Back to the Future (1985)

[Shannon L.]

Well, fans....it's finally here!  October, 2015 and shortly it will be Oct. 21st--the day that Marty and Doc traveled to the future.  There's a special documentary planned for the occasion, too:

 

Back to the Future documentary Back in Time set for October release

 

I just love this movie.  It never got old for me and I enjoyed introducing each of my kids to it when they were old enough.  I'll never forget sitting in the theater with my family and laughing out loud at much of it.  My dad wasn't a movie person, but went anyway and ended up really enjoying himself.  I remember clearly, every time I see the movie, my dad, who was an electrician, laughing and saying quietly "There's no such thing as a giga-watt".  hee!  After the movie's release, my friends and I were were wowed at the thought of being 46 years old when that 30 year mark hit.  It seemed so far off, but, man, did it go fast!! 

 

I don't think I'll ever tire of this classic gem. 

[Spartan Girl]

Neither will I. Marty McFly/Michael J Fox was my first movie crush as a kid. I still love him to this day.

I still crack up at so many of the lines. "I'm your density!" "What the hell is a giga watt?!"

Edited October 2, 2015 by Spartan Girl

[Cobb Salad]

I love Back to the Future. I saw it and the sequels when they were in the theaters - the message you can do anything if you put your mind to it is inspiring. I agree watching them in "2015" felt so far away but where did all that time go?

I'll never get tired of it either - it's also fun watching what was (even though 1955 is before my time) and what their view of 2015 was even though most of it was done for laughs. By 1989 any vision of the 21st century in a movie had to include flying cars even though by then some must have figured for it to be reality by 2015 some real visions must have to be in place in 1989.

Also love Back To The Future III for its western setting. I've been to Monument Valley and the movie brings bad good memories for me.

Edited October 2, 2015 by Cobb Salad

[BooBear]

I'll never get tired of it either - it's also fun watching what was (even though 1955 is before my time) and what their view of 2015 was even though most of it was done for laughs.

 

I loved this movie too. It just had so many funny elements expertly done. But for me I will always love it because I love the idea of Marty going back and helping his parents out. This was the first time I ever contemplated my own parents as humans before I exsisted and I always wished I could have gone back and hung out with my own parents for a week. What a unique concept.

[Cobb Salad]

Something I've wondered about was when Marty was saying goodbye to his parents in 1955 that either George or Lorraine (I can't remember which) seemed to like the name Marty, so why wasn't their first born Dave named Marty instead (to honor the person who introduced them) in the revised 1985 where George was an author and Biff wasn't bullying George anymore. There are a couple of other things but then this is just a movie and it's supposed to be entertaining.

[methodwriter85]

I love Back to the Future. I saw it and the sequels when they were in the theaters - the message you can do anything if you put your mind to it is inspiring. I agree watching them in "2015" felt so far away but where did all that time go?

I'll never get tired of it either - it's also fun watching what was (even though 1955 is before my time) and what their view of 2015 was even though most of it was done for laughs. By 1989 any vision of the 21st century in a movie had to include flying cars even though by then some must have figured for it to be reality by 2015 some real visions must have to be in place in 1989.

Also love Back To The Future III for its western setting. I've been to Monument Valley and the movie brings bad good memories for me.

 

To get all serious, I honestly think 9/11 killed any chance we might have had of anybody honestly going after making flying cars. Too much security and liability risks if we had those in the sky, and flying is so tightly controlled now because of 9/11.

 

But there was so much they did get right- the digital photos, flying drones taking photos, being able to watch multiple things on the same screen, 80's cafes (although I'm guessing that was just 50's diners being taken to their logical conclusion), and of course, slums coming to what had been upscale suburbia.

[BooBear]

Something I've wondered about was when Marty was saying goodbye to his parents in 1955 that either George or Lorraine (I can't remember which) seemed to like the name Marty, so why wasn't their first born Dave named Marty instead (to honor the person who introduced them)

 

In my family names were given to the older kids based on needs to honor family members (like a passed away dad). I can see that Dave (david) might have been to honor a family member.  It was though always hard to stomach the idea that they wouldn't notice that their child grew up to look exactly like the person they knew but, I will hand wave that one.

