any other.
Perhaps in the far future, he becomes a Klingon Ambassador and gets killed by a conspiracy led by Christopher Plummer?
Didn't Nicholas Meyer (a Trek fan, of course) say that Wolf in the Fold could have been considered a sequel to Time after Time? In otherwords, the Redjac entity could have been the essence of Stephenson, a bodiless figure flitting through infinity but never losing his hunger for killing.
share In the film they show the money belt on the Ripper's waist in a scene, and when Wells asks Amy about him at the bank as he trys to find him initially she mentions he has a money belt as "big as life".
So he definitely has cash on him, in a money belt. Also, as a Doctor, albeit a nutjob doctor, he had to have big bucks.
Hi
they never showed how Ripper got the money. Though he likely stole it from one of his victims.Considering who his victims were (poor working girls from the poorest area of London), not very likely. It was no doubt a preplanned get away fund he always wore, he just didn't expect to escape through time.