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Back to the Future trilogy

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Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) and Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) watching the first test of the time machine.

Back to the Future is a science fiction film trilogy written by Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis.

The films follow the adventures of time-travelling high-school student Marty McFly and inventor Doctor Emmett Brown, as they travel throughout several time periods in the past (1885 and 1955), present (1985), and future (2015). The first film was the highest grossing film of 1985 and became an international phenomenon, leading to two sequels which were filmed back-to-back and released in 1989 and 1990 respectively. The trilogy is widely noted for its irreverent comedy, eccentric characters, and ability to incorporate complex theories of time-travel without confusing the audience. Though the two sequels did not perform as well at the box office as the first film, the trilogy remains immensely popular after 20 years and has yielded such spin-offs as an animated television series and a motion-simulation ride at the Universal Studios theme parks in Orlando, Florida; North Hollywood, California; and Osaka, Japan.

Contents

[edit] Films

[edit] Main cast

[edit] Storylines

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

[edit] Back to the Future

In Part I, 17-year-old Marty McFly is accidentally sent back in time to 1955 in a time machine built from a DeLorean by eccentric scientist Doc Emmett L. Brown. Upon arriving in 1955, he inadvertently causes his parents to never meet. To make matters worse, Marty did not bring back any extra plutonium to power the time machine, so he must find the 1955 version of Doc Brown to help him out. Not only is his own existence in danger; Marty must get his parents back together before a lightning bolt strikes the clock tower, the only power source capable of sending him back to the future.

[edit] Back to the Future Part II

In Part II, Doc Brown travels with Marty to the year 2015, where he has discovered Marty's family is in ruins. Marty, using an idea given to him in the first film by Doc, buys a sports almanac which he plans to use to gamble and make a fortune. However, Doc catches him and throws the almanac in the trash, which old Biff Tannen finds. While Marty and Doc are at 2015 Marty's house, Biff steals the DeLorean and gives the book to himself at some point in the past. When Doc and Marty return to 1985, they find that Biff has used the almanac's knowledge to make himself rich and control Hill Valley. Discovering that old Biff went back to 1955, Marty and Doc set out to steal the almanac from Biff in 1955 before he can use it to destroy their lives. When the duo is about to travel back to 1985, a lightning bolt hits the DeLorean, scrambles the time circuits, and sends Doc back to 1885 leaving Marty in 1955.

[edit] Back to the Future Part III

After finding out that Doc Brown is trapped in 1885, Marty sets out to find the 1955 Doc to help him find the DeLorean and restore it to working order. Instead of going back to 1985 as Doc wished, Marty travels back to 1885 to bring his friend back to the future. Unfortunately Marty rips a hole in the fuel line, rendering the DeLorean immobile. Further, Doc has fallen in love with the schoolteacher Clara Clayton, and insists on staying in 1885. Marty must convince Doc to come back with him and find a way to get back to his time before it's too late.

[edit] Themes

A hallmark of the Back to the Future trilogy and a contributor to its popularity is its use of commonalities: running gags, similar events, catch phrases, and parallel situations that recur in the different time frames from film to film. Note that, due to simultaneous productions of Part II and Part III, they have the most commonalities. The following is a list of these, sorted by the movies in which they occur.