[Cobb Salad]

In my family names were given to the older kids based on needs to honor family members (like a passed away dad). I can see that Dave (david) might have been to honor a family member.  It was though always hard to stomach the idea that they wouldn't notice that their child grew up to look exactly like the person they knew but, I will hand wave that one.

The passage of time (20-30 years) helps plus they didn't have a picture of Marty to remember him by so they may just remember him as this kid who visited for a few days them left. Doubt they'd think he was a time traveler, even if he foresaw their future son almost setting the living room rug on fire ...

[BatmanBeatles]

I like to think that whenever George and Lorraine looked at Marty they simply got a sense of deja vu.

[BW Manilowe]

Pepsi is releasing Pepsi Perfect, as seen in the second movie, as a Limited Edition in time for all the October 21st anniversary-related stuff. It won't be a new formula/flavor of Pepsi, though; it'll be the Pepsi Made With REAL Sugar formula, which was released to stores twice last year (I think).

http://edit.hollywoodreporter.com/news/pepsi-perfect-back-future-ii-829403?utm_source=twitter

Edited October 5, 2015 by BW Manilowe

[King of Birds]

Another BTTF tie-in / fundraiser for Parkinson's, is the Million McFly March, happening on Oct 21

 

On Wednesday, October 21, 2015, StolenDress Entertainment is bringing the world the Million McFly March.  Fans of the film will gather at the first real-world location used in Back to the Future (The Burbank Burger King at 545 N Victory Blvd, Burbank, California 91502), dressed as Marty McFly, to participate in the largest gathering of McFlys in history, and to help raise money for Parkinson’s research.

[BW Manilowe]

And another movie tie-in:

Universal has released a "trailer" for Jaws 19, the movie which terrorized Marty.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/jaws-19-universal-releases-back-829636?utm_source=twitter

[jcin617]

  It was though always hard to stomach the idea that they wouldn't notice that their child grew up to look exactly like the person they knew but, I will hand wave that one.

"Family Guy" had a cutaway with a scene from "Back to the Future" where George flipped out after Marty set fire to the rug for just that reason.  "You think I didn't notice he looks just like the guy who introduced us, Lorraine!?"

[Kel Varnsen]

The passage of time (20-30 years) helps plus they didn't have a picture of Marty to remember him by so they may just remember him as this kid who visited for a few days them left. Doubt they'd think he was a time traveler, even if he foresaw their future son almost setting the living room rug on fire ...

I can barely remember what some people I went to high school looked like and I knew them for years. George and Lorraine knew Marty for about a week 30 years before 1985. I can see how they could easily forget what he looks like. Or even if they think he looks similar, just write it off as a coincidence, rather than thinking holy crap our son must have traveled back in time.

 

The bigger plot hole for me is why did Doc, after going to the future, have to come back to 1985, pick up Marty and Jennifer and bring them to 2015. If the problem with Marty's son happened on October 21, 2015, why not just travel back to October 20, 2015, find the Marty living in that time period (who would obviously know about time travel) and get that guy to help stop his son from getting in trouble. I would think telling someone what happens one day in the future is alot less risky than taking someone 30 years into the future.

[BatmanBeatles]

Maybe Doc could also use the time machine to tell Marty to chill out every time someone called him a chicken.

 

I really did not like that character development.

[Cobb Salad]

The bigger plot hole for me is why did Doc, after going to the future, have to come back to 1985, pick up Marty and Jennifer and bring them to 2015. If the problem with Marty's son happened on October 21, 2015, why not just travel back to October 20, 2015, find the Marty living in that time period (who would obviously know about time travel) and get that guy to help stop his son from getting in trouble. I would think telling someone what happens one day in the future is alot less risky than taking someone 30 years into the future.

This is a good point since Marty told Doc to look him up in the future. Then there wouldn't have been the fiasco with the comic book since future Marty won't be going back to the past with Doc. They would have had to do something else to get in trouble, probably at the hands of Griff or Biff.

[TobinAlbers]

I'm with everyone on the BttF love. Probably my most favorite movie moments ever is in #1 when Marty's about to disappear and George finally kisses Lorraine. Just a great scene of tension that combines action and music in such a satisfying way to get the point across that a lifetime can be written in a moment.

My second most is at the end of #2 when Doc gets hit by lightning and Marty and the audience are just left standing in the rain going WTF just happened? WTH is gonna happen now?! Coupled with the cackle of glee when Marty says 'There's only one man who can help me now!' Before running off to town to show us what happened after he went back to the future the first time. Just brilliant.

