Back to the Future is a
comedicComedy as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse generally intended to amuse, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in Ancient Greece...
science fictionScience fiction is a genre of fiction. It differs from fantasy in that, within the context of the story, its imaginary elements are largely possible within scientifically-established or scientifically-postulated laws of nature...
filmFilm encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. Films are produced by recording images from the world with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects....
series written by
Bob GaleMichael Robert "Bob" Gale is an Academy Award-nominated American screenwriter who co-wrote the science fiction film Back to the Future with writing partner Robert Zemeckis, and the screen plays for the film's two sequels. Gale also co-produced all three films. He is married and although he still...
and
Robert ZemeckisRobert Lee "Bob" Zemeckis is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Zemeckis first came to public attention in the 1980s as the director of the comedic time-travel Back to the Future films as well as the live-action/animated film Who Framed Roger Rabbit , though in the 1990s he...
, directed by Zemeckis, and distributed by
Universal PicturesThis is a partial listing of films produced and/or distributed by Universal Pictures, the main motion picture production/distribution arm of Universal Studios, a subsidiary of NBC Universal.-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc...
. The plot follows the adventures of high school student
Marty McFlyMartin Seamus "Marty" McFly is a fictional character and the main protagonist in the Back to the Future motion picture trilogy, played by actor Michael J. Fox in the three films and voiced by David Kaufman in the animated series.-Biography:...
(
Michael J. FoxMichael J. Fox is a Canadian actor, author and voice-over artist. His roles have included Marty McFly from the Back to the Future trilogy ; Alex P...
) and
scientistA scientist, in the broadest sense, is any person who engages in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge or an individual that engages in such practices and traditions that are linked to schools of thought or philosophy. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the...
Dr.
Emmett Brown Doctor Emmett Lathrop "Doc" Brown, Ph.D. is a fictional character and one of the lead characters in the Back to the Future motion picture trilogy. He is played in all three movies by actor Christopher Lloyd, as well as in the live action sequences of the animated series. He is voiced by Dan...
(
Christopher LloydChristopher Allen Lloyd is an American actor. He is widely known for his portrayals of characters such as Emmett "Doc" Brown in the Back to the Future trilogy, Judge Doom in Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Uncle Fester in The Addams Family and Addams Family Values, and Reverend Jim Ignatowski on...
) as they use a
modified DeLorean automobileIn the Back to the Future trilogy, the DeLorean time machine was the vehicle used by "Doc" Brown, Marty McFly, and Biff Tannen to travel through time in Hill Valley. It was built by Doc from a DeLorean DMC-12 which used various sources of electricity to power the flux capacitor.-Operation:The...
to
time travelTime travel is the concept of moving between different moments in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space, either sending objects backwards in time to a moment before the present, or sending objects forward from the present to the future without the need to...
to different periods in the history of Hill Valley,
CaliforniaCalifornia is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by area. California is the second most populous sub-national entity in the Americas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil...
.
The first film was the highest grossing film of 1985 and became an international phenomenon, leading to the second and third films which were filmed back-to-back and released in 1989 and 1990 respectively. Though the two sequels did not perform quite as well at the box office as the first film, the trilogy remains immensely popular after nearly a quarter century and has yielded such spin-offs as an
animated television seriesBack to the Future: The Animated Series is an animated series based on the Back to the Future trilogy of feature films. The series lasted two seasons, each featuring 13 episodes, and ran on CBS from September 7, 1991 to November 28, 1992, and reran until August 14, 1993...
and a
motion-simulation rideBack to the Future: The Ride was a simulator ride based on the Back to the Future trilogy of films and is a mini-sequel to 1990's Back to the Future Part III. It was replaced by The Simpsons Ride....
at the
Universal Studios Theme ParksUniversal Studios, the film division of NBC Universal, operates a number of theme parks based around the movies it has produced. The original, Universal Studios Hollywood, started by running tours of the soundstages and backlots where filming was underway....
in
Universal City, CaliforniaUniversal Studios Hollywood is a movie studio in the Universal City community of unincorporated Los Angeles County, California, United States, and is the original Universal Studios theme park. Woody Woodpecker is the mascot for Universal Studios Hollywood and the rest of the Universal Studios Theme...
(now closed);
Orlando, FloridaUniversal Studios Florida is an American amusement park located in Orlando, Florida. Opened on June 7, 1990, the park's theme is the entertainment industry, in particular movies and television. Universal Studios Florida inspires its guests to "ride the movies," and it features numerous attractions...
