Summer Time Machine Blues

The movie gives off such a warm, joyful feeling. It's quite simple in execution, yet feels very thoughtfully made. The beautifully balanced color palette perfectly captures the warmth and atmosphere of a hot, lazy Japanese summer.

Time-travel films are always tricky to follow, and this one is no exception - at some point, you really have to focus to keep up with what's happening. But in the end, everything comes together and makes sense.

There are no overly flashy special effects or overly complex designs. Instead, the charm lies in the details - the editing, the rhythm, and the lively spirit of Japanese student life during summer break - all of which make it a delightful comedy.

It truly left me feeling nostalgic and happy.

This is the funniest time travel movie I've ever seen. There are no big special effects, it's just a couple of bored japanese school kids during a hot summer day at their sci-fi club faced with the tragic loss of their only little bit of relief from the heat: the remote controller for their AC unit, destroyed after spilling Coke on it. But thankfully, out of thin air, a time machine appears...

It's pretty much a fact that if a movie has a lovable cast, everyone loves it. Even if it has gaping plot holes. Lovable cast comes first. This one has a lovable cast.

Any movie that has a compelling story usually gets the critics gushing. Kids using a time machine to recover an air conditioning remote control is questionable, but it is laid out from the beginning that this story is about that remote control. Good or bad, it's pretty balanced in my opinion. So we can rule out this element.

Film editing is the defining factor. Never have I seen, in all my life, a film with such a well thought-out filming strategy that utilized editing to create a puzzle of a movie. You watch it once, it's a fun comedy with lovable characters. Second viewing, you may notice the things in the background. Further viewings, you wonder just how hard did the film crew think to plan such an elaborate film? During the beginning baseball scene, you probably won't notice the background action. Second viewing, you probably will see some of it. Further viewing, you will realize how precise the filming was. Then it makes you wonder, how long did it take to actually set this all up? It's just amazing, because you don't find this level of background action in any other film in history, in any country, period. I'd be shocked if someone could point out, 'Oh, I have seen this technique in THIS movie.' I think this film, STMB, is singularly unique in its multi-layered storytelling, only appreciated in multiple viewings, that reveals the genius behind the scenes.

Sadly, this is probably the only film by this director that has this quality. I've watched many of his other films. It's nothing like this. Probably a fluke. But this is my all-time favorite film. Who cares if he never makes anything else like this? STMB is perfect.

For a casual mainstream viewer, this film is a fun comedy that's a little confusing, but in the end, they'll say it was funny. For the thinking person, this could come off as a silly sci-fi romp and nothing more. But for the real cinema buffs, this is a FEAST.

Filming and editing is top-notch. Multiple viewings will be rewarded. Pay attention to the background in the early scenes. Actors are young, but seasoned comedians, and it shows. You cannot help but love the characters. That's not a fluke. The actors have a lot of background before this film.

In the end, it's about a group of kids just wanting to keep cool in the summer. But the journey to get there is the best ride I have EVER seen on film. This trumps any of the old films like Casablanca, Citizen Kane and so on. It's up in the highest echelons of filmmaking. Why it's not in everyone's top 2 or 3 films of all time, is a mystery to me. This is my number one. Number two for me is Casablanca.

At any rate, it is worth your hard-earned money to get this movie. Even if it's not your favorite, I promise you won't regret buying it.

Highly recommended!

If you're looking for a fun movie that will make you think a little, this is the movie for you. Reasons I can think of for watching this movie:

1) Cool storyline. Anyone who likes time travel movies will like this movie. 2) Chemistry between the cast is simply amazing. 3) It's funny yet logical.

Do not be put off by the lack of ratings/reviews. They really ought to put up a poster on IMDb for this movie. The lack of a movie poster is probably why this film is relatively unknown.

As one user already said, this is a movie you will not forget for a long time!

Finally getting the opportunity to view this film on the legendary cult label Third Windows Films outta the UK.

It's got so much slapstick humour. It's got time-travelling. It's got inquisitive but not-very-bright College kids. It's got bags of fun and creativity and it's just sheer entertainment.

The script is nailed. It's not intending to be a technical futuristic film with a huge budget. It's got a tiny budget for a Sci-fi genre film and the Direction and special fx for the period are perfect.

Dialogue is free-flowing and very much centricated on the main college friends and their new-found time-travelling friend who mysteriously appears from the future!

They obsess over the remote control after losing it in an accident. The friends decide that the only way to bring it back would be a time machine. Low and behold their wish comes true!

From then it's a catalogue of time zones and continuum issues. The research done by the writer before is fabulous. It's logical and it ties-in. It's just so damn fresh and fun. It's not heavy and it's extremely light-hearted.

For a low-budget flick of the era it's aged incredibly well too. It doesn't need endless CGI as it has an exceptionally strong storyline. I really loved it and will be watching 'Beyond The Infinite Two Minutes' by the same creator very soon. Amazing job!