“Time travelers kidnap a 1990s NASA scientist and loop him into the future in order to steal his anti-aging research. Meanwhile, his wife suffers a sexual identity crisis and becomes the prime suspect in his disappearance.”

If any part of that blurb caught your attention, then we have the perfect movie for you, folks.

Good for conspiracy theorists, romantics, and sci-fi film buffs, “Spooky Action,” directed by Penn State professor Rod Bingaman, blends genres to tell a tale of love and the importance of appreciating the time we have.

The film is premiering in a free screening at 7:30 p.m. on February 10, at the State Theatre.

The movie follows a NASA scientist, Rick Periwinkle, who was brought 30 years into the future by time travelers in search of a cure for aging. At the same time, his wife Lucy Periwinkle grapples with his disappearance and her own blossoming queerness at a time when being gay was seen as a lifestyle choice.

The movie hinges on Albert Einstein’s theory of quantum entanglement. The theory states that there is a phenomenon where two subatomic particles remain linked to each other despite being billions of light-years away.

“The whole idea of quantum entanglement is that something in one part of the universe affects something else, but we don’t know why,” said Bingaman. “There are sort of parallel plotlines, so when something changes in the future, it changes in the past.”

Interwoven throughout the story are portrayals of famous people who went missing under mysterious circumstances including Amelia Earhart, Henry Hudson, Ambrose Bierce, and Louis Le Prince, as their lives are affected by time travelers in different parts of history.

“Time is probably our most precious commodity,” said Bingaman. “‘Spooky Action’ is not exactly a love story, but it has a love theme, in a sense.”

The love theme is seen in both halves of the Periwinkle couple. However, it is explored more thoroughly through Lucy’s side of the story.

“I would love for people to walk out and say, ‘I never thought about love that way,'” said Bingaman.

The film was directed and produced by Bingaman and Maura Shea, who both teach at Penn State.

Bingaman is an associate teaching professor of film production at the Bellisario College of Communications. Outside of Penn State, Bingaman has more than 25 years of experience in the film industry. Prior to “Spooky Action,” Bingaman directed numerous commercials and short films, four of which won awards.

Shea is an associate teaching professor of film production and associate head of the department of film production and media studies at Penn State. Shea focuses more on the production and editing side of film and has helped work on numerous independent feature films and award-winning documentaries.

Bingaman and Shea met at Boston University and worked on several projects together. They became great friends and worked well together, as Bingaman handled shooting and Shea focused on post-production. The couple has been married for around 30 years.

The couple founded Ma and Pa Pictures in 2000, starting as a small crew consisting of Bingaman, Shea, and their students. Soon, the studio grew to Penn State alumni and all of its media heads were Penn State graduates. The group has made four other pictures throughout the years.

“The idea is to create a collaborative experience; it really is a group effort,” said Bingaman.

The filming of “Spooky Action” started in July 2019, but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic until July 2021. The crew is excited about the screening, and Bingaman is specifically thrilled by the trick shots and effects in the film.

Bingaman hopes viewers will leave the showing with a new lease on love, life, and maybe some physics theories.

“Appreciate those around you and the good things you have,” said Bingaman. “Good times sometimes go by quickly, but if you stop and appreciate them, you will enrich them.”