[edit] Themes throughout the trilogy

  • In Part I, in "Lou's Cafe" of 1955, Biff says to George McFly: "Hey, McFly, I thought I told you never to come in here." In Part II, that same space is occupied by "Cafe '80s" of 2015, where Biff's grandson Griff says to Marty Jr. (having previously seen him walking in after mistaking his time-traveling father for him inside): "Hey, McFly, I thought I told you to stay in here!" And in Part III, that same space is occupied by the Palace Saloon, where Biff's ancestor Buford says to Marty (mistaking him for Marty's great-great-grandfather Seamus): "Hey, McFly, I thought I done told you never to come in here."
  • All three movies have a family meal scene with Marty (one in each year).
  • In all three parts Marty enters the corner saloon/cafe and orders a drink (coffee/pepsi/whisky) that he never manages to actually drink.
  • In Part I there is a car dealership in 1985 Hill Valley named Statler Toyota. In 1955, the same store front is occupied by a Statler Studebaker dealership. In Part II, the 2015 store is the Statler Pontiac dealership that sells hover conversions, and in Part III, a horse and buggy business named "Statler" is in the same spot.
  • In Parts I and II Biff crashes his car into a manure truck. In Part III, Buford collapses into a manure cart. In each situation he comments, "I hate manure." In 1955, the manure truck displays the name D. Jones. In 1885, the manure cart displays the name A. Jones.
  • The phrase "back to the future" is used at least once in all three movies. The phrase also gets used in the closing scene of all three movies. In Part I the line is used when Doc comes back from 2015 and tells Marty to come back with him. In Part II, time-stranded Marty rushes up to the 1955 Doc, who doesn't believe what he sees claiming he just sent Marty back to the future to which Marty replies, "Oh, I know you did, Doc, but I'm back. I'm back from the future." In Part III, Doc returns to 1985 with the new time-train and introduces Marty to his new family. Just before Doc leaves, Marty asks him, "Doc, where are you going now? Back to the future?" Doc replies, "Nope. Already been there."
  • All three movies involve a chase scene early on in the movie through downtown Hill Valley. In Parts I (1955) and II (2015) these scenes involve variations of a skateboard, which Marty uses to escape. In Part III (1885), Marty has no such transportation aid and loses the chase to Mad Dog Tannen's gang.
  • All three movies have a scene where a slightly bewildered Marty walks through Hill Valley observing the inhabitants and variations of that current time. The inhabitants are also slightly bewildered by Marty's odd appearance. Additionally, during this bewilderment in all three movies he is almost hit by a vehicle.
  • In each movie, Marty is knocked out and wakes up at the house of a relative. In Part I, it is his teenage mother in 1955. In Part II, it's his mother in an alternate timeline, 1985A, and in Part III, it's his great-great grandmother in 1885. Each time, Marty wakes up groggily after several hours, thinking the previous events were only a dream. Each time he is reassured that he is safe and sound by Lea Thompson's character, "in good old 1955", "on the good old 27th floor", or "at the McFly Farm". Each time, the location shocks Marty to full awakeness.
  • Michael J. Fox says "Mom, is that you?" five times throughout the Back to the Future trilogy. Three times when he wakes up from an injury and twice as Marty McFly Jr.'s sister, Marlene.
  • The Hill Valley Clock Tower has some kind of role. In Part I, it is a key component in sending Marty back to the future. In Part II, it is a glass court house in which Marty tricks Griff's gang into running into, as well as the building that gets converted to Biff's Pleasure Paradise in 1985A. In Part III, it has just been built and Marty nearly gets hanged on it by Buford. Marty and Doc also take a picture in front of the not-yet-mounted clock, which Doc later gives to Marty as a souvenir.
  • At some point in each of the various time periods, Marty angers the Tannen of the age and usually tries to get out of it with the old gambit of pretending there's something behind him. ("Whoa, Biff, what's that?" while pointing beyond his shoulder.) What's worth noting is that, ultimately, this only works on Biff Tannen specifically: although Biff falls for it in both 1955 and in the alternate 1985 (as do his goons on another occasion), Biff's bioandroid grandson Griff, with futuristic sensors around his wrists that automatically raise Griff's arm, and Buford Tannen never gives him a chance (thanks to his trigger finger).
  • In each of the three films, when Marty confronts the Tannen of the era in the cafe/saloon, there is a scene where he stands up to them and, due to his small stature, he looks up and over their shoulder as they extend to their full height.
  • In all three movies the Tannen of the era pushes a girl or woman to the ground. In Part I, Biff pushes Lorraine down. In II, Biff again pushes Lorraine to the ground in his hotel in 1985A. In III it's Buford pushing Clara.
  • Every time Marty pushes Tannen's goons and makes them fall on the ground, they always collapse with the same domino-like pattern.
  • All three movies show the famous lightning bolt hitting the clock tower on November 12, 1955, at 10:04 PM. The original version, from Part I is shortened when reshown in Parts II and III and has a new ending - Marty telling Doc he's back from the future. In Part II there are no clips of Marty driving the DeLeorean in this sequence; this is presumably to avoid confusing viewers who have just seen him receive Doc's 1885 letter.
  • In 1985 and 1955, Mr. Strickland (played by James Tolkan) is the high school's principal. In 1885, Tolkan plays Marshal Strickland, Mr. Strickland's grandfather.
  • Throughout all the movies Marty repeatedly uses the term "Heavy" to exclaim surprise or worry, where as The Doc says "Great Scott" to the same effect, but in 1885, during the instance when Marty realizes that he may be the one dying on September 7th instead of Dr. Brown as originally "planned", they each say the other's catchphrase in a role reversal.
  • The DeLorean had a few modifications done throughout the trilogy. Foremost, its role as a plutonium-powered time machine, activated through engine power at 88 miles per hour. At the end of Part I Doc returns with a hover-converted car, using a "common" fusion reactor to power the flux capacitor. The flying time machine lasted until the end of Part II, when Doc and the car were struck by lightning and sent back to 1885. When Marty and 1955 Doc find the covered DeLorean in a mine during Part III, the tires had rotted over 70 years and microchips had been blown. The flying capability was also disabled due to the lightning strike. Doc utilized 50's era whitewall tires and electronic tube technology to get the DeLorean working again for her last self propelled trip. The lack of fuel in 1885 brought the last conversion: Train bogie wheels were installed so the DeLorean could be pushed by a "supercharged" train. It was then demolished by a head-on collision with a diesel train after Marty successfully arrived in 1985.
  • In all three movies, there is either a crash or close call during time travel. Part I has Marty crash into "ol' man Peabody's" barn, then crashes in the "Assembly of Christ" facade. In Part II, Doc travels into cross-hover traffic, then into a jet's flight path. At the end of the film, he ends up being unintentionally sent to 1885 due to the lightning strike.Part III involves Marty encountering Indians (real ones) and ends up with the DeLorean getting shot by an arrow, creating the conflict for the film. At the end of the film, the last DeLorean time travel trip of the trilogy ends with the car getting demolished by a freight train.
  • At the end of Part I Doc seems to have been shot but reveals that he wore a bullet-proof vest. In 1985A, Biff watches A Fistful of Dollars. Marty walks in on the scene where Clint Eastwood uses a piece of metal as a bullet-proof vest during a duel. In 1885, Marty, going by the name Clint Eastwood, uses that same trick to survive a duel with Buford. It is also noticeable that when Marty gets hanged by the Buford gang, Doc Brown cuts the rope at the critical moment with a shot from his sniper rifle, a clear allusion to the same action performed regularly by the character played by Clint Eastwood in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
  • Volunteers from the historical society looking for donations to save the Clock Tower are seen in Part I 1985 and Part II 2015, while in Part III in 1885, a banner advertises that proceeds from the Hill Valley Festival go to Clock Tower construction.