Doc also had a great creed to live by: Can't keep a good scientist down!

[nobodyyoucare]

This is a good point since Marty told Doc to look him up in the future. Then there wouldn't have been the fiasco with the comic book since future Marty won't be going back to the past with Doc. They would have had to do something else to get in trouble, probably at the hands of Griff or Biff.

Sports almanac. Also there is the issue with multiple time lines hence why you have to go further back then be going into the future since it would be the altered future. Odds are Doc figured out a reason why he couldn't enlist the future Marty likely the future Marty refused to help or well you saw how he handled being fired in 2015. 

 

Also there is something a lot of people missed such as how small changes such as knocking out a pine tree changed the name of the mall or that Biff had spiked the punch which Marty's dad drank giving him liquid courage. . 

[Shannon L.]

There were so many great moments.  I loved it when Marty convinced George to ask Lorraine to the prom with a biohazard suit, heavy metal music and pretending to be Darth Vadar from planet Vulcan.

[Spartan Girl]

I'm with everyone on the BttF love. Probably my most favorite movie moments ever is in #1 when Marty's about to disappear and George finally kisses Lorraine. Just a great scene of tension that combines action and music in such a satisfying way to get the point across that a lifetime can be written in a moment.

That has to be one of the greatest movie kisses of all time.

[BW Manilowe]

Nice coincidence the Chicago Cubs at least won the Wild Card Game, last night, to get into their League's Divisional Series (against St.Louis) this year.

We'll have to see if they can get any farther since the 2nd movie predicted they'd be 2015 World Series Champions (defeating Miami, which wasn't a real team when the movie came out but it is now--though I don't think they made the playoffs this year in real life, so if the Cubbies make the real life World Series they'd be playing a different team).

[benteen]

This movie also featured the greatest standing up to the bully moment of all time.  Seriously, is there a more satisfying bully takedown than Biff getting knocked out by George?

[nobodyyoucare]

This movie also featured the greatest standing up to the bully moment of all time.  Seriously, is there a more satisfying bully takedown than Biff getting knocked out by George?

Which is explained by George drinking the punch that Biff  had spiked. Biff set in motion his defeat by giving George the tool he needed to stand up to Biff. liquid courage can be quite amazing. 

[BatmanBeatles]

Well I think it's because he got enraged when he saw what Biff was going to do to Lorraine.

[FortKnox]

Not a sports fan what so ever but, I'm giddy that the Cubs may win the World Series in 2015. Hell I may have to put some money on the Cubbies.

[Cobb Salad]

Anyone know what their odds were at the beginning of the season? 100-1? Lol

[Shannon L.]

Someone should email the organization and give them a little extra motivation because having them win this year would be all kinds of awesome.

Edited October 15, 2015 by Shannon L.

[rubaco]

Happy Back to the Future Day, everyone! Where's my hoverboard?

 

No... scratch that... where's my flying car?

[Chicken Wing]

I feel like today should be a holiday.

[VCRTracking]

If the Cubs lose I blame Biff.

[Kel Varnsen]

A brewery in Ontario makes a beer called Lone Pine IPA. I picked one up today and will be having it with dinner.

[Shannon L.]

I wonder if they knew that they had such a hit on their hands that it would resonate with everyone to this extent.  Did anyone see the Today Show interviews with Leah Thompson, Christopher Lloyd and Michael J. Fox?  They said that the script was rejected several times and Leah thinks maybe it had to do with the fact that Marty's mother had the hots for him.  They were also asked which lines they get repeated to them the most often by fans.  They were:

 

Michael:  "McFly, you Irish bug (I think he said bug-I don't remember this line)!"

Christopher:  "Roads?  Where we're going we don't need roads."

Leah:  "You're my density."

 

Leah's quote would be the first one that came to my mind, but I'm surprised that Christopher's isn't "Great Scott!".  As for Michael's, the first two I think of are:  "You built a time machine out of a Delorean?!" or "What the hell is a jiggawatt?!"

[Spartan Girl]

My mom apparently had no idea that a different actress played Jennifer in Parts 2 and 3. I can't see why she would think that, though I guess Claudia Wells and Elisabeth Shue looked SLIGHTLY similar.

