science fiction film
Science fiction (or sci-fi) is a film genre that uses speculative, fictional science-based depictions of phenomena that are not fully accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial lifeforms, spacecraft, robots, cyborgs, interstellar ...
directed by
Robert Zemeckis
Robert Lee Zemeckis (born May 14, 1952) is an American filmmaker. He first came to public attention as the director of the action-adventure romantic comedy ''Romancing the Stone'' (1984), the science-fiction comedy ''Back to the Future'' film tr ...
, and written by Zemeckis and
Bob Gale
Michael Robert Gale (born May 25, 1951) is an American screenwriter, comic book writer, film producer and director. He is best known for co-writing the science fiction comedy film ''Back to the Future'' with his writing partner Robert Zemec ...
. It stars
Michael J. Fox
Michael Andrew Fox (born June 9, 1961), known professionally as Michael J. Fox, is a Canadian-American retired actor. Beginning his career in the 1970s, he rose to prominence portraying Alex P. Keaton on the NBC sitcom ''Family Ties'' (1 ...
,
Christopher Lloyd
Christopher Allen Lloyd (born October 22, 1938) is an American actor. He has appeared in many theater productions, films, and on television since the 1960s. He is known for portraying Dr. Emmett "Doc" Brown in the ''Back to the Future'' tril ...
,
Lea Thompson
Lea Katherine Thompson (born May 31, 1961) is an American actress and director.
She is best known for her role as Lorraine Baines-McFly in the Back to the Future (franchise), ''Back to the Future'' film trilogy (1985–1990) and Beverly Switzl ...
,
Crispin Glover
Crispin Hellion Glover (born April 20, 1964) is an American actor. He is known for portraying eccentric characters on screen, such as George McFly in ''Back to the Future'' (1985), Layne in ''River's Edge'' (1986), Andy Warhol in ''The Doors'' ...
Marty McFly
Martin Seamus "Marty" McFly is a fictional character and the protagonist of the ''Back to the Future'' franchise. He is portrayed by Canadian actor Michael J. Fox in all three films. McFly also appears in the animated series, where he was voiced ...
(Fox), a teenager accidentally sent back to 1955 in a time-traveling DeLorean automobile built by his eccentric scientist friend Emmett "Doc" Brown (Lloyd). While in the past, Marty inadvertently prevents his future parents from falling in love—threatening his existence—and is forced to reconcile the pair and somehow get back to the future.
Gale and Zemeckis conceived the idea for ''Back to the Future'' in 1980. They were desperate for a successful film after numerous collaborative failures, but the project was rejected over 40 times by various studios because it was not considered raunchy enough to compete with the successful comedies of the era. A development deal was secured with
Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...
following Zemeckis's success directing ''
Romancing the Stone
''Romancing the Stone'' is a 1984 action-adventure romantic comedy film directed by Robert Zemeckis, written by Diane Thomas and produced by Michael Douglas, who also starred in the film. The film co-stars Kathleen Turner and Danny DeVito. The fi ...
'' (1984). Fox was the first choice to portray Marty but was unavailable;
Eric Stoltz
Eric Cameron Stoltz (born September 30, 1961) is an American actor, director and producer. He played the role of Rocky Dennis in the biographical drama film ''Mask'', which earned him the nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Support ...
was cast instead. Shortly after
principal photography
Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production.
Personnel
Besides the main film personnel, such as actor ...
began in November 1984, Zemeckis determined Stoltz was not right for the part and made the concessions necessary to hire Fox, including re-filming scenes already shot with Stoltz and adding $4million to the budget. ''Back to the Future'' was filmed in and around California and on sets at
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...
. Filming concluded the following April.
Following highly successful test screenings, the release date was brought forward to July3, 1985, giving ''Back to the Future'' more time in theaters during the busiest period of the theatrical year. The change resulted in a rushed post-production schedule and some incomplete special effects. ''Back to the Future'' was a critical and commercial success, earning $381.1million to become the highest-grossing film of 1985 worldwide.
Critics
A critic is a person who communicates an assessment and an opinion of various forms of creative works such as art, literature, music, cinema, theater, fashion, architecture, and food. Critics may also take as their subject social or governmen ...
praised the story, humorous elements, and the cast—particularly Fox, Lloyd, Thompson, and Glover. It received multiple award nominations and won an
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
, three
Saturn Awards
The Saturn Awards are American awards presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. The awards were created to honor science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, but have since grown to reward other films be ...
, and a
Hugo Award
The Hugo Award is an annual literary award for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year, given at the World Science Fiction Convention and chosen by its members. The Hugo is widely considered the premier a ...
Huey Lewis and the News
Huey Lewis and the News are an American rock band based in San Francisco, California. They had a run of hit singles during the 1980s and early 1990s, eventually achieving 19 top ten singles across the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, Adult Contempora ...
, was also a success.
''Back to the Future'' has since grown in esteem and is now considered by critics and audiences to be one of the greatest science-fiction films and among the best films ever made. In 2007, the United States
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...
selected the film for preservation in the
National Film Registry
The National Film Registry (NFR) is the United States National Film Preservation Board's (NFPB) collection of films selected for preservation, each selected for its historical, cultural and aesthetic contributions since the NFPB’s inception i ...
. The film was followed by two sequels, '' Back to the Future Part II'' (1989) and '' Back to the Future Part III'' (1990). Spurred by the film's dedicated fan following and effect on popular culture, Universal Studios launched a
multimedia franchise
A media franchise, also known as a multimedia franchise, is a collection of related media in which several derivative works have been produced from an original creative work of fiction, such as a film, a work of literature, a television program or ...
, which now includes
video games
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device to gener ...
animated television series
An animated series is a set of Animation, animated works with a common series title, usually related to one another. These episodes should typically share the same main characters, some different secondary characters and a basic theme. Series can ...
, and a
stage musical
Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movement ...
. Its enduring popularity has prompted numerous books about its production, documentaries, and commercials.
Plot
In 1985, teenager
Marty McFly
Martin Seamus "Marty" McFly is a fictional character and the protagonist of the ''Back to the Future'' franchise. He is portrayed by Canadian actor Michael J. Fox in all three films. McFly also appears in the animated series, where he was voiced ...
Lorraine
Lorraine , also , , ; Lorrain: ''Louréne''; Lorraine Franconian: ''Lottringe''; german: Lothringen ; lb, Loutrengen; nl, Lotharingen is a cultural and historical region in Northeastern France, now located in the administrative region of Gr ...
; his older siblings, who are professional and social failures; and his meek father,
George
George may refer to:
People
* George (given name)
* George (surname)
* George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George
* George Washington, First President of the United States
* George W. Bush, 43rd Presiden ...
, who is bullied by his supervisor,
Biff Tannen
Biff Howard Tannen is a fictional character and a major antagonist in the ''Back to the Future'' trilogy. Thomas F. Wilson plays Biff in all three films as well as the Universal Studios ride, and voiced the character in the animated series. Bif ...
. After Marty's band is rejected from a music audition, he confides in his girlfriend, Jennifer Parker, that he fears becoming like his parents despite his ambitions.
That night, Marty meets his eccentric scientist friend, Emmett "Doc" Brown, in the
Twin Pines mall
Hill Valley is a fictional town in California that serves as the setting of the ''Back to the Future'' trilogy and its animated spin-off series. In the trilogy, Hill Valley is seen in four different time periods – 1885, 1955, 1985, and 2015 ...
plutonium
Plutonium is a radioactive chemical element with the symbol Pu and atomic number 94. It is an actinide metal of silvery-gray appearance that tarnishes when exposed to air, and forms a dull coating when oxidized. The element normally exhibi ...
he swindled from Libyan terrorists. After Doc inputs a destination time of November5, 1955—the day he first conceived his time travel invention—the terrorists arrive unexpectedly and gun Doc down. Marty flees in the DeLorean, inadvertently activating time travel when he reaches .
Arriving in 1955, Marty discovers he has no plutonium to return. While exploring a burgeoning Hill Valley, Marty encounters his teenage father and discovers Biff was bullying George even then. George falls into the path of an oncoming car while
spying
Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information (intelligence) from non-disclosed sources or divulging of the same without the permission of the holder of the information for a tangibl ...
on the teenage Lorraine changing clothes, and Marty is knocked unconscious while saving him. He wakes to find himself tended to by Lorraine, who becomes infatuated with him. Marty tracks down and convinces a younger Doc that he is from the future, but Doc explains the only source available in 1955 capable of generating the power required for time travel is a lightning bolt. Marty shows Doc a flyer from the future that documents an upcoming lightning strike at the town's courthouse. As Marty's siblings begin to fade from a photo he is carrying with him, Doc realizes Marty's actions are altering the future and jeopardizing his existence; Lorraine was supposed to tend to George instead of Marty after the car accident. Early attempts to get his parents acquainted fail, and Lorraine's infatuation with Marty deepens.
Lorraine asks Marty to the school dance, and he plots to feign inappropriate advances on her, allowing George to intervene and "rescue" her, but the plan goes awry when Biff's gang locks Marty in the trunk of the performing band's car, while Biff forces himself onto Lorraine. George arrives expecting to find Marty but is assaulted by Biff. After Biff hurts Lorraine, an enraged George knocks him unconscious and escorts the grateful Lorraine to the dance. The band frees Marty from their car, but the lead guitarist injures his hand in the process, so Marty takes his place, performing while George and Lorraine share their first kiss. With his future no longer in jeopardy, Marty heads to the courthouse to meet Doc.
Doc discovers a letter from Marty warning him about his future and rips it, worried about the consequences. To save Doc, Marty re-calibrates the DeLorean to return ten minutes before he left the future. The lightning strikes, sending Marty back to 1985, but the DeLorean breaks down, forcing Marty to run back to the mall. He arrives as Doc is being shot. While Marty grieves at his side, Doc sits up, revealing he pieced Marty's note back together and wore a bulletproof vest. He takes Marty home and departs to 2015 in the DeLorean. Marty wakes the next morning to discover his father is now a confident and successful
science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
author, his mother is fit and happy, his siblings are successful, and Biff is a servile valet in George's employ. As Marty reunites with Jennifer, Doc suddenly reappears in the DeLorean, insisting they return with him to the future to save their children from terrible fates.
Cast
*
Michael J. Fox
Michael Andrew Fox (born June 9, 1961), known professionally as Michael J. Fox, is a Canadian-American retired actor. Beginning his career in the 1970s, he rose to prominence portraying Alex P. Keaton on the NBC sitcom ''Family Ties'' (1 ...
as Marty McFly: A high school student and aspiring musician
*
Christopher Lloyd
Christopher Allen Lloyd (born October 22, 1938) is an American actor. He has appeared in many theater productions, films, and on television since the 1960s. He is known for portraying Dr. Emmett "Doc" Brown in the ''Back to the Future'' tril ...
as Emmett "Doc" Brown: An eccentric scientist experimenting with time travel
*
Lea Thompson
Lea Katherine Thompson (born May 31, 1961) is an American actress and director.
She is best known for her role as Lorraine Baines-McFly in the Back to the Future (franchise), ''Back to the Future'' film trilogy (1985–1990) and Beverly Switzl ...
as Lorraine Baines-McFly: A 1955 teenager who grows into Marty's unhappy, alcoholic mother
*
Crispin Glover
Crispin Hellion Glover (born April 20, 1964) is an American actor. He is known for portraying eccentric characters on screen, such as George McFly in ''Back to the Future'' (1985), Layne in ''River's Edge'' (1986), Andy Warhol in ''The Doors'' ...
as George McFly: A nerdy 1955 high schooler who grows into Marty's cowardly, submissive father
* Thomas F. Wilson as Biff Tannen: A 1955 high school bully turned George's 1985 boss
The 1985 portion of the film features a cast that includes
Claudia Wells
Claudia Grace Wells is an American actress and businesswoman, best known for her role as Jennifer Parker in the 1985 film ''Back to the Future''.
Life and career
Wells was born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, but her family moved to San Francisco w ...
as Marty's girlfriend Jennifer Parker, and
Marc McClure
Marc McClure (born March 31, 1957) is an American actor known for playing Jimmy Olsen in the ''Superman'' series of feature films released between 1978 and 1987 and Dave McFly in the ''Back to the Future'' films.
Career
McClure appeared in the 19 ...
and
Wendie Jo Sperber
Wendie Jo Sperber (September 15, 1958 – November 29, 2005) was an American actress, known for her performances in the films ''I Wanna Hold Your Hand'' (1978), ''Bachelor Party'' (1984), and ''Back to the Future'' (1985), as well as the telev ...
Linda McFly
The ''Back to the Future'' film trilogy and subsequent animated series feature characters created by Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale.
The lead character of the series is Marty McFly. During the course of the trilogy, he travels through time using ...
, respectively.
Elsa Raven
Elsa Rabinowitz (September 21, 1929 – November 2, 2020), known professionally as Elsa Raven, was an American character actress, perhaps best known for her two years (1988–1990) on the sitcom ''Amen'' and playing the mother of Vincent Terranov ...
portrays the Clocktower Lady. Singer
Huey Lewis
Hugh Anthony Cregg III (born July 5, 1950), known professionally as Huey Lewis, is an American singer, songwriter, and actor.
Lewis sings lead and plays harmonica for his band, Huey Lewis and the News, in addition to writing or co-writing many o ...
cameos as a judge for the Battle of the Bands contest. Richard L. Duran and Jeff O'Haco portray the Libyan terrorists.
Cast appearing in the 1955 portion includes
George DiCenzo
George Ralph DiCenzo (April 21, 1940 – August 9, 2010) was an American actor, and one-time associate producer for ''Dark Shadows''. He was in the show business for over 30 years, with extensive film, TV, stage, and commercial credits. DiCenzo ...
and
Frances Lee McCain
Frances Lee McCain (born July 28, 1943) is an American actress.
Early life and education
McCain was born in York, Pennsylvania and grew up in New York, Illinois and Colorado in addition to California. She graduated from Ripon College with a ...
as, respectively, Lorraine's parents Sam and Stella Baines, and
Jason Hervey
Jason Robert Hervey (born April 6, 1972) is an American actor and television producer. He is best known for his role as Wayne Arnold on ''The Wonder Years''.
Early life and acting
Hervey was born in Los Angeles, the son of Marsha, a talent agent, ...
as Lorraine's younger brother Milton. Biff's gang includes Jeffrey Jay Cohen as Skinhead,
Casey Siemaszko
Kazimierz Andrew "Casey" Siemaszko (; born March 17, 1961) is an American actor.
Personal life
Siemaszko was born in Chicago and grew up on the city's northwest side. He attended Saint Ignatius College Preparatory School and graduated from the ...
as , and
Billy Zane
William George Zane Jr. (born February 24, 1966) is an American actor. His breakthrough role was in the 1989 Australian film ''Dead Calm'', a performance that earned him a nomination for the Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Most Promi ...
as Match.
Norman Alden
Norman Alden (born Norman Adelberg, September 13, 1924 – July 27, 2012) was an American character actor who performed in television programs and motion pictures. He first appeared on television on ''The 20th Century Fox Hour'' in 1957. He p ...
plays the cafe owner Lou and
Donald Fullilove
Donald "Don" Fullilove (born May 16, 1958 in Dallas, Texas) is an American actor, who has had a role in numerous projects over the course of his forty-year plus career in both films and television. he currently resides in Burbank California with ...
appears as his employee (and future mayor) Goldie Wilson.
Harry Waters Jr.
Harry Tunney Waters Jr. (born April 13, 1953) is an American actor, singer and theatre director, best known for his portrayal of Marvin Berry in ''Back to the Future'' (1985). His renditions of " Night Train" and "Earth Angel" are two of the te ...
portrays
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist who pioneered rock and roll. Nicknamed the " Father of Rock and Roll", he refined and developed rhythm and blues into th ...
's cousin Marvin Berry,
Will Hare
Will T Hare (March 30, 1916 – August 31, 1997) was an American actor who appeared on television and films, often playing old crusty figures and father/grandpa roles. Hare was born in Elkins, West Virginia, the son of Frances Laetitia (née Satt ...
appears as Pa Peabody, and
Courtney Gains
Courtney Gains (born August 22, 1965) is an American character actor best known for his portrayal of Malachai in the 1984 horror movie '' Children of the Corn''.
Career
Gains achieved success during the 1980s with a variety of roles in films su ...
portrays Dixon, the youth who interrupts George's and Lorraine's dance.
James Tolkan
James Stewart Tolkan (born June 20, 1931) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Mr. Strickland in ''Back to the Future'' (1985) and ''Back to the Future Part II'' (1989), and as Marshall Strickland in '' Back to the Future Part ...
portrays Hill Valley high school principal Strickland in both 1955 and 1985.
Production
Conception and writing
Long-time collaborators
Bob Gale
Michael Robert Gale (born May 25, 1951) is an American screenwriter, comic book writer, film producer and director. He is best known for co-writing the science fiction comedy film ''Back to the Future'' with his writing partner Robert Zemec ...
and
Robert Zemeckis
Robert Lee Zemeckis (born May 14, 1952) is an American filmmaker. He first came to public attention as the director of the action-adventure romantic comedy ''Romancing the Stone'' (1984), the science-fiction comedy ''Back to the Future'' film tr ...
conceived of ''Back to the Future'' in 1980. They wanted to develop a film about time travel but were struggling for a satisfying narrative and were desperate for a successful project following the critical or commercial failures of their recent efforts, made in collaboration with Zemeckis' mentor
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg (; born December 18, 1946) is an American director, writer, and producer. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director of all time. Spie ...
.
Following the release of their comedy ''
Used Cars
''Used Cars'' is a 1980 American satirical black comedy film co-written and directed by Robert Zemeckis. The story follows Rudy Russo (Kurt Russell), a devious salesman, working for affable, but monumentally unsuccessful used-car dealer Luke Fuc ...
'' (1980), Gale visited his parents and came across his father's high school
yearbook
A yearbook, also known as an annual, is a type of a book published annually. One use is to record, highlight, and commemorate the past year of a school. The term also refers to a book of statistics or facts published annually. A yearbook often ...
. Gale questioned whether he and his father would have been friends had they attended school together. He did not think so but realized he could test his theory if he could travel back to a time when he and his parents were a similar age. He shared the idea with Zemeckis, who recalled his mother's childhood stories were often contradictory.
Gale and Zemeckis began a draft in late 1980. They sketched and acted out each scene to help develop the dialogue and actions. They believed many time travel films focused on the past being immutable and wanted to show the past being altered and the impact those changes would have on the future. In the draft, video pirate Professor Brown builds a time machine that sends his young friend Marty back to the 1950s where he interrupts his parents' first meeting. In September 1980, Gale and Zemeckis pitched their idea to
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...
president
Frank Price
Frank Price (born May 17, 1930) is a television writer and executive during the 1950s to 1970s, and a Hollywood studio chief in the 1980s. He held a number of executive positions including head of Universal TV in the 1970s; president, and later ...
, who had liked ''Used Cars'' and was keen to work with the pair. Gale recalled having to rein in Zemeckis' enthusiastic pitch before Price had time to change his mind. Gale and Zemeckis completed the first draft for Price on February21, 1981, but Price believed it needed significant refinement.
Some early concepts were abandoned. Originally, Marty's actions in 1955 had a more significant impact on the future, making 1985 more futuristic and advanced, but every person who read the script took issue with the idea. Marty's father also became a boxer, a result of his knockout punch on Biff. The time machine was a stationary object moved around on the back of a truck. Inspired by the documentary ''
The Atomic Cafe
''The Atomic Cafe'' is a 1982 American documentary film directed by Kevin Rafferty, Jayne Loader and Pierce Rafferty. It is a compilation of clips from newsreels, military training films, and other footage produced in the United States early in t ...
'', the drained time machine was written to be powered by Marty driving it into a nuclear explosion, combined with an additional ingredient—
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta ...
. Gale and Zemeckis took inspiration from tales of legendary scientists, opting to make the time machine's creator an individual instead of a faceless corporation or government. The pair wanted the inciting time travel incident to be an accident so that it would not appear that the hero was seeking personal gain.
Gale and Zemeckis drew humor from the cultural contrasts between 1955 and 1985, such as Marty entering a 1955 soda shop while wearing 1985 clothing. The shop owner asks Marty if he is a sailor because his down vest resembles a life preserver. They also identified conveniences of 1985 that Marty had taken for granted, but would be denied in 1955. Gale and Zemeckis struggled as they were in their 30s and did not particularly self-identify with either era. They were inspired by the All-American aesthetic of films by
Frank Capra
Frank Russell Capra (born Francesco Rosario Capra; May 18, 1897 – September 3, 1991) was an Italian-born American film director, producer and writer who became the creative force behind some of the major award-winning films of the 1930s ...
The Twilight Zone
''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology television series created by Rod Serling. The episodes are in various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, absurdism, dystopian fiction, suspense, horror, su ...
'', science-fiction films, and books by
Robert Silverberg
Robert Silverberg (born January 15, 1935) is an American author and editor, best known for writing science fiction. He is a multiple winner of both Hugo and Nebula Awards, a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame, and a Grand ...
and
Robert A. Heinlein
Robert Anson Heinlein (; July 7, 1907 – May 8, 1988) was an American science fiction author, aeronautical engineer, and naval officer. Sometimes called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was among the first to emphasize scientific accu ...
. The romantic relationship between 1955 Lorraine and her future son was one of the more difficult writing challenges. Gale and Zemeckis attempted to take the concept as far as possible to keep the audience on edge. They believed it had to be Lorraine who stopped the relationship; she remarks that kissing Marty feels like kissing her brother. Gale jokingly said no one asked how she could make that comparison, but that audiences would accept it because they did not want the relationship to happen. The second draft was completed by April7, 1981.
Development
Price opted not to
green-light
To green-light is to give permission to proceed with a project. The term is a reference to the green traffic signal, indicating "go ahead".
Film industry
In the context of the film and television industries, to green-light something is to ...
the second draft; although he liked it, he did not believe it would appeal to anyone else. The most successful comedies at the time, such as ''
Animal House
''National Lampoon's Animal House'' is a 1978 American comedy film directed by John Landis and written by Harold Ramis, Douglas Kenney and Chris Miller. It stars John Belushi, Peter Riegert, Tim Matheson, John Vernon, Verna Bloom, Thomas Hu ...
'' (1978), ''
Porky's
''Porky's'' is a 1981 sex comedy film written and directed by Bob Clark about the escapades of teenagers in 1954 at the fictional Angel Beach High School in Florida. The film influenced many writers in the teen film genre and spawned two sequels: ...
'' (1981), and ''
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
''Fast Times at Ridgemont High'' is a 1982 American coming-of-age comedy film directed by Amy Heckerling (in her feature directorial debut), from a screenplay by Cameron Crowe, based on his 1981 book ''Fast Times at Ridgemont High: A True Story' ...
'' (1982), featured sexual and bawdy elements; ''Back to the Future'' was considered too tame in comparison. The project went into turnaround—a process allowing other studios to purchase the idea. The script was rejected some 40 times, sometimes multiple times by the same studios. Reasons given included the concept being unappealing to contemporary rebellious youth and the failures of other time travel films, such as '' The Final Countdown'' (1980) and ''
Time Bandits
''Time Bandits'' is a 1981 British fantasy adventure film co-written, produced, and directed by Terry Gilliam. It stars Sean Connery, John Cleese, Shelley Duvall, Ralph Richardson, Katherine Helmond, Ian Holm, Michael Palin, Peter Vaughan and ...
'' (1981).
Walt Disney Productions
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
turned it down because they considered Marty's fighting off his future mother's advances too risqué for their brand. The only supporter of the project was Spielberg, but with their previous collaborations considered relative failures, Gale and Zemeckis feared another misstep would suggest they could only get work through being friends with Spielberg.
Zemeckis accepted the next project offered to him, ''
Romancing the Stone
''Romancing the Stone'' is a 1984 action-adventure romantic comedy film directed by Robert Zemeckis, written by Diane Thomas and produced by Michael Douglas, who also starred in the film. The film co-stars Kathleen Turner and Danny DeVito. The fi ...
'' (1984). Against expectations, the film was a significant success, and gave Zemeckis enough credibility to return to ''Back to the Future''. Zemeckis held a grudge against the studios that had rejected the project and turned to Spielberg, who had set up his own production company,
Amblin Entertainment
Amblin Entertainment, Inc., formerly named Amblin Productions and Steven Spielberg Productions, is an American film production company founded by director and producer Steven Spielberg, and film producers Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshal ...
, at
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...
