The Timekeepers of Eternity

In dramatic content, «The Timekeepers of Eternity» is not much different from other Stephen King stories that have been filmed. King is at his best, to my taste, when he's irrational and basic, like in «Carrie» and «Christine», or melodramatic like «Stand by Me.» But when he gets pompous, like the Woody Allen of American fantastique, discussing time and eternity with eye-rolling cavillations, just like when Woody flirts with childish concerns about the existence of God, King's literary limitations become transparent in their emptiness.

This is the case with «The Timekeepers of Eternity», which also does not reach the level of a cross between the pompous and the irrational, such as in the overrated «The Shining». What is mostly interesting here is the work of Greek director Aristotelis Maragkos, who turns his movie into obligatory viewing for creators of visual effects and animation. With support from the Onassis Foundation and the University of Kent, Maragkos (thankfully) reduced Tom Holland's three-hour miniseries «The Langoliers» (1995) to 62 minutes, based on King's novella of the same name. Maragkos copied the frames onto paper and animated the material using collage techniques.

We have seen the story many times in different versions: here, a plane takes off, crosses an aurora borealis and almost all the people on board disappear, except for 11 who together penetrate the "twilight zone", while a violent domestic drama is resolved. Businessman Craig Toomey (Bronson Pinchot) is haunted by the memory of his father, who assured him that, for being a bad boy, he would be eaten by creepy and voracious creatures known as "langoliers". And while he fights it, all the others are trapped in his hysterical nightmare.

So, a writer (Dean Stockwell) recites possible versions of the events, a blind girl (Kate Maberly) keeps saying something smells really bad, and the businessman gobbles up his colleagues with his uncontrollable portrayal of the overbearing Toomey. And the story gets more and more verbose and boring, but it ends soon.

The visual impression remains, the memory of what we saw and what dazzled us. The film allowed me to estrange myself from the story and see it as the work of a great craftsman, a lucky human being who had a university and a foundation to support his creative exploration. For this reason, I have worked for 43 years to create a film archive in Panama with all the wonderful creations of filmmakers from all over the world available to the public. This movie has already been added.

Though it's no major must-see, Tom Holland's TV movie adaptation of 'The Langoliers' is a modern horror classic, mid-90s CGI and all. It's been some time since I watched it (I'm probably overdue to do so again), but I remember it well and fondly, and it's arguably one among the better audiovisual realizations of Stephen King's works as it invokes earnest airs of mystery and foreboding. It was quite by chance that I stumbled across this reimagined experiment of Aristotelis Maragkos, and from the concept alone I knew I had to check it out. It begins simply enough as the first couple minutes of exposition are a near frame-for-frame recreation that is only slightly off from the source, all the audio is derived from the 1995 television feature, and of course the story broadly rehashes the prior work. As soon as events go sideways in that story, though, Maragkos lets his imagination rip, and 'The timekeepers of eternity' refreshes the three-hour predecessor in a manner that I didn't know I needed. It begins simply enough, yet in no time the viewing experience becomes fascinating, and when all is said and done it's firmly spellbinding. This is wonderfully clever, and it deserves more recognition beyond its runs at film festivals; condensed to a runtime of only one swift hour, no one has an excuse to pass it up.

Since the advent of cinema filmmakers have explored new and creative ways to breathe life into their creations, add an extra shock of vitality, or augment the viewing experience. In the silent era individual frames, or possibly singular elements within a frame, were tinted and colored by hand; mid-century Lettrist filmmakers scratched, drew on, and manipulated frames in their own ways as they proclaimed a new paradigm. More recently, Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman gave us 2017's exquisite experimental biographical picture 'Loving Vincent,' wherein the frames of filmed footage were hand-painted to resemble living works of Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh. What Maragkos did here is another ingenious, innovative step in the medium: printing individual frames from Holland's rendition of 'The Langoliers' on paper, crinkling and tearing them by hand (purposefully echoing the nervous habit of character Toomey), and putting the pieces together in new arrangements. In so doing he restructures the fundamental visuals, creates "practical effects" and new visuals unique to this experiment, adds layers and dimensions, and after some fashion, adds a slightly new angle to the plot. As events escalate in the latter half of the narrative, Maragkos even somewhat recalls Jan Svankmajer or Terry Gilliam as he allows his own hands and his work table to enter the image, and his molding of the printed frames becomes more substantial in a reflection of the growing urgency of the scenario.

