Tonight's marathon is all about a simple theme that grounds itself within the realms of science fiction. That theme is a man traveling across time for the woman he loves whether it's a tragedy that happened, the preventing of a future tragedy, or to participate in a modern day nativity story where the man falls in love with the woman he's assigned to protect as a bodyguard, and they end up giving birth to a child who becomes the savior of the human race. What separates this type of love story from all others is the majority of these films deal with a man who falls for a woman he never met but see's them through pictures and videos. They go off what other people say about them and then decide to see for themselves what the hoopla is all about, and inevitably they end up falling for that person. In some cases, they end up giving their life for that person so they may live, or they try to bring them back from the dead by altering time. Tonight is all about meeting your destiny head on and falling for the woman who you never met but are going to thanks to the invention of time travel. It is the perfect blend of action and romance that blends together to make one exciting and passionate evening. We have on the following menu for this evening:
The Time Machine 2002, The Terminator 1984, Deja Vu 2006, The Source Code 2011, and Terminator Genisys 2015
For the theme of a man traveling for love through time travel, this is a strong setup of movies to put together to carry out that theme. While the stories may all walk the same walk, it's the distinct style and differences of each film that the filmmakers bring to the movies that makes them stand out and apart from each other. The highlights of this marathon are the inclusions of James Camerons The Terminator and the newly released 2015 blockbuster Terminator Genisys that's a reboot of the franchise. With those films, the story arc of a man going back through time to save a woman from being terminated begins and concludes with the sequel that expands on the romance from the first Terminator movie. The Time Machine deals with the tragedy already occurring and a man going back through time to change that sequence of events. The Source Code specializes in a young man being sent through time to find a bomb on a passenger train but also finds himself falling for one of the female passengers on the train each time he's sent back. As the desperation to find the bomb grows so does his feelings towards the young damsel in distress. What makes this marathon such a good one is the intensity of it with the action, the adrenaline, fear, and ultimately the unexpecting romance between two people thrown into a life or death situation.
The first movie of the evening is the 2002 Science fiction drama The Time Machine starring Guy Pearce and Mark Addy. Nominated for an Oscar for Best Makeup, the story centers around a 19th century inventor who goes through time to bring back his fiancé after a fatal mugging left her for dead. While doing so, he ends up traveling 800,000 years into the future where he discovers that mankind has been divided into two warring races. Given the time period of this movie taking place in the 19th century, this is the perfect starting point for this marathon as it builds up from there and becomes more modernized. Unlike The Terminator, the tragedy has already occurred and the male lover has to backtrack to alter the events that could do great harm to his future. What he doesn't realize is ultimately by going through time and trying to change events, he possibly did great harm to the future. Although the film has great special effects and looks visually stunning, boosting a soundtrack similar to Avatars, the film suffers when it shifts from being a story of lost love to an action adventure about a man who helps preserve a human race just like Avatar. Even with that huge flaw, the film is the perfect starting point for the marathon because not only does it have a romance dealing with time travel but it has a human story that's built on the preserving of a civilization like The Terminator, making that film a worthy successor.
The second movie of the marathon is James Cameron's 1984 Science Fiction classic titled The Terminator starring Arnold Schwarzeneggar, Linda Hamilton, and Michael Biehn. The story takes place in the year 2029 where a computer program named Skynet has taken over mankind with machines after a nuclear holocaust in the year 1997. Through the use of a time machine, a Terminator and a survivor of the holocaust is sent back through time to the year 1984. The Terminators mission is to assassinate Sarah Connor, mother of John Connor who becomes the savior of the human race, and the second is Kyle Reese, a member of the resistance who volunteers to go back through time to protect Sarah Connor. Little does she know that Kyle is actually the father of John Connor and Connor gives Reese a picture of Sarah, prompting him to go back through time to save the young girl from being murdered by the machines. Kyle and Sarah end up falling in love within a window of 48 hours after meeting, and Kyle dies protecting Sarah from The Terminator. The love story behind The Terminator is one that often gets overlooked by most audiences but those who notice it realize the greatness and suttlety behind it. It's not a forced love story and builds gradually giving heavy weight to an already compelling story of survival and forbidden love. The Terminator continues to be one of hollywoods most influential movie franchises spawning four sequels and becoming one of the most iconic villains and heroes of all time. One begs to ask the question of whether James Cameron can stop messing with Avatar and get back to doing Terminator films?
The third movie in the lineup is the 2006 blockbuster titled Deja Vu starring Denzel Washington, Val Kilmer, and Jim Cazievel. The story centers around the bombing of a ferry in New Orleans. An A.T.F agent finds himself becoming associated with a unique case involving experimental surveillance technology to find the mastermind behind the bombings. While conducting his investigation he finds himself becoming obsessed with one of the victims, a female. He uses time travel to go back four days prior and relive the sequence of events leading up to the bombing of the ferry. Deja Vu beyond a reasonable doubt takes direct inspiration from The Terminator in regards to guy going back in time to save girl and falling for her through either a picture of surveillance of the woman prior to the tragedy. Deja Vu is a combination of action, romance, drama, and science fiction all rolled into one film and for the most part it succeeds, even if it doesn't do it as well as The Terminator at blending all four genres together. It is the perfect film to follow up after The Terminator in regards to this theme because it takes the same story and puts it in a modern day setting. One of Denzel and Tony Scott's most underrated films as well as being one of their most daring films.
