Time after Time turns 40: Epic quest across centuries to find a killer

Dangerous Love

Of course, when Wells shows up at his old friend’s doorstep, what ensues is a struggle both physically and morally because Herbert wants John to go back to England with him to face the consequences. Before Stevenson can wrest the key to the time machine from Herbert, they are interrupted by hotel personnel.

Jack flees. However, Wells knows that it is a matter of time before he puts two and two together and discovers that Amy is the culprit who gave him Jack’s location. Herbert finds Amy again and they become romantically entangled. The chemistry between them spills over and soulmates are united.

They join forces to put an end to the Ripper’s nightmare but not before another victim is claimed. This one happens to be a co-worker friend of Amy’s. All of this concludes in a larger-than-life confrontation where in order to save his beloved’s life, Wells must give Stevenson the return key so that he can escape once again.

Time after Time – Mary Steenburgen and Malcolm McDowell – Courtesy of Orion and Warner Bros.

As he prepares to depart, Herbert removes an integral part of the time machine, the vaporizing equalizer. This will send Stevenson into oblivion. Resigned to his fate, Jack nods in understanding and is expelled into nothingness leaving Amy and Wells to return to Victorian England.

Yes, as cliched as it sounds, the love that Herbert had for Amy helped him to find the courage to face the ultimate evil and in doing so, he saved lives.

The Perfection of Time

Time after Time is one of the most original screenplays ever written, in my humble opinion. Malcolm McDowell and David Warner are perfect in their respective roles. They are the ying to each other’s yang and they play off one another brilliantly. You believe that McDowell is the geeky, slightly shy inventor with a wild side.

Warner is flawless as a darling of society gone off the rails. His impressive stature and his leonine appearance give him the ambiance of a charismatic man who could literally woo a woman to her demise.

I fell in love with this film because it is retelling two stories but in a unique way. We all know about Jack the Ripper and The Time Machine but combining the two is sheer genius. If you are in the mood for something refreshing in this age of remakes and redundancies, check out Time after Time. It truly is an enduring classic.

Have you seen Time after Time? Let us know in the comments. We want to hear from you.