(now closed), and
Osaka, Japan, located in Osaka, Japan is one of three Universal Studios theme parks, owned and operated by USJ Co., Ltd. . The park is similar to Universal Orlando Resort, since it contains many of the same rides. Most visitors are Japanese tourists or tourists from other Asian countries such as the Republic...
.
Main cast
- Michael J. Fox
Michael J. Fox is a Canadian actor, author and voice-over artist. His roles have included Marty McFly from the Back to the Future trilogy ; Alex P...
as Marty McFlyMartin Seamus "Marty" McFly is a fictional character and the main protagonist in the Back to the Future motion picture trilogy, played by actor Michael J. Fox in the three films and voiced by David Kaufman in the animated series.-Biography:...
, Marty McFly, Jr. (son of Marty), Marlene McFlyThe McFly family is a fictional family found in the Back to the Future series of films. It includes both the ancestors and descendants of the series' central character, Marty McFly...
(daughter of Marty), and Seamus McFly (great-great-grandfather of Marty).
- Christopher Lloyd
Christopher Allen Lloyd is an American actor. He is widely known for his portrayals of characters such as Emmett "Doc" Brown in the Back to the Future trilogy, Judge Doom in Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Uncle Fester in The Addams Family and Addams Family Values, and Reverend Jim Ignatowski on...
as Dr. Emmett Brown Doctor Emmett Lathrop "Doc" Brown, Ph.D. is a fictional character and one of the lead characters in the Back to the Future motion picture trilogy. He is played in all three movies by actor Christopher Lloyd, as well as in the live action sequences of the animated series. He is voiced by Dan...
- Thomas F. Wilson
Thomas Francis Wilson, Jr. is an American actor, writer, musician, painter, voice-over artist and stand up comedian. He is best known for playing Biff Tannen in the Back to the Future trilogy and Coach Ben Fredricks on NBC's Freaks and Geeks.-Early life:Wilson was born in Philadelphia,...
as Biff TannenBiff Tannen is a fictional character in the Back to the Future motion picture trilogy, serving as the primary antagonist of the first two films and a minor supporting character in the third film. He is played in the three films and the ride, and voiced in the animated series by Thomas F. Wilson...
, Griff TannenGriff Tannen is a fictional character, an antagonist in Back to the Future Part II, played by actor Thomas F. Wilson, who played all of the Tannen family members in different time periods of the Back to the Future motion picture trilogy....
(grandson of Biff) and Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen (great-grandfather of Biff)
- Lea Thompson
Lea Katherine Thompson is an American actress and director. She is best known for her 1990s NBC situation comedy Caroline in the City and her portrayal of Marty McFly's mother in the Back to the Future trilogy.-Early life:...
as Lorraine Baines (McFly/Tannen) and Maggie McFly (Seamus' wife, Marty's great-great-grandmother)
- James Tolkan
James S. Tolkan is an American actor, often cast as a strict, overbearing, bald-headed authority figure.-Personal life:He was born in Calumet, Michigan, the son of Ralph M. Tolkan, a cattle dealer, and attended the University of Iowa, Coe College, the Actors Studio and Eastern Arizona College...
as Mr. Strickland and Chief Marshal James Strickland (grandfather)
- Claudia Wells
Claudia Wells is an American actress.Born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, she grew up in San Francisco. After some appearances in TV series, Wells had won big success by starring in the 1985 film Back to the Future as Jennifer Parker, Marty McFly's girlfriend...
and Elisabeth ShueElisabeth Judson Shue is an American film actress.-Early life:Shue was born in Wilmington, Delaware. Her mother, Anne Harms , was a bank executive who was the vice president of the private division of the Chemical Banking Corporation...
as Jennifer ParkerJennifer Jane Parker is a fictional character in the Back to the Future motion picture trilogy. The character has been played by two actresses in the movies and voiced by a third in the spin-off series...
(McFly)
- Crispin Glover
Crispin Hellion Glover is an American film actor and self-published author. Glover is known for portraying eccentric people on screen, such as George McFly in Back to the Future, Layne in River's Edge, the undertaker in What's Eating Gilbert Grape, the "Creepy Thin Man" in the big screen...
and Jeffrey WeissmanJeffrey Weissman is an American actor. He appeared in dozens of motion pictures, and TV shows. Most notably having very brief walk-on roles as George McFly in Back to the Future Part II and III with Michael J...
as George McFlyGeorge Douglas McFly is a fictional character in the Back to the Future motion picture trilogy. He is one of the main characters of the first movie, but only a secondary character in the two sequels. He is the father of the series' protagonist, Marty McFly.-Character history:George McFly was...