[edit] Within Part I

  • In 1985, Biff tells George, "Hello? Hello? Anybody home? Huh? Think, McFly. Think! I gotta have time to get 'em retyped. Do you realize what would happen if I hand in my reports in your handwriting? I'll get fired. You wouldn't want that to happen, would ya?… Would ya?" In 1955, Biff tells George, "Hello? Hello? Anybody home? Hey, think, McFly. Think. I gotta have time to recopy it. Do you realize what would happen if I hand in my homework in your handwriting? I'll get kicked out of school. You wouldn't want that to happen, would ya?… Would ya?" In both cases, George then promises to work on it all night and hand them to Biff in the morning, to which Biff replies "Not too early, I sleep in…" followed by "Oh, McFly, your shoe's untied—" where he slapped him upside on his head. Afterwards, he would say "Don't be so gullible, McFly!". After both conversations between Biff and George, Biff immediately turns to Marty and asks him "What are you looking at Butthead?"
  • In 1985, Marty is scared of sending his audition tape to record companies saying "What if they didn't like it? What if they say I was no good?" In 1955, when Marty asks to read some of George's stories, George refuses, giving exactly the same excuse.
  • Marty's uncle "Jailbird" Joey is also found behind bars (of a crib) as his nephew meets him in 1955 ("Better get used to these bars, kid...").
  • The same episode of "The Honeymooners" plays on T.V. in both eras.
  • The site of Twin Pines Mall in 1985 was, back in 1955, the farm of Old Man Peabody, who had bred twin pines. When Marty goes back to 1955, he knocks down one of the pine trees. When he goes back to 1985, the mall is called the Lone Pine Mall.
  • Each time Marty checks his watch (when Doc rings Marty after the opening credit sequence and tells him his clocks are all exactly 25 minutes slow, when 1985 Doc states the time while Marty is filming him at Twin Pines Mall at the beginning of the film, when 1955 Doc and Marty syncronize watches, when Dave reminds Marty of the time at the end of the film, etc), he gives it a slight double-take and shakes his wrist as if the watch is not working. This is amusing because it is such a slight and subtle recurring gag, and the idea that the world's first human - and most active - time traveler (at that point) doesn't even have a working timepiece is quite ironic.

