Lea Thompson Movie:

Editorial Review:
Dr. Emmett Brown: Then tell me, "future boy," who is president in the United States in 1985?
Marty McFly: Ronald Reagan.
Dr. Brown: Ronald Reagan? The actor?! Who's vice president? Jerry Lewis?

Filmmaker Robert Zemeckis topped his breakaway hit Romancing the Stone with this joyous comedy with a dazzling hook: what would it be like to meet your parents in their youth? Billed as a special-effects comedy, the imaginative film (the top box-office smash of 1985) has staying power because of the heart behind Zemeckis and Bob Gale's script. High schooler Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox, during the height of his TV success) is catapulted back to the '50s where he sees his parents in their teens, and accidentally changes the history of how Mom and Dad met. Filled with the humorous ideology of the '50s, filtered through the knowledge of the '80s (actor Ronald Reagan is president, ha!), the film comes off as a Twilight Zone episode written by Preston Sturges. Filled with memorable effects and two wonderfully off-key, perfectly cast performances: Christopher Lloyd as the crazy scientist who builds the time machine (a DeLorean luxury car) and Crispin Glover as Marty's geeky dad. Followed by two sequels. --Doug Thomas

Back to the Future [Region 2] Reviews:
Back to the Future
2009-12-23 - Looking back nearly 25 years ago and it's hard to believe that Back to the Future almost never got made. It doesn't seem even slightly conceivable that Back to the Future almost didn't get made because almost all but one studio thought it wasn't risque enough to compete with other teen comedies like Revenge of the Nerds, Porky's, and Fast Times at Ridgemont High. (That other studio was Disney, and they passed on Back to the Future because they thought it was too risque because it featured a girl falling in love with her future son who hadn't actually been born yet.) To add to that, it almost didn't exist in the form that we know it today. Michael J. Fox initially wasn't available to play Marty McFly due to scheduling conflicts with Family Ties, so the filmmakers went with Eric Stoltz (Butterfly Effect, Pulp Fiction, etc.). But they couldn't agree on the tone of the film, and Stoltz, while a great actor, didn't "get" Marty McFly. Despite all these setbacks and more Back to the Future finally hit the screen to become the highest grossing film of 1985, and launching one of the most loved trilogies of all time.

Marty McFly is a regular high school teenager. He's in a band, but can't catch a break. His parents are lame. He has a hot girlfriend. His best friend is a local scientist and inventor. Late one night Marty goes to meet his friend, Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd), at the local mall to document the unveiling of his new invention: a time machine made out of a DeLorian. But the unveiling goes awry when the Libyans Doc Brown conned out of their precious plutonium they asked him to use to make an atomic bomb, Marty finds himself in 1955. Having taken his father's place for his mother's affection, Marty must get them together or risk fading into nothingness.

Written by Bob Gale based on the concept of would him and his dad be friends if they were in high school together, Back to the Future is a masterpiece. All of the characters are well written and rounded (with the possible exception of the school bully, Biff Tannen) and the plot takes us somewhere foreign yet familiar, magical but still down to earth. With the direction of Robert Zemeckis (Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Disney's A Christmas Carol, Beouwolf, Polar Express, etc.), despite the effects (or lack thereof)and kitsch of the 80's you still get something timeless. Even now, the style of the 80's is played at times as a joke against the backdrop of the 50's, which only adds to the timelessness of this classic. Not to mention the sets, all done on the Universal back lot, really embody the 80's, and then the 50's. BttF is a true testament to all the components coming together to make a film perfect.

Everyone in this movie is practically known for who they play in this movie, not because they haven't gone on to do other great things, but because they fit the characters so perfectly. Michael J. Fox might have Teen Wolf, Spin City, Doc Hollywood, and Family Ties but people will always call him Marty McFly. Same for Christopher Lloyd, he'll always be Doc Brown. For most of the actors in this film this is not their first forray into film (except for Billy Zane, who you'll catch in his first film appearance if you watch real closely), and it won't be their last, but if all of their other films are forgotten, what will probably be all of the casts most iconic performances will live on.