The fourth movie of the marathon is the 2011 critically acclaimed time travel film titled The Source Code starring Brokeback Mountain's Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga, and Jeffrey Wright. The story centers around a soldier who awakens in someone else's body and discovers that he's part of an experimental government program whose task is to find the bomber of a commuter train. The twist to this mission is he only has 8 minutes to complete his mission each time he's sent back and everytime he does, he finds himself drawn closer and closer to a beautiful female passenger on the train who wonders about his actions. The Source Code is the most debatable film out of the lot where the debate lies on whether it was truly time travel that kept sending him back with the consensus being that it is. He doesn't have legs in reality but is sent back through time and assumes the body of a passenger on the train. Like Deja Vu, he's able to go back in time about 8 minutes before tragedy strikes to protect everyone on the train as well as his newfound love compared to the four days Deja Vu gives Denzel Washington. The film prevails cause it gives a fresh new perspective on the time travel aspect of the story while borrowing elements from popular movies such as Speed and Inception. Speed in regards to love happening on the road and a bomb being located on a speeding vehicle, and Inception using the concept of imagination and repetition.
The fifth movie of the marathon is the final film of the night and goes back to the events seen in James Cameron's 1984 classic The Terminator titled Terminator Genisys. Bringing back Arnold Schwarzeneggar, Game Of Thrones Emilia Clarke, Jason Clarke, Jai Courtney, and JK Simmons, The story centers around John Connor, leader of the human resistance, sending his right hand man Kyle Reese back through time to protect a young woman named Sarah Connor. The twist to Kyle Reese going back is that instead of him having to save her, she protects him with the assistance of the same Terminator model that was sent back through time to kill her. This Terminator and Sarah formulate a father and daughter relationship that puts an entire spin on the original storyline. Genisys is a classic case of people were too scared to embrace it after the result of the third and fourth films in the franchise but the general consensus is that this installment is the best since the first two and did better than the previous two films in regards to worldwide box office. It also brings the love through time travel aspect full circle as SPOILERS...Kyle Reese lives by the end of Genisys instead of dies like in the first movie.
So what are these movies all trying to say as a whole when you put them all together as a marathon?The marathon says that you should go through time to save someone whom you never met but be warmed of the consequences that it may present when history is changed. The message of The Terminator series says that the future is not set and there is no fate but what we make for ourselves. The Time Machine says that sometimes the future cannot be altered because what is done is done, or it may come with dire consequences. The Source Code says that even though you have a total of 8 minutes to find a bomb that's ready to explode on a train, you also have 8 minutes simultaneously to fall in love with someone you never met before and care about each time you go back through time. Deja Vu says that you don't need to meet someone formally at first to fall in love with them and that emotional feelings come naturally, When you travel across time for a girl, it proves that you love this person beyond a reasonable doubt and are willing to do anything to protect them, even going as far as sacrificing your life so they may live.
The fourth movie of the marathon is the 2011 critically acclaimed time travel film titled The Source Code starring Brokeback Mountain's Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga, and Jeffrey Wright. The story centers around a soldier who awakens in someone else's body and discovers that he's part of an experimental government program whose task is to find the bomber of a commuter train. The twist to this mission is he only has 8 minutes to complete his mission each time he's sent back and everytime he does, he finds himself drawn closer and closer to a beautiful female passenger on the train who wonders about his actions. The Source Code is the most debatable film out of the lot where the debate lies on whether it was truly time travel that kept sending him back with the consensus being that it is. He doesn't have legs in reality but is sent back through time and assumes the body of a passenger on the train. Like Deja Vu, he's able to go back in time about 8 minutes before tragedy strikes to protect everyone on the train as well as his newfound love compared to the four days Deja Vu gives Denzel Washington. The film prevails cause it gives a fresh new perspective on the time travel aspect of the story while borrowing elements from popular movies such as Speed and Inception. Speed in regards to love happening on the road and a bomb being located on a speeding vehicle, and Inception using the concept of imagination and repetition.
The fifth movie of the marathon is the final film of the night and goes back to the events seen in James Cameron's 1984 classic The Terminator titled Terminator Genisys. Bringing back Arnold Schwarzeneggar, Game Of Thrones Emilia Clarke, Jason Clarke, Jai Courtney, and JK Simmons, The story centers around John Connor, leader of the human resistance, sending his right hand man Kyle Reese back through time to protect a young woman named Sarah Connor. The twist to Kyle Reese going back is that instead of him having to save her, she protects him with the assistance of the same Terminator model that was sent back through time to kill her. This Terminator and Sarah formulate a father and daughter relationship that puts an entire spin on the original storyline. Genisys is a classic case of people were too scared to embrace it after the result of the third and fourth films in the franchise but the general consensus is that this installment is the best since the first two and did better than the previous two films in regards to worldwide box office. It also brings the love through time travel aspect full circle as SPOILERS...Kyle Reese lives by the end of Genisys instead of dies like in the first movie.
So what are these movies all trying to say as a whole when you put them all together as a marathon?The marathon says that you should go through time to save someone whom you never met but be warmed of the consequences that it may present when history is changed. The message of The Terminator series says that the future is not set and there is no fate but what we make for ourselves. The Time Machine says that sometimes the future cannot be altered because what is done is done, or it may come with dire consequences. The Source Code says that even though you have a total of 8 minutes to find a bomb that's ready to explode on a train, you also have 8 minutes simultaneously to fall in love with someone you never met before and care about each time you go back through time. Deja Vu says that you don't need to meet someone formally at first to fall in love with them and that emotional feelings come naturally, When you travel across time for a girl, it proves that you love this person beyond a reasonable doubt and are willing to do anything to protect them, even going as far as sacrificing your life so they may live.
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