, where Price now worked. Spielberg disliked Price because he had rejected ''
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
''E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'' (or simply ''E.T.'') is a 1982 American science fiction film produced and directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Melissa Mathison. It tells the story of Elliott, a boy who befriends an extraterrestrial, d ...
'' (1982) and demanded his involvement in ''Back to the Future'' be minimal.
Sidney Sheinberg
Sidney Jay Sheinberg (January 14, 1935 – March 7, 2019) was an American lawyer and entertainment executive. He served as President and CEO of MCA Inc. and Universal Studios for over 20 years.
Early life and education
Sheinberg, the son of J ...
installed himself as chief executive to oversee the studio's investment in the project. Amblin executives Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall joined Spielberg as the film's
executive producers
Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the making of a commercial entertainment product. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights o ...
.
However, rights to ''Back to the Future'' remained with Columbia Pictures. Price's successor at Columbia Pictures,
Guy McElwaine
Guy McElwaine (June 29, 1936 – April 2, 2008) was a former professional baseball player turned Hollywood agent, producer and studio head.
He joined Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's publicity department in 1955 but left in 1959 to join marketing and public ...
, was developing a satire of the Universal-owned noir film ''
Double Indemnity
''Double Indemnity'' is a 1944 American crime film noir directed by Billy Wilder, co-written by Wilder and Raymond Chandler, and produced by Buddy DeSylva and Joseph Sistrom. The screenplay was based on James M. Cain's 1943 novel of the same ...
'' (1944) called '' Big Trouble'' (1986). Its similarities to ''Double Indemnity'' meant the studio would violate Universal Pictures' copyright. With production imminent, McElwaine asked for the rights from Price; in exchange, Price obtained the rights to ''Back to the Future''.
Sheinberg suggested modifications to the film including changing the title to ''Space Man from Pluto'', believing ''Back to the Future'' would not resonate with audiences. Gale and Zemeckis did not know how to reject Sheinberg's suggestions without risking his ire. Spielberg intervened, sending Sheinberg a memo reading: "Hi Sid, thanks for your most humorous memo, we all got a big laugh out of it, keep 'em coming." Spielberg knew Sheinberg would be too embarrassed to admit his memo was to be taken seriously. Sheinberg later claimed the story was "bullshit". Sheinberg also wanted to change the name of Marty's mother from Meg to Lorraine (a tribute to his wife
Lorraine Gary
Lorraine Gottfried (born August 16, 1937), better known by her stage name Lorraine Gary, is a retired American actress, best known for her role as Ellen Brody in the ''Jaws'' film series. She also appeared in '' 1941'' and ''Car Wash''.
Early li ...
), and rename Professor Brown to Doc Brown because he considered it more accessible. The third draft was completed by July 1984. The lengthy development allowed Gale and Zemeckis to refine the script's jokes, especially ones that had become dated since 1980. The joke about former actor
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...
becoming
president of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...
remained following his re-election in
1984
Events
January
* January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888.
* January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeast A ...
.
Casting
Michael J. Fox was the first choice to portray Marty McFly. Gale and Zemeckis believed his acting timing in the sitcom ''
Family Ties
''Family Ties'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on NBC for seven seasons, premiering on September 22, 1982, and concluding on May 14, 1989. The series, created by Gary David Goldberg, reflected the move in the United States f ...
'' (1982–1989) as the sophisticated
Alex P. Keaton
Alex P. Keaton is a fictional Character (arts), character on the American television sitcom ''Family Ties,'' which aired on NBC for seven seasons, from 1982 to 1989. ''Family Ties'' reflected the move in the United States away from the cultural l ...
could be translated to Marty's clumsiness. Spielberg asked the show's producer
Gary David Goldberg
Gary David Goldberg (June 25, 1944 – June 22, 2013) was an American writer and producer for television and film. Goldberg was best known for his work on ''Family Ties'' (1982–89), ''Spin City'' (1996–2002), and his semi-autobiographical seri ...
to have Fox read the script. Concerned Fox's absence would damage ''Family Ties'' success—especially with fellow star
Meredith Baxter
Meredith Ann Baxter (born June 21, 1947) is an American actress and Film producer, producer. She is known for her roles on the CBS sitcom ''Bridget Loves Bernie'' (1972–73), American Broadcasting Company, ABC drama series ''Family (1976 TV ser ...
on
maternity leave
Parental leave, or family leave, is an employee benefit available in almost all countries. The term "parental leave" may include maternity, Paternity (law), paternity, and adoption leave; or may be used distinctively from "maternity leave" and ...
—Goldberg did not give Fox the script. Other young stars were considered, including:
John Cusack
John Paul Cusack (; born June 28, 1966)(28 June 1996)Today's birthdays ''Santa Cruz Sentinel'', ("Actors John Cusack is 30") is an American actor, producer, screenwriter and political activist. He is a son of filmmaker Dick Cusack, and his ol ...
,
C. Thomas Howell
Christopher Thomas Howell (born December 7, 1966) is an American actor. He has starred in the films '' Soul Man'', '' The Hitcher'', '' Grandview U.S.A.'', ''Red Dawn'', ''Secret Admirer'' and '' The Outsiders''. He has also appeared in '' Gett ...
,
Johnny Depp
John Christopher Depp II (born June 9, 1963) is an American actor and musician. He is the recipient of multiple accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award, in addition to nominations for three Academy Award ...
,
Ralph Macchio
Ralph George Macchio Jr. ( ; born November 4, 1961) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Daniel LaRusso in three ''Karate Kid'' films and in ''Cobra Kai'', a sequel television series. He also played Johnny Cade in '' The Outsiders' ...
,
Charlie Sheen
Carlos Irwin Estévez (born September 3, 1965), known professionally as Charlie Sheen, is an American actor. He has appeared in films such as ''Platoon'' (1986), ''Wall Street'' (1987), '' Young Guns'' (1988), '' The Rookie'' (1990), ''The Thr ...
,
Jon Cryer
Jonathan Niven Cryer (born April 16, 1965) is an American actor, writer, director and producer. Born into a show business family, he made his motion picture debut as a teenage photographer in the 1984 romantic comedy ''No Small Affair''; his bre ...
,
Ben Stiller
Benjamin Edward Meara Stiller (born November 30, 1965) is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is the son of the comedians and actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara. Stiller was a member of a group of comedic actors colloquially known as ...
,
Peter DeLuise
Peter John DeLuise (born November 6, 1966) is an American actor, television director, television producer, and screenwriter. He is known for his role as Officer Doug Penhall in the Fox TV series ''21 Jump Street'', and for directing and writing e ...
, Billy Zane,
George Newbern
George Young Newbern (born December 30, 1964) is an American actor, best known for his roles as Charlie in the ABC show ''Scandal'' and Bryan MacKenzie in ''Father of the Bride'' (1991) and its sequels ''Father of the Bride Part II'' and '' Fath ...
,
Robert Downey Jr.
Robert John Downey Jr. (born April 4, 1965) is an American actor and producer. His career has been characterized by critical and popular success in his youth, followed by a period of substance abuse and legal troubles, before a resurgence of ...
,
Christopher Collet
Christopher Collet () is an American actor and voice director. He starred in the lead role in the 1986 film ''The Manhattan Project''.
Early life, family and education
Christopher Collet was born in New York City, New York.
Career
Collet deci ...
,
Matthew Modine
Matthew Avery Modine (born March 22, 1959) is an American actor and filmmaker, who rose to prominence through his role as U.S. Marine Private/Sergeant J.T. "Joker" Davis in ''Full Metal Jacket''. His other film roles include the title character ...
, and Corey Hart (who declined to audition). Howell was the frontrunner, but Sheinberg preferred
Eric Stoltz
Eric Cameron Stoltz (born September 30, 1961) is an American actor, director and producer. He played the role of Rocky Dennis in the biographical drama film ''Mask'', which earned him the nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Support ...
, who had impressed with his portrayal of
Rocky Dennis
Roy Lee "Rocky" Dennis (December 4, 1961 – October 4, 1978) was an American teenager who had craniodiaphyseal dysplasia, an extremely rare sclerotic bone disorder. The condition usually results in neurological disorders and death during ...
in an early screening of the drama film ''
Mask
A mask is an object normally worn on the face, typically for protection, disguise, performance, or entertainment and often they have been employed for rituals and rights. Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and practic ...
'' (1985). With the filming date approaching, Zemeckis opted for Stoltz. Sheinberg promised that if Stoltz did not work out they could reshoot the film. The character's name was derived from ''Used Cars'' production assistant Marty Casella. Zemeckis suggested McFly because it sounded "All-American".
Among others,
Jeff Goldblum
Jeffrey Lynn Goldblum (; born October 22, 1952) is an American actor and musician. He has starred in some of the highest-grossing films of his era, such as ''Jurassic Park'' (1993) and '' Independence Day'' (1996), as well as their sequels.
...
,
John Lithgow
John Arthur Lithgow ( ; born , 1945) is an American actor. Lithgow studied at Harvard University and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art before becoming known for his work on the stage and screen. He has been the recipient of numerous ...
,
Dudley Moore
Dudley Stuart John Moore CBE (19 April 193527 March 2002) was an English actor, comedian, musician and composer. Moore first came to prominence in the UK as a leading figure in the British satire boom of the 1960s. He was one of the four writ ...
,
Ron Silver
Ronald Arthur Silver (July 2, 1946 – March 15, 2009) was an American actor/activist, director, producer, and radio host. As an actor, he portrayed Henry Kissinger, Alan Dershowitz and Angelo Dundee. He was awarded a Tony in 1988 for Best Actor ...
,
Robin Williams
Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian. Known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and come ...
,
John Cleese
John Marwood Cleese ( ; born 27 October 1939) is an English actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. Emerging from the Cambridge Footlights in the 1960s, he first achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and ...
,
Mandy Patinkin
Mandel Bruce Patinkin (; born November 30, 1952) is an American actor and singer, known for his work in musical theatre, television and film. He is a critically acclaimed Broadway performer, having received three Tony Award nominations, winning ...
,
Gene Hackman
Eugene Allen Hackman (born January 30, 1930) is an American retired actor and former novelist. In a career that has spanned more than six decades, Hackman has won two Academy Awards, four Golden Globes, one Screen Actors Guild Award, two BAFTAs ...
, and
James Woods
James Howard Woods (born April 18, 1947) is an American actor. He is known for his work in various film, stage, and television productions. He started his career in minor roles on and off-Broadway. In 1972, he appeared in '' The Trial of the ...
were considered for the role of Doc Brown. Producer
Neil Canton
Neil Canton (born 1948) is an American film producer from New York City best known for his work on the ''Back to the Future'' trilogy. Canton currently serves as an instructor and mentor at the American Film Institute Conservatory as a member o ...
suggested Lithgow, having worked with him and Christopher Lloyd on ''
Buckaroo Banzai
''The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension'', often shortened to ''Buckaroo Banzai'', is a 1984 American science fiction film produced and directed by W. D. Richter and written by Earl Mac Rauch. It stars Peter Weller in the ...
'' (1984). Lithgow was unavailable, and the role was offered to Lloyd. He was reluctant to join the production until a friend encouraged him to take the part.
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein ( ; ; 14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist, widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest and most influential physicists of all time. Einstein is best known for developing the theory ...
and conductor
Leopold Stokowski
Leopold Anthony Stokowski (18 April 1882 – 13 September 1977) was a British conductor. One of the leading conductors of the early and mid-20th century, he is best known for his long association with the Philadelphia Orchestra and his appeara ...
inspired Lloyd's wild, white hair. Lloyd affected a hunched posture to lower his height closer to the tall Fox.
The filmmakers became aware of Lea Thompson while researching Stoltz in the comedy-drama '' The Wild Life'' (1984). Crispin Glover used many of his own mannerisms in portraying George McFly. Gale described his performance as "nuts", and Zemeckis was reportedly unhappy with Glover's performance choices, instructing him to be more restrained as the older George. Glover lost his voice during filming and later dubbed in some lines. Deluise, Zane,
Tim Robbins
Timothy Francis Robbins (born October 16, 1958) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for portraying Andy Dufresne in the film ''The Shawshank Redemption ''(1994), and has won an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards for his role ...
, and J. J. Cohen were considered to play Biff Tannen. Cohen was not considered intimidating enough against Stoltz, and the role went to Thomas F. Wilson; his first feature starring role. Zane and Cohen were cast as Biff's minions Match and Skinhead instead. Tannen's name was taken from Universal Studios executive
Ned Tanen Ned Stone Tanen (c. September 20, 1931 – January 5, 2009) was an American film studio executive. The films he produced were some of the most popular films of the 1970s and 1980s, including the 2 key Brat Pack films ''The Breakfast Club'' and ' ...
, who had been unpleasant with Gale and Zemeckis.
Melora Hardin
Melora Hardin (born June 29, 1967) is an American actress, known for her roles as Jan Levinson on NBC's ''The Office'' and Trudy Monk on USA Network's ''Monk'', and Tammy Cashman on Amazon Prime Video's '' Transparent'', for which she received ...
was cast as Jennifer Parker on a two-film contract. After Stoltz's replacement, the crew were polled about Hardin being taller than Fox; the female crew overwhelmingly voted Marty should not be shorter than his girlfriend. Hardin was replaced by Claudia Wells, who had previously declined the role because of her commitment to the short-lived television series ''
Off the Rack
Ready-to-wear (or ''prêt-à-porter''; abbreviated RTW; "off-the-rack" or "off-the-peg" in casual use) is the term for ready-made garments, sold in finished condition in standardized sizes, as distinct from made-to-measure or bespoke clothin ...
'' (1984). Actresses
Kyra Sedgwick
Kyra Minturn Sedgwick (; born August 19, 1965) is an American actress, producer and director. For her starring role as Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson on the TNT crime drama ''The Closer'', she won a Golden Globe Award in 2007 and an Emmy Awa ...
and
Jill Schoelen
Jill Marie Schoelen (born March 21, 1963) is an American former actress. She is best known for ''Chiller'' (1985), '' The Stepfather'' (1987), '' Cutting Class'' (1989), ''The Phantom of the Opera'' (1989), '' Popcorn'' (1991), '' Rich Girl'' (1 ...
were also considered; Schoelen was told she looked too "exotic" and not sufficiently All-American. Doc Brown's pet, a dog named Einstein, was originally scripted as a
chimpanzee
The chimpanzee (''Pan troglodytes''), also known as simply the chimp, is a species of great ape native to the forest and savannah of tropical Africa. It has four confirmed subspecies and a fifth proposed subspecies. When its close relative th ...
named Shemp. Sheinberg insisted films featuring chimps never did well. James Tolkan was the first choice for Principal Strickland after Zemeckis saw him in the crime drama ''
Prince of the City
''Prince of the City'' is a 1981 American neo-noir crime drama film directed and co-written by Sidney Lumet. The film follows Daniel Ciello, an officer of the New York Police Department who chooses, for idealistic reasons, to expose corruption in ...
'' (1981). Singer and soundtrack contributor Huey Lewis cameos as a Battle of the Bands judge. Lewis agreed to appear as long as he was uncredited and could wear a disguise. Gale cameos as the hand in the radiation suit tapping the DeLorean time display.
Filming with Stoltz
Principal photography
Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production.
Personnel
Besides the main film personnel, such as actor ...
began November26, 1984, on a 14-week schedule set to conclude on February28, 1985, with an estimated $14million budget. Filming took place mainly at the Universal Studios lot and on location in
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
.
Dean Cundey
Dean Raymond Cundey, A.S.C. (born March 12, 1946) is an American cinematographer and film director. He is known for his collaborations with John Carpenter, Steven Spielberg, Robert Zemeckis, as well as his extensive work in the horror genre, in a ...
served as the cinematographer; he and Zemeckis had collaborated on ''Romancing the Stone''. Editor Arthur Schmidt was hired after Zemeckis saw his work on ''
Firstborn
A firstborn (also known as an eldest child or sometimes firstling) is the first child born to in the birth order of a couple through childbirth. Historically, the role of the firstborn child has been socially significant, particularly for a firstb ...
'' (1984); Schmidt recommended hiring
Harry Keramidas
Harry Thomas Keramidas (born August 31, 1940) is an American film and television editor. He is perhaps best known for his work in the ''Back to the Future'' film trilogy, co-editing with Arthur Schmidt. He has also edited the films ''Children ...
as co-editor. Frank Marshall also served as a second unit director.
Owing to the tight schedule, editing occurred concurrently with filming. On December30, 1984, Zemeckis reviewed the existing scenes with Schmidt and Keramidas. Zemeckis was reluctant to review the footage because he would be self-critical, but he believed Stoltz's acting was not working, and had already listed several scenes he wanted to reshoot. Zemeckis called in Gale and the producers to show them the footage; they agreed Stoltz was not right for the part. Stoltz was performing the role with an intense and serious tone, not the "screwball" energy they desired. Gale characterized Stoltz as a good actor in the wrong role.
Stoltz utilized
method acting
Method acting, informally known as The Method, is a range of training and rehearsal techniques, as formulated by a number of different theatre practitioners, that seeks to encourage sincere and expressive performances through identifying with, u ...
and stayed in character as Marty when not filming, refusing to answer to his own name. This resulted in feuding with some of the cast and crew, including Wilson. Stoltz put his full strength into pushing Wilson rather than imitating doing so, despite Wilson's protests. Spielberg said Zemeckis needed a replacement in place before firing Stoltz, or he risked the production being canceled. Zemeckis and the producers asked Sheinberg for permission to do whatever was necessary to accommodate Fox's participation; Spielberg made another call to Goldberg. On January3, 1985, Goldberg told Fox about withholding the ''Back to the Future'' script from him, and the filmmakers wanted to know if he was interested. Baxter had returned to the show, and they could be more flexible with Fox as long as ''Family Ties'' took priority. Fox agreed to join without reading the script. The transition could not take place immediately and filming continued with Stoltz in the lead role, unaware he was to be replaced.
On January10, 1985, Zemeckis informed Stoltz that he was no longer a part of the film. Zemeckis described it as "the hardest meeting I've ever had in my life and it was all my fault. I broke toltz'sheart." Stoltz was reported to have told his make-up artist he was not a
comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing
Amusement is the state of experiencing humorous and entertaining events or situations while the person or a ...
and did not understand why he was cast. The producers informed the principal cast and the rest of the crew much of the film would be re-shot. Cundey said most of the crew saw Stoltz's removal as "good news". Crew members later said there were obvious signs Stoltz would be replaced; the set designers were told not to change the 1955 set, and a scene involving a discussion between Marty and Doc was filmed only showing Doc. Stoltz had shot numerous key scenes including Marty traveling to 1955 in the DeLorean, it breaking down as he prepares to return to 1985, and his final scene was Marty's return to 1985. Filming fell behind schedule, with 34 days of filming lost and an additional cost of $3.5–$4million, including Stoltz receiving his salary in full. Universal Pictures' marketing team was tasked with mitigating the negative publicity from a project replacing its main star.
Filming with Fox
Fox's first day on set was January15, 1985. He filmed ''Family Ties'' during the day before traveling to the ''Back to the Future'' filming location. Often, he would not return home until early the following morning, and on weekends, the schedule was pushed back further as ''Family Ties'' was filmed in front of a live audience. The teamsters dropping Fox at home regularly had to carry the actor to bed. This continued until April, when ''Family Ties'' finished filming. Gale said Fox's youth meant he could cope with less sleep than usual; Fox described it as exhausting, but worth the effort. Further into the filming schedule, Fox was energetic during his scenes but struggled to stay awake off set. He ad-libbed some lines when he forgot the intended dialog, and recalled looking for a camcorder on the ''Family Ties'' set, before realizing it was a prop on ''Back to the Future''. He also had to learn to mimic playing the guitar and choreographed skateboarding routines taught by
Per Welinder
Per Nils Welinder (born April 17, 1962) is a Swedish entrepreneur and former professional skateboarder. During the 1980s he achieved international fame as a freestyle skater and was a leading member of the Powell-Peralta skate team known as the " ...
and Bob Schmelzer.
To compensate for his conflicting schedules and reduce production costs, some scenes involving Marty were shot without Fox, who filmed his part separately. Re-shooting scenes gave the filmmakers the opportunity to identify problems and implement new ideas. To avoid building an additional classroom set, the opening pan across the array of clocks in Doc Brown's laboratory replaced an opening scene where Marty sets off a fire alarm to get out of detention. The height differences between Stoltz and Fox necessitated other changes, such as a scene of Fox teaching George how to punch, because Fox could not reach the necessary prop. According to Gale, once Fox replaced Stoltz, the atmosphere on set improved. Thompson anecdotally said while Stoltz ate lunch alone in his trailer, Fox ate lunch with the cast and crew.
The production used many locations in and around
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
. The
clock tower
Clock towers are a specific type of structure which house a turret clock and have one or more clock faces on the upper exterior walls. Many clock towers are freestanding structures but they can also adjoin or be located on top of another buildi ...
is a structure on the
Universal Studios Lot
Universal Studios Lot is a television and film studio complex located at 100 Universal City Plaza in Universal City, California, adjacent to the Universal Studios Hollywood theme park. It is the site of Universal Pictures and is owned by Comcas ...
in
Universal City, California
Universal City is an unincorporated area within the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. Approximately 415 acres (1.7 km) within and around the surrounding area is the property of Universal Picture ...
. When filmed from below, Lloyd was positioned on a recreation of the clock tower, but when filmed from above, Lloyd stood atop the tower itself. Production designer
Lawrence G. Paull
Lawrence G. Paull (April 13, 1938 – November 10, 2019) was an American neofuturistic production designer and art director. He was nominated for an Academy Award in the category Best Art Direction for the film ''Blade Runner''.
Selected ...
insisted on using the Universal backlot sets because of the difficulties and costs involved in making an on-location area look 1955 appropriate.
Whittier High School
Whittier High School (WHS) is a high school located in Whittier, California. It belongs to the Whittier Union High School District.
It is the alma mater of President Richard Nixon (class of 1930) and John Lasseter (class of 1975), founder of Pixa ...
in the city of Whittier is the Hill Valley high school. Marty's home and the surrounding Lyon estates are in
Arleta, Los Angeles
Arleta () is a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of the city of Los Angeles, California, with a high percentage of Latino residents and of people born outside the United States.
Geography
Arleta is bordered by the Los Angeles distr ...
. Several of the residential locations were filmed in Pasadena: Lorraine's and George's 1955 homes, and Doc Brown's 1955 home—its exterior is the Gamble House—and interiors were shot at the historic Blacker House.
Puente Hills Mall
Puente Hills Mall, located in City of Industry, California, United States, is a major regional shopping center in the San Gabriel Valley region of Los Angeles County. It is most famous for serving as the filming site for the Twin Pines/Lone Pine ...
in
Rowland Heights
Rowland Heights is an unincorporated area in and below the Puente Hills in the San Gabriel Valley, in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 48,231 at the 2020 census. Rowland Heights is in the Los Angeles metropol ...
serves as the Twin Pines mall, that later becomes the Lone Pine mall after Marty knocks over one of the trees at Twin Pines ranch in 1955, which was filmed at the Walt Disney Studios-owned
Golden Oak Ranch
Golden Oak Ranch is an 890-acre (360 ha) movie ranch owned by the Walt Disney Studios subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company that serves as a filming location and backlot. The ranch is off of Placerita Canyon Road outside of Newhall, Santa C ...
in
Newhall, Santa Clarita, California
Newhall is the southernmost and oldest community in the city of Santa Clarita, California. Prior to the 1987 consolidation of Canyon Country, Saugus, Newhall, and Valencia into the city of Santa Clarita, it was an unincorporated area. It was ...
. Other locations include the basement of the
Hollywood United Methodist Church
Hollywood United Methodist Church is a United Methodist church located at the intersection of Franklin Avenue and Highland Avenue in the Hollywood Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Its English Gothic architecture and the giant ...
where the school dance was filmed, and
Griffith Park
Griffith Park is a large municipal park at the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains, in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The park includes popular attractions such as the Los Angeles Zoo, the Autry Museum of the Ameri ...
, where Marty begins his drive to the courthouse to return to 1985, passing by a lamp post outside of the
Greek Theatre
Ancient Greek theatre was a theatrical culture that flourished in ancient Greece from 700 BC. The city-state of Athens, which became a significant cultural, political, and religious place during this period, was its centre, where the theatre was ...
.
Filming concluded after 107 days on April 26, 1985. The final day of filming included pick-up shots of Marty and Einstein the dog in the DeLorean.
