The Monitors
Time Travel IS Possible - - - do you want to explore the mind set of the end of the turbulant decade of the 1960s then watch this admittedly quirky, admittedly flawed, yet fantastic Sci-Fi Comedy. AMC Please show this wonderful film - - - it captures completely the madness and the mayhem of the 1960's and features several actors who ought to have had more films to their credit among them Guy Stockwell, Susan Oliver, Larry Storch, Avery Schrieber, the always wonderful Keenan Wynn. It also features what is perhaps the greatest portrayal of a (fictional) American President, Ed Begley as a forlorn forgotten man grimly 'holding down the fort.' The Monitors has droll black humor, terrific music and many manic moments. It is a sadly underrated film and deserves several showings on AMC (with limited commcercials -- the commercials within The Monitors are a hoot)....
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@scuxx: I've never heard of this film--what's the plot, and what does it have to do with Time Travel? Is this like HG Wells on drugs or what??
Sorry, Clayton. for not being clearer. By watching 'The Monitors' one can travel back to the 1960's for this film captures the end of the decade so well. The Monitors of the title are the most benign aliens ever to invade Earth (via the movies). The film serves as an indictment of the 'Nanny' State.' The Monitors have come to Earth to keep humans from destroying one another through crime & war and bad habits such as smoking & obesity etc. The Monitors have come in peace to make Earth a more peaceful place but several members of the human race disagree for various reasons and wage an underground war against the Monitors, Since this was 1969 before big budgets & special effect computers the conflict is confined to a small group and centers around their efforts to plant several bombs to destroy thge Monitors. It is all done with droll black comedy and it amusing on many levels.
Sounds a lot like Day the Earth Stood Still. Remarkable how we were so afraid of destroying ourselves fifty years ago when we made all these films. And now, when we're more in danger than ever of doing so, all the films are about other aliens destroying us.
What sort of disconnect do you suppose is going on there?
Aloha
The Day the Earth Stood Still reflected the chill of the early 1950 s Cold War. Polite refined eerilly 'disconnected.' The Monitors is more manic 1960's think Jack Nicholson's 'Head' with the Monkies or (wince) the mid 60s Casino Royale... As for modern times - - - Aliens are either intent on wiping out Earthlings via Cinema circa 2008 or they are Saintly Worldly Creatures though I haven't seen that on the screen in maybe a dozen years... With no politically correct 'villains' left, aside from terrorists of indeterminate origin ('Guatamalen or Muslin or Malay'), Aliens from Space have taken the Place of the Baddie determine to wipe out the (precious) human race. Give it a few years and friendly aliens will return to mutiplexes across America and beyond!!
Peace... ...