- Mary Steenburgen
Mary Nell Steenburgen is an American actress.-Personal life:Steenburgen was born in Newport, Arkansas, the daughter of Nell, a school-board secretary, and Maurice Steenburgen, a freight-train conductor who worked at the Missouri Pacific Railroad. Steenburgen grew up in North Little Rock, Arkansas...
as Clara ClaytonClara Clayton is a fictional character, one of the lead characters in the Back to the Future motion picture trilogy, played in Back to the Future Part III and voiced in the animated series by Mary Steenburgen....
Crew
| Film |
Year |
Director |
Writer(s) |
Producer(s) |
Back to the FutureBack to the Future is a 1985 science fiction adventure film directed by Robert Zemeckis, co-written by Bob Gale and produced by Steven Spielberg. The film stars Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly, as well as Christopher Lloyd, Crispin Glover, Lea Thompson and Thomas F. Wilson...
|
1985 -Events:* 3 December - Roger Moore steps down from the role of James Bond after twelve years and seven films. He is replaced by Timothy Dalton.* The Academy Award for Best Picture was won by Out of Africa, while the highest grossing film was Back to the Future.-Top grossing films :source:...
|
Robert Zemeckis Robert Lee "Bob" Zemeckis is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Zemeckis first came to public attention in the 1980s as the director of the comedic time-travel Back to the Future films as well as the live-action/animated film Who Framed Roger Rabbit , though in the 1990s he...
|
Robert Zemeckis Robert Lee "Bob" Zemeckis is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Zemeckis first came to public attention in the 1980s as the director of the comedic time-travel Back to the Future films as well as the live-action/animated film Who Framed Roger Rabbit , though in the 1990s he...
Bob GaleMichael Robert "Bob" Gale is an Academy Award-nominated American screenwriter who co-wrote the science fiction film Back to the Future with writing partner Robert Zemeckis, and the screen plays for the film's two sequels. Gale also co-produced all three films. He is married and although he still...
|
Neil Canton Neil Canton is an American film producer from New York City. The film Caddyshack II was nominated for the unsolicited Razzie Award for Worst Picture...
Bob GaleMichael Robert "Bob" Gale is an Academy Award-nominated American screenwriter who co-wrote the science fiction film Back to the Future with writing partner Robert Zemeckis, and the screen plays for the film's two sequels. Gale also co-produced all three films. He is married and although he still...
|
Back to the Future Part IIBack to the Future Part II is a 1989 film and a sequel to the 1985 film Back to the Future. Like the previous film, it was directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale...
|
1989 -Events:* "Batman" is released on June 23, and went on to become the biggest blockbuster of the year; Grossing over $250 million at the box office.* Actress Kim Basinger and her brother Mick purchase Braselton, Georgia, for $20 million...
|
Story:
Robert ZemeckisRobert Lee "Bob" Zemeckis is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Zemeckis first came to public attention in the 1980s as the director of the comedic time-travel Back to the Future films as well as the live-action/animated film Who Framed Roger Rabbit , though in the 1990s he...
Bob GaleMichael Robert "Bob" Gale is an Academy Award-nominated American screenwriter who co-wrote the science fiction film Back to the Future with writing partner Robert Zemeckis, and the screen plays for the film's two sequels. Gale also co-produced all three films. He is married and although he still...
Screenplay:
Bob GaleMichael Robert "Bob" Gale is an Academy Award-nominated American screenwriter who co-wrote the science fiction film Back to the Future with writing partner Robert Zemeckis, and the screen plays for the film's two sequels. Gale also co-produced all three films. He is married and although he still...
|
Back to the Future Part IIIBack to the Future Part III is a 1990 film and the third and final installment of the Back to the Future trilogy. The film is a science fiction western, using the time travel premise of the series to take Marty McFly and Dr. Emmett Brown back to the Old West of 1885.-Plot:The story continues from...
|
1990 The year 1990 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* CGI technique is expanded with motion capture for CGI characters, used in Total Recall .* The first digitally-manipulated matte painting is used, in Die Hard 2....
|
Back to the Future
16-year-old
Marty McFlyMartin Seamus "Marty" McFly is a fictional character and the main protagonist in the Back to the Future motion picture trilogy, played by actor Michael J. Fox in the three films and voiced by David Kaufman in the animated series.-Biography:...
is accidentally sent back in time to 1955 in a time machine built from a DeLorean by eccentric scientist Emmett L. Brown, also known as "Doc". Upon arriving in 1955, Marty inadvertently causes his mother (Lorraine McFly) to fall in love with him, rather than with his father (
George McFlyGeorge Douglas McFly is a fictional character in the Back to the Future motion picture trilogy. He is one of the main characters of the first movie, but only a secondary character in the two sequels. He is the father of the series' protagonist, Marty McFly.-Character history:George McFly was...