Post-production
Arthur F. Repola served as the post-production supervisor, but he became responsible for many aspects outside of his role, including budgets, storyboarding, and general problem-solving. Those roles belonged to Kennedy and Marshall but both were occupied on other films. Schmidt found editing the film difficult because he had to imagine where the special effects would later be added; there was no time or budget to re-edit afterward.
A rough version of the movie was cut together for a
test screening
A test screening is a preview screening of a movie or television show before its general release to gauge audience reaction. Preview audiences are selected from a cross-section of the population and are usually asked to complete a questionnaire or ...
San Jose, California
San Jose, officially San José (; ; ), is a major city in the U.S. state of California that is the cultural, financial, and political center of Silicon Valley and largest city in Northern California by both population and area. With a 2020 popul ...
, in mid-May 1985, just three weeks after filming concluded. The audience was seemingly uninterested at the exposition-heavy opening but became engaged after the DeLorean appeared. At a test screening in
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California.
Incorporate ...
, 94% of the audience responded they would definitely recommend the film; 99% rated it very good or excellent. Gale said there was some concern when Doc's dog Einstein was sent through time, as the audience believed he had been killed. The film was re-cut and screened again at the
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...
theater at Universal Studios for executives, including Sheinberg. He was so impressed he moved the scheduled release date forward to July3, 1985, to give it more time in theaters during the peak summer season. The new date reduced the post-production schedule to just nine weeks for special effects and editing. Zemeckis spent much of June rushing to finish the film.
Deleted scenes include: Doc looking at an issue of ''
Playboy
''Playboy'' is an American men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother.
K ...
'', remarking the future looks better; a scene of 1985 George being coerced into buying a large amount of peanut brittle from a young girl; a scene of young George being trapped in a phone booth by the man who interrupts his dance with Lorraine; and the scene of Marty pretending to be "Darth Vader", which was shortened. Zemeckis considered cutting the "Johnny B. Goode" performance because it did not advance the story, but test audiences reacted well to it. There is a dispute if a shot of Stoltz's hand is in the finished film in the scene where Marty punches Biff. Gale noted it is impossible to tell without checking the original film negative, which would risk damaging it. The final 116minute cut was completed on June23, 1985. Universal Studios took out a full-page advertisement in ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' magazine, thanking the post-production crew for completing their work on time. The final budget was $19million.
Music
Alan Silvestri
Alan Anthony Silvestri (born March 26, 1950) is an American composer and conductor of film and television scores. He has been associated with director Robert Zemeckis since 1984, composing music for all of his feature films including the ''Back ...
composed the score for ''Back to the Future''; he had worked with Zemeckis on ''Romancing the Stone''. The only direction Zemeckis gave him was "it's got to be big". Silvestri used an orchestral score to create a sound that contrasted with the small-town setting and the significant time-changing events occurring within it. He wanted a heroic theme that would be instantly recognizable.
Huey Lewis was approached to write a theme song for the film; he was coming off the success of his recent album ''
Sports
Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, th ...
''. He met with Gale, Spielberg, and Zemeckis, who intended that
Huey Lewis and the News
Huey Lewis and the News are an American rock band based in San Francisco, California. They had a run of hit singles during the 1980s and early 1990s, eventually achieving 19 top ten singles across the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, Adult Contempora ...
be Marty's favorite band. Though flattered, Lewis did not want to participate because he did not know how to write film songs and did not want to write one called "Back to the Future". Zemeckis assured Lewis he could write any song he wanted. Lewis agreed to submit the next song he wrote, which was " The Power of Love". Lewis maintains "Power of Love" was his first submission, but Zemeckis recalled a different first song that was rejected. Lewis later acquiesced to Zemeckis' request for a second song, " Back in Time".
Musician
Eddie Van Halen
Edward Lodewijk Van Halen ( , ; January 26, 1955 – October 6, 2020) was an American musician and songwriter. He was the guitarist, keyboardist, backing vocalist, and primary songwriter of the rock band Van Halen, which he co-founded along ...
performed the guitar riff Marty (dressed as "Darth Vader") uses to wake George. The filmmakers wanted to use
Van Halen
Van Halen ( ) was an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. Credited with "restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene", Van Halen was known for its energetic live shows and for the virtuosity of its lead gu ...
's music, but the band refused to take part, so Eddie took part on his own. Mark Campbell provided Marty's singing voice, but did not receive credit as the filmmakers wanted to pretend Fox was singing. When music supervisor
Bones Howe
Dayton Burr "Bones" Howe (born March 18, 1933) is an American record producer and recording engineer who scored a string of hits in the 1960s and 1970s, often of the sunshine pop genre, starting in 1965 with The Turtles cover of Bob Dylan's "It ...
learned of this, he secured Campbell a small percentage of the soundtrack revenue as compensation.
Paul Hanson
Paul Hanson is an American bassoonist, saxophonist, duduk player, and composer with roots in jazz and classical music.
Music career
Paul Hanson was born in San Francisco, CA, in 1961. His parents were both musicians: his mother a classical pi ...
taught Fox how to use a guitar to play "
Johnny B. Goode
"Johnny B. Goode" is a 1958 rock song written and first recorded by Chuck Berry. Released as a single, it peaked at number two on ''Billboard'' magazine's Hot R&B Sides chart and number eight on its pre-Hot 100 chart.
"Johnny B. Goode" is con ...
", and choreographer Brad Jeffries spent four weeks teaching Fox to replicate various rock star moves popularized by artists like
Pete Townshend
Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend (; born 19 May 1945) is an English musician. He is co-founder, leader, guitarist, second lead vocalist and principal songwriter of the Who, one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s and 1970s.
Townsh ...
,
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...
, and Chuck Berry. Berry withheld permission to use "Johnny B. Goode" until the day before filming, receiving $50,000 for the rights. Harry Waters Jr. provided the vocals on "
Earth Angel
"Earth Angel", occasionally referred to as "Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine)", is a song by American doo-wop group the Penguins. Produced by Dootsie Williams, it was released as their debut single in October 1954 on Dootone Records. The Penguins ...
".
Design
Special effects
Industrial Light & Magic
Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) is an American motion picture visual effects company that was founded on May 26, 1975 by George Lucas. It is a division of the film production company Lucasfilm, which Lucas founded, and was created when he began pro ...
(ILM) developed the film's special effects under the supervision of
Ken Ralston
Kenneth Ralston (born 1954) is an American visual effects artist, currently the Visual Effect Supervisor and Creative Head at Sony Pictures Imageworks. Ralston began his career at the commercial animation and visual effects company, Cascade Picture ...
and
Kevin Pike
J. Kevin Pike (born 9 May 1951) is an American film special effects supervisor, former below-the-line talent agent, and screenwriting consultant. Pike is best known for supervising the Special Effects of the 1985 film ''Back to the Future''. He a ...
. It contains approximately 27–32 special effects shots, compared to the 300 such shots typical in contemporaneous higher-budget films. Despite working simultaneously on ''
The Goonies
''The Goonies'' is a 1985 American adventure comedy film co-produced and directed by Richard Donner from a screenplay by Chris Columbus, based on a story by Steven Spielberg. In the film, kids who live in the "Goon Docks" neighborhood of Astori ...
'' and '' Cocoon'', Ralston took on the additional project because it required relatively few effects, and he wanted to realize the planned ending of Marty driving the time machine into a nuclear explosion. The team had a nine-and-a-half-week schedule, reduced to less than nine once Universal Pictures moved up the release date. ILM was working on ''Back to the Future'' up to the moment it had to be handed over to print the theatrical film reels.
The tight schedule affected the special effects' quality. Ralston was disappointed by the scene where Marty's hand fades away as his future is altered. Fox was filmed separately from his hand and the two were composited together; the hand was filmed with a wide-angle lens, making it appear too large and it had to be scaled down. Zemeckis wanted a subtle fade, but it resulted in a small circle of the hand fading away and there was no time to fix it. In the same scene, Marty and his siblings fade away from a photo. ILM found it difficult to fade the photo's individual aspects, especially as it was moving on the neck of a guitar. A replica of the guitar neck was constructed at four times the normal size; the guitar strings were made of cable up to a quarter-inch thick. An 11 by 14 inch aluminum plate was attached to hold the enlarged photograph. ILM used a version of the photo without Marty or his siblings and individually pasted each character into the photo. When this failed, four different photos were used: one containing the background, and one for each McFly sibling. A mechanical camera cycled through each photo and printed it to the film. The enlarged guitar was moved around to add to the realism.
The original nuclear explosion ending was considered too complicated and expensive, with an estimated cost of $1million. Art director
Andrew Probert
Andrew Probert (born 1946 in Independence, Missouri) is an American artist. He is known for his work with the ''Star Trek'' franchise, most notably the designs of the USS ''Enterprise'' for '' Star Trek: The Motion Picture'' and the ''Enterpris ...
storyboarded the scene which would have been created using sets and miniatures. With the ending moved to the clock tower, ILM researched storms to achieve the right aesthetic. Clouds were constructed from polyester fiberfill, suspended in a net and filmed from above while Ralston shone a powerful light from below. He used a
rheostat
A potentiometer is a three-terminal resistor with a sliding or rotating contact that forms an adjustable voltage divider. If only two terminals are used, one end and the wiper, it acts as a variable resistor or rheostat.
The measuring instrume ...
to rapidly change the lights' intensity to imitate lightning.
Developed by
Wes Takahashi
Wes Ford Takahashi is an American visual effects animator and animation supervisor who has worked for motion picture visual effects company Industrial Light & Magic. He is known for his special effects work on numerous films; his efforts includ ...
's animation department, the lightning bolt that strikes the clock tower was described as "the largest bolt of lightning in cinematic history". It was intended to originate in the distance and move closer, but the footage was filmed too close to the tower and there was insufficient space between it and the top of the frame. There was also an issue with showing the bolt onscreen for too long as it made it more obviously animated. The frame count was reduced but the bolt did not look chaotic enough. Zemeckis picked out a single frame of the bolt in an "S" formation and asked that the effect focus on that shape and be reduced to 20 frames. The bolt was drawn in black ink on white paper; diffusion effects and a glow were added by the optical department.
The DeLorean time machine
The DeLorean was developed under the supervision of Lawrence Paull, who designed it with artist
Ron Cobb
Ronald Ray Cobb (September 21, 1937 – September 21, 2020) was an American-Australian artist. In addition to his work as an editorial cartoonist, he contributed to major films including '' Dark Star'' (1974), ''Star Wars'' (1977), ''Alien'' (1979 ...
and illustrator Andrew Probert. They intended for the vehicle to look fixed together from common parts. The time machine was originally conceived as a stationary device; at one point it was a refrigerator. Spielberg vetoed the idea, concerned child viewers might attempt to climb into one. Zemeckis suggested the DeLorean because it offered mobility and a unique design; the gull-wing doors would appear like an alien
UFO
An unidentified flying object (UFO), more recently renamed by US officials as a UAP (unidentified aerial phenomenon), is any perceived aerial phenomenon that cannot be immediately identified or explained. On investigation, most UFOs are id ...
to a 1950s family. The
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. The company sells automobi ...
offered $75,000 to use a
Ford Mustang
The Ford Mustang is a series of American automobiles manufactured by Ford. In continuous production since 1964, the Mustang is currently the longest-produced Ford car nameplate. Currently in its sixth generation, it is the fifth-best selli ...
instead; Gale responded, "Doc Brown doesn't drive a fucking Mustang". Michael Fink was hired as the art department liaison and tasked with realizing Cobb's sketches and overseeing the car's construction. He was recruited by Paull and Canton, who had worked with him on ''
Blade Runner
''Blade Runner'' is a 1982 science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott, and written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples. Starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Edward James Olmos, it is an adaptation of Philip K. Dick' ...
'' (1982) and ''Buckaroo Bonzai'', respectively. Fink had a project lined up but agreed to help in the free weeks he had remaining. Three DeLoreans used were purchased from a collector—one for stunts, one for special effects, and a more detailed hero version for close-up shots. They were unreliable and often broke down. was chosen as the time travel speed because it was easy to remember and looked "cool" on the speedometer.
The flying DeLorean in the final scene used a combination of live-action footage, animation, and a 1:5 scale (approximately long) model built by
Steve Gawley
Steve Gawley (born 1952) is a visual effects artist who was nominated at the 62nd Academy Awards in the category of Best Visual effects for his work on the film ''Back to the Future Part II''. His nomination was shared with John Bell, Michael L ...
and the model shop crew. The act of the DeLorean traveling through time was called the 'time slice' effect. Zemeckis knew only that he wanted the transition to be violent. He described it like a "
Neanderthal
Neanderthals (, also ''Homo neanderthalensis'' and erroneously ''Homo sapiens neanderthalensis''), also written as Neandertals, are an extinct species or subspecies of archaic humans who lived in Eurasia until about 40,000 years ago. While th ...
sitting on the hood of the DeLorean and chipping away the fabric of time in front of him". The effect is so quick as to be imperceptible. Zemeckis preferred this as he did not want the audience to think too much about how everything worked.
Art direction and makeup
Actual brand names, such as
Texaco
Texaco, Inc. ("The Texas Company") is an American Petroleum, oil brand owned and operated by Chevron Corporation. Its flagship product is its Gasoline, fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owned the Havoline motor oil brand. Texaco was an Indepe ...
, were used to make the sets more realistic, and the producers mandated the inclusion of certain brands that had paid to appear in the film. An unidentified gas company offered a large sum to be included, but Paull used Texaco because it reminded him of a joke from ''
The Milton Berle Show
''Texaco Star Theater'' was an American comedy-variety show, broadcast on radio from 1938 to 1949 and telecast from 1948 to 1956. It was one of the first successful examples of American television broadcasting, remembered as the show that gave Mi ...
''. This choice led to some disputes, such as
Pepsi
Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by PepsiCo. Originally created and developed in 1893 by Caleb Bradham and introduced as Brad's Drink, it was renamed as Pepsi-Cola in 1898, and then shortened to Pepsi in 1961.
History
Pepsi was ...
parent company,
PepsiCo
PepsiCo, Inc. is an American multinational food, snack, and beverage corporation headquartered in Harrison, New York, in the hamlet of Purchase. PepsiCo's business encompasses all aspects of the food and beverage market. It oversees the manuf ...
, wanting to omit a joke about the Tab drink made by its rival
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta ...
. Twenty clock wranglers were needed to synch up the many clocks in the opening scene, and
pulleys
A pulley is a wheel on an axle or shaft that is designed to support movement and change of direction of a taut cable or belt, or transfer of power between the shaft and cable or belt. In the case of a pulley supported by a frame or shell that ...
were used to start them simultaneously.
Drew Struzan
Drew Struzan (; born March 18, 1947) is an American artist, illustrator and cover designer. He is known for his more than 150 movie posters, which include ''The Shawshank Redemption'', ''Blade Runner'', ''Mallrats'', as well as films in the ''In ...
produced the film's poster. The producers hoped his in-demand poster artwork would generate further interest in the film.
The film uses a stylized adaptation of 1950s
aesthetics
Aesthetics, or esthetics, is a branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of beauty and taste, as well as the philosophy of art (its own area of philosophy that comes out of aesthetics). It examines aesthetic values, often expressed thr ...
closer to television show interpretations than an exact recreation. Modern technologies were used—such as contemporary fabrics—because the designers believed the fashions of the time were not interesting. To represent characters across three decades, the filmmakers did not want to have older actors stand in for the younger ones, believing the change would be obvious and distracting. Special effects artist Ken Chase performed make-up tests on the young actors to age them; initial results were discouraging. He created a prosthetic neck and a
bald cap
A bald cap is a wig-like cap simulating the appearance of a bald or partially bald head. As part of an actor's make-up, it is often used to make a person appear older.Delamar, p. 239. Bald caps are a versatile medium. They form the basis of many ...
with a receding hairline for Glover, but considered them excessive. Chase found it difficult to balance aging the actors while retaining enough of their natural appearance so they remained recognizable.
Casts were made of the actors' faces, from which plaster molds were made. Chase sculpted more subtle effects over the plaster molds using latex. For Lorraine, he crafted jowls and eye bags, plus body padding to reflect her increased weight and alcohol abuse. Instead of a receding hairline, Chase only changed the style of George's hair and used prosthetics to give him a less-defined jawline. Biff's character changed more significantly because Chase wanted him to look "obnoxious"; he was fattened, given sideburns, and a
comb over
A comb over or combover is a hairstyle commonly worn by balding men in which the hair is grown long and combed over the bald area to minimize the appearance of baldness. Sometimes the parting is lowered so that more hair can be used to cover the ...
hairstyle to hide a growing bald spot. The prosthetics were combined with makeup and lighting to further age the characters.
Chase found the work frustrating compared to his experiences with more fantastical prostheses that made it easier to hide defects. The rubber latex did not reflect light the same way as natural skin, so Chase used a
stippling
Stippling is the creation of a pattern simulating varying degrees of solidity or shading by using small dots. Such a pattern may occur in nature and these effects are frequently emulated by artists.
Art
In printmaking, stipple engraving is ...
process—creating a pattern with small dots—to variegate the actors' faces to better conceal where the skin and prosthetics met; close-up shots were avoided. Doc's appearance was not altered significantly. Chase painted latex on Lloyd which, when removed, caused crinkles in the skin, onto which other elements, such as
liver spot
The liver is a major organ only found in vertebrates which performs many essential biological functions such as detoxification of the organism, and the synthesis of proteins and biochemicals necessary for digestion and growth. In humans, it i ...
s and shadows, were painted.
Release
Context
By June 1985, the theatrical industry had experienced a 14% decline in ticket sales over the previous year's $4billion record sales. The summer period (beginning the final week of May) had 45 films scheduled for release, including '' Rambo: First Blood Part II'', ''The Goonies'', ''
Brewster's Millions
''Brewster's Millions'' is a comedic novel written by George Barr McCutcheon in 1902, originally under the pseudonym of Richard Greaves.
The plot concerns a young man whose grandfather leaves him $1 million in a will, but a competing will from an ...
James Bond
The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...
film ''
A View to a Kill
''A View to a Kill'' is a 1985 spy film and the fourteenth in the ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions, and is the seventh and final appearance of Roger Moore as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Although the title is adapted ...
''. This 25% increase over the previous year's releases led to concerns among industry professionals the competition would divide audiences and limit financial returns, at a time when the average cost of making and marketing a film had increased to $14.5million and $7million, respectively. A higher budget to secure a popular, and thus profitable, cast was considered a suitable risk. Most films scheduled for release were aimed at younger audiences, focusing on fantasy and the supernatural. Reflecting the times, these fantasy elements often employed a technological source instead of a magical one. Only a few films, like ''Cocoon'' and ''
Prizzi's Honor
''Prizzi's Honor'' is a 1985 American black comedy crime film directed by John Huston, starring Jack Nicholson and Kathleen Turner as two highly-skilled mob assassins who, after falling in love, are hired to kill each other. The screenplay co-w ...
'', targeted adults.
Initially, ''Back to the Future'' was scheduled to be released in May 1985, but was pushed back to June21, the earliest Zemeckis could have the film ready. The delay caused by Stoltz's replacement pushed the release back to July19, and later to August. Sheinberg moved the release date forward to July3, giving it an extra 16 days of theatrical screen time during the industry's most profitable period of the year. The move offered about 100,000 extra screenings, together worth an estimated $40million. He said he also wanted to avoid the negative perception of films released later in the summer period; other
blockbuster
Blockbuster or Block Buster may refer to:
*Blockbuster (entertainment) a term coined for an extremely successful movie, from which most other uses are derived.
Corporations
* Blockbuster (retailer), a defunct video and game rental chain
** Bl ...
films were usually released early. The change required renegotiations with theater owners to secure screens in an already-crowded marketplace. In some cities, it was legally required that exhibitors be shown a film prior to purchase; an unfinished cut of the film was shown to theater owners and young test audiences. They described it as lesser than ''E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'' or ''
Ghostbusters
''Ghostbusters'' is a 1984 American Supernatural fiction, supernatural comedy film directed and produced by Ivan Reitman, and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. It stars Bill Murray, Aykroyd, and Ramis as Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, and ...
'', but still a guaranteed box office hit. Fox was unavailable for promotional work because he was filming ''
Family Ties Vacation
The NBC sitcom ''Family Ties'' aired from September 22, 1982 to May 14, 1989 with a total of 176 episodes produced.
Series overview
Episodes
Season 1 (1982–83)
This is the only season where Michael Gross is clean shaven.
Season 2 (1983– ...
'' (1985) in London.
Box office
In the United States (U.S.) and Canada, ''Back to the Future'' received a wide release on July3, 1985, ahead of the
Independence Day
An independence day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or more rarely after the end of a military occupation. Man ...
holiday weekend. The film earned $3.6million during the opening Wednesday and Thursday, and a further $11.3million during its inaugural weekend from 1,420 theaters—an average of $7,853 per theater. ''Back to the Future'' finished as the number one film of the weekend ahead of Western, ''
Pale Rider
''Pale Rider'' is a 1985 American Western film produced and directed by Clint Eastwood, who also stars in the lead role. The title is a reference to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, as the pale horse's ghost rider (Eastwood) represents Deat ...
'' ($7million), in its second weekend, and ''Rambo: First Blood Part II'' ($6.4million) in its seventh. It retained the number one position in its second weekend with a further gross of $10.6million, ahead of the debuting action film ''
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome
''Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome'' is a 1985 Australian post-apocalyptic dystopian action film directed by George Miller and George Ogilvie and written by Miller and Terry Hayes. It stars Mel Gibson and Tina Turner in a story of a lone roving warri ...
'' ($7.8million) and ''Cocoon'' ($5million), and in its third weekend, ahead of the re-release of ''E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'' ($8.8million) and ''Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome'' ($5.4million). Although it fell to number two in its fourth weekend, behind the debuting ''
National Lampoon's European Vacation
''National Lampoon's European Vacation'' is a 1985 American comedy film directed by Amy Heckerling and written by Robert Klane. The second film in National Lampoon's ''Vacation'' film series, it stars Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Dana Hill, J ...
'' ($12.3million), ''Back to the Future'' regained the number one position in its fifth weekend and remained there for the following eight weeks. Recalling the opening weeks, Gale said, "our second weekend was higher than our first weekend, which is indicative of great
word of mouth
Word of mouth, or ''viva voce'', is the passing of information from person to person using oral communication, which could be as simple as telling someone the time of day. Storytelling is a common form of word-of-mouth communication where one pe ...
."
The film remained a steady success, earning $155million by October, surpassing ''Rambo: First Blood Part II''s $149million box office earnings to become the year's highest-grossing film. In total, ''Back to the Future'' was the number one film for 11 of its 12 first weeks of release and remained in the top ten highest-grossing films for a total 24 weeks. By the end of its theatrical run, ''Back to the Future'' earned an approximate box office gross of $210.6million, making it the highest-grossing film of 1985, ahead of ''Rambo: First Blood Part II'' ($150.4million), the sports drama '' Rocky IV'' ($127.9million), and the drama ''
The Color Purple
''The Color Purple'' is a 1982 epistolary novel by American author Alice Walker which won the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award for Fiction.
'' ($94.2million).
Box Office Mojo
Box Office Mojo is an American website that tracks box-office revenue in a systematic, algorithmic way. The site was founded in 1998 by Brandon Gray, and was bought in 2008 by IMDb, which itself is owned by Amazon.
History
Brandon Gray began ...
estimated over 59million tickets were sold. Industry experts suggest as of 1997, the box office returns to the studio—minus the theaters' share—was $105.5million.
The year was considered an unsuccessful one for film. Despite a record number of film releases, ticket sales were down 17% compared with 1984. Industry executives blamed the problem, in part, on a lack of originality, and a glut of youth-oriented films targeted at those under 18. Only ''Back to the Future'' and ''Rambo: First Blood Part II'' were considered blockbusters, earning more than double the box office of ''Cocoon''. Films offering escapism and pro-America themes also fared well. After years of poor performances, ''Back to the Future'', alongside ''Fletch'', ''Brewster's Millions'', and ''Mask'', reversed Universal Pictures' fortunes.
Outside the U.S. and Canada, the film earned a further estimated $170.5million, making it the third-highest-grossing film of the year, behind the romantic drama ''
Out of Africa
''Out of Africa'' is a memoir by the Danish people, Danish author Karen Blixen. The book, first published in 1937, recounts events of the seventeen years when Blixen made her home in Kenya, then called East Africa Protectorate, British East Afr ...
