MovieChat Forums > Time After Time (1979) Discussion > The Viewer, The Film Maker, and the Hero

The Viewer, The Film Maker, and the Hero

posted 18 years ago by PrairieCal
3 replies | jump to latest

I once belonged to a literary group which took part in a several months long reading excercise entitled, "The Reader, The Writer, and the Detective. It occurs to me that all three were necessary for the writing to be appreciated. Without the reader, the writer and the detective would have no purpose.

Likewise with film, without the viewer films would be an exercise in futility.

Films have become such an integrated part of our lives that they take their place alongside each of our life's real happenings and phases. How many of us can remember when we saw a certain film, and what part of our life we saw it in?
Many, I'm sure. It occurs to me often.

We bought our first VCR in the early '80's, and one of the first films I taped from HBO was Time After Time. I just rewatched that tape, and although a bit washed out after 20-some years, the film itself was as exciting and original as I remembered it. H. G. and Amy were such likeable heros, the pace was fast, and the film held one's interest throughout.

It was an enjoyable viewing. And not the least of reasons was the fact that it brought back memories of my wife, my children and myself, munching popcorn and watching this several times together.

Do other people associate films with certain times of their lives? Or is it just me?

[–] PhrenicGermal 18 years ago

Do other people associate films with certain times of their lives? Or is it just me?

Maybe a bit. Often a film will remind me of a woman, usually because I took her on a date to see the film in a theatre. In my late teens when I romantisised the implications of things and streached them to great proportion in my mind (teen angst) I was really into Fritz Lang's Metropolis (I had the Georgio Moroder edit). Batman reminds me of when our family first got a VCR, and that was my first (and only) videotape for a while, and I watched it a lot. Hackers reminds me also of high school, when I hung out with the computer/film nerds, and we all referanced it in conversations because we wished we were as cool at those kids. Also, Donald in Mathemagic Land reminds me of my ealry love of maths and learning.

That's all I can think of now.

[–] archrrich 18 years ago

Do other people associate films with certain times of their lives? Or is it just me?

Oh yes, I remember the exact day I saw this, with some good friends on a Saturday night, a few days before Christmas 1979...it was a perfect day and we ended it with a film that was just right, charming, surprising.... I've never forgotten it. And I even remember we sat in the middle of the third theater at the local discount house that was showing this...if memory serves, it was 99 cents or a maximum of $1.25...now that's something to remember.

This is a great movie!

[–] crash_into_me420 18 years ago

It's inevitable. Oftentimes we might not consciously realize it but certain films or at least images from them engrain themselves into our minds. With time we might begin to mix these movie memories with our actual memories, "cinematizing" our own memory to an extent. Very interesting indeed.