Knowing I’m a fan of time travel stories, my husband bought me Summer Time Machine Blues, a 2005 Japanese sci-fi comedy film. It’s got a quirky, low-stakes premise: the story is about using a time machine to save a broken air conditioner remote. Lots of silly fun and nerd friend group energy.

The main characters of Summer Time Machine Blues belong to a sci-fi club and photography club. It’s got mystery, juvenile hijinks, and touch of romance. Nicely shot; fun music. The film also pays homage to Back to the Future and H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine. I liked it!

Fun fact: Summer Time Machine Blues was based on a 2001 play by Makoto Ueda. An actor discovered the play, brought a big-time director to see it, and he loved it so much he adapted it for film. The Blu-ray extras feature an interesting comparison of the play and film versions.