Future '38

It does a great job of capturing the pace, rhythm and snappy dialog of a genuine 1930s-era film, with plenty of satire and just good-old fashioned funny dialog.

Another reviewer compared it to Airplane, and I see what they mean. Both take a genre of film that has a very specific style, and honors that style while still doing a parody of it.

The short 75 minute runtime is similar to that of many films from the 1930s, back before two and a half hours become the norm. It also allows them to keep the pace up, which is a key element to this kind of film.

The twist near the end actually caught me by surprise!

All in all, a very enjoyable film. Might watch it again with friends, especially if they're movie buffs.

Comedy is hard but the writers of Future '38 were spot on, almost. The repartee was lighting fast but the timing was still perfect and allowed the audience to keep up. There were only a few places where the laughs tapered off, but it always picked up again. The humor was respectful of today's P.C. sensibilities, passing up on some low-hanging jokes that might have crossed the line for some. With the exception of its blatant anti-Germanic bigotry and a few other stereotypes/ethnic jokes (Irish, African American, Jewish), the film is really progressive. ("They're jolly, what of it?... City hall's been hitching jollies for forty years.")

Many in the audience will miss some of the slang and early twentieth century references, but there's enough here to keep everyone laughing. Especially funny was the humorous treatment of time-travel paradoxes and the "parlor tricks" performed by Essex with Elke and others.

The acting was very well done for a comedy of this sort, and the plot was easy to follow. The cinematography was technically adequate and didn't overshadow the players/dialogue, although it would have been nice to put a little more effort into getting the color/tone to match those over-saturated, 80-year-old films. The cue marks were a wonderful touch!

Overall, well worth watching, especially for old movie buffs and scifi fans.

Triggers: Ethnic humor -- anti-Germanic bigotry, Irish, African American, Jewish ethnic jokes/stereotypes; Violence by the protagonists -- fists, gun brandishing (and the obligatory vase smash to the head).

I'm a big fan of filmmaker Larry Blamire's work, starting with "The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra". This film is made in a similar style, showing a great appreciation and love for its genre (although, not the SAME genre). Mostly unfamiliar actors accompany Betty Gilpin in this homage, and she may be unfamiliar to most, unless you've seen GLOW or the Margaret Mitchell series from earlier this year (I haven't yet, but I will). Loved the spiffy period jargon, and the predictions of future science wonders. (Missed smartphones by THAT much!) It was also great seeing Sean Young in a small but very prominent role. As a plus, it's pleasantly short, not that it couldn't have been longer, but sometimes you don't want a 2+ hour commitment to a movie.

I have watched this movie at least four times, and every time I catch something I didn't see before. There's always a nice surprise waiting.

Time travel (or time displacement, such as "Demolition Man") is one of my favorite genres, whether it's drama or comedy. But, despite watching every time travel flick I come across, I can think of nothing to compare this with. It isn't "Back to the Future," but it doesn't try to be. Great sight gags, sly references, slapstick, puns ... this movie isn't afraid to try anything. And it succeeds when maybe it probably shouldn't. Yes, there's some "BTTF" here, but there's also some "Airplane!" and hints of Mel Brooks.

I went into my first viewing not knowing anything about it, and for two seconds I thought it was, truly, a resurfaced lost movie. Alas, Neil de Grasse Tyson giving an introduction with a tub of popcorn the size of washing machine pretty much dispelled any idea that something old had been unearthed. But 10 minutes in, I didn't care one bit. The quick word punches, vibrant background gags, and a sincere commitment to the premise made this enormously enthralling. And - dare I say it? - Betty Gilpin struck me as someone who is going to make a strong and serious dramatic turn one day.

There's really no way this movie should have worked, and it amazes me that it did. It's B-movie escapism with a complete lack of self-importance while maintaining respect for the audience. In other words, "let's just have some fun." If there's a message here, it got lost on me. And I don't have a problem with that.

"Isn't this a nice party?" "There is something wrong with my herring!" "ISN'T THIS A NICE PARTY?!?"

Okay, lines like that make me laugh. And there were a lot of lines like that.