). This begins to cause what Doc Brown later describes as a
paradoxA paradox is a statement or group of statements that leads to a contradiction or a situation which defies intuition. The term is also used for an apparent contradiction that actually expresses a non-dual truth...
that would cause Marty to disappear from existence. To make matters worse, Marty did not bring back any extra
plutoniumPlutonium is a rare transuranic radioactive element. It is an actinide metal of silvery-white appearance that tarnishes when exposed to air, forming a dull coating when oxidized. The element normally exhibits six allotropes and four oxidation states. It reacts with carbon, halogens, nitrogen and...
to power the time machine, so he must find the 1955 version of Doc Brown to help him reunite his parents and return to 1985.
Biff TannenBiff Tannen is a fictional character in the Back to the Future motion picture trilogy, serving as the primary antagonist of the first two films and a minor supporting character in the third film. He is played in the three films and the ride, and voiced in the animated series by Thomas F. Wilson...
, the antagonist, further complicates Marty's efforts to return to an unaltered 1985. Marty successfully causes his parents to fall in love and simultaneously ruins the future of Biff Tannen, who in the end is an
auto detailerAuto detailing is the performance of an extremely thorough cleaning, polishing and waxing of an automobile, both inside and out, to produce a show-quality level of detail. It can be practiced for personal satisfaction, and it is also performed to prepare a car for car shows that feature the...
instead of
George McFlyGeorge Douglas McFly is a fictional character in the Back to the Future motion picture trilogy. He is one of the main characters of the first movie, but only a secondary character in the two sequels. He is the father of the series' protagonist, Marty McFly.-Character history:George McFly was...
's co-worker. Marty learns in the end that his family situation has improved because of the way his parents' relationship was changed by his intervention in the past. However, in the films final moments Doc Brown and the DeLorean appear and Doc tells Marty that he has returned from the future, and that Marty must come back to the future with him.
Back to the Future Part II
Doc Brown travels with Marty to the year 2015 where he has discovered Marty's family is in ruins. Marty buys a sports almanac containing the outcomes of 50 years worth (1950–2000) of sporting events. However, Doc catches him and throws the almanac in the trash, where the aged Biff Tannen finds it. While Marty and Doc are at Marty's future house, Old Biff steals the DeLorean time machine and gives the book to himself just before he goes to the dance at the end of the first movie. When Doc and Marty return to 1985, they find that Biff has used the almanac's knowledge for financial gain, which allows him to turn Courthouse Square into a 27 story casino, "own" Hill Valley, get away with the murder of Marty's father, and later marry Marty's mother. Marty learns that Biff was given the book by an old man in 1955, so he and Doc go back to that date in order to steal the almanac from Biff before he can use it to destroy their lives. They accomplish this in a complex fashion, often crossing their own past-selves' paths. When the duo are about to travel back to 1985, a lightning bolt strikes the DeLorean and scrambles the time circuits, sending Doc back to 1885 and leaving Marty stranded in 1955.
Back to the Future Part III
After finding out that Doc Brown is trapped in 1885, Marty sets out to find the 1955 Doc to help him fix the DeLorean (which has been waiting for him in a mineshaft for 70 years) and restore it to working order. Learning that Doc gets shot in 1885, Marty travels back in time to save Doc (who becomes a
blacksmithA blacksmith is a person who creates objects from iron or steel by forging the metal; i.e., by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut. Blacksmiths produce things like wrought iron gates, grills, railings, light fixtures, furniture, sculpture, tools, agricultural implements, decorative and religious...
) and bring him back to the future. Unfortunately, Marty rips a hole in the fuel line, rendering the DeLorean immobile. Furthermore, Doc falls in love with schoolteacher
Clara ClaytonClara Clayton is a fictional character, one of the lead characters in the Back to the Future motion picture trilogy, played in Back to the Future Part III and voiced in the animated series by Mary Steenburgen....
