Movie Debate #70: Back to the Future

[JamesRobot | 5,839]

I definitely asked for a hoverboard for Christmas.  I was utterly convinced they were real.

[PII | 1,899]

20 hours ago, RH said:

Ok, I was close.  It is hosted by Leslie Nielson, however, it's Zemekis who doesn't imply (he outright lies!) that these are legit!

¡Shit!, I remember this now!  He straight up told us that they were real, they've been around for a while and it's all your parents fault that you can't have one.  INSIDIOUS.

[ThePhleo | 2,186]

8/10

I love this movie, but I know it’s not “the pinnacle of cinema”

[Robot_Ninjutsu | 122]

On 5/20/2021 at 9:16 AM, TDIRunner said:

As a kid, I never heard about the hover board rumors, so I never had that trouble.  But I do remember at the end of the third movie, when Doc gives Marty his gift.  He opens it up to find the picture they took in front of the clock during the party.  As a kid, I was super disappointed in that gift.  I was sitting there like "why didn't Doc give Marty the hover board back?"  Funny thing is that as an adult, I realize just how awesome having that picture would be.

I remember being a bit bummed that Doc didn't give the Hoverboard back to Marty, but I too realize that picture is far more awesome. I found a sweet replica of it on Etsy, but I don't quite have the "old-timey" frame for it.

In the (comic) story about Doc & Clara showing what they did before they show up in 1985 in the train, there is a panel showing Clara resting her feet on the hoverboard in their home. So Doc did end up keeping it.

I guess I should point out that I consider the comics to be official canon/a continuation. 

[RH | 4,980]

29 minutes ago, Robot_Ninjutsu said:

I guess I should point out that I consider the comics to be official canon/a continuation. 

What about the Saturday morning cartoon TV show? Are those considered canon?

[captmorgandrinker | 1,650]

On 5/16/2021 at 1:11 PM, RH said:

I gave it a 9 but I want to give it a 10. I couldn't though, since 2 and 3 edge it out a bit. I think I could give each of those films a 10.

2 maybe, but 3?

3 has grown on me a little over the years, but not higher than like a 6 on a poll.

[Robot_Ninjutsu | 122]

@RHI personally ignore the cartoon. It's a bit too "kiddy" in tone compared to the movies.  Plus: Doc was so worried about time travel & the effects of time travel, but now they're all screwing around in time & fighting every ancestor Biff ever had?  Yeah, sure.

The IDW comic tone was in line with the movies, and actually explained some things I'd wondered about the movies.  Bob Gale oversaw the IDW run, and included some things from the IDW comics in the recently released "Delorean Owner's Manual" book, so I take that as the IDW comics are canon.

[JamesRobot | 5,839]

So I took the day off and went to see Back to the Future at the theater.  It was phenomenal and I had the whole place to myself.

And I'm still noticing little things here and there.  This go round I noticed...

When Marty meets up with Doc at the mall he starts to ask about his hazmat suit, "Hey Doc, is that a Devo‐"  Doc: "Not now!" I don't know why but I never caught the Devo reference before.

There's a lot of repeated lines from past to present.  The one that I never previously caught is when Marty returns and is telling his parents how great they look.  "Mom, you look so thin!"  Which is what he previously told her in 1955 when he is struggling to not tell her that she looks hot.

Finally, the greatest insight I had was surrounding Marty telling Doc about his dad laying out Biff and that he had previously never never hit anyone.  Doc says, "He's never done that before?" (Punched someone.) Then he has a concerned look for a moment.  We all know things turn out better for the family in the present but the real implication is that Marty becomes too confident (assertive) in future.  Remember, he is actually afraid of rejection of his demo tape in the beginning, an inherited trait from his dad.

So in 1955 Marty stands up to Biff in the school cafeteria and Biff calls him chicken but Marty isn't triggered and doesn't really respond.  He is already sticking up for his mom at that point anyway.  But in the sequels, he can't walk away from the taunt and always replies that "Nobody calls me chicken[or yellow]!" And it always gets him in trouble (though he learns his lesson for a moment at the end of part II and avoids the accident resulting from the race with Needles).

So yeah, still a 10.

Edited June 3, 2021 by JamesRobot