Back to the Future Retrospective

So awhile back I was discussing movies that make us feel nostalgic with my roommate Anna, and she revealed something I found to be most shocking. Anna had never before seen any of The Back to the Future films. I must straight up say that the original Back to the Future film is one of my favorite movies of all time. How much do I love it? It's in my top 5 favorites. It is a movie I would take with me on a deserted island. So naturally, I had to indoctrinate the poor girl and show her what she was missing. In doing so, we opted to watch the entire trilogy. It's been years since I saw the two sequels to the original, so I thought I'd share some new insights and feelings that I had on them, as well as fully describe my love for the first film. So for now, let's start with that one.

Back to the Future (1985) This film is practically flawless. It truly has it all. It's hilarious and fun...and incredibly tense too. No matter how many times I see it, the final sequence still will capture my full attention. To quote Adam Smith from Empire magazine, "To put it bluntly: if you don't like Back To The Future, it's difficult to believe that you like films at all." I really believe that Marty McFly's journey 30 years to the past to come face to face with his parents when they were his age is one of the cinema's finest adventures. As to the topic that got Anna and I talking about Back to the Future, this is a movie that I have loved since I was a little girl. While its nostalgia gives it a certain place in my heart, the film still holds up every time I revisit it. You see, it stands the test of time because it makes you care about its characters. Each one of the actors plays their part perfectly. I gotta say, Michael J. Fox has the perfect comic timing, and he gets a lot of help from a fantastic script. But honestly, Crispin Glover's George McFly is certainly one of the differences that make the sequels somewhat inferior. You don't really think of his character as being the one that brings the magic that the other ones lack, but most of my favorite moments in the original film he's almost always in! Anyway, every aspect of this film (script, acting, directing, editing, score, etc.) contribute to the love I feel for it, and that's probably enough said. I will leave you with some parting quotes :)

I'm George, George McFly. I'm your density. I mean... your destiny. (What I really love is Lorraine's response and delivery of "Oh....") - George McFly

Last night, Darth Vader came down from planet Vulcan and told me that if I didn't take Lorraine out that he'd melt my brain. - George McFly

I can't believe you'd *loan* me your car without telling me it had a blind spot. I could've been killed! - Biff Tannen. This line is a family fave.

Good to know: Michael J. Fox and Lea Thompson were the same age I am today when they made Back to the Future (boy does that make me feel unsuccessful). This movie ranks #3 on Emily's Top 100. In 2006, Back to the Future was voted the 23rd greatest film ever made by readers of Empire. The film is ranked #78 on IMDB's top 250 and has a Rotten Tomatoes ranking of 96%! In June 2008, the American Film Institute revealed the AFI's 10 Top 10 – the best ten films in ten "classic" American film genres – after polling more than 1,500 people from the creative community. Back to the Future was acknowledged as the 10th best film in the science fiction genre. Back to the Future is among Channel 4's (what channel 4, I don't know) 50 Films to See Before You Die, being ranked 10th. (facts from IMDB and wikipedia...and one from me!)

To be continued....this post is getting long enough as it is. Look for parts 2 and 3 soon!

P.S. RIP Back to the Future: The Ride @ Universal Studios. This ride was so great :( Seriously. Riding in replica DeLorean time machines was amazing. I know flight simulator rides aren't really the greatest....but come on...it's freaking Back to the Future! Sigh...at least there's still the backlot tour.