AboutBarbara L. Baker Expertise I am a professor of communication at a midwest university, with expertise in film. I can answer most questions on the original "Star Wars" trilogy, and some on the newer trilogy. I also have expertise in general science-fiction film (both history and theory), especially in the United States. I can probably answer questions related to genres, mythic implications of science-fiction films, as well as questions on hybrids (especially comic science fiction) and cult science fiction films (such as "Repo Man" and "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai," etc.). For movie titles, noting significant plot details and characters are better than minor plot events, and it is even better if you can recall the time period when the film was made, an actor or director's name, and if it is a film or TV movie. I am less able to answer the following, although I will do my best to track down an answer for you--recent SF films, episodes of TV shows, and horror/SF hybrids. I cannot answer questions about anime/manga or about film collectables. Nor will I answer obvious homework (although I will point you to resources to help answer the question, if asked). I also can't help you find movie stars, movie memorabilia, or tell you how to break into the business.
Experience
Past/Present clients My students at UCM, I suppose.
Question Barbara, you're my third attempt, you can do this...please!:
I am trying to find the name of a science fiction movie I think came out in the 70's or 80's, where a society from earth's future was attempting to send messages into the past to warn them about something. It was hit and miss for the protagonists until they finally succeeded in understanding what they were supposed to do. I remember that the message or whatever was attempting to be broadcast through some really weird way -- I think the results of their broadcast created weird alterations to the reality of the target past, like weird creatures coming out of the walls and stuff which attacked the protagonists, unfortunately. I think that the bulk of the story was set in a building in a downtown urban setting or similar. You (the viewer) could sometimes hear weird sounds like lots of people whispering through an old radio at various times throughout the film. It was definitely weird. It kind of reminded me of a Cthulu-type of story but this was science fiction and not weird fiction because at the end it was explained what was going on.
What is this film??? It's getting to the point where I am wondering if I dreamed this up.
Thanks!
Answer Alan, I've spent days trying to locate an answer and I've had no luck. the plot sounds vaguely familiar, but every time-travelling film I checked from the time period did not have this exact plot. It has some similarity to "Frequency" but that is a film from 2000.
It might be you are recalling part of "Slaughterhouse 5" from 1972, but it has been a long time since I've seen that film, and I can not really say that is the film you are looking for (it is surreal, and part of it takes place in a city in the 40s, with altered reality, but the rest doesn't really fit).
I know you provided several details, but can you recall anything else about this film? If not, then I probably won't be able to answer the question. I'm sorry.