, and considers staying in 1885. Marty must convince Doc to come back with him and find a way to get back to his time before it's too late. After several dramatic action scenes involving a speeding
locomotiveA locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
, Marty returns to 1985 in the restored DeLorean. It appears on a train track as planned, and Marty jumps out just in time to see the DeLorean time machine destroyed by a modern train. He worries that Doc has been lost in the past forever, when suddenly Doc Brown appears in a new time machine, modeled after a locomotive. He introduces Marty to Clara (to whom he is now married) and his two sons, Jules and Verne. When Marty asks if Doc and his family are going to the future, Doc replies that he's already been to the future. The locomotive flies across the sky and disappears, and the
trilogyA trilogy is a set of three works of art - usually literature, film, or video games, less commonly visual art like paintings or musical works - that are connected, and that can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works....
ends.
Grosses
| Film |
Studio |
Release Date |
Domestic |
Foreign |
Worldwide |
Back to the FutureBack to the Future is a 1985 science fiction adventure film directed by Robert Zemeckis, co-written by Bob Gale and produced by Steven Spielberg. The film stars Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly, as well as Christopher Lloyd, Crispin Glover, Lea Thompson and Thomas F. Wilson...
|
UniversalUniversal Studios , a subsidiary of NBC Universal, is one of the six major American movie studios. Its main motion picture production/distribution arm is called Universal Pictures. Its production studios are located at 100 Universal City Plaza Drive in Universal City, California...
|
July 3, 1985 -Events:* 3 December - Roger Moore steps down from the role of James Bond after twelve years and seven films. He is replaced by Timothy Dalton.* The Academy Award for Best Picture was won by Out of Africa, while the highest grossing film was Back to the Future.-Top grossing films :source:...
|
$210,609,762 |
$170,500,000 |
$381,109,762 |
Back to the Future Part IIBack to the Future Part II is a 1989 film and a sequel to the 1985 film Back to the Future. Like the previous film, it was directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale...
|
November 22, 1989 -Events:* "Batman" is released on June 23, and went on to become the biggest blockbuster of the year; Grossing over $250 million at the box office.* Actress Kim Basinger and her brother Mick purchase Braselton, Georgia, for $20 million...
|
$118,450,002 |
$213,500,000 |
$331,950,002 |
Back to the Future Part IIIBack to the Future Part III is a 1990 film and the third and final installment of the Back to the Future trilogy. The film is a science fiction western, using the time travel premise of the series to take Marty McFly and Dr. Emmett Brown back to the Old West of 1885.-Plot:The story continues from...
|
May 25, 1990 The year 1990 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* CGI technique is expanded with motion capture for CGI characters, used in Total Recall .* The first digitally-manipulated matte painting is used, in Die Hard 2....
|
$87,727,583 |
$156,800,000 |
$244,572,583 |
| Total |
$416,787,347 |
$540,800,000 |
$957,581,847 |
Reviews
| Film |
Year |
Rating |
Top Critics' Rating |
Back to the FutureBack to the Future is a 1985 science fiction adventure film directed by Robert Zemeckis, co-written by Bob Gale and produced by Steven Spielberg. The film stars Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly, as well as Christopher Lloyd, Crispin Glover, Lea Thompson and Thomas F. Wilson...
|
1985 -Events:* 3 December - Roger Moore steps down from the role of James Bond after twelve years and seven films. He is replaced by Timothy Dalton.* The Academy Award for Best Picture was won by Out of Africa, while the highest grossing film was Back to the Future.-Top grossing films :source:...
|
96% |
80% |
Back to the Future Part IIBack to the Future Part II is a 1989 film and a sequel to the 1985 film Back to the Future. Like the previous film, it was directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale...
|
1989 -Events:* "Batman" is released on June 23, and went on to become the biggest blockbuster of the year; Grossing over $250 million at the box office.* Actress Kim Basinger and her brother Mick purchase Braselton, Georgia, for $20 million...
|
63% |
33% |
Back to the Future Part IIIBack to the Future Part III is a 1990 film and the third and final installment of the Back to the Future trilogy. The film is a science fiction western, using the time travel premise of the series to take Marty McFly and Dr. Emmett Brown back to the Old West of 1885.-Plot:The story continues from...
|
1990 The year 1990 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* CGI technique is expanded with motion capture for CGI characters, used in Total Recall .* The first digitally-manipulated matte painting is used, in Die Hard 2....
|
71% |
50% |
| Average |
77% |
54% |
DVD release
In July 1997,
Universal StudiosUniversal Studios , a subsidiary of NBC Universal, is one of the six major American movie studios. Its main motion picture production/distribution arm is called Universal Pictures. Its production studios are located at 100 Universal City Plaza Drive in Universal City, California...
announced that
Back to the Future would be one of their first 10 releases to the new format, though it ended up being delayed for five years. It was finally released in 2002 in
widescreenA widescreen image is a film, computer or television image with a wider and shorter aspect ratio than the standard Academy frame developed during the classical Hollywood cinema era. Silent film was projected at a ratio of four units wide to three units tall, often expressed as 4:3 or 1.33:1...
