I, too, wish that this were available on DVD. Maybe it will be put onto some budget sci-fi collection DVD, someday--why not? I'm not certain that I still have this on VHS--it's been awhile for viewing, unfortunately.This film shares a similar problem with the lesser-regarded special effects of the theatrical film "Clash of the Titans"--a work from the same era--that version of the film starred Harry Hamlin, Laurence Olivier, and other legendary Brit actors. Many people wish that some of today's digital wizardry then proved available for such lesser-supported works. Some of that magic might have made this a great TV movie, after all. (Sometimes, though, improbable modern special effects may prove tedious.) I like Rod Taylor and his movie, too. Really, though, the late '70s is an era in which time travel would have proved more likely to succeed. Thus, the "time-ship," lab, and other prop features appear to be much more "accurate" and likely to succeed at such a task. They're pretty cool! Really, I don't see a problem with John Beck as "scientist," either. He portrays a fellow who proves to be quite calm, logical, and collected. (Linking John to porn proves very insulting. He proved very highly valued in the '70s and '80s. John was one of the few guys in this biz whom, women--after an initial "shock and awe"--never forget! Really, he's etched forever, easily, as one of the most handsome guys ever to grace a screen. Apparently, that's something which John's harsh critics--mostly men--never will understand.)

Apparently this is based on HG Wells The Time Machine but one can't help wondering if the producers read another book with the same title ? Perhaps some of the commentators here also read that book because as someone who did read Wells original novel I can state without any embarrassment and reservation that the first half of this TVM has absolutely nothing in common with the book except for a vague premise of having someone building a time machine The story takes place in a contemporary setting where a Soviet satellite falls out of orbit and threatens Los Angles and scientist Neil Perry saves the day but coming to the conclusion that because there's too many people in the control room their body heat is interfering with the missile sent up to destroy the satellite . Does this make sense ? The lack of credibility is exaggerated by casting John Beck as Perry since he looks like a 70s porn star , think of John Holmes with a sensible haircut and you've got the idea Some military type then takes Perry side and asks him what he's done with the $20 million dollars he's received from the government and you can't blame him because if you' look like a porn star and flirt with a secretary old enough to be your grandmother you might have the instinctive fear that it's been blown on cocaine . Thankfully Porno Perry has invested it all in to a time machine which he's just tried out I might have to re-read the book but I'm pretty certain that in the original novel the protagonist didn't get tied to the stake by 17th century puritans and almost burned alive . The puritans were considerate enough to have Perry sit in his machine while the flames take hold so he's able to literally use his head to escape . I had thought for a moment Porno Perry might have used another part of his anatomy to use his controls but this is an American TVM so no offence is allowed - except offending anyone who has read the book It's not Perry's day however because he soon finds himself caught up in the California gold rush , imprisoned and escapes town while there's a gunfight between good guys and bad guys . It's at this point you think the only bad guys in the world are the people who produced this aberration of literature claiming it's based upon a novel by the most influential writer of the 20th Century . We're now half way through the TVM and there's not been one single scene that has been taken directly from the book Thankfully Perry now travels in to the future where he gets involved with the Eloi and Molochs thereby showing at long last showing at long last why this travesty might owe anything to HG Wells and in keeping with the rest of the TVM it's bland and uninvolving replacing Darwinian subtext with pacifist agitprop Some people may claim the 1960 and 2002 movie versions did change Wells text to a large degree but this was justified . Both films were highly entertaining and the 1960 version especially had lots of charm along with Rod Taylor's time traveler being disgusted as to what mankind had become , he was still recognizably a Wellsian character . Here however we're watching a very cheap and charmless production with not very good actors slumming it in a script devoid of any intellect . Wells must have been turning in his grave and this is possibly the worst film adaptation of any book brought to screen

A power outage kept me from seeing more than half of this on ABC (American Broadcasting Network). I remember the hero being burned, presumably as a witch though that punishment was reserved for heretics. Sure, it didn't stick to the original novel, which I have read in two different forms; so what. I kept hoping it would be shown again. Maybe someone has uploaded the video.I made the mistake of asking ABC for help in finding their eight-episode series PROBE (1988) starring Parker Stevenson (previously of THE HARDY BOYS) and Ashley Crow (currently of HEROES). They disavowed any knowledge of its existence; the show was a victim of a writers' strike. I never bothered to ask about this movie.

The 1960 film is so wonderful. Why would they remake it so badly?The effects aren't perfect in the original Film, but they are a hundred times worse in the TV movie.The actors are annoying.The costumes on the Morlocks are amazingly just as bad as the worst sci-fi flicks of the 50's.Sorry if you like this movie. I just think it's awful.