I can't find the right words to describe what these films have meant to me and I know I'm not alone. Marty and Doc are like old friends, and the countless internet memes that accompanied the arrival of the year 2015 reminding us of a fictional future that included flying cars, power-laces, self-drying jackets and hoverboards(which are real btw) is a testament to the timeless appeal of their endlessly enjoyable adventures. "Jaws 19"? The Bobs weren't THAT far off. Our current, creatively-challenged cinematic landscape clearly illustrates why we still take the Delorean out for a spin. Let's go "Back", shall we...
"Back to the Future"(1985)
Would you have been friends with your father in high school? Could you resist the teenage version of your Mom if she looked like Lea Thompson?? These questions were the jumping-off point for the cleverest concept to make the rounds in Reagan-era Hollywood, and a screenplay that's still the envy of everyone that's ever written one. Alas, foolish Tinsel-town suits didn't see the potential, but the most powerful man in the industry did, and that was all the support the fledging pair of Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale needed. Steven Spielberg arranged for the energetic, insanely charismatic star of "Family Ties" to travel back to 1955, replacing the more serious-minded Eric Stoltz as McFly several weeks into filming in an unprecedented move. Fellow sitcom standout Christopher Lloyd is a manic delight as Doc Brown, and the magical chemistry on display here insured that neither would ever have to worry where their next paycheck was coming from. This perfect blend of sci-fi, action and comedy has never been bettered in the three decades before or since, and Alan Silvestri's epic score deserves a mention for enhancing the Delorean's plutonium-powered flight from those loathsome Libyans all the way up to that pulse-pounding bolt of lightning(I just can't see a refrigerator having nearly the same effect).
With all due respect to "E.T.", "Indiana Jones" and Ghostbusters", "BTTF" is THE most beloved film of the 1980s. It's already well on it's way to occupying a permanent place alongside "The Wizard of Oz" in our collective psyche, and believe it or not, the Bobs weren't even planning on a sequel. Universal basically demanded one in the wake of total box office domination, 'To Be Continued' was tacked onto the VHS release(remember those?) and an entire generation eagerly waited to see what the future looked like.
"Back to the Future Part II"(1989)
Bob Gale began work on a mammoth script in April '86 that would later be split into TWO sequels, a concept enthusiastically embraced by studio execs in the wake of Zemeckis' OTHER iconic crowd-pleaser "Who Framed Roger Rabbit". That film's lengthy production allowed for a fantastically full-on explanation of paradoxes(Lloyd is simply a joy in the role he was born to play) and an exceedingly entertaining exploration into the space-time continuum. Tom Wilson never got enough credit for playing so many different versions of pop culture's preeminent bully Biff Tannen, his evil cross between Donald Trump and Elvis Presley reducing George McFly to a tombstone in the hellish alternate 1985(Crispin Glover famously dropped out over money and/or a creative dispute, depending on who you ask). Bob Z whisks us back to 1955 at a breakneck pace to retrieve that timeline altering-almanac for a brilliant recreation of many of the first film's key events.
"BTTFII" was released with substantial hype and fanfare on Thanksgiving Eve, and really feels like the last gasp of pure, unadulterated '80s cinema in retrospect. It wouldn't be long before Scorsese assembled his Goodfellas and Hannibal Lecter was a household name. That flying Delorean is from a simpler time that instantly takes me back to when I was a kid coming to the realization that the movie screen was an effortless escape from reality. "Empire Strikes Back" has got nothing on this film's 'dark' cliffhanger, and my nine-year old self was counting the days to see the dynamic duo in the Wild West.
"Back to the Future Part III"(1990)
The delightful conclusion was seamlessly shot back-to-back with "Part II", and hit theaters six months later on Memorial Day weekend. The Bobs wisely put the complex time travel logic to rest for an affectionate spoof of the venerable Western genre, while adding the lovely, underrated Mary Steenburgen as Doc's sweet soul-mate Clara Clayton. A lovesick Doc listens to his heart instead of his head, while a maturing Marty mimics Clint Eastwood in a fun role reversal. "Part III" seems to get the red-headed stepchild/"Temple of Doom"-treatment from a lot of fans, which may have been simply unavoidable considering the wild popularity of it's predecessors. But even "Return of the Jedi" has it's share of detractors, so "III" is in good company. It's still VERY much a BTTF movie, and the train-pushing-the-Delorean finale rivals the original's clock-tower climax as the series' most exciting sequence.
There's a strong feeling of finality as ZZ Top's "Doubleback" blares through the end credits(the Delorean was destroyed!). This was 'THE END' and everyone involved meant it. A silly animated series couldn't possibly match the intelligence of the trilogy, and the Bobs have repeatedly shot down any and all requests for a fourth film. Fox and Lloyd continued their film work for much of the '90s, without ever approaching the dizzying heights of "BTTF"(MJF eventually returned to his TV roots with "Spin City" before Parkinson's forced an early retirement). Zemeckis kept cranking out hits, most notably "Forrest Gump", a similarly overwhelming success that put him out from under Spielberg's long shadow. "The Walk" is arguably the best film coming out in October 2015, and I don't have to inform "Future" fanatics about the significance of that month. I know I'll be celebrating the 21st with a Pepsi Perfect, watching all 5 hours and 41 minutes up on the big screen. I'll be bringing Claudia Wells AND Elisabeth Shue, and you better keep your damn hands off them. See you in the future.
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