[edit] In Part I and Part II

  • Marty buys a soft drink in downtown Hill Valley and has difficulty opening it the first time (at the Texaco gas station in 1955) because it is old-fashioned, and the second time (at the Cafe '80s in 2015) because it's futuristic.
  • Biff hits George on the head while saying "Hello? Hello? Anybody home? Huh?" in Part I, in 1985 and 1955. In Part II, Biff does the same to Marty (thinking he's Marty Jr.) in 2015.
  • In Part I, when Marty returns home to see that Biff crashed the family car, Biff tells Marty "Say 'Hi' to your mom for me." In Part II when Marty meets the elderly Biff in the '80s Cafe, Biff says "Say 'Hi' to your grandma for me", thinking that Marty is actually Marty Jr.
  • When Marty returns to 1985 in Part I, crashing the DeLorean into the Assembly of Christ, Red, the homeless drunk on a park bench, comments, "Crazy drunk drivers". Red is still a homeless drunk in 1985A, Marty bumps into him while exploring 1985A, and Red tells him "Watch where you're going. Crazy drunk pedestrian."
  • In Part I, when Marty enters Hill Valley in 1955, one of the first signs he passes is for a showing of the Cattle Queen of Montana starring Barbara Stanwyck and Ronald Reagan. Later, Doc doesn't believe Marty when he tells him Reagan is president, but comes around when he sees the "portable TV studio" (i.e. video camera). In Part II, in 2015, the Café '80s video-waiter is a Max Headroom-style simulacra of Reagan, and the memorabilia in the restaurant include a Reagan mask and a picture of Reagan. Finally, on the front page of the paper Doc checks in the DeLorean to see the timeline being restored, the news item "Nixon to Seek Fifth Term" gets replaced with "Reagan to Seek Second Term".
  • In 1955, Biff chases Marty around the Courthouse square, and Marty escapes on a skateboard. In 2015, Griff chases Marty around the Courthouse square, and Marty again escapes, this time on a hoverboard. As an older Biff looks on, he comments "there's something very familiar about all this..."
  • Mayor Goldie Wilson's grandson is seen in an advertisement for hovercar upgrades.
  • In the end of Part I, Biff tries to weasel out of putting a second coat of wax on the McFlys' BMW. In Part II 2015, Griff berates Biff for not putting a second coat of wax on his car.
  • In Part I 1955 Biff tells Marty to "Make like a tree and get outta here." In Part II he uses the same phrase again and is berated by Old Biff (his future self) for getting it wrong.
  • In Part I, the DeLorean, in a planned scheme, uses a lightning bolt to activate the time circuits (Marty goes back to 1985) but in Part II, a bolt hits the car and disappears, accidentally sending Doc way back to 1885. Both bolts come from the same storm in 1955.
  • Marvin Berry, leader of the band playing the "Enchantement under the sea" dance, calls to his cousin, Chuck, so he can hear "that new sound" (Marty's guitar solo) in Part I. Part II shows him getting the inspiration to make that call.
  • At the beginning of Part I, Lorraine McFly is pretty negative about her children's activities but states, as Lorraine Baines in 1955 (Part II), that she would be open to her future offspring's decisions, prompting Marty to mutter if he could get that in writing.

[edit] In Part I and Part III

  • In Part I, 50s Biff calls George an "Irish bug". In Part III, we learn his ancestors were indeed Irish.
  • Marty uses the name of someone famous in his time, but not yet known in the time he's visiting, instead of his own. In Part I (1955), his mother mistakes the name Calvin Klein on his underwear for his and later when he scares his father he calls himself Darth Vader from the planet Vulcan. In Part III (1885), he claims to be named Clint Eastwood.
  • In Part I, Marty tells 1955 Doc, "I'm from the future. I came here in a time machine, that you invented..." In Part III, Doc tells Clara, "I'm from the future. I came here in a time machine, that I invented..." Marty and Doc then tell 1955 Doc and Clara, respectively, that he has to get "back to the year 1985".
  • Marty's 80s catch phrases are quite confusing to the inhabitants of other time periods. In 1955, Marty uses "heavy" twice. Once Doc comments that weight has nothing to do with it, and the second time he gets confused by Marty's repeated use of it and asks if there's something wrong with the Earth's gravitational pull in 1985. In 1885, when Marty picks up a pie plate and sees the word "frisbee" in it, he exclaims "far out!", and Seamus and Maggie McFly comment that it wasn't far at all, but in fact "right in front of him". Also, when Marty tells Tannen "Hey, lighten up, jerk!", Buford looks at his cronies for clarification, and they shake their heads, mystified. Tannen is vaguely able to discern that the expression constituted "mighty strong words."
  • In Parts I and III, Doc builds an exquisite model to demonstrate to Marty how the time travel will be done. In Part I, Doc shows how the speeding DeLorean will intersect to capture the lightning bolt. In Part III, in 1885, Doc shows how the speeding locomotive will push the unfuelled DeLorean up to 88 mph as it reaches the incomplete bridge. In Part I, Doc apologizes, "Sorry, it's not to scale or painted." In Part III, Doc begins to say "Please excuse the crudity of this model-" and Marty interrupts sarcastically, "Yeah I know, it's not built to scale."
  • Part I finds Doc, the inventor, living in his old garage extension, as his grand home had burnt down in the past. Part III has Doc living in a livery stable, as town blacksmith and astronomer.
  • In Part I, Marty is about to kiss Jennifer when someone interrupts them for donations for the clock tower, and again when her father honks the horn of his car. At the end of that movie, Marty is about to kiss Jennifer again, but is interrupted by the sonic booms that precede entry of the time machine. Towards the end of Part III, Marty and Jennifer finally kiss on the veranda of her family's house.
  • In Part I, after waking up in 1955 ("Mom, is that you?") Marty discovers he is not wearing pants, as they are "over there, on [his mother's] hope chest." In Part III, after waking up on the McFly Farm, as he gets out of his great-great-grandmother's bed, Marty quickly checks to make sure he's still wearing his pants before fully rising out of the bed.
  • In Part I, after the DeLorean makes its first trip through time, the license plate (OUTATIME) is shown to be spinning on the ground after the car departs. In Part III, after the DeLorean's final trip through time, the new barcode license plate is shown to be spinning on the ground.
  • In Part I 1985, Doc tries to fight off the Libyans with an antique pearl-handled gun, but it fails to fire. In Part III 1955, Doc fires that gun (with the pearl handle painted black) repeatedly to signal Marty to start racing towards 88 MPH.
  • In Part I 1985 and 1955, George offers to go over a report with Biff, but Biff tells him "not too early, I sleep in". By opposition, Buford wants to duel Marty at 7 AM, because "I do my killing before breakfast".
  • In Part I Doc says, "Where we're going we don't need roads." In Part III 1955 Doc says, "Where you are going there are no roads."
  • Early in Part I 1985 Biff complains after having wrecked the McFly's car about the cleaning bill from having spilt beer on his jacket. In Part III Buford is angry after being thrown off his horse and breaking a bottle of "fine Kentucky red-eye". In both instances both Biff and Buford want reimbursement.
  • Doc is "supposedly" killed twice, the first time at the beginning of Part I by Libyans (although we don't know for sure if Doc is dead considering that he wasn't moving when Marty looks at him before starting to run from the Libyans). The second is represented by the tombstone (in which he was killed in 1885) in the beginning of Part III by Buford Tannen.
  • The scene in Part I where Lorraine comes looking for Marty in Doc's garage, and the scene in Part III where Clara comes looking for Doc in his blacksmith shop have several similarities. In both cases, Marty and Doc are working on a plan to get back to the future, when the woman unexpectedly arrives. In both, Doc then cries, "quickly, cover the time vehicle!" Lorraine and Clara both ask Marty and Doc, respectively, to a social function during their visit. Doc's shocked and bewildered facial expressions are also very similar in both scenes.