'' ($179.1million) and ''Rocky IV'' ($172.6million). Cumulatively, ''Back to the Future'' earned a worldwide gross of $381.1million, making it the highest-grossing film of 1985, ahead of ''Rocky IV'' ($300.5million) and ''Rambo: First Blood Part II'' ($300.4million). ''Back to the Future'' has received several theatrical re-releases to celebrate anniversaries, including a remastered version screened in 2010. These releases have raised the film's worldwide total to $388.8million.
Reception
Critical response
''Back to the Future'' received generally positive reviews from critics. Most reviewers agreed ''Back to the Future'' was among the year's most entertaining films, partly because of its focus on storytelling instead of pure spectacle. Attansio and
Gene Siskel
Eugene Kal Siskel (January 26, 1946 – February 20, 1999) was an American film critic and journalist for the ''Chicago Tribune''. Along with colleague Roger Ebert, he hosted a series of movie review programs on television from 1975 until his d ...
argued that while ''Back to the Future'' appeared to be "everything wrong" with youth-targeted films, it successfully subverted expectations by focusing on a relatable narrative with an emotional core, and employed irreverent, good-natured humor. They, alongside
Richard Corliss
Richard Nelson Corliss (March 6, 1944 – April 23, 2015) was an American film critic and magazine editor for ''Time''. He focused on movies, with occasional articles on other subjects.
He was the former editor-in-chief of ''Film Comment' ...
, agreed that it would endure because it offered something for children and adults. Some reviewers, such as Corliss and
Leonard Maltin
Leonard Michael Maltin (born December 18, 1950) is an American film critic and film historian, as well as an author of several mainstream books on cinema, focusing on nostalgic, celebratory narratives. He is perhaps best known for his book of fil ...
agreed that the exposition-heavy opening was ''Back to the Future''s weakest part, but led into a stronger half filled with "wit", "wonder", "comic epiphany", and original ideas.
Dave Kehr
David Kehr (born 1953) is an American museum curator and film critic. For many years a critic at the ''Chicago Reader'' and the ''Chicago Tribune,'' he later wrote a weekly column for ''The New York Times'' on DVD releases. He later became a c ...
remarked that Gale and Zemeckis were among the first generation of filmmakers openly influenced by growing up on televised entertainment, and their inspirations are evident throughout. ''The Hollywood Reporter'' said that despite Spielberg's producer role, it was clearly Zemeckis' vision, being more subtle, gentler, and "less noisy." Some reviewers compared it favorably to the 1946 fantasy drama ''
It's a Wonderful Life
''It's a Wonderful Life'' is a 1946 American Christmas by medium#Films, Christmas Fantasy film, fantasy drama film produced and directed by Frank Capra, based on the short story and booklet ''The Greatest Gift'', which Philip Van Doren Stern se ...
'', which offered a similar premise of a central character changing his future.
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...
said the film offered humanity, charm, humor, and many surprises that were among its "greatest pleasures".
Sheila Benson
Sheila Benson (December 4, 1930February 23, 2022) was an American journalist and film critic. She served as film critic for the ''Los Angeles Times'' from 1981 to 1991.
Early life and education
Benson was born in New York City on December 4, 193 ...
was more critical; she found ''Back to the Future'' to be overproduced and underdeveloped, featuring a hollow ending focused on materialistic rewards and lacking tension because Marty's success never seemed in doubt. Siskel countered that the tension came from defying the expectations of a typical time travel film by making the past mutable and the future uncertain.
Paul Attanasio
Paul Albert Attanasio (born November 14, 1959) is an American screenwriter and film and television producer. He has twice been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, for ''Quiz Show (film), Quiz Show'' (1994) and ''Donnie ...
criticized some aspects that seemed to be "mechanically" designed to create the broadest audience appeal.
The cast performances were generally well received, particularly those of Fox, Lloyd, Thompson, and Glover. Reviewers consistently praised Fox's "appealing" performance, although some believed Lloyd's performance outshone the rest. Kehr and Attanasio considered his uncontrolled performance and unique "intensity" a tribute to mad scientist characters, portrayed by the likes of
Sid Caesar
Isaac Sidney Caesar (September 8, 1922 – February 12, 2014) was an American comic actor, comedian and writer. With a career spanning 60 years, he was best known for two pioneering 1950s live television series: ''Your Show of Shows'' (1950 ...
and
John Belushi
John Adam Belushi (January 24, 1949 – March 5, 1982) was an American comedian, actor, and musician, best known for being one of the seven original cast members of the NBC sketch comedy show ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL''). Throughout his ca ...
, while creating the definitive scientist archetype for modern audiences. In contrast,
Vincent Canby
Vincent Canby (July 27, 1924 – October 15, 2000) was an American film and theatre critic who served as the chief film critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1969 until the early 1990s, then its chief theatre critic from 1994 until his death in ...
and ''Variety''s review said that Thompson's "deceptively passionate" performance and Glover's bumbling-to-confident character provided ''Back to the Future''s standout performances. Some reviewers considered the use of Libyan terrorists, an actual fear at the time, to be in poor taste.
Accolades
''Back to the Future'' received four nominations at the
43rd Golden Globe Awards
The 43rd Golden Globe Awards, honoring the best in film and television for 1985, were held on January 24, 1986.
Winners and nominees
Film
The following films received multiple nominations:
The following films received multiple ...
Best Original Song
This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards.
Best Actor/Best Actress
*See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
("The Power of Love"), and
Best Screenplay
Best or The Best may refer to:
People
* Best (surname), people with the surname Best
* Best (footballer, born 1968), retired Portuguese footballer
Companies and organizations
* Best & Co., an 1879–1971 clothing chain
* Best Lock Corporatio ...
(Gale and Zemeckis). The film was also named Favorite Motion Picture at the
12th People's Choice Awards
The 12th People's Choice Awards, honoring the best in popular culture for 1985, were held in 1986. They were broadcast on CBS.
Winners
Favorite New Song:
"We Are the World"
Favorite New TV Dramatic Program:
'' Dynasty II - The Colbys''
Favorit ...
Charles L. Campbell
Charles L. Campbell (August 17, 1930 – June 21, 2013) was an American sound engineer who won three Academy Awards for Best Sound Editing. He also served as Governor of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) 1984-1987.
Early l ...
and
Robert Rutledge
Robert Rutledge (June 3, 1948 – October 15, 2001) was an American sound editor who won Best Sound Editing at the 1985 Academy Awards. He won for ''Back to the Future'', which was shared with Charles L. Campbell.
He also did the sound on th ...
). It received a further three nominations:
Best Original Screenplay
The Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay is the Academy Award for the best screenplay not based upon previously published material. It was created in 1940 as a separate writing award from the Academy Award for Best Story. Beginning with the ...
(Gale and Zemeckis);
Best Sound
This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow List of film awards, film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards.
Best Actor/Best Actress
*See Best Actor#Film awa ...
B. Tennyson Sebastian II
B. Tennyson Sebastian II is an American audio engineering, sound engineer. He was nominated for an Academy Awards, Academy Award in the category Academy Award for Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound for the film ''Back to the Future''. He has worked o ...
,
Robert Thirlwell
Robert Thirlwell is an American sound engineer. He was nominated for three Academy Awards in the category Best Sound.
Selected filmography
* '' Outland'' (1981)
* '' The River'' (1984)
* ''Back to the Future
''Back to the Future'' is a ...
, and
William B. Kaplan
William B. Kaplan is an American audio engineering, sound engineer. He has over 125 credits to his name and has been nominated for seven Academy Awards in the category Academy Award for Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound. He has worked on over 80 fil ...
); and
Best Original Song
This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards.
Best Actor/Best Actress
*See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
("The Power of Love").
At the
39th British Academy Film Awards
The 39th British Film Awards, given by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts in 1986, honoured the best films of 1985 in film, 1985.
There are no records showing any nominations, or a winner, for the BAFTA Award for Best Direction at t ...
, ''Back to the Future'' received five nominations, including
Best Film
This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards.
Best Actor/Best Actress
*See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
,
Best Original Screenplay
The Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay is the Academy Award for the best screenplay not based upon previously published material. It was created in 1940 as a separate writing award from the Academy Award for Best Story. Beginning with the ...
Best Actor
Best Actor is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actors in a film, television series, television film or play.
The term most often refers to th ...
Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation
The Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation is given each year for theatrical films, television episodes, or other dramatized works related to science fiction or fantasy released in the previous calendar year. Originally the award covered both ...
. ''Back to the Future'' performed well internationally: it won Best Foreign Producer (Spielberg) and Best Foreign Screenplay at the
David di Donatello
The David di Donatello Awards, named after Donatello's ''David'', a symbolic statue of the Italian Renaissance, are film awards given out each year by the ''Accademia del Cinema Italiano'' (The Academy of Italian Cinema). There are 26 award cat ...
Japan Academy
The Japan Academy (Japanese: 日本学士院, ''Nihon Gakushiin'') is an honorary organisation and science academy founded in 1879 to bring together leading Japanese scholars with distinguished records of scientific achievements. The Academy is c ...
, and the
Goldene Leinwand The Goldene Leinwand (Golden Screen) is an award created in 1964 by the HDF ("Hauptverband Deutscher Filmtheater e.V.", literally translated "Federal Association For Movie Theatres") and the journal ''Filmecho/Filmwoche''.
Like a Golden Record, it ...
(Germany) for selling more than 3million tickets in its first 18 months.
Post-release
Home media
''Back to the Future'' was released on VHS on May22, 1986, priced at $79.95, becoming the first film to sell 450,000 units at that price point, and was also the most-rented cassette of the year. A sequel was not planned until after ''Back to the Future''s theatrical release, and a "To Be Continued..." graphic was appended to the end of the home release to promote awareness of future films. When ''Back to the Future'' was released on
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...
in 2002, the graphic was removed because Gale and Zemeckis wanted it to be faithful to an in-theater experience. It debuted on
Blu-ray
The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of sto ...
in 2010 for the film's 25th anniversary. The release featured a six-part documentary including interviews with the cast and crew, behind-the-scenes footage, deleted scenes, and associated music videos from all three films. The release also included the public debut of footage of Stoltz portraying Marty McFly. For its 35th anniversary in 2020, a remastered 4K
Ultra HD
Ultra-high-definition television (also known as Ultra HD television, Ultra HD, UHDTV, UHD and Super Hi-Vision) today includes 4K UHD and 8K UHD, which are two digital video formats with an aspect ratio of 16:9. These were first proposed by N ...
version was released on Blu-ray and
Ultra HD Blu-ray
Ultra HD Blu-ray (4K Ultra HD, UHD-BD, or 4K Blu-ray) is a digital optical disc data storage format that is an enhanced variant of Blu-ray. Ultra HD Blu-ray discs are incompatible with existing standard Blu-ray players, though a traditional Bl ...
. Along with extras included in previous releases, this edition included audition footage and an exploration of the film's props hosted by Gale. Limited edition steelbook cases and a display replicate of the levitating hoverboard from ''Back to the Future PartII'' were also available.
The ''Back to the Future'' soundtrack was released in July 1985 on
cassette tape
The Compact Cassette or Musicassette (MC), also commonly called the tape cassette, cassette tape, audio cassette, or simply tape or cassette, is an analog magnetic tape recording format for audio recording and playback. Invented by Lou Ottens ...
,
LP record
The LP (from "long playing" or "long play") is an analog sound storage medium, a phonograph record format characterized by: a speed of rpm; a 12- or 10-inch (30- or 25-cm) diameter; use of the "microgroove" groove specification; and a ...
, and
Compact disc
The compact disc (CD) is a Digital media, digital optical disc data storage format that was co-developed by Philips and Sony to store and play digital audio recordings. In August 1982, the first compact disc was manufactured. It was then rele ...
(CD). The soundtrack's lead single, "The Power of Love", peaked at number one on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Sales were initially slow, but it eventually peaked at number 12 on the ''Billboard'' 200, in part because of the success of "The Power of Love". Silvestri's score received a limited release in 2009 on CD, containing the film score and unreleased variations. The scores for all three ''Back to the Future'' films were first released on LP record in 2016, individually and as a collection. Silvestri supervised the remaster of the original master recordings, including previously unreleased tracks, and Gale contributed liner notes.
Other media
In 1985, film merchandising was a relatively new concept, popularized by the original ''Star Wars'' film trilogy (1977–1983). As ''Back to the Future'' was not specifically aimed at children, there was no significant merchandising accompanying its release. Although a novelization by
George Gipe
George Gipe (February 3, 1933, Baltimore, Maryland – September 6, 1986, Glendale, California) was an American magazine writer, author and screenwriter. Gipe died at the age of 53 as the result of an allergic reaction to a bee sting.
Life ...
was released in 1985, one of the earliest items for children, a rideable DeLorean, was not released until 1986. The film and its sequels have since been represented across a wide variety of merchandise including:
Playmobil
Playmobil () is a German line of toys produced by the Brandstätter Group (Geobra Brandstätter GmbH & Co KG), headquartered in Zirndorf, Germany. The signature Playmobil toy is a tall (1:24 scale) human figure with a smiling face. A wide range ...
Funko
Funko Inc. is an American company that manufactures licensed and limited pop culture collectibles, best known for its licensed vinyl figurines and bobbleheads. In addition, the company produces licensed plush, action figures, apparel, accessories ...
POP! figures, action figures,
Hot Wheels
Hot Wheels is an American brand of scale model cars introduced by American toymaker Mattel in 1968. It was the primary competitor of Matchbox until 1997, when Mattel bought Tyco Toys, then owner of Matchbox.
Many automobile manufacturers have ...
and
die-cast
Die casting is a metal casting process that is characterized by forcing molten metal under high pressure into a mold cavity. The mold cavity is created using two hardened tool steel dies which have been machined into shape and work similarly t ...
vehicles, books, music albums, and Christmas ornaments.
''Back to the Future'' received several video game adaptations. ''
Back to the Future
''Back to the Future'' is a 1985 American science fiction film directed by Robert Zemeckis, and written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale. It stars Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover, and Thomas F. Wilson. Set in 1985, ...
'' was released alongside the film for the
Amstrad CPC
The Amstrad CPC (short for ''Colour Personal Computer'') is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sin ...
,
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64, also known as the C64, is an 8-bit home computer introduced in January 1982 by Commodore International (first shown at the Consumer Electronics Show, January 7–10, 1982, in Las Vegas). It has been listed in the Guinness ...
, and
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum () is an 8-bit computing, 8-bit home computer that was developed by Sinclair Research. It was released in the United Kingdom on 23 April 1982, and became Britain's best-selling microcomputer.
Referred to during development as t ...
. An arcade-adventure game, ''
Back to the Future
''Back to the Future'' is a 1985 American science fiction film directed by Robert Zemeckis, and written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale. It stars Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover, and Thomas F. Wilson. Set in 1985, ...
'', was released in 1989 for the
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1983 as the commonly known as the The NES, a redesigned version, was released in America ...
. Gale called it one of the worst games ever made and advised people against purchasing it. '' Back to the Future: The Pinball'' was released in 1990, although Fox refused permission for the game to use his likeness. An episodic
graphic adventure
An adventure game is a video game genre in which the player assumes the role of a protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and/or puzzle-solving. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based m ...
game, '' Back to the Future: The Game'', was released in 2010. Gale contributed to the game's narrative, which takes place after the events of the third film. An area in ''
Lego Dimensions
''Lego Dimensions'' is a Lego-themed action-adventure platform crossover video game developed by Traveller's Tales and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Wii U, Xbox One and Xbox 360. It fo ...
simulator ride
Simulator rides are a type of amusement park or fairground ride, where the audience is shown a movie while their seats move to correspond to the action on screen.
There are many types but they fall into the heading of entertainment unlike the on ...
, ran from 1991 to 2007 at
Universal Studios Hollywood
Universal Studios Hollywood is a film studio and theme park
An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusemen ...
and
Universal Studios Florida
Universal Studios Florida (also known as Universal Studios or USF) is a theme park located in Orlando, Florida. Primarily themed to movies, television and other aspects of the entertainment industry, the park opened to the public on June 7, 1990 ...
. The ride's development was supervised by Spielberg and featured Doc Brown (Lloyd) chasing down Biff (Wilson) who has stolen the DeLorean. A version of the ride at
Universal Studios Japan
is a theme park located in Osaka, Japan. Opened on March 31, 2001, it is one of six Universal Parks & Resorts, Universal Studios theme parks worldwide and was the first to open outside the United States. The park is owned and operated by a whol ...
ran from 2001 to 2016. A ''Back to the Future''-themed
Monopoly
A monopoly (from Greek language, Greek el, μόνος, mónos, single, alone, label=none and el, πωλεῖν, pōleîn, to sell, label=none), as described by Irving Fisher, is a market with the "absence of competition", creating a situati ...
board-game was released in 2015. A Funko board game was released in 2020. It casts players as one of the main characters from the films to battle different Tannens across history.
There have been several books about the making of the film series. ''We Don't Need Roads: The Making of the Back to the Future Trilogy'' is an oral history by those involved in the production. ''Back to the Future: The Ultimate Visual History''—a book chronicling the development of the entire ''Back to the Future'' franchise—was released in 2015. The
British Film Institute
The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...
released ''BFI Film Classics: Back to the Future'' about the film's background. The series also includes comic books detailing Doc's and Marty's adventures before and after the events depicted in the films. A crossover between the ''Back to the Future'' and
Transformers
''Transformers'' is a media franchise produced by American toy company Hasbro and Japanese toy company Takara Tomy. It primarily follows the Autobots and the Decepticons, two alien robot factions at war that can transform into other forms, suc ...
franchises included a transforming DeLorean toy and associated comic books.
Thematic analysis
Parental relationships and fate
The main theme of ''Back to the Future'' concerns taking control and personal responsibility over one's own destiny: A situation can be changed even if it seems otherwise impossible to overcome. Thompson said the film represents how one moment can have a significant and lasting impact on a person's life. Gale believed Doc provided the perfect summary of the series' running theme, when in '' Back to the Future Part III'' he said: "Your future is whatever you make it, so make it a good one."
At the start of the film, Marty is rejected at Battle of the Bands and admits he fears his ambitions will remain unrealized. He worries he will end up like his parents and sees direct evidence in 1955 of George, also afraid of rejection, being unable to approach Lorraine; his fears risk Marty's future. Marty sets about manipulating the past to ensure his own survival without concern for what impact his presence in 1955 is having on others. On his return to 1985, he is rewarded with wealthier parents and a nicer car, but he has simultaneously damaged Biff's future, reducing him to a valet for the McFlys. Glover criticized the morality of the film's ending, believing Marty's reward should be happy parents in love with each other, and considered it a result of the film serving corporate interests, promoting the accumulation of wealth and purchasing material objects. In 2015, Zemeckis said the ending was perfect for its time but would be different if he made it now, although Gale disagreed and said he did not apologize for the scene. American audiences generally had no issue with this ending, but it was criticized by some international audiences.
Despite rejection by film studios for not being raunchy enough, ''Back to the Future'' alludes to sexual assault, racism, and the
Oedipus complex
The Oedipus complex (also spelled Œdipus complex) is an idea in psychoanalytic theory. The complex is an ostensibly universal phase in the life of a young boy in which, to try to immediately satisfy basic desires, he unconsciously wishes to have ...
—a psychiatric theory suggesting a child holds an unconscious sexual desire for their opposite-sexed parent, as in the relationship between Marty and his future mother Lorraine in 1955. The relationships between parents and children are the basis of many elements of the film. Thompson believed the film had remained relevant to new generations because of its core idea that Marty's and the viewer's parents were once children and had the same dreams and ambitions they do.
Reaganism and American anxieties
Critics
Justin Chang
Justin Choigee Chang (born January 3, 1983) is an American film critic and columnist for the ''Los Angeles Times''. He previously worked for ''Variety''.
Early life
Justin Chang graduated from the University of Southern California in 2004. Chan ...
and Mark Olsen suggest the film can be seen as promoting
Reaganism
Ronald Reagan was the 40th President of the United States (1981–1989). A Republican and former actor and governor of California, he energized the conservative movement in the United States from 1964. His basic foreign policy was to equal and ...
—the political positions of president Ronald Reagan—which endorses older values of the American dream, initiative, and technological advancement. The Hill Valley of 1985 is depicted as run down and in decay, while in 1955 it is presented as a more simplistic and seemingly safer time, seen through a nostalgic lens. Marty's future is bettered because he goes back to 1955 and teaches George to be more assertive and self-reliant; his initiative leads to more prosperous future for Marty with materialistic rewards. The film uses many brand names of the time, ostensibly to make the setting more realistic—such as
Mountain Dew
Mountain Dew, stylized as Mtn Dew, is a carbonated soft drink brand produced and owned by PepsiCo. The original formula was invented in 1940 by Tennessee beverage bottlers Barney and Ally Hartman. A revised formula was created by Bill Brid ...
,
Pepsi
Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by PepsiCo. Originally created and developed in 1893 by Caleb Bradham and introduced as Brad's Drink, it was renamed as Pepsi-Cola in 1898, and then shortened to Pepsi in 1961.
History
Pepsi was ...
, and
Texaco
Texaco, Inc. ("The Texas Company") is an American Petroleum, oil brand owned and operated by Chevron Corporation. Its flagship product is its Gasoline, fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owned the Havoline motor oil brand. Texaco was an Indepe ...
—but the filmmakers received financial compensation from the brand owners, making their inclusion promotional and commercialistic instead of artistic.
Film studies lecturer Sorcha Ní Fhlainn argues that many 1980s films resulted from the American public's desire for escapism from cultural anxieties and fears, including nuclear proliferation, unemployment, crime, growing inequality, and the AIDS crisis. In her view, films like those of the ''
Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
'' series and ''Back to the Future'' offered a childlike reassurance of safety and comfort, emphasizing idealized American values and the positive effects of instilling power in a patriarchal figure like George McFly or Darth Vader. English professor Susan Jeffords considered Doc Brown to be an analog for Reagan, a man who embraces technological advancement, who is in conflict with Libyan terrorists, and provides the means for a failing family to better themselves.
The song "Johnny B. Goode" by Chuck Berry is used during the film's final act. Berry initially resisted allowing the song to be used in the film.
NPR
National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...
argued that while Berry's resistance may have been a matter of money, there are underlying racial issues involved in Marty, a
white male
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, seemingly rewriting history to invent the
rock and roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from Africa ...
music genre, which was heavily influenced by African-American music. The 1955 segment also presents a distorted view of America, showing an African-American band playing at the high school dance, which would have been disallowed. Similarly, the African-American character Goldie Wilson is seemingly inspired to work towards becoming mayor by Marty's intervention, inspiring a Reagan-style initiative and self-reliance.
Influences
As film fans, Gale and Zemeckis' influences are seen throughout ''Back to the Future''. There are references to '' The Wizard of Oz'' (1939), '' The Shaggy Dog'' (1959), ''
Dr. Strangelove
''Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb'', known simply and more commonly as ''Dr. Strangelove'', is a 1964 black comedy film that satirizes the Cold War fears of a nuclear conflict between the Soviet Union and t ...
'' (1964), ''Close Encounters of the Third Kind'' (1977), the ''Star Wars'' film series, and television shows including ''
Mister Peabody
Hector J. Peabody, simply referred to as Mr. Peabody, is an anthropomorphic cartoon dog who appeared in the late 1950s and early 1960s television animated series ''The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends'', produced by Jay Ward. Peabo ...
'', ''
Star Trek: The Original Series
''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry that follows the adventures of the starship and its crew. It later acquired the retronym of ''Star Trek: The Original Series'' (''TOS'') to distinguis ...
'', '' The Outer Limits'', and ''The Twilight Zone''. There are also allusions to ''
The Time Machine
''The Time Machine'' is a science fiction novella by H. G. Wells, published in 1895. The work is generally credited with the popularization of the concept of time travel by using a vehicle or device to travel purposely and selectively for ...
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
''A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court'' is an 1889 novel by American humorist and writer Mark Twain. The book was originally titled ''A Yankee in King Arthur's Court''. Some early editions are titled ''A Yankee at the Court of King Arth ...
'' by
Mark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has p ...
, in which the central character seemingly moves through time. The DeLorean dashboard chronometer uses the same color scheme as the time device of ''The Time Machine''. Critic Ray Loynd opined that Doc can be seen as a
King Arthur
King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain.
In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as a ...
–type, with Marty serving as his knight.
