The Philadelphia Experiment (1984) Reportedly based on a true incident during World War II involving an anti-radar or invisibility experiment

that caused a US Navy Destroyer Escort to disappear from hiladelphia !arbor" # sailor finds himself thro$n into the future %&'()*" +ichael ar, """ Nancy #llen """ Eric -hristmas """ 0obby Di -icco """ /ouise /atham """ 2ene !olliday """ .oe Dorsey """ +ichael -urrie """ Stephen 4obolo$s1y Director5 Ste$art Raffill http566$$$"imdb"com6title6tt77(8'&76 Runtime5 &79 mins -odecs5 Div: ; 6 + ; I<ve seen every time travel movie ever made= and I must say that the hiladelphia Experiment ran1s pretty high on my list of favorites" Despite the cheesy love story %almost as bad as 4itanic or earl !arbor* the effects are pretty good and the story is cool" 4he actors $ere fair %Nancy #llen $as great= though* and the screenplay is pretty good" It<s a really interesting story in itself= though" If you have any interest at all in this movie= I $ould strongly recommend loo1ing for boo1s about the actual hiladelphia Experiment" %sometimes found in collections of paranormal phenomenon* 4he supposed true story involves tests to camoflauge a navy ship - rendering it either invisible to radar or 4RU/> invisible %stories vary as to the exact intent of the experiment* apparently through the use of magnetic fields" 4he rumor is that the ship disappeared from the hiladelphia naval yard and 4E/E ?R4ED to a @irginia naval yard" 4he cre$ had a variety of side-effects= ranging from temporary invisibility and6or intangibility to getting phased into solid ob3ects and getting stuc1 there" %a couple of people $ho $ere phased into solid ob3ects can be seen in the movie - pretty coolA* 4he BtrueB story ma1es a great read and even if only a fraction of it is true= it<s a pretty remar1able idea that any of it happened in reality" 4he hiladelphia Experiment is an entertaining movie= but more for sci fi fans and their girlfriends rather than the average moviegoer" """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" I first sa$ this film in a theater on a date= and it $as an excellent choice= $ith science fiction for the guys= romance for the ladies= a pleasant feel throughout= and nothing too racy or too gory" I<m really surprised at all the negative comments about this film= and ho$ it should be remade" I thought it $as Cuite good as it $as= other than in a fe$ minor details= and I can<t imagine it being remade $ithout destroying the special moods it created" +y favorite part is the aerial scene of the orange groves and eucalyptus trees in inland -alifornia as David and #llison are driving do$n a rural high$ay= see1ing out David<s old friends" #fter all David !erdeg #llison !ayes Dr" .ames /ongstreet .im ar1er amela +a3or -lar1 Sheriff 0ates +agnussen """ 0arney

the tension in the earlier part of the film= this peaceful interlude set to pleasant music $hile soaring over the rolling hills is a beautiful contrast= and it becomes the high part of the film" 4he soothing old <)7s music that David s$itches to on the car radio adds to the ambiance= and it becomes easy to imagine that time has stood still in this part of the country= $hich of course fits perfectly $ith the main plot" 4his mood is extended by David pointing out old landmar1s he remembers5 a church= a big old tree= and an old gas station" 4hen old blac1-and-$hite photographs on the $all of the gas station of David and his father bring the point home that David $as telling the truth all along" It<s a poignant scene as David is proud of his dad<s accomplishments late in life $hile he simultaneously laments his father<s passing" 4oo often no$adays films are made $ith Byang-on-yangB nonstop tension= action= and violence $ithout any pleasant= relaxing high points= so I thin1 this film $as very $ell balanced in that $ay" 4here are a number of other very $ell-done tidbits throughout the film" Dor example= David<s Cuestion to the doctor= BIs this sort of thing possible no$EB= $hen describing time travel is something that only a bona-fide time traveler $ould say= and I remember the audience chuc1led in delight at that perfect bit of dialog" #nother gem is $hen David bluntly as1s the transvestite in his 3ail cell= BWhat the hell are you dressed li1e that forEB I<ve 1no$n do$n-to-earth= practicallyminded= heterosexual sailors= and that<s exactly ho$ they react to our modern era<s confusing gender bending" #nother gem $as David flatly declaring that the $ater his friend .im sees in the distance is a mirage= and then .im ribbing David about David<s mista1e as they trudge through miles of $ater" I thought the romance $or1ed extremely $ell" Note David<s defensiveness about his love life $hen he<s in the <)7s= and ho$ standoffish his <)7s girlfriend is= and then contrast that to the magnanimous personality of #llison in the <(7s= $ho coincidentally has the same curly red hair as his <)7s girlfriend--evidently the loo1 David li1es" #llison becomes the ideal version of his <)7s girlfriend= and understandably becomes David<s ne$ focus in life" 4hey ma1e a very nice couple= I thin1" 4here are admittedly some $ea1 points in the film" 4he 977&-type vortex travel scene has some unconvincing effects= but considering they<re trying to sho$ $hat the fourth dimension loo1s li1e= $hich presumably has nothing in common $ith our universe= it<s hard to find fault in their visualiFation" 4he glo$ing hands and electric arcs flying out from the arcade games and po$er lines are a little $ea1= as are people<s reactions to those= and the carrying of top secret papers= and the implausible landing on a ship in a vortex= but I regard those are minor points" 4he modern day reaction of .im to his old friend seems unrealistic at first until you thin1 about it= and the explanation given about .im<s psychological problems after the experiment ma1es perfect sense and adds a bit of unexpected realism" In real life you can<t expect to loo1 up old friends and have everything go bac1 to the $ay it used to be" Such details in the film fit together Cuite $ell= I believe" Whether or not this movie follo$s the historical facts and rumors of the original hiladelphia Experiment isn<t particularly important to me" What I care about is $hether the film stands on its o$n as a piece of art= and in my opinion it definitely does" 4his is a film I find myself thin1ing about from time to time= and I li1e to $atch it every so often" 4o me it<s a film $orth o$ning" """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" I can<t decide $hether $e $ere meant to ta1e this film seriously or not" Nevertheless= it seems to be a reasonable representation of $hat many people thin1 happened" 4he hiladelphia Experiment is one of those things that 1eeps surfacing in so many different $ays that one is inclined to thin1 there might be some grains of truth in it" If you ta1e a$ay the conspiricists and the UD? people= the story doesn<t go a$ay" Something happened"

4his movie is Cuite endearing simply because it $as done so badly" It had 3ust the right amount of ineptitude applied to it to propel it solidly into the so-bad-it<s-good bas1et" Someho$= the $ooden acting and cheesy effects doesn<t stop you from really caring about the characters= and maybe even thin1ing that something li1e this might have really happened" If it ma1es you thin1= then it<s done its 3ob beautifully" G #ccording to B4he +a1ing of 4he hiladelphia ExperimentB= the Wendover= Utah air base used in the film<s climactic fire seCuence $as $here the Enola Hay $as outfitted for its historic flight in &')I" G 4he movie is set in hiladelphia" !o$ever= the ships used $ere at atriots oint= -harleston South -arolina" 4he aircraft carrier= destroyer= and submarine are doc1ed in the same positions as the movie"