[edit] In Part II and Part III

Because Part II and Part III were written and filmed together, it was easier to introduce new commonalities and themes, and do their best to relate them back to Part I.

  • Marty McFly is called "chicken" in Part II by both Griff and Needles in 2015 and Biff in 1955, and replies with "Nobody calls me chicken!" He's called "Yella" (yellow) by Buford in Part III and replies the same way with the same dramatic music cue. It should be noted that Needles calls Marty "chicken" at the end of that film without the traditional reaction and cue because Marty has learned that he really shouldn't care about what other people say.
  • In Part II, after 1985-Jennifer and 2015-Jennifer pass out, Doc is saddened because after he thinks he'll destroy the time machine, he'll "never get a chance to visit my favorite era: The Old West. Better to devote myself to that other great mystery of the universe: women." Later, the DeLorean gets struck by lightning and Doc actually winds up in his favorite era and, ironically, encounters "that other great mystery of the universe", Clara Clayton.
  • Marty shows off his video game shooting skills. In Part II it's in the '80s Cafe on the Wild Gunman arcade game, and in Part III it's at a demonstration booth for the Colt Peacemaker. In Part II, one of the 2015 boys declares that the Wild Gunman is "like a baby's toy", while in Part III, the Colt Peacemaker salesman tells Marty that his gun is so easy even a baby could use it, then taunts him with, "Surely you're not afraid of something a baby can do?"
  • Parts II and III have Marty throwing something with a Frisbee technique at a Tannen. In Part II it was a tray at Biff when he was Marty's step father. In Part III it occurred at the party when Mad Dog was going to shoot Doc and Marty uses an empty pie pan from "The Frisbee Pie Company".
  • In Part II, in 1985A, Marty finds his father's grave in Oak Park Cemetery. In Part III, in 1955, Marty finds Doc's grave in Boot Hill Cemetery.
  • In Part II 1955, Mr. Strickland's office door has the word "discipline" written under his name. In 1885, Marshall Strickland tells his son to "Remember that word: 'discipline.'"
  • In Part II 2015, Lorraine and Marlene are heard talking about how, 30 years ago, Marty tried to prove he wasn't chicken and ended up in an automobile accident with a Rolls-Royce. That single event ruined his life — the driver pressed charges, and Marty broke his hand, forcing him to abandon his dream of a music career. In Part III 1885, Doc warns Marty not to lose his judgement every time somebody calls him a name, as "that's exactly what gets you into that accident in the future." Finally, in Part III 1985, Needles calls Marty a chicken to push him into street racing. Marty keeps his cool and doesn't race Needles, then looks on to see that, had he raced, he would have hit a Rolls-Royce.

