Time After Time

"H.G. Wells Races Through Time To Catch Jack The Ripper!"

1979 1h 52m EN

👍

6.8

SOLID

★6.8TMDB · 402

AdventureDramaComedyScience FictionThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Writer H. G. Wells pursues Jack the Ripper to modern day San Francisco after the infamous serial killer steals his time machine to escape the 19th century.

“H.G. Wells Races Through Time To Catch Jack The Ripper!”

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Cast

Malcolm McDowell
H. G. Wells
David Warner
Jack the Ripper - John Leslie Stevenson
Mary Steenburgen
Amy Robbins
Charles Cioffi
Lt. Mitchell
Kent Williams
Assistant
Andonia Katsaros
Mrs. Turner
Patti D'Arbanville
Shirley
James Garrett
Edwards

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Nicholas Meyer
Writers: Nicholas Meyer, Karl Alexander, Steve Hayes
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

47 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Nicholas Meyer, shot by Paul Lohmann. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Miklós Rózsa. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Donn Cambern shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Malcolm McDowell and David Warner and Mary Steenburgen carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "H.G. Wells Races Through Time To Catch Jack The Ripper!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0080025 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Nicholas Meyer directs. Paul Lohmann behind the camera. Miklós Rózsa scores. Donn Cambern cuts. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

147 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Directed by Nicholas Meyer, shot by Paul Lohmann. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Miklós Rózsa. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Donn Cambern shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Malcolm McDowell and David Warner and Mary Steenburgen carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "H.G. Wells Races Through Time To Catch Jack The Ripper!".
7IMDB entry: tt0080025 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Paul Lohmann
Original score: Miklós Rózsa
Editing: Donn Cambern
Production design: Edward C. Carfagno
Makeup / hair: Lynn F. Reynolds
Sound: Arthur Piantadosi
Stunt coordinator: Everett Creach
Runtime: 112 min · 1h 52m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Box office: $13,000,000
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: Time After Time (1979)

Awards

National Board of Review: Top Ten Films

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Nicholas Meyer

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

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Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2014-06-04
★ 8.5/10
Ninety years ago I was a freak. Today I’m an amateur. Time After Time is directed by Nicholas Meyer who also adapts the screenplay from a story written by Karl Alexander and Steve Hayes. It stars Malcolm McDowell, David Warner and Mary Steenburgen. Music is by Miklos Rozsa and cinematography is by Paul Lohmann. How delightful, a wonderful idea is given an equally wonderful presentation. The makers have come up with the idea of pitching Jack the Ripper against H.G. Wells, in the present day of 1979. This after the Ripper (Warner) used Wells’ (McDowell) time machine to escape the Whitechapel police back in 1891, thus forcing Wells to track the infamous killer to San Francisco in the future. There have been so many fish-out-of-water based movies over the years, it’s so refreshing to find one that has a genuinely original premise to work from. In the Ripper’s case he sees all the violence around the streets of San Fran and believes it’s his calling to be in this company. On the flip-side, Wells is perturbed to find that this is not the Utopia he had envisaged, but yet the science lover in him is fascinated by what he finds. Helps, too, that he has caught the attention of a very horny Amy Robbins (Steenburgen), who is equally fascinated by his genteel mannerisms. Naturally the fun has to stop at some point to let the suspense and darker aspects of the story come to the surface. Meyer gets the blend right, dropping in little snippets of evil as Jolly Jack, resplendent with waistcoat and money belt, goes about his bloody business, and then switching to the Wells/Amy axis as they try to build a relationship whilst trying to convince the authorities that a nutter is very much in their midst. It builds nicely, ramping up the tension considerably, and there’s always the pertinent question hanging in the air of if there is any hope for H.G. and Amy? Such is the rich characterisations and quality of story telling, we most assuredly care about the outcome to this splendid piece of time travelling cake. 8.5/10

Production companies