The Philadelphia Experiment

THE STORY: Its hard to admit, but I kind of like Michael Pare. Yeah, he's been in some crap movies like Space Rage, but there's something about the guy that makes me wish him well. It might be this movie. this was the first flick I ever saw with him in after his stint on the TV show, The Greatest American Hero.

Is there anyone reading this that hasn't heard of the Philadelphia Experiment? Ok, I'm no conspiracy theorist, but I'll try to give you a short explanation. The Philadelphia Experiment was carried out in the Philadelphia Naval Yard in 1943. The purpose was to render ships invisible to radar, and some theorists believe, optically. Now, the story is that the ship, the USS Eldridge, vanished from sight and reappeared a time later. Some of the sailors on board were burned, some even fused into the metal. Those that survived were discharged for being mentally unfit. Whether this is true or not, well, I don't know. It seems a bit fantastic to me, but what do I know? Maybe the US government really does have a UFO on Area 51.

In this movie, Sailor David Herdeg and his friend Jimmy Parker   are in the generator control room when the experiment begins. The chief scientist is a young man, Dr. Longstreet. When the ship disappears it slips into the space/time continuum a  frightened Herdeg and Jimmy jump overboard. They end up in a small town and a helicopter chases them. Escaping that they wind up at a small diner. Jimmy's hand was burned during the experiment and sometimes glows, causing him pain. A weird storm seems to cover the area where the diner is. The strange electrical activity ruins some video games in the diner when Jimmy stands near them, The hick owner isn't pleased so Jimmy and Herdeg flee, kidnapping a woman, Alison Hayes and taking her car. That's when Herdeg finally gets a clue and asks Alison what year it is. When she tells him its 1984 he takes it kind of well. The police capture Jimmy and Herdeg, but Jimmy is injured. Alison decides not to press charges on the two of them. She's become kind of attached to Herdeg, although she doesn't completely believe his story of time travel. they visit jimmy in the hospital and witness his dematerialization! The military aware of Herdeg's presence in 1984 come after him, but he escapes. With Alison he travels to his hometown in California. He discovers that his father has passed away and shows Alison a picture of him and his father taken in the early forties. this shocks Alison. Now she's sure that Herdeg's crazy story is true! Herdeg visits Pam, Jimmy's girlfriend from the 40's. here he makes a big discovery. Jimmy is there as an old man! When he vanished from the hospital he was sucked back in time! Pam tells Herdeg as far as she knows he never returned after the experiment. Jimmy refuses to speak to him. no one believed Jimmy's tale of time travel when he returned to 1943 and he was institutionalized. He doesn't want to go through it all again. The military led by Major Clark, almost catches Herdeg again, but he and Alison escape. when he finds out that the town that he and Jimmy first arrived in has 'vanished' and that Dr. Longstreet is involved, he goes back there. they manage to break into the military complex  (by using Longstreet's aide as a hostage) Longstreet  was expecting him...hoping he'd show up. Longstreet and the military were working on a missile defense system for cities. the town was an empty collection of buildings for the experiment. using the same theory as he did in 1943, Longstreet has accidentally opened a hole in space and time. inside the time vortex is the town and the Eldridge! The vortex is the cause of the storm that lingers in the area. Its getting bigger and sucking things into it. Longstreet tells Herdeg he's the only one that can go in to the vortex and shut down the Eldridge's generators. That's what is keeping the vortex open. At first Herdeg refuses, but Longstreet tells him that he's already done it...sailors in 1943 reported seeing Herdeg [unwrite] the experiment down. convinced, Herdeg goes into the vortex and shuts the generators down. He sees Jimmy there and tells him that he will see him again. Then he jumps overboard again. The Eldridge rematerializes in 1943 minutes after it disappeared and the fake town reappears in 1984. Alison comes looking for Herdeg in the fake town. Out of the mist he comes, choosing to stay in the 80's with her.

This movie was enjoyable. One problem in all time travel movies and TV shows like this one is how quickly people adapt the situation. This movie had a few good touches in it. When Herdeg and Jimmy find a bottle of Lowenbrau beer they're shocked and scared...they're from 1943! The US is at war with Germany in their time! But then they find an aluminum coke can and comment on how light it is. When they first see a color TV they are in awe. I realize that the film makers don't have time to go through lengthy scenes of them discovering things, but at least they made an effort. Heck, Herdeg trashes his and Alison's hotel room in frustration. Just like anyone else would in his situation. Alison was played by Nancy Allen...she was the female partner of Robocop in his movies! Major Clark was played by Kene Holliday. Mr. Holliday was in the TV sitcom "Carter Country" in the 70's. He's also the brother of Miss Annette...a lady that lived two doors away from me when I grew up. I met him once when he was visiting!  (I was only about 13 then, though)

Best Lines: "Does this sound crazy or is this sort of thing possible now? "-Herdeg explains the situation to Jimmy's doctor in 1984. He's hoping that the doc buys the time travel story...since its the truth.

1.) When Herdeg and Jimmy first jump off the ship into the time vortex I couldn't help but yell "The Time Tunnel!" (only people around my age will get that reference.)

3.) When the military corners Herdeg in the hospital a marine has an opportunity to drag him out of an elevator full of patients when it stops. this idiot waits until the elevator is in motion and tries to arrest Herdeg. This of course results in a fight. Herdeg gets away. But the dumbass marine could have dragged Herdeg out when the elevator stopped and lessened the risk to civilians.

4.) Alison is still skeptical about Herdeg's story AFTER she witnessed Jimmy dematerialize! She's watching too much Star Trek! That sorta thing ain't normal!

5.) The military guys can't drive worth [unwrite]. They have two vehicles chasing Herdeg in a truck. Herdeg gets away, but the marines wreck two trucks! I mean completely wreck them. One blows up!

6.) What? I understand Alison may have gotten close with him, but by the time Herdeg has to make a choice of trying to seal the vortex or doing nothing, Alison has fallen in love with him. I forgot...that's a rule of the movie universe...female leads must fall in love with the male lead. Jeez, if this movie was rated R we'd have to watch a long ass naked love scene.

7.) Herdeg was supposed to shut the generators down on the Eldridge. He goes back and smashes everything!

NUDITY AND SEX: none

HUH?: Why is Herdeg afraid of the military when they first approach him. He runs away. Why? he was trying to find out where he was and contact a military base before that! All of a sudden he's certain they mean to do him in!

Why is the military so hostile to Herdeg? Sending a squad of armed guards to chase him isn't helping. Major Clark needs to think about an alternative way of getting Herdeg instead of chasing him with armed marines.

At the end of the movie Alison drives a jeep to the rematerialized town to look for Herdeg. alone. How did she all of a sudden get authorized to go to what must be a secure need to know type zone and to drive a military vehicle. She's the first one there, too! you'd think the military would send a scout party first or check for radiation at least! This town just came back from the time vortex!

THE TALLY: One of the best 'time travel' movies I've seen. I think its probably Michael Pare's best movie. Thats not hard to say when you compare it to Bad moon, Space Rage or Streets of Fire...(ok, Streets of Fire wasn't that bad for what it was...a rock and roll fantasy) Enjoyable flick.