[edit] Other relevant notes

  • The movie makes use of several oxymorons and contradictions, including in the title itself and in the name of the city, Hill Valley. Likewise, when the time machine travels through time, it always leaves fire trails where its tires would have been; however, when it appears in the destination time, it is "damn cold" according to Doc Brown and frost is visible on the surface of the vehicle. Additionally, the term "flux capacitor" can be seen as an oxymoron.
  • Three sonic booms are always heard when the DeLorean appears in the destination time. After each trip, the delay between the three sonic booms becomes larger.
  • Throughout the movies, Doc Brown frequently exclaims, "Great Scott!", and Marty frequently says, "This is heavy!" (a colloquialism which the Doc Brown of 1955 never seems to understand). In Part III, a comedic reversal occurs when, after a predicament manifests itself, Marty exclaims, "Great Scott!", to which Doc Brown replies, "I know, this is heavy!"
  • In Part II, Old Biff steals the time machine and goes back in time to give "'50s Biff" the book. Old Biff then returns to the future to return the machine. However, the Doc says that if they go into the future from the altered past (1985A) it will be the future of 1985A (2015A), not the normal 1985. By this, Old Biff should have arrived in 2015A, when Biff was rich, and not the normal 2015. Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis explain in the BTTF FAQ that their intention was that Old Biff did return to 2015A, because the original 2015 transformed into 2015A around Marty and Doc as they were carrying Jennifer back to the DeLorean. A deleted scene shows Old Biff vanishing immediately upon arriving back to the future, and it is explained by Gale and Zemeckis that Lorraine must have shot Biff sometime between 1985 and 2015 (the FAQ suggests a date of 1996, while Gale suggests a date of 1991 in the DVD commentary for this deleted scene) after getting tired of their marriage, resulting in old Biff's lack of existence from the future Hill Valley.
  • In Part II, when 1985 Jennifer comes face to face with 2015 Jennifer, they both pass out from the shock of seeing their former/future self, however 2015 Biff meets 1955 Biff to give him the book without incident. Zemeckis and Gale also address this issue in the BTTF FAQ, explaining that "Jennifer definitely realizes she is seeing herself 30 years older and that puts her into shock. Young Biff, however, has no idea who old Biff really is -- he thinks it's just 'some old codger with a cane.'"
  • There are actually at least three separate "copies" of the DeLorean time machine in existence at the same time on November 12, 1955. One of them is the machine that Marty originally takes back to 1955 in Part I. The second is the one that Biff takes back to 1955 in Part II to give the sports almanac to himself. The third is the DeLorean that Marty and Doc take to 1955 in Part II to stop Biff from giving the almanac to himself. A possible fourth copy of the time machine is the DeLorean that Doc hides in the old mine to send to Marty in Part III, although based on the way the "ripple effect" is shown to work in the movies, this one would probably not have appeared in the mine until after Doc was sent back to 1885 by the lightning strike.
  • In several films, Biff Tannen is shown to have no understanding of sayings. For example, in Part II, the 1955 Biff says that his rejection by Lorraine is "as funny as screen doors on a battleship" whereas the correct phrase would be "as funny as a screen door on a submarine." This extends to the non-canonical Back to the Future ride at Universal Studios where he tries to steal a time machine and trips the guards with marbles saying, "Have a nice trip, see you next winter!" whereas the correct phrase would be "See you next fall!" In parts I and II, he says to someone "now make like a tree and get outta here!", which in Part II, his older self slaps him and corrects him to say it to "make like a tree and leave."
  • Biff (young or old) is frequently shown to use the pejorative phrase "Butthead." As seen in the Back to the Future: The Animated Series, his ancestors and descendants also use the term, most notably Tannen's great grandfather, a Confederate officer in the Civil War, who calls his enemies "buttocks brains" but changes it to "butthead" after being corrected by one of Doc Brown's sons.
  • It is a common misconception that Mayor Red Thomas of 1955 and Red the Bum of 1985 were meant to be the same character. According to Bob Gale's commentary on the Back to the Future DVD set, the name of the bum was ad-libbed by Michael J. Fox. Gale also commented that the photo of the mayor in 1955 on the side of the campaign van was that of set decorator Hal Gausman, whereas the bum was played by George "Buck" Flower.
  • In Part III, Clayton Ravine, named after the surname of a schoolteacher who fell in it in 1885 (did not fall in it anymore because she was saved by Doc Brown) now carries the name Eastwood Ravine (visible on a sign by the track when Marty reaches 1985 after the DeLorean was pushed by the speeding locomotive). One can presume that the ravine is now named after "Clint Eastwood" (Marty McFly) who fell in it with a complete stolen train engine in 1885 and mysteriously vanished.
  • Throughout the trilogy (and despite Jennifer's claim that Doc "always" says it), Doc never actually says the quote, "If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything," onscreen. The line was only used in Part I; twice by Marty and once by George.
Spoilers end here.

[edit] DVD release

In July 1997, Universal Studios announced that Back to the Future would be one of their first 10 releases to the new format, though it ended up being delayed for five years. The footage that was shot with Eric Stoltz in the role of Marty McFly (before he was replaced with Michael J. Fox a few weeks into shooting) has never been officially released. This footage was not included in Universal's original DVD release in 2002 or in 2005, despite many fans hoping that Universal would include it.

[edit] Region 1

The Back to the Future trilogy was first released on DVD at the end of 2002 in both widescreen and fullscreen versions (in a blue box with Marty and Doc on the cover).

