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Somewhere In Time [1980]


RRP: £9.99
Our Price: £4.82 (subject to change)

Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review

It's silly, it's superficial, it's so desperately earnest about its tale of time-spanning love that you almost wish for a cheap flatulence gag just to break the solemn mood. But there is something so unabashedly gushy and entertaining about Somewhere in Time that you can't begrudge its enduring popularity. The film has become a staple of romantic-movie lovers since its release in 1980, and endless showings on cable TV have turned it into a dubious classic of sorts--a three-hanky weepy that anyone can enjoy as a guilty pleasure or a beloved favourite, with no apologies necessary. In his first film after the star-making success of Superman, Christopher Reeve stars as a contemporary playwright who visits a posh hotel and sees the portrait of an actress (Jane Seymour) who had performed there in 1912. He becomes obsessed with this beautiful woman and learns all he can about her, and then discovers a method of hypnotically transporting himself backward in time to meet her. "Is it ... you?" she says upon seeing the lovestruck playwright, and it's clearly a mutual attraction. But even the slightest reminder of the playwright's modern time can jar him from his seemingly real existence in the past, so his wonderful love affair is constantly just a step from being stolen away. Based on Richard Matheson's novel Bid Time Return, this flaky film may strain one's tolerance for plot holes and corny romance, but it's hard to deny its lasting appeal--and let's face it, guys, it'll make wives and girlfriends swoon if they are in a tearjerker mood. --Jeff Shannon

Editorial
Synopsis

The story of a young writer, who sacrifices his present life to find happiness and love in the past.

Entertaining romance movie flawed by a poor transfer to DVD
Review date: 2007-10-13 Rating: 6 out of 10

I won't go into Somewhere in Time's worth as entertainment here - suffice to say that I think it's a wonderful film, adapted by the brilliant short story writer Richard Matheson from his own story and well worth 5 stars. But in this review I'm focusing on the technical aspects which I feel detract from the DVD.

This DVD (ASIN: B0000UM0OE) features a 'matted widescreen' transfer which works fine on smaller 4:3 TVs, but which looks awful on larger screen or widescreen TVs. I believe that every DVD today should be made in 'anamorphic widescreen' format so that the image is enhanced for viewing on a larger screen. If it's not then I think that the low image quality should be clearly marked in some way, as the lack of an anamorphic transfer makes a big difference in quality. In the case of this particular movie the image is very poor mostly due to the matted widescreen format that results in what's known as 'gutterboxing' (black bars all around the image) when the movie is played on widescreen TVs. Some TVs allow zooming in to fill the screen in cases like this, but then the image becomes very grainy - so much so that it's probably better to watch it in the 'gutterboxed' mode.

So in conclusion, those with standard 4:3 TVs under 30 inches probably won't notice any loss of resolution. But for folks with big screen TVs I advise waiting until this movie gets an updated DVD treatment. Sadly there is no anamorphic transfer of this movie at present. Hopefully at some point we will get a restored and remastered version of this classic film.

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Reviews


A spiritual experience of the greatest order.
Review date: 2007-09-13 Rating: 10 out of 10

The soundtrack AND the film really should be part of everyones collection. Enchanting. Moody. Touches your very soul and really does transport you "Somewhere In Time".

Get them both, you will never, ever regret it.

100/10

An oldie but not seen a better romantic film since!
Review date: 2007-03-22 Rating: 10 out of 10

I too first saw this film when I was very young and fell in love with the story, and for a film to stand out still over 20 years later is rare. Christoper Reeves gives an excellent performance as does Jane Seymour. My favourite scene has to be when Richard (Reeves) first arrives at the hotel and walks into the hotel's room of memorabilia and is suddenly struck by the portrait of Elise on the wall. You can almost feel her pulling him towards her and his excitement and determination to find her in the past...if only you could fall in love like that in real life! The music makes me tingle even after all these years. If your a true romantic then this is the film for you...plenty of tissues for the end! Ultimately I would say this is probably one of my most favourite films of all time. Enjoy! :)

Excellent
Review date: 2007-03-05 Rating: 10 out of 10

I first saw this movie back on TV during the late 1980's when they showed it for the first time.

It's a story that says love is timeless. I don't want to mention anything about the story as it would really spoil it for you. I will say it's a great story starring the late Christopher Reeves, and the lovely Jane Seymour.

It's one of my all time favourites which I love to watch. :-)

Have a look at my review on the soundtrack album.


More real for me now.
Review date: 2006-11-15 Rating: 8 out of 10

I've loved this film for 20 years. The chemistry between Reeve and Seymour is clear from the first time they meet.

Initially unsuccessful at the box office, it was only when the video came out that it became popular. How gratifying that people have been drawn to it through recommendation rather than hype and also astonishing to think that Reeve and the Director did this off the back of 2 films of a very different genre - Superman and Jaws 2 respectively.

I've not read the novel, but for some reason the screenplay reminds me of Jane Austen, so if you don't mind that kind of thing, get the DVD and settle back with your loved one, a good bottle of wine and a box of tissues.

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Christopher Reeve
Bill Erwin
Teresa Wright
Christopher Plummer
Jane Seymour

Creators:
Christopher Reeve (Primary Contributor)
Jane Seymour (Primary Contributor)

Director(s):

Recording label: Universal Pictures UK
Manufacturer: Universal Pictures UK
EAN: 5050582023671
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL,
Release date: 2003-11-10
Number of discs: 1
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Audience rating: Parental Guidance
Region code: 2
Running time: 98 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1981-05-06
Language: English (Original Language)
Language: French (Subtitled)
Language: English (Subtitled)
Language: Spanish (Subtitled)

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