Legacy
Cultural influence
Since its release, ''Back to the Future'' has remained an enduring popular culture
touchstone
Touchstone may refer to:
* Touchstone (assaying tool), a stone used to identify precious metals
* Touchstone (metaphor), a means of assaying relative merits of a concept
Entertainment
* ''Touchstone'' (album), a 1982 album by Chick Corea
* T ...
, and in 2007, the United States
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...
selected the film for preservation in the
National Film Registry
The National Film Registry (NFR) is the United States National Film Preservation Board's (NFPB) collection of films selected for preservation, each selected for its historical, cultural and aesthetic contributions since the NFPB’s inception i ...
for being culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant. The film elevated Fox from financially struggling actor to one of the most in-demand and globally recognized stars in Hollywood, and Gale received fan mail for decades after its release. He said he understood the continuing appreciation for the original film as it was the "purest" and "most complete" in the series. Fox compared it to ''The Wizard of Oz'' (1939), saying it still appeals to children because they do not think of it as an old film. In 2012, Thompson called it the greatest role of her career. Dean Cundey believed it resonated with fans because it offers the fantasy of going back in time to change things and make the present better. Lloyd described being approached by fans from around the world, who have said the film inspired them to become a scientist.
Many of the principal cast have reunited since the film's release. Often these reunions are for charity, including
The Michael J. Fox Foundation
The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research is dedicated to finding a cure for Parkinson's disease (PD) established in 2000 by Michael J. Fox. It concentrates on funding research and ensuring the development of improved therapies for ...
for
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms usually emerge slowly, and as the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms becom ...
(Fox was diagnosed with the disease at age 29), and
Project HOPE
Project HOPE (Health Opportunities for People Everywhere) is an international global health and humanitarian aid non-governmental organization founded in the United States in 1958. Project HOPE works in five main areas: disasters and health cri ...
. A 2019 reunion for the
TCM Classic Film Festival
Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an American movie-oriented pay-TV network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in 1994, Turner Classic Movies is headquartered at Turner's Techwood broadcasting campus in the Midtown business district of Atl ...
featured the 4K restoration premiere of ''Back to the Future''. During the 2020
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
,
Josh Gad
Joshua Ilan Gad (born February 23, 1981) is an American actor. He is known for voicing Olaf in the '' Frozen'' franchise, playing Elder Arnold Cunningham in the Broadway musical ''The Book of Mormon'', and playing Le Fou in the live-action adap ...
hosted a ''Back to the Future'' retrospective featuring many cast and crew. The cast has also appeared in advertisements only loosely related to ''Back to the Future'', trading on their associated popularity.
The film has global popular appeal, particularly in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Argentina, the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
, and Japan. On October 21, 2015—the day Doc and Marty travel to at the end of ''Back to the Future'', as depicted in ''Back to the FutureII''—an estimated 27million social media users discussed the films; the most active users were in the United States, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Brazil. Ronald Reagan was also a fan, referring to the film during his 1986 State of the Union Address to appeal to America's young voters, saying, "Never has there been a more exciting time to be alive, a time of rousing wonder and heroic achievement. As they said in the film ''Back to the Future'', 'Where we're going, we don't need roads. Although Gale has said that Reagan, after enjoying the joke about Doc Brown's incredulous response to him becoming president, ordered the theater's projectionist to stop the film, roll it back, and run it again, this is disputed by Reagan's advisor, Mark Weinberg. ''Back to the Future'' is also seen as responsible for a resurgence of skateboarding in the 1980s. It made skateboarding a mainstream pastime acceptable for all, not just rebellious teenagers.
''Back to the Future'' has been referred to in a variety of media, including television, films, and video games. Doc and Marty, respectively, inspired the eponymous characters of the 2013 animated television show ''
Rick and Morty
{{Infobox television
, image = Rick and Morty title card (cropped).png
, alt =
, caption =
, genre = {{Plainlist,
* Animated sitcom
* Adult animation
* Science fiction
* Black comedy
* ...
''. The British pop rock band
McFly
McFly are an English pop rock band formed in London in 2003. The band took their name from the '' Back to the Future'' character Marty McFly. The band consists of Tom Fletcher (lead vocals, guitar, and piano), Danny Jones (lead vocals, har ...
are named for Marty McFly. The 2011 novel ''
Ready Player One
''Ready Player One'' is a 2011 science fiction novel, and the debut novel of American author Ernest Cline. The story, set in a dystopia in 2045, follows protagonist Wade Watts on his search for an Easter egg in a worldwide virtual reality ga ...
'' by
Ernest Cline
Ernest Christy Cline (born March 29, 1972) is an American science fiction novelist, slam poet, and screenwriter. He wrote the novels ''Ready Player One'', '' Armada'', and ''Ready Player Two'' and co-wrote the screenplay for the film adaptation o ...
and the 2018 film adaptation (directed by Spielberg) both heavily refer to the film, including the central character using a DeLorean for transport. Filmmaker
J. J. Abrams
Jeffrey Jacob Abrams (born June 27, 1966) is an American filmmaker and composer. He is best known for his works in the genres of action, drama, and science fiction. Abrams wrote and produced such films as '' Regarding Henry'' (1991), '' F ...
has also cited it as an inspiration.
The 2015
crowdfunded
Crowdfunding is the practice of funding a project or venture by raising money from a large number of people, typically via the internet. Crowdfunding is a form of crowdsourcing and alternative finance. In 2015, over was raised worldwide by crow ...
documentary '' Back in Time'' follows various fans of the series and details the impact it has had on their lives, interspersed with interviews from the crew including Fox and Lloyd. The DeLorean is considered one of the most iconic vehicles in film history. DeLorean's creator
John DeLorean
John Zachary DeLorean (January 6, 1925 – March 19, 2005) was an American engineer, inventor, and executive in the U.S. automobile industry, widely known for his work at General Motors and as founder of the DeLorean Motor Company.
DeLorean mana ...
was a fan of the film and sent personal letters to Gale and Zemeckis, thanking them for using his vehicle. The DeLorean was not a popular vehicle before the film's release. However, in the years since it has become a popular collector's item, and the
DeLorean Motor Company
The DeLorean Motor Company (DMC) was an American automobile manufacturer formed by automobile industry executive John DeLorean in 1975. It is remembered for the one model it produced—the stainless steel DeLorean sports car featuring gull-win ...
issued kits enabling fans to make their vehicle look like the DeLorean time machine. Gale led a restoration of one of the original screen-used DeLoreans in 2011, documented in ''Out of Time: Saving the DeLorean Time Machine''.
Modern reception
''Back to the Future'' is considered a landmark of American cinema, and one of the greatest films ever made. In 2004, ''The New York Times'' listed it as one of the 1,000 Best Movies Ever, and the following year its screenplay was listed as the 56th greatest screenplay of the preceding 75 years by the
Writers Guild of America
The Writers Guild of America is the joint efforts of two different US labor unions representing TV and film writers:
* The Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE), headquartered in New York City and affiliated with the AFL–CIO
* The Writers Guil ...
. Throughout the rest of the 2000s, it appeared on
Film4
Film4 is a British free-to-air television network owned by Channel Four Television Corporation launched on 1 November 1998, devoted to broadcasting films. While its standard-definition channel is available on Freeview and Freesat platforms, it ...
's ''
50 Films to See Before You Die
''50 Films to See Before You Die'' was a television programme first shown on Channel 4 on Saturday 22 July 2006, to celebrate the relaunch of Film4 as a free-to-air TV channel available to digital terrestrial homes in the United Kingdom. It consist ...
'' (number10), ''
Empire
An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...
''s 500 Greatest Movies of All Time (number23), behind the 1977 space opera ''
Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
'', and the
American Film Institute
The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees.
Leade ...
listed it as the number10 best science-fiction film, based on a poll of 1,500people from the creative community. In 2010, ''
Total Film
''Total Film'' is a British film magazine published 13 times a year (published monthly and a summer issue is added every year since issue 91, 2004, which is published between July and August issue) by Future Publishing. The magazine was launched i ...
'' named it one of the 100 greatest movies ever made, and the following year it was voted by
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...
and
BBC Radio 1Xtra
BBC Radio 1Xtra is a British digital radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It broadcasts black music and urban music, including hip hop and R&B and is a sister station to Radio 1. Launching at 18:00 on 16 August 2002, it had been cod ...
listeners as their fourth favorite film of all time. It is also listed in the film reference book ''
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
''1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die'' is a film reference book edited by Steven Jay Schneider with original essays on each film contributed by over 70 film critics. It is a part of a series designed and produced by Quintessence Editions, a ...
''. A 2014 poll of 2,120 entertainment-industry members by ''The Hollywood Reporter'' ranked it as the 12th best film of all time, again behind ''Star Wars''. In 2015, the screenplay was listed as the 67th funniest on the WGA's 101 Funniest Screenplays list, and ''Rotten Tomatoes'' also listed the film at number84 on its list of 200 essential movies to watch.
Several publications have named it as one of the best science-fiction films ever made, and one of the best films of the 1980s. ''
Popular Mechanics
''Popular Mechanics'' (sometimes PM or PopMech) is a magazine of popular science and technology, featuring automotive, home, outdoor, electronics, science, do-it-yourself, and technology topics. Military topics, aviation and transportation o ...
'' and ''Rolling Stone'' listed it as the numberone and numberfour best time-travel film ever made respectively. ''Entertainment Weekly'' named it the 40th most essential film to be watched by pre-teens and the 28th best high-school movie. Marty McFly appeared at number39 on ''Empire''s 2006 list of its "100 Greatest Movie Characters"; Doc Brown followed at number76.
''Rotten Tomatoes'' assesses approval rating from the aggregated reviews of critics, with an average rating of . The site's consensus reads: "Inventive, funny, and breathlessly constructed, ''Back to the Future'' is a rousing time-travel adventure with an unforgettable spirit." Based on this score, Rotten Tomatoes also listed it as the 87th best Action and Adventure film. The film has a score of 87 out of 100 on
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
based on 15 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". In the United Kingdom, readers of ''Empire'' voted the film as 11th on their 2017 list of "The 100 Greatest Movies".
Sequels and adaptations
A sequel was not initially planned and the teaser ending of Doc, Marty, and Jennifer flying off in the DeLorean suggested their adventures would continue off screen. Universal Pictures was eager to pursue a sequel based on the significant financial and critical success of ''Back to the Future''. However, Zemeckis and Gale were reluctant to participate, believing sequels often retreaded the best elements of the original film. They were also concerned that a poor follow-up could alienate ''Back to the Future'' passionate fan base, and undermine the pair after their first major joint success. Zemeckis and Gale acquiesced by 1987, once Universal Pictures clarified they would, if necessary, make a sequel without them. The pair's sequel script was so long it was split into two films, ''
Back to the Future Part II
''Back to the Future Part II'' is a 1989 American science fiction film directed by Robert Zemeckis from a screenplay by Bob Gale and a story by both. It is the sequel to the 1985 film ''Back to the Future'' and the second installment in the ' ...
'' (1989) and ''Back to the Future Part III'' (1990); the films were shot back to back.
''PartII'' depicts Marty and Doc traveling to 2015, inadvertently enabling the now-elderly Biff Tannen to steal the DeLorean and return to 1955, rewriting history in his favor. Wells and Glover did not return for the sequels. ''PartII'' was a financial success but was criticized for its complex, convoluted narrative. Zemeckis has said it is his least favorite film in the series. The final film, ''PartIII'' follows Marty as he travels to 1885 to rescue a time-stranded Doc. While the film fared less well financially than the two earlier films, it was more critically well received than ''PartII''. A 2018 poll by ''The Hollywood Reporter'' of 2,200 people found 71% wanted a ''Back to the Future'' sequel, ahead of another ''
Toy Story
''Toy Story'' is a 1995 American computer-animated comedy film directed by John Lasseter (in his feature directorial debut), produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The first installment in the '' Toy Story ...
'' or ''
Indiana Jones
''Indiana Jones'' is an American media franchise based on the adventures of Dr. Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr., a fictional professor of archaeology, that began in 1981 with the film '' Raiders of the Lost Ark''. In 1984, a prequel, '' Th ...
'' film. Gale has said there will never be a fourth film, likening it to "selling your kids into prostitution". He added a ''Back to the Future'' film could never happen without Fox, who could not participate because of the effects of his Parkinson's disease.
An animated television series, ''
Back to the Future
''Back to the Future'' is a 1985 American science fiction film directed by Robert Zemeckis, and written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale. It stars Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover, and Thomas F. Wilson. Set in 1985, ...
'', aired on
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainmen ...
between 1991 and 1992. It follows Doc's and Marty's adventures through various historical periods, intercut with live-action segments featuring Doc (Lloyd), performing science experiments alongside
Bill Nye
William Sanford Nye (born November 27, 1955), popularly known as Bill Nye the Science Guy, is an American mechanical engineer, science communicator, and television presenter. He is best known as the host of the science television show ''Bill ...
. A short film, ''Doc Brown Saves the World'' (2015), celebrated the film's 30th anniversary. Lloyd reprised his role as Doc, who must travel to the future to prevent a nuclear holocaust in 2045. A
musical theater
Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movement ...
production, ''
Back to the Future
''Back to the Future'' is a 1985 American science fiction film directed by Robert Zemeckis, and written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale. It stars Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover, and Thomas F. Wilson. Set in 1985, ...
'', debuted in February 2020 at the
Manchester Opera House
The Opera House in Quay Street, Manchester, England, is a 1,920-seater commercial touring theatre that plays host to touring musicals, ballet, concerts and a Christmas pantomime. It is a Grade II listed building. The Opera House is one of the mai ...
, England, to positive reviews. The musical was written by Gale and Zemeckis, with music written by Silvestri and
Glen Ballard
Basil Glen Ballard Jr. (born May 1, 1953) is an American songwriter, lyricist, and record producer. He is best known for co-writing and producing Alanis Morissette's 1995 album ''Jagged Little Pill'', which won Grammy Awards for Grammy Award fo ...
. Gale described it as the best way to give fans more ''Back to the Future'' without adding to the film series. Overall, the ''
Back to the Future
''Back to the Future'' is a 1985 American science fiction film directed by Robert Zemeckis, and written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale. It stars Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover, and Thomas F. Wilson. Set in 1985, ...
'' franchise is considered one of the most successful film franchises.
References
Notes
Citations
{{Reflist, refs=
{{cite web, title=The 80 Greatest Movies Of The '80s , url=https://consequenceofsound.net/2019/07/the-80-greatest-movies-of-the-80s/full-post/c , website=
Consequence of Sound
''Consequence'' (previously ''Consequence of Sound'') is an independently owned New York-based online magazine featuring news, editorials, and reviews of music, movies, and television. In addition, the website also features the Festival Outlook ...
, date=July 2, 2019 , access-date=October 7, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201007191505/https://consequenceofsound.net/2019/07/the-80-greatest-movies-of-the-80s/full-post/c/ , archive-date= October 7, 2020 , url-status=live{{cite web, first=Leah Marilla , last=Thomas , title= These '80s Movies Are Here to Inject Some Nostalgia Into Your Movie Night , url=https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/movies/a32433081/best-80s-movies/ , website=
Cosmopolitan
Cosmopolitan may refer to:
Food and drink
* Cosmopolitan (cocktail), also known as a "Cosmo"
History
* Rootless cosmopolitan, a Soviet derogatory epithet during Joseph Stalin's anti-Semitic campaign of 1949–1953
Hotels and resorts
* Cosmopoli ...
, date=May 11, 2020 , access-date=October 7, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200722220422/https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/movies/a32433081/best-80s-movies/ , archive-date=July 22, 2020 , url-status=live{{cite web, first=Olivia , last=Blair , title=The Best 80s Movies To Give You All The Nostalgic Feels , url=https://www.elle.com/uk/life-and-culture/culture/g33215910/best-80s-movies/ , website=
Elle
''Elle'' (stylized ''ELLE'') is a worldwide women's magazine of French origin that offers a mix of fashion and beauty content, together with culture, society and lifestyle. The title means "she" or "her" in French. ''Elle'' is considered the w ...
Empire
An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...
, date= May 11, 2016 , access-date=October 7, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190706231119/https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/best-films-80s-part-2/ , archive-date=July 6, 2019 , url-status=live{{cite web, first=Emma , last=Carey , title=The Best '80s Movies To Pair With An Ice-Cold New Coke , url= https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/g33605684/best-80s-movies-of-all-time/ , website=
Esquire
Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title.
In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentlema ...
, date=September 6, 2020 , access-date=October 7, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200917155401/https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/g33605684/best-80s-movies-of-all-time/ , archive-date=September 17, 2020 , url-status=live{{cite web, first=Richard , last=Edwards , title= The 25 Best 80s Movies, From ''Back To The Future'' To ''Blade Runner'' And Beyond, url=https://www.gamesradar.com/uk/best-80s-movies/ , website=
GamesRadar+
''GamesRadar+'' (formerly ''GamesRadar'') is an entertainment website for video game-related news, previews, and reviews. It is owned by Future plc. In late 2014, Future Publishing-owned sites ''Total Film'', '' SFX'', ''Edge'' and '' Computer ...
, date=July 1, 2019 , access-date=October 7, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201007192834/https://www.gamesradar.com/uk/best-80s-movies/ , archive-date=October 7, 2020 , url-status=live{{cite web, first=Deanna , last=Janes , title= 25 Totally '80s Movies We All Need Right Now , url= https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/film-tv/g32224914/best-80s-movies/?slide=9 , website=
Harper's Bazaar
''Harper's Bazaar'' is an American monthly women's fashion magazine. It was first published in New York City on November 2, 1867, as the weekly ''Harper's Bazar''. ''Harper's Bazaar'' is published by Hearst and considers itself to be the st ...
, date=April 21, 2020 , access-date=October 7, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201007193043/https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/film-tv/g32224914/best-80s-movies/?slide=9 , archive-date=October 7, 2020 , url-status=live{{cite web , first=Alec , last=Banks , title=68 Classic '80s Movies Every Highsnobiety Reader Should See , url=https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/best-80s-movies/ , website=
Highsnobiety
Highsnobiety is a global fashion and lifestyle media brand founded in 2005 by David Fischer. It was bought by German e-commerce giant Zalando in 2022.
Highsnobiety is headquartered in Berlin and has offices in Amsterdam, London, Milan, New York ...
Marie Claire
''Marie Claire'' is a French international monthly magazine first published in France in 1937, followed by the United Kingdom in 1941. Since then various editions are published in many countries and languages. The feature editions focus on wo ...
, date=March 20, 2020 , access-date=October 7, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201007194414/https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/g5032/best-80s-movies/?slide=65 , archive-date=October 7, 2020 , url-status=live{{cite web, first=Gwynne , last=Watkins , title=The 80 Best Movies Of The '80s – From ''The Breakfast Club'' To ''The Princess Bride'' , url=https://parade.com/1047441/gwynnewatkins/best-80s-movies/ , website=
Parade
A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, float (parade), floats, or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually ce ...
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
, access-date=October 7, 2020 , archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200718133544/https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/140-essential-80s-movies/4/ , archive-date=July 18, 2020 , url-status=live{{cite web , first=Marc , last=Chacksfield , title=Best '80s Movies: The Greatest Films Of The 1980S , url=https://www.shortlist.com/lists/greatest-films-of-the-1980s-400064 , website=
ShortList
A short list or shortlist is a list of candidates for a job, prize, award, political position, etc., that has been reduced from a longer list of candidates (sometimes via intermediate lists known as "long lists"). The length of short lists varie ...
Time Out
Time-out, Time Out, or timeout may refer to:
Time
* Time-out (sport), in various sports, a break in play, called by a team
* Television timeout, a break in sporting action so that a commercial break may be taken
* Timeout (computing), an enginee ...
, date=June 11, 2020 , access-date=October 7, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200526215242/https://www.timeout.com/newyork/movies/best-80s-movies , archive-date=May 26, 2020 , url-status=live{{cite web, first=Adam , last=Rathe , title=54 Of The Best Movies From The 1980's , url=https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/arts-and-culture/g26078094/best-80s-movies/?slide=38 , website= Town & Country , date=June 12, 2020 , access-date=October 7, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201007195813/https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/arts-and-culture/g26078094/best-80s-movies/?slide=38 , archive-date=October 7, 2020 , url-status=live{{cite web, first=Charles , last=Stockdale , title=The 75 Best Movie Comedies Of The '80s , url=https://eu.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2018/04/20/75-best-movie-comedies-80-s/534907002/ , website=
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
, access-date=October 7, 2020 , archive-url=https://archive.today/20200714210405/https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2018/04/20/75-best-movie-comedies-80-s/534907002/ , archive-date=July 14, 2020 , url-status=live{{cite web , url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=55763 , title=''Back To The Future'' , website=
American Film Institute
The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees.
Leade ...
American Film Institute
The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees.
Leade ...
, access-date=January 12, 2019, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190113003857/https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/57089, archive-date=January 13, 2019, url-status=live{{cite web , first= George E., last= Turner , url=https://ascmag.com/articles/back-to-the-future-wheels-on-fire , title=''Back To The Future'': Wheels On Fire , website=
American Cinematographer
''American Cinematographer'' is a magazine published monthly by the American Society of Cinematographers. It focuses on the art and craft of cinematography, covering domestic and foreign feature productions, television productions, short films, mu ...
The A.V. Club
''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
, date= January 13, 2012 , access-date= September 13, 2020 , archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200625153304/https://film.avclub.com/crispin-glover-1798229277 , archive-date= June 25, 2020 , url-status= live {{cite web , first= Will , last= Harris , url= https://www.avclub.com/articles/lea-thompson,69639/ , title= Random Roles: Lea Thompson , website=
The A.V. Club
''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
, date= February 21, 2012 , access-date= September 10, 2020 , archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131207142131/http://www.avclub.com/article/lea-thompson-69639 , archive-date= December 7, 2013 , url-status= live {{cite web, first=Mark , last=Shaffer , title=About Schmidt , url=http://www.lcweekly.com/film/3419-about-schmidt , website=Low Country Weekly , date=February 10, 2014 , access-date=September 29, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160806111054/http://www.lcweekly.com/film/3419-about-schmidt , archive-date=August 6, 2016 , url-status=live{{cite web, title = AFI Crowns Top 10 Films In 10 Classic Genres , website=
ComingSoon.net
Mandatory (formerly CraveOnline Media) is a lifestyle website based in Los Angeles with sales offices in New York City, Chicago and San Francisco. The site is owned by media company Evolve Media, LLC. Mandatory focuses its contents into the male- ...
, date =June 17, 2008 , url = https://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=46072 , access-date=June 18, 2008 , archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080619034738/http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=46072, archive-date= June 19, 2008 , url-status = live{{cite web, last=Sims, first=David, url=https://www.avclub.com/review/dan-harmons-new-series-is-a-warped-take-on-the-doc-106087, title=Dan Harmon's New Series Is A Warped Take On The Doc Brown/Marty Mcfly Dynamic, date=December 2, 2013, website=
The A.V. Club
''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
, access-date=December 3, 2013, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203134639/http://www.avclub.com/review/dan-harmons-new-series-is-a-warped-take-on-the-doc-106087, archive-date=December 3, 2013, url-status=live{{cite web , url = http://awards.bafta.org/award/1986/film , title = Film In 1986 , website=
British Academy of Film and Television Arts
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
, access-date = September 20, 2020, archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200817120033/http://awards.bafta.org/award/1986/film , archive-date = August 17, 2020 , url-status = live {{cite web , title=''Back to the Future'' (1985) , url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2000/10/05/back_to_the_future_1985_review.shtml , website=
BBC Online
BBC Online, formerly known as BBCi, is the BBC's online service. It is a large network of websites including such high-profile sites as BBC News and BBC Sport, Sport, the on-demand video and radio services branded BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds, t ...
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...
, date=March 10, 2011 , access-date=November 27, 2017 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110424023704/http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/radio1movies/ , archive-date=April 24, 2011 , url-status=live {{cite web , url=https://bbfc.co.uk/releases/back-future-4 , title=''Back to the Future'' (PG) , website=
British Board of Film Classification
The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC, previously the British Board of Film Censors) is a non-governmental organisation founded by the British film industry in 1912 and responsible for the national classification and censorship of f ...