[edit] Framing issues

Devoted fans of the films quickly noticed that the video of the widescreen version of Parts II and III contained numerous shots that had been framed incorrectly, either because the shots were too high or low to center the image correctly, or because they "zoomed in" on the image, eliminating portions of the image on all sides. (Because the movies were originally shot in open matte, the fullscreen version was unaffected by this.) Outraged fans quickly organized petitions demanding that Universal Studios correct the problem and re-release the DVD set.

In May 2003, Universal corrected the problem and issued "V2" (Version 2) DVDs, that could only be distinguished from the original, flawed DVDs by the mark of a small "V2" near the edge of the discs themselves (and, of course, by comparing the corrected video). However, they did not initially begin packaging the V2 discs with the trilogy box set that was being sent to retailers. Instead, Universal set up a toll-free phone number ((888) 703-0010 in the US) which owners of the original DVDs could call, and ask for a postage-paid envelope to be sent to them. The owner would send their flawed discs to Universal in the envelope, and would soon thereafter receive the corrected "V2" discs by mail. Because Universal did little to publicize this offer outside of the Internet and devoted fan circles, many have criticized Universal's refusal to issue a straight recall of the flawed discs and instead force concerned customers to jump through hoops just to get the correct video of the film.

In January 2005, Universal began a nationwide promotional campaign, announcing that they would re-issue the DVDs of the trilogy at a special low price (about half the set's original retail price) on January 25, 2005, and then put the entire trilogy on moratorium merely a week later, on February 1, 2005. (New stickers on the box declared "Lowest Price Ever: Own It Before Time Runs Out!") The discs in this release contained no new content or bonus features from the original release (indeed, even the packaging was almost identical, except for the promotional sticker and excluding the multi-page, full color dvd menu booklet. No booklet or chapter insert is included in the revised release.), but did finally contain the corrected V2 discs. Curiously, only the disc for Part II displays the "V2" marking on its edge; the Part III disc does not, but fans have analyzed its video carefully and concluded that, despite the lack of the "V2" marking, the Part III disc is the corrected one. (This is also supported by the date of creation of the disc, which matches that of the "V2" release.)

[edit] Release formats and features

Box Audio Scene Specific Commentary Framing Enhanced MJ Fox interview
1986 (Part I) CED Image:BackfuCED.jpg
Tan with Marty and DeLorean 		Stereo No  ? No
1986 (Part I) VHS Image:Backfu1986VHS.jpg
Blue with Marty and DeLorean- 		Stereo No Correct Widescreen No
1993 Japanese Laserdisc Image:Backfu1993LaserDisc.jpg
Charcoal with logo 		Stereo No Generous No
VCD Image:NoDVDcover copy.png
Blue with Marty and DeLorean 		Stereo No Correct Widescreen No
2002 R1 DVD Image:Backfu2002R1DVD.jpg
Blue with Marty and Doc 		Dolby 5.1 Yes Incorrect Widescreen  ?
2002 R2 UK DVD Image:Backfu2002R2DVD.jpg
Black with DeLorean 		Dolby 5.1 and DTS No Incorrect Widescreen No
2002 R2 German DVD Image:NoDVDcover copy.png
Black with DeLorean 		Dolby 5.1 and DTS No Incorrect Widescreen  ?
2003 "V2" (Part II & Part III) DVD No box Dolby 5.1 Yes Corrected Widescreen Yes
2005 R1 DVD Image:Backfu2005R1DVD.jpg
Blue with DeLorean 		Dolby 5.1 Yes Corrected Widescreen Yes
2005 R2 UK DVD Image:NoDVDcover copy.png
Blue with DeLorean 		Dolby 5.1 and DTS Yes Corrected Widescreen Yes
2005 R2 German DVD Image:NoDVDcover copy.png
Blue with DeLorean 		Dolby 5.1 and DTS No Corrected Widescreen  ?
2005 R2 Japanese DVD Image:NoDVDcover copy.png
Blue with DeLorean 		 ?  ? Corrected Widescreen  ?
2006 R2 UK DVD Image:NoDVDcover copy.png
Blue with DeLorean 		 ?  ? Corrected Widescreen  ?

[edit] Trivia

  • Back to the Future Part II is Elijah Wood's first movie. He is one of the two boys trying to play the videogame ("Wild Gunman") at Cafe '80s (in 2015).
  • Doc Brown circa 1955 always refers to the vehicle as a "time vehicle". Doc Brown circa 1985 always refers to it as a "DeLorean".
  • In Back to the Future Part III, as Marty is talking to Needles about street racing, you can hear "Power of Love" (a song from the first movie) playing on Needles' car radio.