, with a black box. In the USA, a
fullscreenPan and scan is one method of adjusting widescreen film images so that they can be shown within the proportions of a standard definition 4:3 aspect ratio television screen, often cropping off the sides of the original widescreen image to focus on the composition's most important aspects...
version was also released.
Framing issues
In September 2002, devoted fans of the films quickly noticed that the video of the widescreen version of
Parts II and
III contained many shots that had been framed incorrectly, either because the shots were too high or low to center the image correctly, or because they "zoomed in" on the image, eliminating portions of the image on all sides. One notable example is when Marty's futuristic jacket adjusts itself to fit him, the misframed version does not show the sleeves changing size, thus ruining the visual gag.
In May 2003, Universal corrected the problem and prepared "V2" (Version 2) DVDs, that could only be distinguished from the original, flawed DVDs by the mark of a small "V2" near the edge of the discs themselves (and, of course, by comparing the corrected video). In
Region 2DVD region codes are a DRM technique designed to allow motion picture studios to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and, price; according to the region...
, the discs were called "R1" for revision 1.
However, Universal did not initially begin packaging the V2 discs with the trilogy box set that was being sent to retailers, and the original discs were not
recalledA product recall is a request to return to the maker a batch or an entire production run of a product, usually due to the discovery of safety issues. The recall is an effort to limit liability for corporate negligence and to improve or avoid damage to publicity...
. Instead, Universal set up a toll-free phone number which owners of the original DVDs could call, and ask for a postage-paid envelope to be sent to them. Owners would send their flawed discs to Universal in the envelope, and would soon thereafter receive the corrected "V2" discs by mail.
However, although Parts II and III now contained corrected framing, a new problem appeared with Part III, in that the video contrast was set incorrectly, resulting in scenes that were too dark. Universal then released a third version of the DVD for this film (known in Region 2 as "R2"), and this was sent out as described above.
In January 2005, Universal began a nationwide promotional campaign, announcing that they would reissue the DVDs of the trilogy at a special low price (about half the set's original retail price) on January 25, 2005, and then put the entire trilogy on moratorium a week later, on February 1, 2005, with new stickers on the box declaring "Lowest Price Ever: Own It Before Time Runs Out!" The discs in this release contained no new content or bonus features from the original release: even the packaging was almost identical, except for including the promotional sticker and excluding the multi-page, full color DVD menu booklet. No booklet or chapter insert is included in the revised release, but did finally contain the corrected V2 discs. Curiously, only the disc for
Part II displays the "V2" marking on its edge; the
Part III disc does not, but fans have analyzed its video carefully and concluded that, despite the lack of the "V2" marking, the
Part III disc is the corrected one.
Second DVD release
On October 21, 2008, BTTF.com broke the story that Universal will be releasing each of the "Back to the Future" films individually. The DVDs were released on February 10, 2009. "Back to the Future" became a 2-disc set featuring the documentary "Looking Back to the Future" and "
Back to the Future: The RideBack to the Future: The Ride was a simulator ride based on the Back to the Future trilogy of films and is a mini-sequel to 1990's Back to the Future Part III. It was replaced by The Simpsons Ride....
."
Blu-ray release
In June of 2008, a special screening of the trilogy was held in
CelebrationCelebration may refer to:*Party, a social gathering*The celebration of the Eucharist*The observance of a feast day or holidayCelebration may also be:*"Celebration" , a song by Kool & The Gang, notably covered by Kylie Minogue...
, Florida. Bob Gale told the crowd they were seeing the digitally remastered version that was going to be used for the blu-ray version of the movies. Gale also spoke to potential supplemental features on a blu-ray version of the trilogy, saying only that never-before-seen bonus materials may appear, though he stopped short of offering any specifics. No definite release date has yet been announced.