, date=July 8, 1985 , access-date=June 21, 2015 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150622131746/http://bbfc.co.uk/releases/back-future-4 , archive-date=June 22, 2015 , url-status=live {{cite web , title= Top 100 Action & Adventure Movies , url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/top/bestofrt/top_100_action__adventure_movies/ , website=
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
, access-date=October 5, 2020 , archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200807023950/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/top/bestofrt/top_100_action__adventure_movies/, archive-date=August 7, 2020 , url-status=live{{cite web , title=The 55 Essential Movies Your Child Must See (Before Turning 13) , url=https://ew.com/article/2014/06/23/55-essential-movies-your-child-must-see-before-they-turn-13/ , website=
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
, date=June 23, 2014 , access-date=October 5, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200212152917/https://ew.com/article/2014/06/23/55-essential-movies-your-child-must-see-before-they-turn-13/ , archive-date=February 12, 2020 , url-status=live{{cite web , first=Hillary , last=Busis , title=All Your ''Back To The Future'' Questions Answered , url=https://ew.com/article/2012/05/11/back-to-the-future-postcard/ , website=
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
, date=August 3, 2020 , access-date=October 6, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200619195834/https://ew.com/article/2012/05/11/back-to-the-future-postcard/, archive-date= June 19, 2020, url-status=live{{cite web, first=Gavin , last=Edwards , title=Future Tense: The 20 Best Time-Travel Movies , url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-lists/best-time-travel-movies-14354/back-to-the-future-1985-57733/ , website=
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
Popular Mechanics
''Popular Mechanics'' (sometimes PM or PopMech) is a magazine of popular science and technology, featuring automotive, home, outdoor, electronics, science, do-it-yourself, and technology topics. Military topics, aviation and transportation o ...
, date= November 19, 2019, access-date=October 5, 2020 , archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20201005170623/https://www.popularmechanics.com/culture/movies/g3086/best-time-travel-movies/?slide=30, archive-date= October 5, 2020, url-status=live{{cite web, first=John , last=Lynch , title=The 100 Best Science Fiction Movies Of All Time, According To Critics , url=https://www.businessinsider.com/best-science-fiction-movies-all-time-critics-reviews-2018-8?r=US&IR=T#20-back-to-the-future-1985-81 , website=
Business Insider
''Insider'', previously named ''Business Insider'' (''BI''), is an American financial and business news website founded in 2007. Since 2015, a majority stake in ''Business Insider''s parent company Insider Inc. has been owned by the German publ ...
Empire
An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...
, date=May 27, 2020 , access-date=October 1, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727062650/https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/empire-movies-features-best-sci-fi-movies/ , archive-date=July 27, 2020 , url-status=live{{cite web, first1= Will , last1=Hersey , first2=Tom , last2=Nicholson , title=The 23 Best Sci-Fi Movies Of All Time , url=https://www.esquire.com/uk/culture/film/a32643057/best-sci-fi-movies/ , website=
Esquire
Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title.
In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentlema ...
, date=September 23, 2020 , access-date=October 1, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200830173045/https://www.esquire.com/uk/culture/film/a32643057/best-sci-fi-movies/ , archive-date=August 30, 2020 , url-status=live{{cite web, first=Jack , last=Shepherd , title=The 30 Best Sci-fi Movies Of All Time , url=https://www.gamesradar.com/uk/best-sci-fi-movies/ , website=
GamesRadar+
''GamesRadar+'' (formerly ''GamesRadar'') is an entertainment website for video game-related news, previews, and reviews. It is owned by Future plc. In late 2014, Future Publishing-owned sites ''Total Film'', '' SFX'', ''Edge'' and '' Computer ...
, date=2020 , access-date=October 1, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200925055733/https://www.gamesradar.com/uk/best-sci-fi-movies/ , archive-date=September 25, 2020 , url-status=live{{cite web , title=The Best Sci-fi And Fantasy Films: In Pictures , url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/gallery/2010/oct/21/25-science-fiction-fantasy , website=
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
, access-date=October 1, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200411030122/https://www.ign.com/lists/best-science-fiction-movies/17 , archive-date=April 11, 2020 , url-status=live{{cite web, first=Michael , last=Burgin , title=The 100 Best Sci-Fi Movies of All Time , url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/sci-fi-movies/the-100-best-sci-fi-movies-of-all-time/#14-back-to-the-future , website= Paste , date=November 13, 2018 , access-date=October 1, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200430193727/https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/sci-fi-movies/the-100-best-sci-fi-movies-of-all-time/ , archive-date=April 30, 2020 , url-status=live{{cite web , title=150 Essential Sci-Fi Movies To Watch Now , url=https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/best-sci-fi-movies-of-all-time/ , website=
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
, access-date=October 1, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200926195854/https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/best-sci-fi-movies-of-all-time/ , archive-date=September 26, 2020 , url-status=live{{cite web , title=The Top 10 Science Fiction Films Of All Time , url=https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/the-top-10-science-fiction-films-of-all-time , website=
SyFy
Syfy (formerly Sci-Fi Channel, later shortened to Sci Fi; stylized as SYFY) is an American basic cable channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. Lau ...
, access-date=October 1, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200815192438/https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/the-top-10-science-fiction-films-of-all-time , archive-date=August 15, 2020 , url-status=live{{cite web, first=Russ , last=Fischer , title=The 50 Greatest Sci-Fi Films Of All Time , url=https://www.thrillist.com/entertainment/nation/best-sci-fi-movies-of-all-time-ranked , website=
Thrillist
Thrillist is an online media website covering food, drink, travel and entertainment. The company was founded in 2004 and is based in New York City, United States. In October 2016, Thrillist merged with internet brands '' The Dodo'', NowThis News ...
Time Out
Time-out, Time Out, or timeout may refer to:
Time
* Time-out (sport), in various sports, a break in play, called by a team
* Television timeout, a break in sporting action so that a commercial break may be taken
* Timeout (computing), an enginee ...
, date=February 20, 2020 , access-date=October 1, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728100848/https://www.timeout.com/london/film/the-100-best-sci-fi-movies , archive-date= July 28, 2020 , url-status=live{{cite web , title=The Best Sci-fi Movies Everyone Should Watch Once , url=https://www.wired.co.uk/article/best-sci-fi-movies-of-all-time , website=
Wired
''Wired'' (stylized as ''WIRED'') is a monthly American magazine, published in print and online editions, that focuses on how emerging technologies affect culture, the economy, and politics. Owned by Condé Nast, it is headquartered in San Fra ...
, date=September 4, 2020 , access-date=September 29, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200402185041/https://www.wired.co.uk/article/best-sci-fi-movies-of-all-time , archive-date=April 2, 2020 , url-status=live{{cite web , first= Scott , last=Holleran , title = Brain Storm: An Interview With Bob Gale , url = https://www.boxofficemojo.com/features/?id=1258&pagenum=all&p=.htm , website =
Box Office Mojo
Box Office Mojo is an American website that tracks box-office revenue in a systematic, algorithmic way. The site was founded in 1998 by Brandon Gray, and was bought in 2008 by IMDb, which itself is owned by Amazon.
History
Brandon Gray began ...
, date = November 18, 2003 , access-date = September 8, 2020 , archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081206113659/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/features/?id=1258&pagenum=all&p=.htm , archive-date = December 6, 2008 , url-status = dead {{cite web, access-date=May 31, 2016, url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=backtothefuture.htm&adjust_yr=1&p=.htm, title=''Back To The Future'' (1985), website=
Box Office Mojo
Box Office Mojo is an American website that tracks box-office revenue in a systematic, algorithmic way. The site was founded in 1998 by Brandon Gray, and was bought in 2008 by IMDb, which itself is owned by Amazon.
History
Brandon Gray began ...
, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160804220000/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=backtothefuture.htm&adjust_yr=1&p=.htm, archive-date=August 4, 2016, url-status=dead{{cite web, title=''Back to the Future'' , url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl2974385665/?ref_=bo_we_table_1 , website=
Box Office Mojo
Box Office Mojo is an American website that tracks box-office revenue in a systematic, algorithmic way. The site was founded in 1998 by Brandon Gray, and was bought in 2008 by IMDb, which itself is owned by Amazon.
History
Brandon Gray began ...
Box Office Mojo
Box Office Mojo is an American website that tracks box-office revenue in a systematic, algorithmic way. The site was founded in 1998 by Brandon Gray, and was bought in 2008 by IMDb, which itself is owned by Amazon.
History
Brandon Gray began ...
, access-date=September 29, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803090741/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/year/1985/ , archive-date=August 3, 2020 , url-status=live{{cite web, title= Back to the Future – Domestic Weekend , url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl2974385665/weekend/?ref_=bo_rl_tab#tabs , website=
Box Office Mojo
Box Office Mojo is an American website that tracks box-office revenue in a systematic, algorithmic way. The site was founded in 1998 by Brandon Gray, and was bought in 2008 by IMDb, which itself is owned by Amazon.
History
Brandon Gray began ...
Box Office Mojo
Box Office Mojo is an American website that tracks box-office revenue in a systematic, algorithmic way. The site was founded in 1998 by Brandon Gray, and was bought in 2008 by IMDb, which itself is owned by Amazon.
History
Brandon Gray began ...
Box Office Mojo
Box Office Mojo is an American website that tracks box-office revenue in a systematic, algorithmic way. The site was founded in 1998 by Brandon Gray, and was bought in 2008 by IMDb, which itself is owned by Amazon.
History
Brandon Gray began ...
Box Office Mojo
Box Office Mojo is an American website that tracks box-office revenue in a systematic, algorithmic way. The site was founded in 1998 by Brandon Gray, and was bought in 2008 by IMDb, which itself is owned by Amazon.
History
Brandon Gray began ...
Box Office Mojo
Box Office Mojo is an American website that tracks box-office revenue in a systematic, algorithmic way. The site was founded in 1998 by Brandon Gray, and was bought in 2008 by IMDb, which itself is owned by Amazon.
History
Brandon Gray began ...
, access-date=September 29, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200929135731/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/1985W29/?ref_=bo_rl_table_3 , archive-date= September 29, 2020 , url-status=live{{cite web , title=''Back To The Future'' , url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl2974385665/?ref_=bo_gr_rls , website=
Box Office Mojo
Box Office Mojo is an American website that tracks box-office revenue in a systematic, algorithmic way. The site was founded in 1998 by Brandon Gray, and was bought in 2008 by IMDb, which itself is owned by Amazon.
History
Brandon Gray began ...
, access-date=September 29, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200929135838/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl2974385665/?ref_=bo_gr_rls , archive-date= September 29, 2020 , url-status=live{{cite web , title=Interview: Special Effects Consultant Michael Fink , url=https://www.backtothefuture.com/news/2018/12/27/an-interview-with-back-to-the-future-special-effects-consultant-michael-fink , website=BacktotheFuture.com , access-date=September 20, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807035434/https://www.backtothefuture.com/news/2018/12/27/an-interview-with-back-to-the-future-special-effects-consultant-michael-fink , archive-date=August 7, 2020 , url-status=live {{cite web , first=Tom , last=Silknitter , title=Restored ''Back To The Future'' Hero Delorean Time Machine Now On Display At Universal Studios , url=http://www.bttf.com/restored-a-car-.php , website=BacktotheFuture.com , date=February 18, 2013 , access-date=September 29, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130815165841/http://www.bttf.com/restored-a-car-.php, archive-date=August 15, 2013 , url-status=dead{{cite web , title=Music From The Motion Picture Soundtrack , url=https://www.backtothefuture.com/movies/music-from-the-motion-picture-soundtrack , website=BacktotheFuture.com , access-date=September 29, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200914200607/https://www.backtothefuture.com/movies/music-from-the-motion-picture-soundtrack , archive-date=September 14, 2020 , url-status=live {{cite web , first=Brian , last=Cronin , title=Did Tony Hawk Choreograph The Skateboarding In ''Back To The Future''? , url=https://www.cbr.com/back-to-the-future-tony-hawk-skateboarding/, website=
Comic Book Resources
''Comic Book Resources'', also known by the initialism CBR, is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book–related news and discussion.
History
Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1995 as a development of the Kingdom Co ...
, date=February 9, 2019 , access-date=September 30, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191021112233/https://www.cbr.com/back-to-the-future-tony-hawk-skateboarding/ , archive-date=October 21, 2019 , url-status=live{{cite web , title=''Back To The Future'' , url=http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/43913/Back-to-the-Future/ , website=ComputingHistory.org.uk , access-date=September 30, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200113170722/http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/43913/Back-to-the-Future/ , archive-date=January 13, 2020 , url-status=live{{cite web , url = https://collider.com/back-to-the-future-original-ending-bob-gale/ , title = How the Original ''Back To The Future'' Ending Inspired ''Indiana Jones 4'' , first = Adam , last = Chitwood , date= October 19, 2020 , access-date = October 19, 2020 , website=
Collider
A collider is a type of particle accelerator which brings two opposing particle beams together such that the particles collide. Colliders may either be ring accelerators or linear accelerators.
Colliders are used as a research tool in particle ...
, archive-date = October 20, 2020 , archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201020202056/https://collider.com/back-to-the-future-original-ending-bob-gale/ , url-status = live {{cite web , first=Germain , last=Lussier , url=https://io9.gizmodo.com/jon-cryer-and-ben-stiller-auditioned-for-a-very-differe-1844544821 , title=Jon Cryer And Ben Stiller Auditioned For A Very Different ''Back To The Future'' , website=
io9
''io9'' is part of Gizmodo media since 2015, and it began as blog launched in 2008 by Gawker Media. The site initially focused on the subjects of science fiction, fantasy, futurism, science, technology and related areas but over the years has ...
, date=July 29, 2020 , access-date= September 30, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803101144/https://io9.gizmodo.com/jon-cryer-and-ben-stiller-auditioned-for-a-very-differe-1844544821 , archive-date=August 3, 2020 , url-status= live {{cite web, first=Henry , last=Hanks, title=Going ''Back To The Future'', 25 Years Later, url=http://edition.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/Movies/10/20/bttf.anniversary.go/index.html, website=
CNN
CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by the M ...
, date=October 26, 2010 , access-date=September 30, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222230003/http://edition.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/Movies/10/20/bttf.anniversary.go/index.html, archive-date=February 22, 2014, url-status=live{{cite web, last=Rudolph , first=Christopher , title=The Surprising History Of The ''Back To The Future'' Clock Tower , url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/12/back-to-the-future-clock-tower_n_4242145.html , website=
The Huffington Post
''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...
, date=November 12, 2013, access-date=September 16, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131112160308/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/12/back-to-the-future-clock-tower_n_4242145.html , archive-date=November 12, 2013 , url-status=live {{cite web, title=President Ronald Reagan's Address Before A Joint Session Of Congress On The State Of The Union , url=http://www.c-span.org/executive/transcript.asp?cat=current_event&code=bush_admin&year=1986 , website=
C-SPAN
Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network (C-SPAN ) is an American cable and satellite television network that was created in 1979 by the cable television industry as a nonprofit public service. It televises many proceedings of the United States ...
Curbed
''Curbed'' is an American real estate and urban design website founded as a blog by Lockhart Steele in 2006. The full website, founded in 2010, featured sub-pages dedicated to specific real estate markets and metropolitan areas across the Unit ...
, date=March 31, 2020 , access-date=September 16, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200617223117/https://la.curbed.com/maps/back-to-the-future-filming-locations , archive-date=June 17, 2020, url-status=live {{cite web, last=Fleming , first=Mike , title=Blast From The Past On ''Back To The Future'': How Frank Price Rescued Robert Zemeckis' Classic From Obscurity , url=https://deadline.com/2015/10/back-to-the-future-frank-price-rescued-robert-zemeckis-classic-1201590119/ , date=October 21, 2015, access-date=October 22, 2015 , website=
Deadline Hollywood
''Deadline Hollywood'', commonly known as ''Deadline'' and also referred to as ''Deadline.com'', is an online news site founded as the news blog ''Deadline Hollywood Daily'' by Nikki Finke in 2006. The site is updated several times a day, with ...
, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151022204947/http://deadline.com/2015/10/back-to-the-future-frank-price-rescued-robert-zemeckis-classic-1201590119/ , archive-date=October 22, 2015 , url-status=live {{cite web, last=Anderton , first=Joe , title=''Back To The Future'' Writer Responds To Marty Mcfly Fan Theory, url=https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a33213136/back-to-the-future-marty-mcfly-fan-theory/ , website=
Digital Spy
Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television programmes, ...
, date=June 7, 2020, access-date=September 17, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200821031751/https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a33213136/back-to-the-future-marty-mcfly-fan-theory/, archive-date=August 21, 2020 , url-status=live{{cite web, first=Chris , last=Edwards , title=''Back To The Future''{{'s New Board Game Will Let You Battle Biff Just Like Marty Mcfly, url=https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a32783719/back-to-the-future-new-board-game/ , website=
Digital Spy
Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television programmes, ...
, date=June 21, 2020 , access-date=September 30, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200715112701/https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a32783719/back-to-the-future-new-board-game/ , archive-date=July 15, 2020 , url-status=live{{cite web , first=Aaron , last=Birch , title=The ''Back To The Future'' Game You've Probably Never Played , url=https://www.denofgeek.com/games/the-back-to-the-future-game-youve-probably-never-played/ , website=
Den of Geek
''Den of Geek'' is a US and UK-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture
Pop or POP may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Music
* Pop music, a musical genre Artists
* POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gan ...
, date=July 30, 2015 , access-date=September 30, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200930161736/https://www.denofgeek.com/games/the-back-to-the-future-game-youve-probably-never-played/ , archive-date=September 30, 2020 , url-status=live {{cite web , first=Simon , last=Brew , title=Giving ''Back To The Future Part II'' Its Due , url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/giving-back-to-the-future-part-ii-its-due/ , website=
Den of Geek
''Den of Geek'' is a US and UK-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture
Pop or POP may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Music
* Pop music, a musical genre Artists
* POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gan ...
, date=October 21, 2015 , access-date=September 30, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200805165722/https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/giving-back-to-the-future-part-ii-its-due/ , archive-date=August 5, 2020 , url-status=live {{cite web , first=Seb , last=Patrick , title=''Back To The Future'': 88 Things You Missed In The Trilogy , url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/back-to-the-future-trilogy-things-you-missed/ , website=
Den of Geek
''Den of Geek'' is a US and UK-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture
Pop or POP may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Music
* Pop music, a musical genre Artists
* POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gan ...
, date=November 22, 2019 , access-date=September 30, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200704233320/https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/back-to-the-future-trilogy-things-you-missed/ , archive-date=July 4, 2020 , url-status=live {{cite web , first=Simon , last=Brew , title=Looking Back At ''Back To The Future Part III'' , url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/looking-back-at-back-to-the-future-part-iii/ , website=
Den of Geek
''Den of Geek'' is a US and UK-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture
Pop or POP may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Music
* Pop music, a musical genre Artists
* POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gan ...
, date=October 20, 2010 , access-date=September 30, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200705004242/https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/looking-back-at-back-to-the-future-part-iii/ , archive-date=July 5, 2020 , url-status=live {{cite web , first=David , last=McComb , url=https://www.empireonline.com/gaming/reviews/back-future-game-review/ , title=''Back to the Future'': The Game Review , website=
Empire
An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...
, date=May 15, 2012 , access-date=October 6, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201006150219/https://www.empireonline.com/gaming/reviews/back-future-game-review/ , archive-date=October 6, 2020 , url-status=live {{cite web , title=The 500 Greatest Movies Of All Time , date=October 3, 2008 , website=
Empire
An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...
, url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/500-greatest-movies/ , access-date=May 2, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161106021352/https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/500-greatest-movies/ , archive-date=November 6, 2016 , url-status=live{{cite web , first=Ben , last=Travis , url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/back-to-the-future-michael-j-fox-interview-johnny-b-goode-scene/ , title=''Back To The Future'': Michael J. Fox On Shooting The Iconic Johnny B. Goode Scene , website=
Empire
An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...
, date=July 9, 2020 , access-date=September 30, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200929151803/https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/back-to-the-future-michael-j-fox-interview-johnny-b-goode-scene/ , archive-date=September 29, 2020 , url-status=live {{cite web , first=James , last=White , url=https://www.empireonline.com/shopping/movies/best-back-to-the-future-merchandise/ , title=The Best ''Back To The Future'' Merchandise , website=
Empire
An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...
Empire
An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...
Empire
An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...
, access-date=June 17, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111107044931/http://www.empireonline.com/100-greatest-movie-characters/default.asp?c=39 , archive-date=November 7, 2011 , url-status=dead{{cite web, url=http://www.empireonline.com/100-greatest-movie-characters/default.asp?c=76, title=The 100 Greatest Movie Characters – 76. Dr. Emmett Brown , website=
Empire
An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...
, access-date=June 17, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111107045143/http://www.empireonline.com/100-greatest-movie-characters/default.asp?c=76 , archive-date=November 7, 2011 , url-status=dead{{cite web, last=Koknow, first=David, title=How ''Back To The Future'' Almost Didn't Get Made, url=http://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/a35559/back-to-the-future-production/, website=
Esquire
Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title.
In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentlema ...
, date=June 9, 2015 , access-date=July 14, 2016, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160726055320/http://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/a35559/back-to-the-future-production/, archive-date=July 26, 2016, url-status=live{{cite web, first=Jonathon , last=Dornbush , title=Rocket League Adds ''Back To The Future'' DeLorean , url=https://ew.com/article/2015/10/12/back-to-the-future-delorean-rocket-league/ , website=
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
, date=October 12, 2015 , access-date=October 6, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200619201935/https://ew.com/article/2015/10/12/back-to-the-future-delorean-rocket-league/ , archive-date=June 19, 2020 , url-status=live{{cite web, first=Amber , last=Ray , title=See Doc Brown's Cameo In ''A Million Ways to Die in the West'' , url= https://ew.com/article/2014/05/24/doc-brown-a-million-ways-to-die-in-the-west-trailer-video/ , website=
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
, date=May 24, 2014 , access-date=October 6, 2020 , archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200603100813/https://ew.com/article/2014/05/24/doc-brown-a-million-ways-to-die-in-the-west-trailer-video/ , archive-date=June 3, 2020 , url-status=live{{cite web, first=Maureen Lee , last=Lenker , title=''Back To The Future'' Cast To Reunite For 35Th Anniversary At Tcm Classic Film Festival , url=https://ew.com/movies/2019/12/11/back-to-the-future-reunion-35th-anniversary-tcm-classic-film-festival/ , website=
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
, date=December 11, 2019 , access-date=October 6, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201003173845/https://ew.com/movies/2019/12/11/back-to-the-future-reunion-35th-anniversary-tcm-classic-film-festival/ , archive-date=October 3, 2020 , url-status=live{{cite web, first=Oliver , last=Gettell , title=''Back to the Future'': Michael J. Fox On Film's Timeless Nature , url=https://ew.com/article/2016/10/20/michael-j-fox-back-future-timeless-nature/ , website=
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
, date=December 24, 2016 , access-date=October 6, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200619202839/https://ew.com/article/2016/10/20/michael-j-fox-back-future-timeless-nature/ , archive-date=June 19, 2020 , url-status=live{{cite web, first=Lauren , last=Huff , title= Great Scott! Michael J. Fox And Christopher Lloyd Have A ''Back To The Future'' Reunion , url=https://ew.com/movies/michael-j-fox-christopher-lloyd-back-to-the-future-reunion-poker-night/ , website=
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
, date=March 5, 2020 , access-date=October 6, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200619202203/https://ew.com/movies/michael-j-fox-christopher-lloyd-back-to-the-future-reunion-poker-night/ , archive-date=June 19, 2020 , url-status=live{{cite web, first=Rosy , last=Cordero , title=Great Scott! Watch ''Back To The Future'' Cast Have Virtual Reunion Hosted By Josh Gad , url=https://ew.com/movies/back-to-the-future-cast-reunion/ , website=
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
, date=May 11, 2020 , access-date=October 6, 2020 , archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200619213543/https://ew.com/movies/back-to-the-future-cast-reunion/ , archive-date= June 19, 2020 , url-status=live{{cite web, first=Marla , last=Pasquini , title=''Back To The Future'' Stars Reunite At Fan Convention: 'This Was Special' , url=https://ew.com/movies/2018/08/12/back-to-the-future-stars-reunite-fan-convention/ , website=
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
, date=August 12, 2018 , access-date=October 6, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200619194646/https://ew.com/movies/2018/08/12/back-to-the-future-stars-reunite-fan-convention/ , archive-date=June 19, 2020 , url-status=live{{cite web, first=Evan , last=Slead , title=''Back To The Future'': Michael J. Fox, Lea Thompson Talk About The Iconic Delorean , url=https://ew.com/article/2016/10/20/michael-j-fox-lea-thompson-back-future-delorean-ew-reunites/ , website=
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
, date=October 20, 2016 , access-date=October 6, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200619203036/https://ew.com/article/2016/10/20/michael-j-fox-lea-thompson-back-future-delorean-ew-reunites/ , archive-date=June 19, 2020 , url-status=live{{cite web, first=Oliver , last=Gettell , title= ''Back To The Future'' Day: 27 Million Facebook Users Went On A Nostalgia Trip, url=https://ew.com/article/2015/10/22/back-future-day-facebook/ , website=
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
, date=October 22, 2015 , access-date=October 6, 2020 , archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200619201632/https://ew.com/article/2015/10/22/back-future-day-facebook/ , archive-date=June 19, 2020 , url-status=live{{cite web, first=Jonathon , last=Dornbush , title=Doc Brown Saves The World ''Back To The Future'' Teaser , url=https://ew.com/article/2015/09/29/doc-brown-saves-world-back-future-teaser/ , website=
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
, date=September 29, 2015 , access-date=October 6, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200619202247/https://ew.com/article/2015/09/29/doc-brown-saves-world-back-future-teaser/ , archive-date= June 19, 2020 , url-status=live{{cite web, first=Isabella , last=Bledenharn , title=''Back To The Future'' Anniversary: What Critics Thought 30 Years Ago , url=https://ew.com/article/2015/07/02/back-to-the-future-anniversary-reviews/ , website=
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
, date=July 2, 2015 , access-date=October 6, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200619202515/https://ew.com/article/2015/07/02/back-to-the-future-anniversary-reviews/ , archive-date=June 19, 2020 , url-status=live{{cite web, title=50 Best High School Movies , url=https://ew.com/gallery/50-best-high-school-movies-0/?slide=383508#383508 , website=
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
, date=August 28, 2015 , access-date=September 22, 2020 , archive-url=https://archive.today/20200922173647/https://ew.com/gallery/50-best-high-school-movies-0/?slide=383487%23383487 , archive-date=September 22, 2020 , url-status=live{{cite web , title= Film4's 50 Films To See Before You Die , url= http://www.channel4.com/film/reviews/feature.jsp?id=161521&page=4#comments , website=
Film4
Film4 is a British free-to-air television network owned by Channel Four Television Corporation launched on 1 November 1998, devoted to broadcasting films. While its standard-definition channel is available on Freeview and Freesat platforms, it ...
