This is How Movies Should Be Made

It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

Like many who have enjoyed this film as a youngster, I was pleased by its availability on Amazon. Others have written about the high quality of the story, and I completely agree. What really impresses me though, is the faithfulness to hard science. A lot of scientific principles are discussed in this film, and they are all correct! I can't remember the last time I saw a science fiction film that got ALL of its science right. Everything, from the limitations presented by the speed of light barrier, to the action/reaction principle of a photon drive. All of this film's science IS science. No warp drives, no subspace faster than light radio transmission. Everything (except, of coarse the time portal itself) fits within the confines of the universe as we know it today. A science teacher in grammar school could screen this for his class, and then use it as a jumping off point for additional sessions. I wish more of today's firms, that claim to be science fiction, would be as scientifically accurate as this little jewel of a film.

Strange music in this movie threatened to put me into a sleep inducing trance in this strange science fiction movies. Former B movie stars Preston Foster and Joan Woodbury provide a bit of Hollywood class among the younger stars (the only one I recognized being Philip Carey of "One Life to Live") where what used to be the earth is now a moon like atmosphere where decrepit ruins of cities look like giant space rocks. Surviving humans live in the middle of the planet and encounter time travelers who are shocked to find their planet a shell of itself. Animated color photography and skin tight costumes on the surviving humans are certainly eye catching, but other than a few chases from earthbound mutants, I was completely bored. There's the subtle glimpse of barely covered female flesh, but that isn't as titillating as it sounds as the wretched dialog and maudlin line delivery might have you yawning and losing consciousness during those scenes. It tries too hard to seem smart, but the script is just too convoluted and uninteresting for most of the film. I guess I should give it credit for some interesting attempts at advancing special effects, but it would take a few more years for the next age of science fiction to take off with "2001: A Space Odyssey". At the point where the survivors left behind realize their options, I'd be willing to face the mutants. Otherwise, this is 82 minutes of an eternal death.

Three scientists and the inevitable everyday Joe are catapulted over a hundred years into the future by a lab accident, into a post-apocalyptic nightmare in which atomic war has devastated the planet. Pursued by a band of savage mutants, they're rescued by the last few humans, a small group of scientists and technicians engaged in a race against time to construct a starship and get away before the more numerous mutants can break through their defenses.None of these elements is particularly new to the genre, but writer/director Ib Melchior manages to combine them into a fairly entertaining and occasionally original piece of "upper low-budget" sf cinema. This isn't to say that the pace doesn't occasionally lag a bit toward the middle, with some sequences feeling like they were inserted just to pad out the running time. (Like a totally unnecessary scene devoted to what's supposed to be a demonstration of their futuristic "matter transmitter", which is clearly just a stage magician's prop.)Mostly, though, there's scarcely a moment wasted in exposition or character development, as the story barrels along to its truly unique conclusion.Set design, miniatures, costuming and makeup -- particularly the androids -- are surprisingly good, for its budget. The optical effects are sparse but imaginative. Though it's early in his distinguished career, having Vilmos Zsigmond behind the camera also contributes considerably to making this a much more polished and expensive-looking production than you'd normally expect to see from American International.

I first saw this movie back in 1965 or 1966, when I was 5 or 6 years old. The mutants really scared me, and I had some bad nightmares. So I would not recommend this film for small children. I recently re watched this and found it not too scary (for adults) but still a good, thought-provoking film. It is a low budget film so some of the special effects and script are obviously dated, but this film heavily influenced Star Trek, and The Time Tunnel was also a spin-off. The scene where Dr White first encounters a half-mutant/half human is still kind of creepy. And the doomsday scenario and the race against time and the mutants lends some good suspense. This film deserves a wider audience, and would be a good candidate for a serious-minded remake.