Release formats and features
|
Box |
Audio |
Scene Specific Commentary |
Framing |
Enhanced MJ Fox interview |
| 1986 (Part I) CED |
Tan with Marty and DeLorean |
Stereo |
No |
? |
No |
| 1986 (Part I) VHS |
Blue with Marty and DeLorean- |
Stereo |
No |
Correct Widescreen |
No |
| 1993 Japanese Laserdisc |
Charcoal with logo |
Stereo |
No |
Generous |
No |
| VCD |
Blue with Marty and DeLorean |
Stereo |
No |
Correct Widescreen |
No |
| 2002 R1 DVD |
Blue with Marty and Doc with DeLorean |
Dolby 5.1 |
Yes |
Incorrect Widescreen |
Yes |
| 2002 R2/R4 UK DVD |
Black with DeLorean |
Dolby 5.1 and DTS |
No |
Incorrect Widescreen |
No |
| 2002 R2 German DVD |
Black with DeLorean |
Dolby 5.1 and DTS |
No |
Incorrect Widescreen |
? |
| 2003 "V2" (Part II & Part III) DVD |
No box |
Dolby 5.1 |
Yes |
Corrected Widescreen |
Yes |
| 2005 R1 DVD |
Blue with Marty and Doc |
Dolby 5.1 |
Yes |
Corrected Widescreen |
Yes |
| 2005 R2/R4 UK DVD |
Blue with DeLorean |
Dolby 5.1 and DTS |
Yes |
Corrected Widescreen |
Yes |
| 2005 R2 German DVD |
Blue with DeLorean |
Dolby 5.1 and DTS |
No |
Corrected Widescreen |
? |
| 2005 R2 Japanese DVD |
Blue with DeLorean |
? |
? |
Corrected Widescreen |
? |
| 2006 R2 UK DVD |
Blue with DeLorean |
Dolby 5.1 and DTS |
Yes |
Corrected Widescreen |
Yes |
| 2008 R2 UK DVD |
Black Steelbook Case with DeLorean |
Dolby 5.1 and DTS |
Yes |
Corrected Widescreen |
Yes |
| 2009 R1 Individual DVDs |
BTTF: Marty with DeLorean
BTTF II: Marty and Doc with DeLorean
BTTF III: Marty, Doc, and Clara with DeLorean |
Dolby 5.1 |
Yes |
Corrected Widescreen |
Yes |
The footage that was shot with
Eric StoltzEric Cameron Stoltz is an American actor. He is known for playing either sensitive misfits or sociopathic criminals...
in the role of Marty McFly before he was replaced with Michael J. Fox has never been officially released. This footage was not included in Universal's original DVD release in 2002 or in 2009, despite many fans hoping that Universal would include it.
Promotional posters
All three posters were created by noted poster artist
Drew StruzanDrew Struzan is an American artist. Struzan has painted album covers, advertising, collectibles, and book covers, but he is best known for his extensive movie poster work....
, although the original concept poster of Marty looking at his watch by the car was by Wayne Coe. Each poster features a variation on the same pose, and has the same number of characters present as each movie is numbered.
- For Part I, Marty is dressed in his 1985 clothes standing beside the original DeLorean time machine, raising his sunglasses and looking at his wristwatch.
- For Part II, Marty and Doc are dressed in 2015 clothes beside a hovering DeLorean, raising their sunglasses and looking at their wristwatches.
- For Part III, Marty, Doc and Clara are dressed in 1885 clothes beside a DeLorean on rails, holding the brims of their hats and looking at pocket watches.
A modified version of the
Part I artwork, which added Doc Brown to the original image, was used on the cover of the trilogy's DVD release.
Games
- Various video games based on the Back to the Future movies have been released over the years for home video game systems, including the ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd. Referred to during development as the ZX81 Colour and ZX82, the machine was launched as the ZX Spectrum by Sinclair to highlight the machine's colour display, compared with the...
and Commodore 64The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January, 1982. Volume production started sometime in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$ 595...
computers, the Sega Master SystemThe Sega Master System is an 8-bit cartridge-based video game console that was manufactured by Sega and was first released in 1986. Its original Japanese incarnation was the Sega Mark III...
, the Sega Genesis/Megadrive, NESThe Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe and Australia in . In most of Asia, including Japan , China, Vietnam, Singapore, and the Philippines, it was released as the , commonly abbreviated as the...
, and Super NintendoThe Super Nintendo Entertainment System or Super NES is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
system.
- LJN
For the airport, see Brazoria County AirportLJN was an American toy company and video game publisher. It created toy lines and video games based on movies, television shows, and celebrities.-Founding:...
also released Back to the Future Part II & III for the NES in 1990, which unlike the previous game, was a side scrolling adventure game that allowed traveling back and forth between the different time periods from the trilogy as Marty attempts to correct the timeline and get back to the real 1985.