, date=August 28, 2015, access-date=February 10, 2009, archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090215041733/http://www.channel4.com/film/reviews/feature.jsp?id=161521&page=5 , archive-date= February 15, 2009 , url-status = live{{cite web , first=Christian , last=Clemmensen , url=https://www.filmtracks.com/titles/back_future.html , title=''Back To The Future'' , website=
Filmtracks.com
Filmtracks.com is a modern film score review website created and maintained by its sole reviewer, Christian Clemmensen. Since the launch of Filmtracks in 1996, the website has reviewed nearly two-thousand soundtracks dating as far back as 1954, t ...
Fangoria
''Fangoria'' is an internationally distributed American horror film fan magazine, in publication since 1979. It is published four times a year by Fangoria Publishing, LLC and is edited by Phil Nobile Jr.
The magazine was originally released i ...
, date=June 13, 2011 , access-date=September 10, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130619213401/http://fangoria.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4772:jill-schoelens-spielberg-memories&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=167 , archive-date=June 19, 2013 , url-status=dead {{cite web , first=Ian, last=Failes , title=The Future Is Today: How ILM Made Time Travel Possible , url=https://www.fxguide.com/featured/the-future-is-today-how-ilm-made-time-travel-possible-frame-by-frame/ , website=
Fxguide
Fxguide, trademarked as fxguide, is a visual effects and post-production community website founded by three visual effects artists, Jeff Heusser, John Montgomery, and Mike Seymour.
History
Fxguide began in 1999 as a website to expand on tips, tri ...
, date=October 21, 2015 , access-date=June 12, 2016 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160701211801/https://www.fxguide.com/featured/the-future-is-today-how-ilm-made-time-travel-possible-frame-by-frame/ , archive-date=July 1, 2016 , url-status=live {{cite web , first=Robert , last=Workman , title=The Bumpy History Of ''Back To The Future'' Video Games , url=https://nerdist.com/article/up-to-88-mph-the-bumpy-history-of-back-to-the-future-video-games/ , website=
Nerdist
Nerdist Industries, LLC is part of the digital division of Legendary Entertainment. Nerdist Industries was founded as a sole podcast (The Nerdist Podcast) created by Chris Hardwick but later spread to include a network of podcasts, a premium conte ...
Hollywood Foreign Press Association
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) is a nonprofit organization of journalists and photographers who report on the Cinema of the United States, entertainment industry activity and interests in the United States for media (newspaper, ...
, access-date =September 20, 2020 , archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20081206041829/http://www.goldenglobes.org/browse/film/23660, archive-date= December 6, 2008 , url-status = live{{cite web , url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/Back-Future-George-Gipe/dp/0552127744 , title=''Back to the Future'' Paperback – 15 Nov. 1985 , website=
Amazon
Amazon most often refers to:
* Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology
* Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin
* Amazon River, in South America
* Amazon (company), an American multinational technology c ...
, access-date= September 29, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160315215209/https://www.amazon.co.uk/Back-Future-George-Gipe/dp/0552127744 , archive-date=March 15, 2016 , url-status= live {{cite web , first=Charlie Jane , last=Anders , url=https://io9.gizmodo.com/10-incredible-secrets-about-the-making-of-back-to-the-f-1711997750 , title=11 Incredible Secrets About The Making Of ''Back To The Future'' , website=
io9
''io9'' is part of Gizmodo media since 2015, and it began as blog launched in 2008 by Gawker Media. The site initially focused on the subjects of science fiction, fantasy, futurism, science, technology and related areas but over the years has ...
, date= June 17, 2015 , access-date= September 15, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200229231657/https://io9.gizmodo.com/10-incredible-secrets-about-the-making-of-back-to-the-f-1711997750 , archive-date=February 29, 2020 , url-status= live {{cite web , first1=Samuel , last1=Roberts , first2=Tom , last2=Senior , url=https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/flying-cars-are-rad-as-hell-in-gta-onlines-doomsday-heist/ , title=Flying Cars Are Rad As Hell In GTA Online's Doomsday Heist , website=
PC Gamer
''PC Gamer'' is a magazine and website founded in the United Kingdom in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future plc. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games ma ...
, date=December 21, 2017 , access-date=October 6, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201006221357/https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/flying-cars-are-rad-as-hell-in-gta-onlines-doomsday-heist/ , archive-date=October 6, 2020 , url-status= live {{cite web , first=Brian , last=Cronin , title=Did ''Back To The Future'' Originally Not End With 'To Be Continued'? , url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/did-back-to-the-future-or_b_8344288 , website=
HuffPost
''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...
, date=October 21, 2015 , access-date=September 30, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424114654/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/did-back-to-the-future-or_b_8344288 , archive-date=April 24, 2020 , url-status=live {{cite web , first=Richard , last=Lawler , title=''Back To The Future''{{'s 25th Anniversary Celebrated By A Blu-ray Box Set October 26 , url=https://www.engadget.com/2010-06-28-back-to-the-futures-25th-anniversary-celebrated-by-a-blu-ray-bo.html , website=
Engadget
''Engadget'' ( ) is a multilingual technology blog network with daily coverage of gadgets and consumer electronics. ''Engadget'' manages ten blogs four of which are written in English and six have international versions with independent editori ...
, date=June 28, 2010 , access-date=September 30, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201008130351/https://www.engadget.com/2010-06-28-back-to-the-futures-25th-anniversary-celebrated-by-a-blu-ray-bo.html , archive-date=October 8, 2020 , url-status=dead{{cite web, first=Jeremy , last=Conrad , title=''Back To The Future'' Trilogy DVD Box Set Review , url= https://www.ign.com/articles/2002/12/19/back-to-the-future-trilogy, website=
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
, date= April 25, 2020 , access-date=September 30, 2020 , archive-url=https://archive.today/20200930180817/https://www.ign.com/articles/2002/12/19/back-to-the-future-trilogy , archive-date=September 30, 2020 , url-status=live{{cite web , url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/back-to-the-future-25-years-later-2092687.html , title=''Back To The Future'' 25 Years Later, website=
The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
, date=September 29, 2010 , access-date=September 30, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200410005032/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/back-to-the-future-25-years-later-2092687.html , archive-date=April 10, 2020 , url-status=dead {{cite web , url = http://www.thehugoawards.org/?page_id=34 , title = 1986 Hugo Awards , website=
World Science Fiction Society
Worldcon, or more formally the World Science Fiction Convention, the annual convention of the World Science Fiction Society (WSFS), is a science fiction convention. It has been held each year since 1939 (except for the years 1942 to 1945, during ...
, access-date = September 30, 2020, archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080928150653/http://www.thehugoawards.org/?page_id=34, archive-date= September 28, 2008 , url-status = live{{cite web , first=Matt , last=Goldberg , url=https://collider.com/back-to-the-future-trilogy-4k-release-date-details-bonus-features/ , title=''Back To The Future'' Trilogy Coming To 4K With New Bonus Features , website=
Collider
A collider is a type of particle accelerator which brings two opposing particle beams together such that the particles collide. Colliders may either be ring accelerators or linear accelerators.
Colliders are used as a research tool in particle ...
, date=July 27, 2020 , access-date=September 30, 2020 , archive-url=https://archive.today/20200930164401/https://collider.com/back-to-the-future-trilogy-4k-release-date-details-bonus-features/ , archive-date=September 30, 2020 , url-status=live {{cite web, first=Ana Maria , last=Bahiana , title=An Oral History Of ''Back To The Future'', By Robert Zemeckis, url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/exclusives/oral-history-back-future-robert-zemeckis-31870 , website=
Hollywood Foreign Press Association
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) is a nonprofit organization of journalists and photographers who report on the Cinema of the United States, entertainment industry activity and interests in the United States for media (newspaper, ...
, date=October 21, 2015 , access-date=September 1, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190624203603/https://www.goldenglobes.com/exclusives/oral-history-back-future-robert-zemeckis-31870 , archive-date=June 24, 2019 , url-status=live{{cite web , last=Banks , first=Alec , title=Why Crispin Glover Refused To Do the ''Back to the Future'' Sequels , url=https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/back-to-the-future-crispin-glover/ , date=October 22, 2015 , website=
Highsnobiety
Highsnobiety is a global fashion and lifestyle media brand founded in 2005 by David Fischer. It was bought by German e-commerce giant Zalando in 2022.
Highsnobiety is headquartered in Berlin and has offices in Amsterdam, London, Milan, New York ...
, access-date=September 13, 2020 , archive-url=https://archive.today/20200913213436/https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/back-to-the-future-crispin-glover/ , archive-date=September 13, 2020 , url-status=live {{cite web , first=Charlie Jane , last=Anders , url=https://io9.gizmodo.com/is-the-novelization-of-back-to-the-future-a-literary-ma-5894664 , title=Is The Novelization Of ''Back To The Future'' A Literary Masterpiece? Shockingly, No. , website=
io9
''io9'' is part of Gizmodo media since 2015, and it began as blog launched in 2008 by Gawker Media. The site initially focused on the subjects of science fiction, fantasy, futurism, science, technology and related areas but over the years has ...
, date= June 17, 2015 , access-date= September 29, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200929162115/https://io9.gizmodo.com/is-the-novelization-of-back-to-the-future-a-literary-ma-5894664 , archive-date=September 29, 2020 , url-status= live {{cite web , first=Jacob , last=Stolworthy, url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/matthew-modine-interview-wrong-turn-stranger-things-b1804216.html , title=Matthew Modine: 'America Has Never Dealt Honestly With What Its History Is' , website=
The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
, date= February 21, 2021 , access-date=June 15, 2022 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210223221029/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/matthew-modine-interview-wrong-turn-stranger-things-b1804216.html , archive-date=February 23, 2021 , url-status= live {{cite web , first=Nancy , last=Burns-Fusaro , url=https://www.thewesterlysun.com/lifestyle/entertainment/back-to-the-futures-j-j-cohen-to-make-appearance-at-misquamicut-drive-in/article_80b5e286-c504-11ea-a67e-e7d4f7017951.html , title=''Back To The Future''{{'s J.J. Cohen To Make Appearance At Misquamicut Drive-in , website=
The Westerly Sun
''The Westerly Sun'' is a seven-day daily newspaper published in Westerly, Rhode Island, United States, covering portions of Washington County, Rhode Island, and New London County, Connecticut. ''The Sun'' is issued mornings 7 days a week. Unti ...
, date= July 15, 2020 , access-date=October 7, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200717003116/https://www.thewesterlysun.com/lifestyle/entertainment/back-to-the-futures-j-j-cohen-to-make-appearance-at-misquamicut-drive-in/article_80b5e286-c504-11ea-a67e-e7d4f7017951.html , archive-date=July 17, 2020 , url-status= live {{cite web , first=Nathan , last=Sharp , url=https://screenrant.com/10-thilittle-known-facts-behind-scenes-making-of-back-to-the-future-movie/ , title=10 Things You Didn't Know About The Making Of ''Back To The Future'' , website=
Screen Rant
''Screen Rant'' is an entertainment website that offers news in the fields of television, films, video games, and film theories. ''Screen Rant'' was launched by Vic Holtreman in 2003, and originally had its primary office in Ogden, Utah. ''Scr ...
, date= June 17, 2015 , access-date=October 7, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200929162115/https://io9.gizmodo.com/is-the-novelization-of-back-to-the-future-a-literary-ma-5894664 , archive-date=September 29, 2020 , url-status= live {{cite web, first=Sheila , last=Benson , author-link=Sheila Benson , title=Movie Review : An Underpowered Trip ''Back To The Future'', url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-07-03-ca-10392-story.html , website=
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
, date=July 3, 1985 , access-date=September 6, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200906210107/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-07-03-ca-10392-story.html, archive-date=September 6, 2020 , url-status=live , url-access=limited{{cite web , first1=Justin , last1=Chang , first2=Mark , last2=Olsen , author-link1=Justin Chang , title=Has ''Back To The Future'' Aged Well? Our Critics Take A Closer Look At A Summer Fave , url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2020-07-16/back-to-the-future-ultimate-summer-movie-showdown , website=
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
, date=July 16, 2020 , access-date=September 30, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201001032254/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2020-07-16/back-to-the-future-ultimate-summer-movie-showdown , archive-date=October 1, 2020 , url-status=live , url-access=limited {{cite web , first=Emanuel , last=Levy, author-link=Emanuel Levy , title=''Back To The Future'': Revisiting 1985's Most Popular Film, Directed By Robert Zemeckis And Starring Michael J. Fox , url=https://emanuellevy.com/review/featured-review/back-to-the-future-revisiting-the-most-popular-film-of-1985/ , website= Emanuellevy.com , date=October 2, 2015 , access-date=June 23, 2022 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510195621/https://emanuellevy.com/review/featured-review/back-to-the-future-revisiting-the-most-popular-film-of-1985/ , archive-date=May 10, 2021 , url-status=live {{cite web, url=https://www.loc.gov/film/nfr2007.html , title=National Film Registry 2007, Films Selected For The 2007 National Film Registry, website= loc.gov , access-date=February 4, 2008 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080131121632/http://www.loc.gov/film/nfr2007.html , archive-date=January 31, 2008 , url-status = dead {{cite web, first=Casey , last=Cipriani , title=Marty McFly's Entire Backstory Explained , url=https://www.looper.com/229580/marty-mcflys-entire-backstory-explained/ , website=
Looper.com
7Hops.com Inc., doing business as Static Media, is an American internet company established in 2012 based in Indianapolis. It operates ZergNet, a content recommendation business.
ZergNet
Established around 2011, ZergNet has been compared to Ou ...
, date=July 23, 2020 , access-date=October 9, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009131959/https://www.looper.com/229580/marty-mcflys-entire-backstory-explained/ , archive-date=October 9, 2020 , url-status=live{{cite web , url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-25976383 , title=''Back To The Future'' Musical Announced , website=
BBC News Online
BBC News Online is the website of BBC News, the division of the BBC responsible for newsgathering and production. It is one of the most popular news websites, with 1.2 billion website visits in April 2021, as well as being used by 60% of the U ...
Contactmusic.com
Contactmusic.com is an online magazine of cultural criticism based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, and ...
, access-date=August 25, 2020, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200113122043/https://www.contactmusic.com/mcfly , archive-date=January 13, 2020, url-status=live{{cite web , first= Caitlin , last=Schneider , url=https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/70108/see-list-all-actors-who-could-have-played-doc-brown , title=See A List Of All The Actors Who Could Have Played Doc Brown , website=
Mental Floss
''Mental Floss'' (stylized as ''mental_floss'') is an online magazine and its related American digital, print, and e-commerce media company focused on millennials. It is owned by Minute Media and based in New York City, United States. mentalflos ...
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
{{cite web , first=Lizzie , last=Edmonds , title=''Back To The Future'' Musical Heading To London's West End Next Year , url=https://www.standard.co.uk/go/london/theatre/back-to-the-future-musical-london-west-end-a4542296.html , website=
Evening Standard
The ''Evening Standard'', formerly ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), also known as the ''London Evening Standard'', is a local free daily newspaper in London, England, published Monday to Friday in tabloid format.
In October 2009, after be ...
, date=September 8, 2020 , access-date=September 30, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200908144918/https://www.standard.co.uk/go/london/theatre/back-to-the-future-musical-london-west-end-a4542296.html , archive-date=September 8, 2020 , url-status=live {{cite web, first=Lucy , last=Campbell , title='This Is The New Standard For Spectacle': Fans React To The ''Back To The Future'' Musical , url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2020/feb/23/fans-react-back-to-the-future-musical-manchester-opera-house , website=
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
, date=February 23, 2020 , access-date=September 30, 2020 , archive-url=https://archive.today/20200513040433/https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2020/feb/23/fans-react-back-to-the-future-musical-manchester-opera-house , archive-date=May 13, 2020 , url-status=live{{cite web , first=Michael , last=Walsh , title=Mondo Goes ''Back To The Future'' For 35th Anniversary , url=https://nerdist.com/article/mondo-back-to-the-future-35th-anniversary-merchandise/ , website= Nerdist.com , date=June 29, 2020 , access-date=September 30, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200929155340/https://nerdist.com/article/mondo-back-to-the-future-35th-anniversary-merchandise/ , archive-date=September 29, 2020 , url-status=live {{cite web , first=Rocco , last=Marrongelli , title=''Back To The Future'' 35th Anniversary Blasts Off With New Toys From Funko, Playmobil & More , url=https://www.newsweek.com/back-future-anniversary-funko-playmobil-collectibles-delorean-marty-mcfly-2020-1509929 , website=
Newsweek
''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis (businessman), Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print m ...
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
, date=December 31, 1986 , access-date=September 30, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220316042037/http://www.nytimes.com/1986/12/31/arts/the-pop-life-1986-a-musically-conservative-year.html , archive-date=March 16, 2022 , url-status=live , url-access=limited{{cite web , title=The Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made, url=https://www.nytimes.com/ref/movies/1000best.html , website=
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
, date=April 29, 2003 , access-date=May 22, 2010 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160722141147/https://www.nytimes.com/ref/movies/1000best.html , archive-date=July 22, 2016 , url-status=live , url-access=limited{{cite web , first=Jack , last=Mathews, title=Universal Speeds Up Release Of ''Back To Future'' , url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-06-14-ca-2602-story.html , website=
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
NPR
National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...
, date=July 1, 2015 , access-date=September 5, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151107095606/https://www.npr.org/2015/07/01/418597031/for-this-nostalgia-trip-we-dont-need-roads , archive-date=November 7, 2015 , url-status=live{{cite web, first=Janet , last=Maslin , author-link=Janet Maslin , title=The Screen: In ''Future'', Boy Returns To The Past, url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/03/movies/the-screen-in-future-boy-returns-to-the-past.html , website=
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
, agency=
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
, date=August 7, 1985 , access-date=August 28, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171121155424/https://www.nytimes.com/1985/08/07/movies/back-to-the-future-leads-box-office-sales.html , archive-date=November 21, 2017 , url-status=live , url-access=limited{{cite web, first=Esther B., last=Fein , title=New Face: Michael J. Fox; Conversation With A Time Traveler , url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/26/movies/new-face-michael-j-fox-conversation-with-a-time-traveler.html , website=
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
, date=July 26, 1985 , access-date=August 28, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171122191221/https://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/26/movies/new-face-michael-j-fox-conversation-with-a-time-traveler.html , archive-date=November 22, 2017 , url-status=live , url-access=limited{{cite web, url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/06/14/movies/movie-merchandise-the-rush-is-on.html , title=Movie Merchandise: The Rush Is On , first =Aljean , last=Harmetz, website=
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
, date=June 29, 1986 , access-date=September 5, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180203191840/https://www.nytimes.com/1986/06/29/movies/in-brief-recent-films.html , archive-date=February 3, 2018 , url-status=live , url-access=limited{{cite web , first=Aljean , last=Harmetz , author-link=Aljean Harmetz, title=State Of The Union: Reagan Reports To The Nation; President Reagan's Speech Before Joint Session Of Congress , url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/02/05/us/state-union-reagan-reports-nation-president-reagan-s-speech-before-joint-session.html , website=
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization with the stated goal of advancing the arts and sciences of motio ...
, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160816141040/http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1986 , archive-date=August 16, 2016 , url-status=live {{cite web , first=K. Thor , last=Jensen , url=https://uk.pcmag.com/electronics/72331/10-must-have-gifts-for-back-to-the-future-superfans , title=10 Must-Have Gifts For ''Back To The Future'' Superfans , access-date=October 19, 2015 , website=
PCMag
''PC Magazine'' (shortened as ''PCMag'') is an American computer magazine published by Ziff Davis. A print edition was published from 1982 to January 2009. Publication of online editions started in late 1994 and have continued to the present d ...
, archive-url=https://archive.today/20200930193026/https://uk.pcmag.com/electronics/72331/10-must-have-gifts-for-back-to-the-future-superfans , archive-date=September 30, 2020 , url-status=live {{cite web , first=John Connor , last=Coulston , title=Cultural Legacy: ''Back to the Future'' , url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/back-to-the-future/cultural-legacy-back-to-the-future/ , website= Paste , date=July 6, 2015 , access-date=September 30, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201001211301/https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/back-to-the-future/cultural-legacy-back-to-the-future/ , archive-date=October 1, 2020 , url-status=live {{cite web, first=Alexia , last= Fernández, title= See A Young Kyra Sedgwick Audition For ''Back To The Future'' As Movie Turns 35, url=https://people.com/movies/see-kyra-sedgwick-audition-back-to-the-future/ , website=
People
A person (plural, : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of pr ...
, date=October 16, 2020 , access-date=December 13, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201102143521/https://people.com/movies/see-kyra-sedgwick-audition-back-to-the-future/ , archive-date= November 2, 2020, url-status=live{{cite web , last1=Weinberg , first1=Mark , title=What I Learned Watching ''Back to the Future'' With Ronald Reagan , url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/02/27/ronald-reagan-press-aide-movie-nights-with-reagan-217095/ , website=
Politico
''Politico'' (stylized in all caps), known originally as ''The Politico'', is an American, German-owned political journalism newspaper company based in Arlington County, Virginia, that covers politics and policy in the United States and intern ...
, date=February 27, 2018 , archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220821171433/https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/02/27/ronald-reagan-press-aide-movie-nights-with-reagan-217095/, archive-date=August 21, 2022 , url-status=live, language=en{{cite web, last= Harrison , first= Ellie , title= ''Back To The Future'' Almost Had A Really Bad Title: Here's A Memo To Prove It... , url= http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2016-08-30/back-to-the-future-almost-had-a-really-bad-title , date= August 30, 2016 , website=
Radio Times
''Radio Times'' (currently styled as ''RadioTimes'') is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in May 1923 by J ...