Damn, I wish Marty McFly was my boyfriend. Every time I watch the scene with her and Marty on her porch in Part 3 I can't help feeling so jealous of Jennifer.

[Cobb Salad]

Esquire is showing a marathon of all 3 movies, Back To the Future III is on right now.

Happy Back to The Future day everyone!

[Dandesun]

The one scene that honestly never fails to make me laugh is from the third movie. They're at the dance/shindig/whatever and Mad Dog is menacing Doc and goes to shoot him with his tiny boot gun but Marty flings the pie pan at him, hits him in the wrist (causing him to miss) and goes 'Hey, back off, JERK!'

 

Mad Dog looks at his entourage and they all shrug, having no idea what Marty even said, and turns back (still looking really confused) and just goes 'Strong words, runt!'

 

I don't even know why. It's such an innocuous bit of slang but I guess it does make sense that people from the Old West wouldn't know what he was talking about.

 

Of course, it's also followed up by Mad Dog wanting a showdown with Marty and his group interrupting him because they have other crimes to commit for much of the week. "How about Friday? We doing anything then?" "No... nope, Friday's good. You can kill him then." "FRIDAY, RUNT!" (Not sure it was actually Friday but you get the idea.)

[Kromm]

Happy Back to the Future Day, everyone! Where's my hoverboard?

 

No... scratch that... where's my flying car?

You got the Internet, Uber, and Tinder instead.

[Chicken Wing]

Turns out Doc's calculations were not quite right as shown in the movie. He and Marty actually landed in 2015 in the middle of Jimmy Kimmel. :)

[Kromm]

Teens React to Back to the Future 2 (Marty McFly arriving on October 21st, 2015)

 

[magicdog]

Still one of my all time favorite films!  Even if the sequels mysteriously vanished, it still works on every level.

 

 

My mom apparently had no idea that a different actress played Jennifer in Parts 2 and 3.

 

 

Truth be told, neither did I until recently.

 

 

 

where's my flying car?

 

 

This essay explains it.   Damn, now I'm depressed.

 

 

It's official:  Biff screwed the Cubs out of the World Series Championships!      

 

I wonder if TPTB could pull a George Lucas and redo the scene in BTTF 2 showing the Mets winning? 

 

 

ETA:  Just found this - perked me up again.

Edited October 22, 2015 by magicdog

[absnow54]

Turns out Doc's calculations were not quite right as shown in the movie. He and Marty actually landed in 2015 in the middle of Jimmy Kimmel. :)

 

[Kromm]

The shocking thing is that since Fox was clearly having a really good day, Christopher Lloyd is the one who came off more like a Parkinson's patient.

Also, I gotta love me a good Biff Henderson joke!

[BatmanBeatles]

I sing the words to the song "Shut Up And Dance" like this:

 

"This woman is my density..."

 

The scene in the first movie that makes me sad is when Loraine tells her kids how she met George. She looks happy at first, but grows depressed as it dawns on her that George isn't the man of her dreams she thought he was.

[Chicken Wing]

The shocking thing is that since Fox was clearly having a really good day, Christopher Lloyd is the one who came off more like a Parkinson's patient.

 

 

I know, it was almost more sad than anything how much they've both declined. But they were right on point about one thing: 2015 stinks.

[Spartan Girl]

The Kimmel skit was gold. And yes Christopher Lloyd did seem a bit shaky, but he still seem pretty okay.

[absnow54]

I think he was having a hard time remembering his lines. He's seemed fine in all the pre-recorded bits they've done for the anniversary. 

[BatmanBeatles]

Huey Lewis for the win!

[JAYJAY1979]

Can't believe back to the future day is over :(

http://www.chicagonow.com/confessions-coffeeholic/2015/10/back-to-the-future-joe-biden-cubs/

[Shannon L.]

Michael J. Fox gets Nike's first pair of self-lacing shoes.

 

There will be a few other pairs auctioned off and the money will go to Michael's foundation for Parkinson's research.

[Cobb Salad]

They play themselves here:

http://www.nj.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2015/10/watch_back_to_the_future_toyota_commercial_filmed.html

[BizBuzz]

That Jimmy Kimmel thing was great ... 

 

Gosh, Christopher Lloyd is 77 years old.  Dang.