Whatever one's opinion of 'The Langoliers' may be, it is a 2D presentation on a 2D screen. Whatever one's opinion is of "3D" gimmicks in cinema, even at their best the novelty is an optical illusion. Inasmuch as the paper he used to print frames of Holland's title can be considered film stock, Maragkos effectively alters the film stock to add a third dimension to the physical component of the presentation, making it more real. The brilliant approach adds a surrealist, dreamlike (nightmarish) quality to the telling of this tale, which is further infused with a strengthened psychological component as this iteration seems to extend a tad more focus and vibrancy to the arc of unhinged Toomey. These aren't the only changes Maragkos made, as the Langoliers themselves have truly never looked better or more threatening; the filmmaker even dares to change the ending that viewers are familiar with. By all means, the man deserves much credit in a general sense for his writing and direction, to say nothing of his editing. Yet its his visual effects and animation that are the real stars here, and above all the inventive brilliance that conjured such a remarkable, unorthodox departure from the norm. The degree to which the method is employed here varies, yet even many of the most mundane instances add noteworthy rejuvenating flair to a TV movie that twenty-five years later is regarded well, but which hasn't necessarily gotten much notice in subsequent years.

Well, here's hoping that 'The timekeepers of eternity' has renewed some interest in 'The Langoliers,' for it is worthy. More than that, here's hoping that a couple years after Maragkos first completed it, his flick may continue to attract attention - for it has absolutely earned it, and for the way that it vivifies Holland's work, this may actually be superior. I very much hope to find more of the filmmaker's pieces, and I look forward to seeing what he might do in the future; if this is any indication, I can only assume the utmost skill and intelligence of his other credits. Whether or not one is a fan of King or the original TV movie, the resourcefulness and wit this represents demands to be seen and appreciated, and I believe after all that Maragkos' shrewd interpretation is the must-see that 'The Langoliers' might not be. 'The timekeepers of eternity' is a tremendous example of the proverbial shot in the arm that the art form needs every now and again, and that we viewers need every now and again, and I can only give it my very highest, heartiest, and most enthusiastic recommendation!

I thoroughly enjoyed 'Timekeepers...' It felt like I was witnessing something refreshingly innovative. The film ingeniously reimagines and condenses the 1980's Stephen King paranormal TV movie 'The Langoliers'. Stephen himself appears in a mad passengers', mind-bending hallucination sequence.

The mix of synced voice and 'torn paper' and the 'sound of tearing paper', stop motion animation" at first it challenges your sensibilities and expectations, but as your mind adjusts, the depth of the storytelling unfolds 'one tear at a time.'

'Timekeepers of Eternity' deserves a spot on your '2024 Must See Movie List,' offering a unique and captivating viewing experience.

Some filmmakers try to present themselves as something they're not-a common phenomenon in today's cinematic landscape. Then there are those who are genuinely unique, whose creativity astounds even in 2024. Their ingenuity can lead to achievements that even surpass the original source material, as seen in this remarkable film by Aristotelis Maragkos.

Maragkos's creation, "The Timekeepers of Eternity," is so illuminating it could be the final project for a course titled "Advanced Editing in Filmmaking." He has ingeniously reconstructed every frame of the film "The Langoliers" by printing them onto paper, adding effects derived from tearing and manipulating the paper in certain scenes. Considering that the original TV movie is three hours long, while Maragkos's "unique" version clocks in at just one hour without sacrificing any narrative elements, the sheer quality of the editing becomes evident.

The film retains the original audio but transforms the visuals into a black-and-white spectacle. The transition from frame to frame is achieved through torn paper, creating a truly mind-blowing visual language. The paper is ripped from the center, edges, or any other point, depending on the desired effect. This innovative approach results in a film that is both visually stunning and narratively engaging.

"The Timekeepers of Eternity" is not just a clever gimmick; it's a testament to the power of creative editing and a bold reimagining of a familiar story. Maragkos's film is a must-see for film enthusiasts and anyone interested in the innovative use of visual storytelling techniques. It's a reminder that even in an age of digital filmmaking, there's still room for groundbreaking experimentation and artistic expression.