[edit] References in popular culture

  • In the cartoon Danny Phantom episode "Double Cross My Heart," a scene in a bookstore shows a book by George McFly.
  • In one Fairly OddParents episode, after Timmy Turner time travels to the 1980's, the DeLorean is seen. In the same episode, it is revealed that the worst day of Denzel Crocker's life, when he loses his godparents, happened March 15, 1972, one year before Biff shot George McFly in Part II.
  • In the Stargate SG-1 episode "200", when Carter reels off a string of technobabble to explain why the gate isn't working, Martin Lloyd mishears "capacitors" as "flux capacitor."
  • In the Stargate Atlantis episode "Before I Sleep", Maj. Sheppard brings up the De Lorean in a discussion about time travel, to which Dr. McKay responds, "Do not get me started on that movie!" Later, when they find out about a time-travelling puddle jumper, Sheppard calls its added component the "flux capacitor."
  • In the Heroes episode "Six Months Ago", Hiro Nakamura, while in the past in Texas, attempts to call Ando Masahashi back in Japan. However, Ando is not there and instead he speaks with his past self on the phone. When he realizes this, he hangs up to prevent a paradox and exclaims Doc's catchphrase, "Great Scott!"
  • Family Guy has made multiple references to the trilogy.
    • In one episode, Peter Griffin builds a time machine out of a DeLorean and intends to travel to the past. He crashes into a wall right after starting the car and gets out. When people run out of the building in flames, Peter says, "Everyone in 1955 was on fire! I never knew that."
    • In another episode, Peter Griffin remembers his cousin Rufus, who starred in a series of blaxploitation films including "Black to the Future" (said to be "from the people who brought you Caddyblack, Blackdraft, and Black Kramer vs. Kramer").
    • In yet another Family Guy episode, Stewie Griffin imagines Doc Brown at the end of the first film telling Marty and Jennifer "something's gotta be done about your kids." However, Doc goes further, telling them their daughter marries a black man. This news does little to offend Marty, although Doc's racist attitude alienates Marty and Jennifer.
  • On The Colbert Report, Stephen Colbert is said to "believe Back to the Future is a documentary"
  • The Back to the Future movies have been referenced several times on Drawn Together.
    • In the episode "The One Wherein There Is a Big Twist", when the producer fires up his helicopter, it makes the "time circuits on" sound.
    • In the episode "Captain Girl", Wooldoor Sockbat takes off in a time traveling car called the Wooldelorean. Right after the car disappears leaving fire trails, another Sockbat clad in Western gear runs up behind where the car was, then fades out of existence. When Wooldoor arrives at his destination, the car is covered in ice, just as it was after making its first time travel trip in the first movie. He also runs over a male and female Sockbat, implying that their deaths erased the first Sockbat.
    • In the episode "A Tale of Two Cows", Toot Braunstein attends a dance called the Enchantment Under the Seafood dance, a reference to the Enchantment Under the Sea dance in the first film.
    • In the episode "The Drawn Together Clip Show", clips from past episodes are featured which are displayed with fake airdates which represent some historical or cultural event. One clip is stamped with the date November 5, 1955, the date of Marty's first time travel trip.

[edit] Promotional posters

Back to the Future
Back to the Future Part II
Back to the Future Part III

All three posters were done by noted poster artist Drew Struzan. Each poster features a variation on the same pose, and has the same number of characters present as each movie is numbered (one character for Part I, two for Part II, and three for Part III). It should also be noted that the DeLorean's wheels change in each poster: in Part I they're normal wheels, in Part II they're hover wheels, and in Part III they're bare rims (without the tires) on train tracks. In the Part I and Part II posters, Marty and the Doc (in Part II) look at their wristwatches and lift glasses and a visor respectively, whereas in Part III they look at pocketwatches and raise their hats.

A modified version of the Part I artwork, which added Doc Brown to the original image, was used on the cover of the trilogy's DVD release.

[edit] Games

  • Various video games based on the Back to the Future movies have been released over the years for home video game systems, including the Commodore 64 computer, the Sega Genesis/Megadrive, NES, and Super Nintendo system. Most notably, LJN's Back to the Future game (1989) for the NES featured a top down view of Marty McFly racing through the streets of Hill Valley while collecting clocks to prevent the "erasure" of his family.
  • LJN also released Back to the Future II & III for the NES in 1990, which unlike the previous game, was a side scrolling platform game that allowed travelling back and forth between the different time periods from the trilogy as Marty attempts to correct the timeline and get back to the real 1985.
  • In 1990, Data East Pinball (now Stern Pinball) released the Back to the Future pinball game (based on all three movies), designed by Joe Kaminkow, with music by Brian Schmidt.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] Fan websites

[edit] Scripts


Back to the Future trilogy
Back to the Future | Back to the Future Part II | Back to the Future Part III
Timeline | Animated Series | The Ride | Video games | Characters
cs:Návrat do budoucnosti

eo:Back to the Future (fikcia universo) fr:Retour vers le futur (univers de fiction) it:Ritorno al futuro (trilogia) nl:Back to the Future ru:Назад в будущее (кинотрилогия)

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