Spring 2020, Issue No. 19.1
TIME TRAVEL NEXUS PRESENTS . . .
Streaming Time Travel: Spring 2020
Part I: Netflix Films
—Up in the ITTDB Citadel, we’re getting close to the release of the first part of the Internet Time Travel Database, which will contain about 60% of the time travel films that we know about. In the meantime, we thought you’d enjoy this preview of those films that are currently streaming on Netflix in the USA. But be warned: Some of these films have time manipulation, but no actual time travel™!
About Time (2013) 
Poor Rachel McAdams—always the bride, never the time traveler. This time it’s romantic comedy with Domhnall Gleeson in the time traveling co-star role. For me, the writer/director had a good vision, but couldn’t make it gel.
I can’t kill Hitler or shag Helen of Troy, unfortunately.
ARQ (2016) 
Ren (and eventually Hannah) are stuck in a time loop that resets each time Ren is killed by one of the Bloc—a group of violent men who at first don’t seem interested in the time-looping machine (aka ARQ).
I already tried that.
Austin Powers I: International Man of Mystery (1997)
Austin chases Dr. Evil from the 1960s to the 1990s via cryogenic sleep, but there’s no real time travel.
Mr. Powers, my job is to acclimatize you to the nineties. You know, a lot’s changed since 1967.
Austin Powers II: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999)
After Dr. Evil escapes from his cryogenic orbit around Earth, he invents a time machine to return to 1969 and attack Austin Powers while he sleeps.
Using this [airquotes]time machine[/airquotes], I shall go back to the 1960s and steal Austin Powers’ mojo.
Austin Powers III: Goldmember (2002) 
When the Austin Power’s father is kidnapped and taken to 1975 by the evil Goldmember, the famous spy must follow in the Pimpmobile.
Not where, Mr. Powers—when!
Avengers: Infinity War (2018) 
Given that the Time Stone is a key element to Thanos’s master plan, you’d think that time travel would play a major part in this movie, but not so. Doc Strange does use the stone to view a slew of possible futures, but we know that’s not actually time travel. So where does the time travel come into play? Pay close attention after Strange announces “We’re in the end game now.”
Tony, there was no other way.
Back to the Future III (1990) 
Marty and 1955-Doc travel back to the Old West where 1985-Doc is trapped along with various Biff ancestors and a possible love interest for Doc.
Doc [blowing train whistle]: I’ve wanted to do that my whole life!.
Click (2006) 
Michael Newman falls asleep on a store mattress, and when he awakes, he is given a universal remote control that lets him fast forward through the boring parts of his life.
It’s an advanced piece of equipment like TiVo.
The Endless (2017) 
We’ll be watching this up in the ITTDB Citadel as part of a double-feature with Lazzaro Felice on Tuesday night, 28 April 2020. Come join us if you have transportation up to the top of Mt. Alberta!
Event Horizon (1997) 
A lotta horrific hallucinations rooted in past regrets, but I’m calling this one as having no actual time travel™.
When she crossed over, she was just a ship, but when she came back, she was alive.
Groundhog Day (1993) 
A jaded weatherman, Phil Connors (no relation to John Connor), is in Punxsutawney to cover the Groundhog Day goings-on, continually repeating the day and—after losing his jaded edge—striving for Rita’s heart.
You’re not a god. You can take my word for it. This is twelve years of Catholic school talking.
Lazzaro Felice (2018) 
We’ll be watching this up in the ITTDB Citadel as part of a double-feature with The Endless on Tuesday night, 28 April 2020. Come join us if you have transportation up to the top of Mt. Alberta!
In the Shadow of the Moon (2019) 
Nine years after a gruesome mass murder, the case is reopened in the face of a copycat. As you might expect, Detective Thomas Lockhart poo-poos the notion that time travel is the only explanation for set of one-year-old keys that were in the sealed evidence box of the nine-year-old case.
Last year? How in the hell did she have these keys in 1988?
Kate & Leopold (2001) 
Leopold, a 19th century blueblood, awakens in 21st century New York where he meets and confounds adwoman Kate.
We are like horses with blinders, seeing only what lies before us, forever guessing the future and fabricating the past.
Minority Report (2002) 
Police use precognition (but no clear-cut time travel) to fight crime.
I have no idea! I’ve never heard of him! But I’m supposed to kill him in less than thirty-six hours.
Naked (2017) 
Rob Anderson wakes up naked in an elevator and late for his wedding, and every time the church bell rings, he’s back at the beginning again.