- A Japanese-only release for the SNES
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System or Super NES is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
was made based on Back to the Future II. The game was a side-scroller that allowed the player to control Marty on the hoverboard while he battled enemies.
- A 1990 pinball
Pinball is a type of arcade game, usually coin-operated, where a player attempts to score points by manipulating one or more metal balls on a playfield inside a glass-covered case called a pinball machine. The primary objective of the game is to score as many points as possible...
game designed by Joe Kaminkow and Ed Cebula and released by Data Eastalso abbreviated as DECO, was a Japanese video game company. Their main headquarters were located in Suginami, Tokyo, while their American subsidiary, Data East USA, was headquartered in San Jose, California...
Pinball based on the Back to the Future trilogy. This game features three songs that were featured in the movies: "Back in Time" and "Power of Love" (originally performed by Huey Lewis and the NewsHuey Lewis and the News is an American rock band based in San Francisco, California. They had a run of hit singles during the 1980s and early 1990s, eventually scoring a total of 19 Top Ten singles across the Billboard Hot 100, Adult Contemporary and Mainstream Rock Charts. Their greatest success...
), and Doubleback"Doubleback" is a song by ZZ Top from their album Recycler, which was featured in the film Back to the Future Part III. The band had a cameo in the movie playing an "Old West" version of the song along with some local musicians. The regular version of the song plays over the credits."Doubleback"...
(originally performed by ZZ TopZZ Top is an American rock trio, formed in late 1969 in Houston, Texas, by Billy Gibbons , Dusty Hill , and Frank Beard...
).
- The Nintendo GameCube
The is Nintendo's fourth home video game console with Wii being fifth, and is part of the sixth generation console era. It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 and predecessor to Nintendo's Wii....
game, Universal Studios Theme Parks AdventureUniversal Studios Theme Parks Adventure is a video game released by Kemco for the Nintendo GameCube in 2001. Set in a Universal Studios park, the object of the game is to complete several mini-games based on the real-life attractions Back to the Future: The Ride, Jaws, Jurassic Park River...
, featured the Back to the Future: The RideBack to the Future: The Ride was a simulator ride based on the Back to the Future trilogy of films and is a mini-sequel to 1990's Back to the Future Part III. It was replaced by The Simpsons Ride....
as a game.
- Criterion Games
Criterion Games is a Guildford, England based video game developer. It is best known for its work on the award-winning, multi-platform Burnout series, the PS2 and Xbox first-person shooter Black, and the RenderWare middleware game engine, created by Criterion Software.Criterion Software Ltd was...
created a special car for their Burnout ParadiseBurnout Paradise by Criterion Games is the seventh game in the Burnout video game series. It was released in January 2008 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and on February 5, 2009 on Microsoft Windows. It was also released on the PlayStation Store in September 2008 and via Xbox Live Marketplace's...
game called "Jansen 88 Special" which is a replica of the DeLorean that can hover through the streets of the virtual city.
See also
- DeLorean time machine
In the Back to the Future trilogy, the DeLorean time machine was the vehicle used by "Doc" Brown, Marty McFly, and Biff Tannen to travel through time in Hill Valley. It was built by Doc from a DeLorean DMC-12 which used various sources of electricity to power the flux capacitor.-Operation:The...
- DeLorean DMC-12
- Back to the Future
Back to the Future is a 1985 science fiction adventure film directed by Robert Zemeckis, co-written by Bob Gale and produced by Steven Spielberg. The film stars Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly, as well as Christopher Lloyd, Crispin Glover, Lea Thompson and Thomas F. Wilson...
- Back to the Future Part II
Back to the Future Part II is a 1989 film and a sequel to the 1985 film Back to the Future. Like the previous film, it was directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale...
- Back to the Future Part III
Back to the Future Part III is a 1990 film and the third and final installment of the Back to the Future trilogy. The film is a science fiction western, using the time travel premise of the series to take Marty McFly and Dr. Emmett Brown back to the Old West of 1885.-Plot:The story continues from...
- Back to the Future: The Animated Series
Back to the Future: The Animated Series is an animated series based on the Back to the Future trilogy of feature films. The series lasted two seasons, each featuring 13 episodes, and ran on CBS from September 7, 1991 to November 28, 1992, and reran until August 14, 1993...
- Back to the Future The Ride
External links