The History of Time Travel

Yup it's low budge... but a really fun concept. Especially for nerds like me. Takes a left turn a few minutes in so you have to pay attention. Props to the film makers for weaving a good story with no $$$$$. Kind of a less stylish La Jetée....and in case you don't know La Jetée ( look it up) was the original inspiration for 12 monkeys.

I had gotten to the point of being sick of time travel flicks. They were either the same theme rehashed yet again, or had no viable story, or were just completely stupid nonsense. There was nothing new and it was boring.

Then comes along this gem of a film and proves there are still people out there with the ability to come up with something quite different.

From the opening credits to the very last seconds of the film, this is presented as an actual documentary of time travel, including the history of the first time traveler. It includes everything from actual historic documentary footage to set props that emphasize what's happening throughout the film.

Although presented in documentary form it is some of the most riveting science fiction I've seen in some time, with every minute making the viewer wonder what they're going to do next.

For some this will be too cerebral. Others won't really "get" what's going on. They won't figure out the plot twists, won't understand the very subtle humor, will miss all the sight and set cues and gags. Such people generally post 1-3 star reviews on IMDB. ; )

But I believe the majority of true sci fi fans will understand this and applaud the unusual presentation and format of this film. It truly does present time travel in a different manner than most other such films. Kudos to the writers, director and everyone involved in this film.

The only reason I don't give this 10 stars is because I was hoping a slightly more creative ending. Still, the ending made sense, held true to the rest of the "documentary", and was sufficient to the general theme. All in all I think this is some of the most innovative sci fi I've seen presented in a film. Well worth watching.

I think some people aren't cutting this movie Enough slack, maybe in some cases, too much. Regardless, I highly recommend watching this movie without reading reviews. This is a really low budget movie and it's done in a very fun and inventive way, I cannot say enough good about it for what it is. Yes, it could have been exponentially better in some regards, it's budget does show at time. However, some of the plot holes that people have pointed out aren't plot holes at all, not even close, and they are easily explained within the time travel thesis the movie gives for itself. Some people on here need to give credit where credit is due. The details and slight changes in this movie are amazing and cannot be caught in just one viewing for most people. If you're a lazy movie goer and don't like think, do us a favor, and give this one a pass.

One thing to keep in mind is we are observers, we are not involved in the goings on in this film, think of yourselves like God(not that you are), but you are able to understand and see everything these characters cannot. Those in the film, are not aware of the changes. You're outside of the events and able to see them as they are happening and are unaffected by them. If you keep this point of view, the movie will make far more sense.

If there are any real plot holes here, they are small, and definitely they are not as bad as movies such as the last version of "Time Machine" or any of the hundreds of big-budget Hollywood time travel movies. In fact even the best of low-budget time travel movies don't have perfect time travel theory, but they usually much closer than Hollywood. People always bag on low budget movies because they don't have the big production values. Yet, the acting in this was pretty solid. There were some things that were a little strange such as some of the photos of the family seemed like they were digitally grafted together, I'm guessing they were. But other than that a lot of it felt pretty authentic as a "documentary". Most of the actors did well at being experts in their fields, I especially like the author and the General. I thought they gave it a good try at really creating something that was unique and something that gave a different perspective on time travel.

On the whole I really enjoyed this movie, I watched it before going to bed and all night I dreamed about time travel and the problems that the characters find themselves in. It's not without a few minor flaws, but if you can look over those flaws in a big-budget film, I see no reason why it can't be looked over here, in a movie that has so much creativity and detail in it. On the whole this is definitely one of my favorite low budget time travel movies, and it has a great amount of detail, work, and creativity, put into it, and it certainly deserves a wider audience. It is a shame it was out of distribution until it ended up on Amazon Prime.

~Amy

This is a documentary about time travel. It has less action than the documentary "Safety Not Guaranteed," which I really enjoyed. But I found this film way more subtle and just as fun. I've been around since 1960 and have never even heard of this film. Was it recently added to the time-stream? Pay attention to the visual and narration details. Sure there are plot holes and I'm sure you will find continuity issues, but isn't that the part of the mystique? Just relax and enjoy the finished product. I don't even think it's based on a real series of events....

The general idea of the film is one unlike much else I've ever seen. It approaches time travel first as a thing of the past and moves gradually into the future, finishing with a twist that is, unfortunately, somewhat predictable after the 30-40 minute mark. The first half is, however, very good; I think its only hindrance is some of the onscreen characters who tend to be a bit wooden. After the initial act of time travel, however, I think the plot tanks a bit. I will say that the ending is about as good as it could've been, considering it was salvaged from a subpar climax/mid-plot.

All-in-all, it's certainly worth the time necessary to watch this. If nothing else, the concept it manifests is inarguably neat; that is, making a (faux) documentary about a fact, about a theory. It's not the most fun viewing experience and there's not much to offer in terms of visuals or acting, but it'll take your brain for a bit of a ride and probably leave you imagining what the movie would have been like had it reached its potential. I definitely recommend it to anyone is interested in time travel theories or who just wants something unique to watch.