This competition is now closed. Thanks to all those who entered it. The winners will be announced and contacted soon!
It’s competition time again here at Thoughts On Film and this time we’re giving you the chance to win Terry Gilliam’s classic 1981 time travel comedy Time Bandits which has now been restored for a new DVD and Blu-ray release.
Time Bandits is a delightfully children’s fantasy about young Kevin (Craig Warnock) who finds himself travelling through holes in the space-time continuum in the company of half a dozen of fractious dwarfs. Along the way he encounters Agamemnon (Sean Connery), Robin Hood (John Cleese), Napoleon (Ian Holm) and winds up as a passenger on the Titanic, although not necessarily in that order. But is this just random entertainment laid on for history fan Kevin’s benefit, or part of a wider struggle between the forces of good (Ralph Richardson) and evil (David Warner)?
The film is an absolute joy to watch from start to finish, showcasing Gilliam’s inimitable quirky style to great effect and the latest release, with all its special features, would be a great addition to anyone’s collection. Here are the special feature details as well as the cover artwork:
- Brand new 2k-resolution restoration of the film from the original camera negative, approved by director and co-writer Terry Gilliam
- Original uncompressed PCM Stereo 2.0 and 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio options
- Optional English SDH subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Chasing Time Bandits: A new interview with Terry Gilliam
- Writing the Film that Dares Not Speak its Name: A new interview in which Michael Palin discusses co-writing and acting in Time Bandits
- The Effects of Time Bandits: A new interview in which Kent Houston, founder of the Peerless Camera Company, discusses Time Bandits’ optical effects
- Playing Evil: A new featurette in which actor David Warner remembers producer George Harrison and playing Evil in Time Bandits
- The Costumes of Time Bandits: A new interview with costume designer James Acheson
- The Look of Time Bandits: A new interview with production designer Milly Burns
- From Script to Screen – A new animated featurette in which Milly Burns takes us through her production notebooks, locations photographs and storyboards revealing how twentieth century Morocco was transformed into Ancient Greece
- Original Trailer
- Restoration Demonstration
- Collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by critic James Oliver
Thanks to Arrow Video we have three copies of the DVD to give away. To be in with a chance of winning one of them all you have to do is comment on this post with an answer to the following: what is your favourite time travel movie and why? Winners will be chosen from our favourite comments (please give more than just a few word answers) and will be contacted by e-mail soon after the competition closes.
Now time for the the small print:
- Competition open to UK residents only
- Only one entry per person
- Entrants must be 18 or over
- Competition closes on Friday August 30th at 23:59pm GMT
Good luck! Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and like our Facebook page.
Time Bandits is released on DVD, Blu-ray and limited edition steelbook in the UK on Monday August 26th.
As cool as Time Bandits might be (I havent seen it since the 80s) the ultimate time travel film just has to be Back To The Future. I rewatched the film last week and its still a perfect film. . So no offence to Time Bandits but hey being a fellow movie reviewer and fan. We just have to be honest dont we 🙂 )
Back To The Future – because it’s a trilogy which makes for more time travel; because it has an awesome storyline and characters; because it has a dream car that people still salvage over, decades after its release, and because the film(s) are simply AWESOME!!
Timecrimes. A really interesting, well made science fiction/thriller about time travel;
It can only be Back To The Future I ! I love all the catchphrases that came out from it-hel-loooo?! McFlyyyy?!-and the crazy gadgets we all thought we’d be owning by now. Oh, and it’s the only timetravel movie I’ve ever watched!
It can only be one movie the 1960 “The Time Machine” the film that got me hooked on SciFi.
My vote would have to go to ‘Hot Tub Time Machine’. A gang of 40 something year old men travel back to the 1980’s and get a chance to relive their youth. Bonus points for Motley Crue et al soundtrack.
Triangle – a clever little film, overlooked at the time I thought, but it was clever, dark and well acted
Time Bandits: No argument; best script; best characters; best villains; best actors; funniest lines; it isn’t just THE best time travel film it’s one of the best films of all time.
back to the future , the famous delorean
Back to the future, simply because I’d love a hover board and a super cool pair of Nike dunks,
its back to the future for me too, great films well acted and light hearted fun
A knight at King Arthurs Court a classic family film from my youth it has everything a boy could want!
Back to the Future. One of the all time great sci-fi comedies.
bill and ted cos i hated history
Sorry to echo everyone else, but the ‘Back To The Future’ trilogy is fantastic. The whole family loves it. Full of fun and crazy adventure.
The Time Machine 1960 version, with Rod Taylor. It was the first time travelling movie I had seen, and had everything cheesy acting, good at the time, special effects, and scarey monsters, the morlocks, which again at the time terrified me. It has stood the test of time, as I have watched it with my daughters, who I have to say thought it was a comedy!
My favorite time travelling film would have to be ‘The Time Machine’, the1960 film based on HG Wells’ novel. It is the first time travel film and when I first saw the film as a kid I enjoyed watching the fast-forward time-laspe sequences and the visions of the future. The Morlocks were ugly-scary too!
‘Time Machine’ (1960). A classic film of a classic novel. I must’ve watched it dozens of times.
Back to the Future – great fun, and what better way to travel through time, than in a DeLorean
Same as many other forty somethings I suspect but has to be Back to the Future. It was a perfect film at the time and is great family viewing.
Back to the future, it’s really funny
I think Looper is great with the main character facing his future / past self.
The Time Machine, the original Rod Taylor version. I love the part where he’s travelling in time and watching the shop change.
