Back To The Future Appreciation Thread, 35 year Anniversary

As I implied, it's natural for events that happened before your birth to seem like they occurred a million years earlier. There's no frame of reference.

In this case too, I think society just hasn't changed quite as much from 1990-2020 as it did between 1955-1985.

Music, movies, TV just aren't all that different in 2020 than they were in 1990, whereas the difference in culture between 1955 and 1985 was huge.

At least that's how it seems to me as a 53-year-old. Younger people - those too young to have any 1990 frame of reference - may wholly disagree, and the culture of 1990 may seem prehistoric to them!

I think the biggest gap is technological, though, as that's where life has changed the most over the last 30 years!

 

I saw "2" opening night and found it to be a tremendous disappointment - mainly because of expectations.

As you note, it's much darker, and that cliffhanger ending was a massive buzzkill. I expected a movie that was fun and light like the 1st - and even though I knew a 3rd film was on the way, I expected something with a more concrete ending, not a movie that finished with a freakin' trailer for the next one!

I've seen "2" a bunch since then and like it much more with expectations altered. It's not as good as the 1st, of course, but it's worthwhile in its own right.

But in November 1989, I was just incensed!

Funny how I had no problem with the darker tone and "incomplete" ending of "Empire Strikes Back" 9 years earlier!

 

1. Shue overacts too much as Jennifer.

Though to be fair, we have no idea what Wells would've been like in the sequels, where Jennifer played a much larger role. She could've been just as bad.

Also, even though Shue is a babe, she looked silly in that wig!

 

One of my all time favorite movies (I dont really care for the other two. The second one especially is over the top.) But the first one? Spielberg and the cast were firing on all cylinders. Just lightening in a bottle as far as casting. Perfect chemistry between the characters. So many catchphrases that became part of pop culture for a good while. Subject matter that was the ultimate fantasy for any kid: A time machine. But underneath it all and more importantly is the emphasis on how family is important, overcoming the odds for the ones you love and standing up to injustices.

My favorite scenes are with Crispin Glover. The guy did some monster acting in this film. The ultimate nerd underdog. George has so many different aspects to his personality: Akward, yet affable. Perverse, yet sincere. Scared, but brave.

I think he made the movie tbh. I cant imagine anyone else playing George McFly. And when he finally punches Biff out, the point of the movie reaches its climax and turns it from a very creative modern cool science fiction comedy to a life lesson about injustice and how one man standing up to it can make a difference.

I love Marty's relationship with George. How Marty is always in Georges corner but also has this sad pity on him. I dont think Marty would have ever guessed he would be the protective son as he trips Biff.

My favorite Marty/George scene is where Marty is coaching George about what he is going to do at the dance. Some fine acting by Crispin. His line: "Do you really think I should curse?" and his body language is just hillarious. And the way he waves the giant bra around as he is questioning Marty about his actions is classic. Then George gets scared and you see how honest he is really. I dont think George has ever told a lie his entire life.

 

On Oct 22, 2015 I looked for one of these:



I couldn't find one anywhere then I got the idea to hit the local Holiday Inn since all hotels have USA today. I asked the guy if I could have one and he said to take what I wanted so I grabbed a few.

 

I probably first saw this on TV, but I’ve seen it many times since and could happily see it many times again.
What I do remember clearly is that it was one the first films I watched on Blu-ray, in what was a fairly small (compared to now!) but half decent sony tv. I could not believe that opening scene, the clarity of it and the attention to detail in the room where Marty is about to crank up his guitar, and the way it’s shot. Stunning, and just the first 5 minutes!

 

When I saw it in the theater, I didn't realize that was Michael J. Fox until he removed his sunglasses. Stupid first-time viewer.

 

Agree, if someone went back unfamiliar with 1990, it would mostly be naff cars (not all of them naff of course) and mullets. But not an alien bygone world like the 50's seem to be. I think also 50's america seems a bit more shiny and glamorous wheras in the UK it would seem a bit grim due to it being the post war ration years, maybe the 60's would be more of a culture shock in the UK.

 

By the way guys
All 3 currently on Amazon Prime for free

Trying to persuade the boss we should watch them again

 

I always wonder if they'll ever release the Eric Stoltz version... not that it'd be fully complete... sure be interesting to watch.

Always preferred the first of the series to Part 2/3 (in a way the first was more believable than the other two - all three highly enjoyable though) .


Just one more thing; original Jennifer is the best

 

I have never seen II all the way through and have seen just little bits and pieces of III I do have both on the DVR just haven't gotten around to it.

Is there a valid reason I have to watch them in order?

 

I just thought of something. Lorraine definitely should have had one thing strike her as odd. She named Marty Calvin Klein because the name was on his underwear. The guy knocked out that you saw up in the bedroom in his underwear would not be easily forgotten. So it would have to seem strange to her when her son was wearing Calvin Klein underwear just like Calvin from 1955.

 

Back to the Future II is weak ? You're weak !

 

"The leads are weak!"

 

They won't make much sense seen out of order...

 

I use this line whenever I can. Always good when someone gets it.

 

And all 3 on Netflix as well.

 

yes - the end of 2 sera up 3, so from a storyline it is important to watch it sequentially. If you watch 3 first, There will also be spoilers if you watch them out of order, since they replay the end of 2 at the beginning of 3. Also, they filmed them back to back so the order is important. I would give more detailed information but don’t want to give any spoilers since you haven’t seen them yet

 

I was disappointed that there wasn't more Stoltz footage on the 30th Blu-Ray. I believe that the filmmakers said that they didn't want to invite more comparisons between Stoltz and Michael J. Fox, which is a shame. Just to see his different take on certain scenes would be interesting. I don't think anyone thinks that ES isn't a quality actor, just that MJF was better for this film. I mean, can you imagine MJF in Mask or Pulp Fiction?

It would probably be cruel to do an SNL sketch or something where the DeLorean has a glitch and they return to 1985 and Stoltz IS Marty McFly.



Dan

 

You should not mess with the space time continuum!

 

I went to that Burger King in Burbank all the time, right across the street from the old Arriflex building. A lot of film-related companies are in that area. It's also just 2-3 miles down the road from Disney, Warner Bros., and the old NBC.

In one of the recent "Making of" books, the filmmakers basically said that after 5-6 weeks, they realized that Stoltz' performance was too "serious" and that they needed a more comedic actor who could do the drama with a lighter touch. I also don't think it helped that Stoltz was half a foot taller than Fox. You could buy Fox as being 16 in the movie (he was really 24 in real life), but six-foot Stoltz looked his age -- both were born in 1961. Bob Zemeckis and Bob Gale have always said that it was not Spielberg's decision to replace Stoltz, but I think they were being politically correct: I think Spielberg did have some input and went to bat for them with the studio.

Note that "Biff Tanen" was a take off on Universal production chief Ned Tanen, whom nobody liked. Tanen had previously clashed in the 1970s with George Lucas on American Graffiti.

 

Interesting point. I never thought about how these films "translated", so to speak, to viewers in the UK.

 

Exactly. Also keep in mind that, apart from Doc, Marty, Jennifer and Biff, nobody else in these films knows that time travel is possible, so why would George and Lorraine ever connect Marty to "Calvin."

 

I started watchin 2 last night - ok, I hate this. I made it through 50 minutes and I really disliked all of what I saw. The first movie had charm to spare - is there such a word as "charmless?" I don't think so, but if ever there were a movie that was charmless, it's this one.

I think I'm just going to stick with the original as a standalone and ignore these others.