By Chris Kavan - 12/09/10 at 03:40 PM CT
Why rank time travel films when it's more fun to rank the experience of going back in time. I mean any old clunky machine seems to do the trick in any number of films, but sometimes it's not about the journey but about how you get there, or at least the means of travel.
1) DeLorean DMC-12 - At one time this car was like the Edsel, a one-shot disaster. Then a little movie called Back to the Future came out and made the car a geek's dream. I mean, can you think of a better vehicle to travel back to meet your would-be parents or the grand old west? Didn't think so.
2) Hot Tub - If you ever see Chevy Chase acting weird around your cabin hot tub, maybe it's better to just stay out - or at least keep your Russian energy drink away from the controls. I guess if you have to be sent back to the 80s, may as well be warm and inebriated.
3) Phonebooth - Excellent! Though I'm sure some younger kids these days may be asking "what's a phone booth?" - For those of you who are confused, do a Google image search, but for those of us down with Bill & Ted, you know there's no better way to pick up the cream of the crop throughout human history... for a history project in high school... on your road to becoming the most important band in the history of the universe.
4) Time-Turner - No need for a huge machine - in the world of magic all you need is a nifty necklace. I have to ask if it's easy enough for a relatively young student to get a hold of one of these things - even a very level-headed young girl - why aren't these wrecking havoc across Hogwarts and the wizarding world in general? I won't think too deep on that one - but I have to admit it's much more subtle than a car.
5) Sphere of Energy or Something - In Terminator the robots and humans both come through creating a circle of death that incinerates/melts anything unlucky enough to be in its path. Also, only flesh can come through, so hopefully you appear near an outlet mall, GAP or just a honkytonk bar.
6) ???? - Sometimes the best means of time travel are never explained. Like Donnie Darko or Groundhog Day - it just happens and it leaves the how and why up to you.
Those are my picks - anyone else have their favorite means to bends the laws of physics and go back to meet Joan of Arc or prevent WWII (only to CAUSE WWII DUN DUN DUNNNNN!).