I'm sure most of you have already seen this film, if not all of you, but it can't be too far fetched to think there are still some out there who haven't (heck, I know a guy who hasn't seen the Star Wars Trilogy, or hadn't as of a few years ago). If you haven't seen Back to the Future, get on board, you seriously don't know what you're missing!

5/5

The Film That Defies The Word "Genre"
2009-12-10 - When you head to your local video rental store, or browse the selection online with a site like Netflix, the titles are usually arranged according to genre, such as drama, action, comedy, romance, etc. However, when it comes to Back To The Future, truly one of the classic films of our generation, a copy would need to be put in almost every category, as it is the only film I have seen to date that defies the very notion of genre.

The basic story revolves around young 1980s kid Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) whose friendship with mad scientist "Doc" Brown (Christopher Lloyd) ends up with Marty in a time machine (made out of a Delorean, as if any more humor was needed!) whisked away to the year 1955, where he skewers the timeline and must make sure that his parents meet (and procreate sometime down the line, if you will) and fall in love once again.

Yet, that "simple" plot contains so, so much more in terms of just overall entertainment. It is hilarious ("Why don't you make like a tree...and get out of here"), romantic (the George-Lorraine plot thread), dramatic (will Marty make it back home?), and full of enough action and adventure to rival a Stallone or Schwarzenegger flick!

The acting is also some of the best that cinema has to offer. While Fox and Lloyd play the primary leads, the acting trio of Lea Thompson (playing Lorraine Baines), Crispin Glover (George McFly), and Thomas F. Wilson (Biff Tannen) almost steal the entire show on certain occasions with their various personalities. Even the "bit players" are superb in their short, yet very important/meaningful appearances.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about this entire film experience, though, is the detail put into each and every scene. One must pay close attention to every single detail (no matter how seemingly small) of every single scene in the 1980s-portion of the film in order to better understand the jokes and sight gags of the 1950s-era time frame. I have probably watched this entire film all the way through at least a dozen times, yet on each viewing I find something new that I seemed to have missed.

Thus, on my list of "greatest movies of all-time", this effort is without a doubt in the top five for its ability to suck a viewer in on all levels. Watch with confidence knowing there will never be a dull moment!

Only one Good Thing about this release...
2009-11-17 - When Back to the Future came out as a Trilogy Box Set on DVD i was very disappointed. The picture quality is very good, the sound.... but....
Come one... Where are the individual Boxes with original Cover Art? For me this release is the only thing good that has...
But in my opinion, picking up these movies to watch, i pick the Letterbox Edition on Laserdisc and most of the times the Muse Hi-Vision Laserdisc Edition and watch them in 1080i Full HD. The DVD or even Blu Ray cannot match the Laserdisc Cover Art... besides those are the Original Ones.
Much better than DVD, natural and original colors, and it's the Best way to watch Back to the Future until now...

Let's see what Blu Ray brings to us, but i am expecting HOT Picture and Sound!! :)

I'M BACK TO THE 80'S!!!!
2009-11-11 - Una de las mejores peliculas de ciencia-ficción y comedia que he visto de la pasada decada de los 80s, donde teniamos esos grandes actorazos como Mr. Fox, quien da rienda suelta a uno de sus mejores personajes, el joven McFly (Alias "Clavin Klein" o "Lewis Strauss, como le llaman en los años 50s); una trama que te mantiene amarrado al asiento desde que comienza la pelicula, y que llega a una problematica tal que te pican los dedos por saber como va a terminar toda esa situación: el problema del joven que accidentalmente viaja en un auto DeLorean convertido en maquina del tiempo hacia los años 50s, donde conoce a sus padres siendo jovenes y al involucrarse en sus vidas pone en peligro su propio futuro, teniendo que buscar al cientifico que le envio al pasado (asumiendo que existe, aunque no esta tan viejo en la actualidad) para resolver su situacion y regresarlo al "presente"; un viaje al pasado, a la nostalgia y a esas buenas peliculas ochenteras que te dejan un magnifico sabor de boca.

back to the future
2009-09-09 - Always enjoy the nostalgia of the first one since I was born in 1955. O.k. for kids except for language. Not thrilled when people use "for God's sake sake" or "God's sake" unnecessarily. The trilogy is fun to watch back-to-back.