25 years ago yesterday one of science fiction’s greatest trilogy’s was born in a darkened JC Penny’s parking lot in Twin Pines, California. Back to the Future was an absolute gem of a film that we still consider to be way ahead of its time (finding it impossible to avoid time-based puns here… this IS an anniversary article, after all…).
Hit the link for some pretty humorous Back to the Future trivia and a good old fashioned, extremely rare blooper reel. Trust me, the blooper reel is worth the trip.
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The original BttF went on to become the top grossing feature of 1985. While the subsequent sequels never found the same critical and monetary success as the first, the trilogy is still one of the top grossing franchises of all time. The countless fan sites, fan-made movie spinoffs, video games, comic books and Biff Tannen comedy tours(???) that spawned from the surprisingly rich world of the Future don’t lie. Folks love them some Marty McFly.
Some stuff you probably didn’t know about going 88 MPH in your local parking lot:
- The awesomely awesome DeLorean that we all know, love and never bought like we swore to God we would one day wasn’t the original time machine. No joke, friends. Writer/Director Robert Zemeckis originally had Marty slated to use a laser-beam time machine device that basically just chilled on a coffee table in his living room. Given the 80′s infatuation with all things laser-beam, it’s pretty amazing that this didn’t end up just happening. But hey, thank goodness for miracles and Steven Spielberg, who quickly told old Bobby Z. “Um, yeah, how about we sexy this thing up a little?”
- Eric Stoltz was not only very nearly your Marty McFly, he actually played the part for about four weeks before the studio said, “Sorry, red, this isn’t working out,” fired Stoltz, and waited for their original choice, Mr. Michael J. Fox to finish a few other projects so he could play the part he was destined to play.
- Mike Fox was actually a pretty damn good skateboarder. There was almost no need for a stunt double for the thrashing scenes.
- Elizabeth Shue replaced Claudia Wells as Marty’s GFF Jennifer in Part II. A reshoot of the original ending was required for the beginning of the sequel.
- Understandably so, Mattel started receiving hundreds of calls from beleaguered parents looking for a Hoverboard to buy their own kids after Part II came out.
- So important was the BttF franchise that Frodo himself made an appearance in Part II.
- Christopher Lloyd is pretty much the exact opposite of the iconic-ly crazy Doc Brown character he plays. Like, big time. BIG time.
- Part III was awful. True fun fact. Look it up.
And that’s your Tuesday morning BttF retrospective, ladies and gentlemen!