The butterfly effect, Aston Kutcher is such a good actor in this film and the plot is one i could never see coming. even though many critics slated it it had a huge fan base, the film was not afraid to push boundaries showing molestation, animal cruelty, murder but all this no matter how bad added to the sheer momentum of the plot. It was a purely low budget move, i feel often did not get the respect it truly deserved.
It truly brought home the aspect every action in life has consequences around us, Such a brilliant time travel film where many fall flat.
Back to the future such a great movie
The Time Traveler’s Wife – great combination of time travel and romance. Really thought provoking.
The Time Traveller’s Wife – A great story, if you can follow it!
OK…bit sad I know but I love The Muppets Christmas Carol!!
I loved E.T I would have gone off anywhere with him! (and just ‘phoned home’ occasionally)
the time travellers wife the perfect chick flick
Quite a recent film – LOOPERS. It was a great film and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Also I am a great Star Trek fan and they are always doing time travel episodes – absolutely love them as they really make you think how it all works. Another great one is TIME TRAVELLER’S WIFE.
Looper. The whole idea of changing something now and seeing the impact on the future self, immediately. This film causes our house hours of discussions on what if :\
Back To The Future. A great trilogy with a good story, good characters and great fun.
Looper – it’s a film you really don’t want to see on your own cos there’s so much to talk about and try to understand. Gets better with every watch.
The Time Traveler’s Wife 🙂
Has to be Back To The Future could watch it time and again. Love Michael J Fox
It has to be back to the future as it is hilarious and so cleverly done!
It’s been said before but Looper is great – a few plot holes here and there but if you suspend belief it’s a great little “what if” story!
It’s got to be Back To The Future. I grew up watching it (with my brother, over and over again!), so it feels like a part of my childhood. I still watch it lovingly now, though, so it’s definitely stood the test of time.
The film has so many classic scenes – from skateboarding around cars to Johnny B Goode to George punching Biff. And Michael J Fox and Christopher Lloyd are perfect in their roles – I couldn’t imagine anyone else in them.
There have been loftier films dealing with the subject of time travel, but – great Scott! – I don’t think any of them have been quite so much fun. 🙂
12 Monkeys is brilliant – clever, with a great twist at the end
Timecrimes is still my favourite time travel movie. I love it for various reasons. Firstly I love a film that will make me watch it multiple times to get a real grasp of everything that went on. Secondly it really falls in to my favourite genre of Horror as well, a real sense of dread flows through the movie and I loved every second.
mine is back to the future trilogy its a classic
Back to the Future – a classic that can’t be beaten.
Very sad I know but I love Bill and Ted’s Excellent adventure *blush*
the time machine with Rod Taylor
i still enjoy watching it now (maybe more)
than as i did when i was young
Has to be the first Back to the Future. The culture of both time periods is really nostalgic watching now, and I thought the film was really innovative at the time, when I was young and impressionable!
‘Source Code’ with Jake Gyllenhaal. What would you do if you could live the same 8 minutes over and over again? 😉
Doctor Who, love it for a long time :}
Star Trek, the 2009 one. It restored my faith in start trek when it was on the brink.
Back to the future!
Back To The Future – its a classic! The ONLY time travel move that comes to my mind tbh
The Time Machine, amazing that the original book was written so long ago and the film good
The Time Travellers Wife its sad but also romantic
Flight of the Navigator. This is a film that my late father took me to see as a birthday treat. I loved it then and I love it now. Plus a chance to watch a young Sarah Jessica Parker in action.
Back to the Future- fun film with great characters- funny one liners- classic
Back to the Future, a classic.
Back to the future as it gives me very clear memories of watching it with my brother as he watched it over and over. I don’t get to see him much these days and I like to watch it every now and again to remind me of him once more!
Back to the future is my favourite because it was produced in such spleandor and graphic detail. Great film with a great storyline!
The Doctor Who film is my favourite. I am big fan of the Tardis and its wonderful capabilities! Great idea and if we could produce such a machine today, think of all the money we would save, going forward in time a bit – better than the January sales!
My favourite is Back to the Future, great feel good movie. Awesome soundtrack!
My favourite is actually Time Bandits. It’s so cheesy and silly and yet has the innocence and good laughs missing in many modern films.
my favourite is the time machine with Rod Taylor. i think he is such a good actor, and it was made in 1960 so it was really good for that time period, they didnt have all the special effects that we are lucky enough to have now
12 Monkeys – One of those films you can watch again and again and see something different. Engaging plot and characters.
has to be hot tub time machine, for once a good storyline, good actors and good graphics all in one, all thats missing is a few mates and a tub of popcorn, all that and u have yourself a fantastic night in 🙂 x
The Rock Of Ages the sound track is brillant!!
I can’t disagree with the mass opinion – it has to be = Back to the Future
Definitely Time Bandits as it brings back so many memories. I remember seeing it at the cinema and I must have been very young as during the credits they showed God’s map and I thought it was very irresponsible as someone could take a photo of the screen and use it!
Back to the Future, love the humour, romance, still one of my favourite, still trying to get my daughters to watch it, all the twists and turns in the film
Not sure if this counts but I would say Red Dwarf. They travelled through time! I loved each of the characters especially Rimmer. Cannot be beaten.
Brigadoon. I know it’s cheesy and the Scottish accents are almost as bad a Isla Fisher’s in Burke and Hare but I used to watch it when I was a child with my Nan. The songs are brilliant and Gene Kelly is still, to this day, one of my favourite actors.
It’s a shame that it gets ridiculed (and most often forgotten about) because the story itself is really good and not that far removed from the plot of Stardust which was made just over 50 years later.
Back to the Future. Love all the films….so want a hover skateboard too 🙂