, access-date=September 1, 2016 , archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160902014900/http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2016-08-30/back-to-the-future-almost-had-a-really-bad-title , archive-date= September 2, 2016 , url-status= live {{cite web , first=Ray, last=Loynd , title=Film Review: ''Back To The Future'' , url=https://variety.com/1985/film/news/film-review-back-to-the-future-1201344694/ , website=
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
, date=June 25, 1985 , access-date=September 10, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151025022133/https://variety.com/1985/film/news/film-review-back-to-the-future-1201344694/ , archive-date=October 25, 2015 , url-status=live{{cite web, first=Patrick , last=Cremona , title=''Back To The Future'' Creator Explains Why Franchise Will Never Get A Fourth Film , url=https://www.radiotimes.com/news/film/2020-02-19/back-to-the-future-wont-get-reboot/ , website=
Radio Times
''Radio Times'' (currently styled as ''RadioTimes'') is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in May 1923 by J ...
RogerEbert.com
''RogerEbert.com'' is an American film review website that archives reviews written by film critic Roger Ebert for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' and also shares other critics' reviews and essays. The website, underwritten by the ''Chicago Sun-Times' ...
Chicago Reader
The ''Chicago Reader'', or ''Reader'' (stylized as ЯEADER), is an American alternative weekly newspaper in Chicago, Illinois, noted for its literary style of journalism and coverage of the arts, particularly film and theater. It was founded by a ...
Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
, date=July 3, 1985 , access-date=October 5, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200925002440/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1985-07-03-8502130086-story.html , archive-date=September 25, 2020 , url-status=live{{cite web, first=Paul , last=Attanasio , author-link=Paul Attanasio , title=''The Future'' Is Wow! Comedy With A Story To Tell , url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1985/07/03/the-future-is-wowcomedy-with-a-story-to-tell/3c8f1b62-c55a-46c9-ada7-4b2fc6aa496d/ , website=
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
, date=July 3, 1985 , access-date=October 5, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200606154213/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/back-future-review-1985-movie-801103 , archive-date= June 6, 2020 , url-status=live{{cite web, first=Richard , last=Corliss , author-link=Richard Corliss , title=Cinema: This Way To The Children's Crusade
, url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,959559-2,00.html , website=
Time Out
Time-out, Time Out, or timeout may refer to:
Time
* Time-out (sport), in various sports, a break in play, called by a team
* Television timeout, a break in sporting action so that a commercial break may be taken
* Timeout (computing), an enginee ...
, date=July 1, 1985 , access-date=October 5, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110412074929/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,959559-2,00.html , archive-date=April 12, 2011 , url-status=dead{{cite web , url = https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/back-to-the-future-cast-reunion-michael-j-fox-christopher-lloyd-997957/ , title = Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd Lead ''Back To The Future'' Reunion On Josh Gad's 'Reunited Apart', first = Jon , last = Blistein , date = May 12, 2020 , access-date = October 19, 2020 , website=
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031074902/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/back-to-the-future-cast-reunion-michael-j-fox-christopher-lloyd-997957/ , archive-date=October 31, 2020 , url-status=live {{cite RT, id=back_to_the_future , title=Back to the Future , type=m , access-date={{RT data, access date, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121122173600/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/back_to_the_future/, archive-date=November 22, 2012, url-status=live{{RT data, edit{{cite web, last=Gilsdorf, first=Ethan , url=https://www.wired.com/2012/06/ready-player-one-author-to-give-away-delorean/, title=''Ready Player One'' Author To Give Away DeLorean, date=June 5, 2012 , website=
Wired
''Wired'' (stylized as ''WIRED'') is a monthly American magazine, published in print and online editions, that focuses on how emerging technologies affect culture, the economy, and politics. Owned by Condé Nast, it is headquartered in San Fra ...
, access-date=August 1, 2019, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190801135802/https://www.wired.com/2012/06/ready-player-one-author-to-give-away-delorean/, archive-date=August 1, 2019, url-status=live{{cite web, last=Power, first=Ed , url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/ready-player-one-guide-legal-nightmare-spielbergs-pop-culture/, title=''Ready Player One'': A Guide To The Legal Nightmare Of Spielberg's Pop Culture References , date=March 29, 2018, website =
The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally.
It was fo ...
, access-date=February 6, 2020, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200206134718/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/ready-player-one-guide-legal-nightmare-spielbergs-pop-culture/, archive-date=February 6, 2020, url-status=live, url-access=limited{{cite web , title=200 Essential Movies To Watch Now , website=
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
, url=http://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/200-essential-movies-to-watch-now/ , access-date=May 2, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191216115104/http://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/200-essential-movies-to-watch-now/ , archive-date=December 16, 2019 , url-status=live {{cite web, url=http://www.saturnawards.org/past.html , title=Past Saturn Awards , website= SaturnAwards.org, access-date=September 30, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080914184217/http://www.saturnawards.org/past.html , archive-date=September 14, 2008 , url-status = dead {{cite web, first=Joe , last=Gross , title='Ain't It Cool' TV Show Jumps To New Markets , url=https://eu.statesman.com/story/news/2016/09/04/aint-it-cool-tv-show-jumps-to-new-markets/10119165007/ , website=
Austin American-Statesman
The ''Austin American-Statesman'' is the major daily newspaper for Austin, the capital city of Texas. It is owned by Gannett.
The paper prints Associated Press, ''New York Times'', ''The Washington Post'', and ''Los Angeles Times'' internation ...
, date=September 4, 2016 , access-date=June 13, 2022 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220613213103/https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2016/09/04/aint-it-cool-tv-show-jumps-to-new-markets/10119165007/ , archive-date=June 13, 2022 , url-status=live{{cite web , first= Dan , last=Girolamo , url=https://screenrant.com/back-future-movie-doc-brown-actor-almost-cast/ , title=''Back To The Future'': The Actor Who Almost Played Doc Brown , website=
Screen Rant
''Screen Rant'' is an entertainment website that offers news in the fields of television, films, video games, and film theories. ''Screen Rant'' was launched by Vic Holtreman in 2003, and originally had its primary office in Ogden, Utah. ''Scr ...
, date=February 22, 2020 , access-date=October 1, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200223142247/https://screenrant.com/back-future-movie-doc-brown-actor-almost-cast/, archive-date=February 23, 2020 , url-status= live {{cite web , first= Padraig , last=Cotter , url=https://screenrant.com/doc-brown-saves-world-short-back-future-4/ , title=Doc Brown Saves The World Isn't ''Back To The Future'' 4 (But It's Great)
, website=
Screen Rant
''Screen Rant'' is an entertainment website that offers news in the fields of television, films, video games, and film theories. ''Screen Rant'' was launched by Vic Holtreman in 2003, and originally had its primary office in Ogden, Utah. ''Scr ...
, date=August 15, 2019 , access-date=October 6, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191130212709/https://screenrant.com/doc-brown-saves-world-short-back-future-4/ , archive-date=November 30, 2019 , url-status= live {{cite web , title=''Back To The Future'' Tops Poll Of Most Wanted Film Sequels – But Which Movie Series Should Return? , url=https://news.sky.com/story/back-to-the-future-tops-poll-of-most-wanted-film-sequels-but-which-movie-series-should-return-11561026 , website=
Sky News
Sky News is a British free-to-air television news channel and organisation. Sky News is distributed via an English-language radio news service, and through online channels. It is owned by Sky Group, a division of Comcast. John Ryley is the hea ...
, date=November 23, 2018 , access-date=September 30, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190824150357/https://news.sky.com/story/back-to-the-future-tops-poll-of-most-wanted-film-sequels-but-which-movie-series-should-return-11561026 , archive-date=August 24, 2019 , url-status=live {{cite web, first=Ernie, last=Estrella , title=Exclusive: ''Back In Time'' Director Jason Aron On Making The Definitive ''Back To The Future'' Documentary , url=https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/exclusive-back-time-director-jason-aron-making-definitive-back-future-documentary , website=
Syfy
Syfy (formerly Sci-Fi Channel, later shortened to Sci Fi; stylized as SYFY) is an American basic cable channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. Lau ...
, date=April 23, 2015 , access-date=October 6, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201006215026/https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/exclusive-back-time-director-jason-aron-making-definitive-back-future-documentary , archive-date=October 6, 2020 , url-status=live{{cite web , first=Loryn , last=Stone , title=''Back To The Future''{{'s 35th Anniversary Shows Just How Far Toy Collecting Has Come , url=https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/back-to-the-future-35th-anniversary-toys-collectibles-history , website=
Syfy
Syfy (formerly Sci-Fi Channel, later shortened to Sci Fi; stylized as SYFY) is an American basic cable channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. Lau ...
, date=July 2, 2020 , access-date=September 30, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101042149/https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/back-to-the-future-35th-anniversary-toys-collectibles-history , archive-date=November 1, 2020 , url-status=live {{cite web , first=Matt , last=Gouras , title=Lloyd: ''Back To The Future'' Still Gratifying , url= http://seattletimes.com/html/entertainment/2009324069_apuspeoplechristopherlloyd.html , date=June 12, 2009 , website=
The Seattle Times
''The Seattle Times'' is a daily newspaper serving Seattle, Washington, United States. It was founded in 1891 and has been owned by the Blethen family since 1896. ''The Seattle Times'' has the largest circulation of any newspaper in Washington (s ...
, access-date=August 8, 2013 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927190527/http://seattletimes.com/html/entertainment/2009324069_apuspeoplechristopherlloyd.html , archive-date=September 27, 2013 , url-status = dead{{cite web, first=Marc , last=Chacksfield , title="''Back To The Future'' Wouldn't Have Been The Same Without Spielberg" , url=https://www.shortlist.com/news/back-to-the-future-wouldnt-have-been-the-same-without-spielberg, website=
ShortList
A short list or shortlist is a list of candidates for a job, prize, award, political position, etc., that has been reduced from a longer list of candidates (sometimes via intermediate lists known as "long lists"). The length of short lists varie ...
, date=October 20, 2014 , access-date=September 7, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200514222327/https://www.shortlist.com/news/back-to-the-future-wouldnt-have-been-the-same-without-spielberg , archive-date=May 14, 2020 , url-status=live{{cite web, first=Marc , last=Chacksfield , title=''Back To The Future'' facts: 20 Things You (Probably) Didn't Know , url=https://www.shortlist.com/news/20-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-back-to-the-future , website=
ShortList
A short list or shortlist is a list of candidates for a job, prize, award, political position, etc., that has been reduced from a longer list of candidates (sometimes via intermediate lists known as "long lists"). The length of short lists varie ...
Slashfilm
''/Film'', also spelled ''Slashfilm'', is a blog that covers movie news, reviews, interviews, and trailers. It was founded by Peter Sciretta in August 2005.
Podcasts
Six podcasts have run on the site. ''The /Filmcast'', hosted by David Chen, De ...
, access-date=October 15, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190828045251/https://www.slashfilm.com/back-to-the-future-monopoly/ , archive-date=August 28, 2019 , url-status=live{{cite web , first=Peter , last=Sciretta, url=https://www.slashfilm.com/how-back-to-the-future-almost-nuked-the-fridge/, title=How ''Back To The Future'' Almost Nuked The Fridge, date=July 15, 2009, website=
Slashfilm
''/Film'', also spelled ''Slashfilm'', is a blog that covers movie news, reviews, interviews, and trailers. It was founded by Peter Sciretta in August 2005.
Podcasts
Six podcasts have run on the site. ''The /Filmcast'', hosted by David Chen, De ...
, access-date=September 10, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120804233245/http://www.slashfilm.com/how-back-to-the-future-almost-nuked-the-fridge/, archive-date=August 4, 2012, url-status=live{{cite web , url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/film/back-to-the-future/facts-trivia-anniversary/ , title=''Back To The Future'': 13 Things You May Not Know , website=
The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally.
It was fo ...
, date= October 21, 2015 , access-date= September 15, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200206140408/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/film/back-to-the-future/facts-trivia-anniversary/ , archive-date=February 6, 2020 , url-status= live , url-access=limited{{cite web , title=Top 1985 Movies At The Worldwide Box Office , url=https://www.the-numbers.com/box-office-records/worldwide/all-movies/cumulative/released-in-1985 , website= The Numbers , access-date=September 30, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190721121617/https://www.the-numbers.com/box-office-records/worldwide/all-movies/cumulative/released-in-1985 , archive-date=July 21, 2019 , url-status=live {{cite web , title=Top 1985 Movies At The Domestic Box Office , url=https://www.the-numbers.com/box-office-records/domestic/all-movies/cumulative/released-in-1985 , website= The Numbers , access-date=September 30, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190721121619/https://www.the-numbers.com/box-office-records/domestic/all-movies/cumulative/released-in-1985 , archive-date=July 21, 2019 , url-status=live {{cite web, first=Graeme , last=McMillan , title=''Back To The Future'' Writer Finally Addresses The Last Line Of ''Part III'' , url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/back-future-writer-finally-addresses-last-line-part-iii-1045298 , website=
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
, date=October 4, 2017 , access-date=October 6, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200528222303/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/back-future-writer-finally-addresses-last-line-part-iii-1045298 , archive-date=May 28, 2020 , url-status=live{{cite web , first=Ryan , last=Parker , title=''Back To The Future'' At 35: It's Time To Decipher An Eric Stoltz Fan Theory , url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/back-future-at-35-time-decipher-an-eric-stoltz-fan-theory-1301621 , website=
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
, date=July 3, 2020 , access-date=September 30, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201001171642/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/back-future-at-35-time-decipher-an-eric-stoltz-fan-theory-1301621 , archive-date=October 1, 2020 , url-status=live {{cite web, first=Ryan , last=Parker , title=''Back To The Future'' Writer "Delighted" By Those ''Avengers: Endgame'' References , url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/back-future-writer-likes-avengers-endgame-references-1209653 , website=
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
, date=May 10, 2019 , access-date=October 5, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806015713/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/back-future-writer-likes-avengers-endgame-references-1209653 , archive-date=August 6, 2020 , url-status=live{{cite web , first=Phil , last=Pirello , title=How ''Back To The Future III'' Got Better With Age , url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/how-back-future-iii-got-better-age-1295798 , website=
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
, date=May 25, 2020 , access-date=September 30, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200625011350/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/how-back-future-iii-got-better-age-1295798 , archive-date=June 25, 2020 , url-status=live {{cite web , last=Gilbey , first=Ryan , title=How We Made ''Back To The Future'' , url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/aug/25/back-to-the-future-michael-j-fox-christopher-lloyd-how-we-made , access-date=July 14, 2016 , website=
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
, access-date=July 5, 2019 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190705214119/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/100-best-films-ever-hollywood-favorites-818512/item/ghostbusters-hollywoods-100-favorite-films-818454 , archive-date=July 5, 2019 , url-status=live{{cite web, url=http://www.totalfilm.com/features/100-greatest-movies-of-all-time/page:2 , title=Total Film features: 100 Greatest Movies Of All Time , website=
Total Film
''Total Film'' is a British film magazine published 13 times a year (published monthly and a summer issue is added every year since issue 91, 2004, which is published between July and August issue) by Future Publishing. The magazine was launched i ...
, date=January 25, 2010 , access-date=September 30, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100209232621/http://www.totalfilm.com/features/100-greatest-movies-of-all-time/page%3A2 , archive-date=February 9, 2010 , url-status = dead {{cite web , first=Vince , last=Mancini , title=''Back To The Future'' At 35: Looking Back On The Movie That Made America Great Again , url=https://uproxx.com/entertainment/back-to-the-future-35-year-retrospective/ , website=
Uproxx
''Uproxx'' (stylized in all caps) is an entertainment and popular culture news website. It was founded in 2008 by Jarret Myer and Brian Brater, and acquired by Woven Digital (later renamed Uproxx Media Group) in 2014. The site's target audience ...
, date=July 2, 2020 , access-date=September 30, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101032204/https://uproxx.com/entertainment/back-to-the-future-35-year-retrospective/ , archive-date=November 1, 2020 , url-status=live {{cite web, first=Emily , last=Rome , title=''Back To The Future'': What The Critics Said In 1985 , url=https://uproxx.com/hitfix/back-to-the-future-what-the-critics-said-in-1985/ , website=
Uproxx
''Uproxx'' (stylized in all caps) is an entertainment and popular culture news website. It was founded in 2008 by Jarret Myer and Brian Brater, and acquired by Woven Digital (later renamed Uproxx Media Group) in 2014. The site's target audience ...
, date=July 3, 2015 , access-date=October 5, 2020 , archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170427063459/https://uproxx.com/hitfix/back-to-the-future-what-the-critics-said-in-1985/ , archive-date=April 27, 2017 , url-status=live{{cite web, first=Emily , last=Rome , title=Exclusive: Your First Look At ''Back to the Future: The Ultimate Visual History'' , url=https://uproxx.com/hitfix/exclusive-your-first-look-at-back-to-the-future-the-ultimate-visual-history/ , website=
Uproxx
''Uproxx'' (stylized in all caps) is an entertainment and popular culture news website. It was founded in 2008 by Jarret Myer and Brian Brater, and acquired by Woven Digital (later renamed Uproxx Media Group) in 2014. The site's target audience ...
, date=June 25, 2015 , access-date=October 6, 2020 , archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190723063321/https://uproxx.com/hitfix/exclusive-your-first-look-at-back-to-the-future-the-ultimate-visual-history/ , archive-date=July 23, 2019 , url-status=live{{cite web , first = Marco , last = della Cava , url = https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2015/10/20/huey-lewis-almost-passed-on-going-back-to-the-future/74017944/ , title = Huey Lewis Almost Passed On Going ''Back To The Future'' , date = October 20, 2015 , website =
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
, access-date = September 7, 2020 , archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200726125153/https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2015/10/20/huey-lewis-almost-passed-on-going-back-to-the-future/74017944/ , archive-date = July 26, 2020 , url-status = live {{cite web , first =Hoai-Tran , last =Bui , url =https://eu.usatoday.com/story/life/entertainthis/2015/10/21/15-things-you-probably-didnt-know-back-future/74312182/ , title =15 Things You Probably Didn't Know About ''Back To The Future'' , date =October 21, 2015 , website =
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
, access-date=April 29, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190607025242/https://variety.com/1997/digital/features/rental-champs-rate-of-return-1116680329/ , archive-date=June 7, 2019 , url-status=live{{cite web, last=Toor , first=Amar, title=Restoring The Delorean Time Machine To Its Original Glory , url=https://www.theverge.com/2013/2/19/4004022/back-to-the-future-delorean-restored-universal-studios , website=
The Verge
''The Verge'' is an American technology news website operated by Vox Media, publishing news, feature stories, guidebooks, product reviews, consumer electronics news, and podcasts.
The website launched on November 1, 2011, and uses Vox Media' ...
, date=February 19, 2013 , access-date=June 23, 2022 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200909130655/https://www.theverge.com/2013/2/19/4004022/back-to-the-future-delorean-restored-universal-studios , archive-date=September 9, 2020 , url-status=live {{cite web, first=Caseen, last=Gaines , title=How The ''Back To The Future'' Cast And Crew Knew Eric Stoltz Would Be Fired , url=https://www.vulture.com/2015/06/how-back-to-the-future-replaced-eric-stoltz.html , website=
Vulture
A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including Condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to North and ...
, date=October 1, 2015 , access-date=September 1, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200823005444/https://www.vulture.com/2015/06/how-back-to-the-future-replaced-eric-stoltz.html , archive-date=August 23, 2020 , url-status=live, ref=none{{Cite web , url=https://www.vulture.com/amp/2012/09/the-lost-roles-of-back-to-the-future.html , title=The Lost Roles Of ''Back To The Future'' , website=
Vulture
A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including Condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to North and ...
, access-date=December 28, 2019 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191228031136/https://www.vulture.com/amp/2012/09/the-lost-roles-of-back-to-the-future.html , archive-date=December 28, 2019 , url-status=live {{cite web, last=Chaney, first=Jen , url=https://www.vulture.com/2019/07/stranger-things-back-to-the-future-homage-easter-eggs-time-travel.html, title=''Stranger Things'' 3 Is Basically One Big ''Back To The Future'' Homage, date=July 19, 2019, website=
Vulture
A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including Condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to North and ...
Wired
''Wired'' (stylized as ''WIRED'') is a monthly American magazine, published in print and online editions, that focuses on how emerging technologies affect culture, the economy, and politics. Owned by Condé Nast, it is headquartered in San Fra ...
, date=December 8, 2011 , access-date=September 13, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120720092613/http://www.wired.com/underwire/2011/12/melora-hardin-back-to-future , archive-date=July 20, 2012 , url-status=live {{cite web , first=Kevin , last=Polowy , url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/back-to-the-future-billy-zane-audition-biff-tannen-150027145.html , title=Watch Billy Zane Audition For Marty McFly-Tormenting Biff Tannen In Never-released ''Back To The Future'' Footage (Exclusive), website=
Yahoo!
Yahoo! (, styled yahoo''!'' in its logo) is an American web services provider. It is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California and operated by the namesake company Yahoo Inc., which is 90% owned by investment funds managed by Apollo Global Man ...
Daily Variety
''Variety'' is an American media company owned by Penske Media Corporation. The company was founded by Sime Silverman in New York City in 1905 as a weekly newspaper reporting on theater and vaudeville. In 1933 it added ''Daily Variety'', based ...
, publisher=
Penske Media Corporation
Penske Media Corporation (PMC) () is an American digital media, publishing, and information services company based in Los Angeles and New York City. It publishes more than 20 digital and print brands, including ''Variety'', ''Rolling Stone'', '' ...
Amstrad Action
''Amstrad Action'' was a monthly magazine, published in the United Kingdom, which catered to owners of home computers from the Amstrad CPC range and later the GX4000 console.
It was the first magazine published by Chris Anderson's Future Publishin ...
, publisher=
Future plc
Future plc is an international multimedia company established in the United Kingdom in 1985. The company has over 220 brands that span magazines, newsletters, websites, and events in fields such as video games, technology, films, music, photogr ...
, location=Bath, Somerset , issue=21, date=June 1987 , page=13 , url= https://archive.org/details/amstrad-action-021/page/n11/mode/2up?q=%22back+to+the+future%22 , ref={{sfnref, AmstradAction, 1987
* {{cite book, last=Gaines , first=Caseen , title=We Don't Need Roads: The Making of the Back to the Future Trilogy , date=2015, publisher= Plume , location=New York City , isbn=978-0-14-218153-9 , url={{google books, plainurl=y, id=WgQbBQAAQBAJ
* {{cite book, last1=Klastorin , first1=Michael , last2=Atamaniuk , first2=Randal, title=Back to the Future: The Ultimate Visual History , date=2015, publisher=HarperCollins , location=New York City , isbn=978-0-06-241914-9 , url={{google books, plainurl=y, id=dJX0rQEACAAJ
* {{cite book , first=Sorcha , last=Ní Fhlainn , year = 2014, title = The Worlds of Back to the Future: Critical Essays on the Films. , chapter=Introduction: It's About Time , publisher =
McFarland & Company
McFarland & Company, Inc., is an American independent book publisher based in Jefferson, North Carolina, that specializes in academic and reference works, as well as general-interest adult nonfiction. Its president is Rhonda Herman. Its former ...
, location=Jefferson, North Carolina, isbn = 978-0-7864-4400-7, url={{google books, plainurl=y, id=H7PLgyEBL3UC
* {{cite journal , first=Sorcha , last=Ní Fhlainn , year = 2015 , title = 'There's Something Very Familiar About This': Time Machines, Cultural Tangents and Mastering Time in H.G. Wells' The Time Machine and the Back to the Future Trilogy , journal = Adaptation , volume=9 , issue=2 , publisher =
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...
, doi = 10.1093/adaptation/apv028, doi-access = free , location=
Oxford
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
Cinefex
''Cinefex'' launched in 1980, was a quarterly journal covering visual effects in films. Each issue featured lengthy, detailed articles that described the creative and technical processes behind current films, the information drawn from interviews ...
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
''1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die'' is a film reference book edited by Steven Jay Schneider with original essays on each film contributed by over 70 film critics. It is a part of a series designed and produced by Quintessence Editions, a ...
, chapter=1980s , date=2013, publisher=
Murdoch Books
Murdoch Books is an Australian publisher, mainly of gardening and cook books.
The company had its beginnings when '' The Advertiser'' of Adelaide started printing magazines. Advertiser Magazines was renamed Murdoch Magazines in 1988. It publi ...
Pty Limited, location=Boston, Massachusetts , isbn=978-0-7641-6613-6
* {{cite book , last1=Weinberg , first1=Mark , title=Movie Nights With The Reagans , date=2019 , publisher=
Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster () is an American publishing company and a subsidiary of Paramount Global. It was founded in New York City on January 2, 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. As of 2016, Simon & Schuster was the third largest publ ...
, location=New York City , isbn=978-1-5011-3400-5 , oclc=1039384951 , language=English