You are sending me back in time . . . ah, well, not you—God!
The Polar Express (2004) 
You didn’t think that Robert Zemeckis put that flux capacitor in the engine room for no reason, did you? Then again, maybe he did, because apart from the three Back to the Future Easter eggs, I didn’t spot a lick of time travel in The Polar Express.
Boy [blowing train whistle]: I’ve wanted to do that my whole life!
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010) 
Yes, Scott Pilgrim also travels back in time —can you guess which level that’ll happen in?
Steal my boyfriend, taste my steel!
See You Yesterday (2019) 
We’ll be watching this up in the ITTDB Citadel as part of a double-feature with तमाशा [Tamasha] on Wednesday night, 29 April 2020. Come join us if you have transportation up to the top of Mt. Alberta!
Spy Kids: All the Time in the World (2011) 
Perhaps this would have been better had I smelled it in aroma-vision at the cinema. As it was, though, retired spy Marissa Wilson and her family chasing the evil Timekeeper didn’t grab or hold my interest.
At this rate, we’ll be out of time in no time.
तमाशा [Tamasha] (2015) 
We’ll be watching this up in the ITTDB Citadel as part of a double-feature with See You Tomorrow on Wednesday night, 29 April 2020. Come join us if you have transportation up to the top of Mt. Alberta!
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) 
If they can’t get John Connor, then the machines from 2029 will send a T-X terminator for his lieutenants in 2004. Seems like a good play, but they don’t count on John sending back another T-800 to lend a hand to John and his future wife Kate.
John Connor to Kate Brewster while fleeing the T-X: Get in! Do you wanna live?! Come on!
Terminator Salvation (2009) 
The entire Terminator franchise is infused with time travel, but no actual time travel™ occurs in this pure Future War film.
Kyle Reese to John Connor after stringing up a Terminator: Come with me if you wanna live.
The Time Machine (2002) 
This version (definitely not your grandfather’s time machine) has imaginative settings, but for me, the refactored plot was all dramatic music and no substance.
You built your time machine because of Emma’s death. If she had lived, it would never have existed. So how could you use your machine to go back in time and save her? You are the inescapable result of your tragedy, just as I am the inescapable result of you. You have your answer. Now go.
Timetrap (2017) 
After archaeologist Jason Hopper disappears into a deep cave, his grad students, a friend, and a couple of kids follow after him and run into time anomalies.
Guys, we’re gonna go check out this [spooky] tunnel.
The Time Travelers (1964) 
Netflix search note: You’ll find this 1964 gem under Mystery Science Theater 3000, where the episode is simply called Time Travelers. You can skip to about 4:20 in the episode to get to the start of the film.
Isn’t it obvious? The war did happen. You never did go back with your warning.
The Vault (2017) 
Note to self: When robbing a bank vault where a botched robbery some 35 years earlier ended with fires and dead hostages, it can be hard to distinguish time travelers from ghosts or mere undead. But I’m placing my bets on no actual time travel™.
You’re saying you saw this man, but he’s not showing up on any of the bank cameras.
When We First Met (2018) 
A photo booth repeatedly takes Noah back to the day he met—and failed to woo—Avery, the girl of his dreams.
I could be the kind of guy she wants.
I hope you enjoyed some of those films. Please stop by soon for Part II of this list, where we’ll mine Amazon Prime—or possibly Hulu or Disney—for their current time travel flicks. Until then, keep on travelin’!
—Michael
“La Jette” is a french film and is the basis for storyline in BTTF and also, Army of the 12 Mokeys and 12 Monkeys on Syfy.
“La Jette” is a true story. I Have seen in person the time traveler and at the same place seen his girlfriend/mother I actually talked to her but she spoke french. He wouldnt speak at all ( I saw them seperately) I was a ghost to him. I highly recomend La Jette, and turn the volume up the music is so deep
Thanks, JF, for the connections to La Jetée, although I would argue that there is no connection to BTTF. Sadly, La Jetée isn’t currently streaming on Netflix, although I see that it is on the Criterion Channel and Kanopy, and it can be individually rented or bought on Amazon for streaming (but isn’t part of prime).
I’m wondering if you might tell us more about the time traveler that you met. Is it possible that you’ll meet him or his girlfriend/mother/daughter again in the future/past? If so, could you ask him/her whether the film might be given better distribution in this part of the 21st century, given the difficulty in tracking it down?
All good things,
Michael