I actually wish it was still there. I know they didn't plan for a trilogy or even any sequels at all, but I always loved how this said 'To be Continued' and the next one has a 'To be Concluded' logo at the end.

I would like to get rid of the trailer for Part 3 at the end of 2 though.

Wait, wait - come back... I haven't even told you that we just replaced the original movie star lead with some kid from tv!

I know it says Van Halen but it's a handwritten label and it's not an actual Van Halen song that plays, just a Van Halen-esque riff.   And Marty certainly plays like Van Halen... so I dunno.

I guess I always assumed it was a little clip from "Eruption" or "Atomic Punk". According to TMZ, it actually is Eddie Van Halen just messing around. In universe, tho, it might be Marty emulating Eddie to demo to other musicians at school.

/nobody rules these streets at night but me

Trey: I think it SHOULD have been Marty's band's tape. They even establish his band's name, so all they would have had to do was change the label on the tape. *sigh* I guess they went for the funny pop culture gag instead. 10 points to you if you know the name of Marty's band without checking.

I didn't include the "put your mind to it" thing in because it happens three times at the beginning, middle and end and therefore seemed like more of the theme of the movie than anything else. (And I couldn't decide how I would fit all of that one on the page in any sort of organized manner. But I'll put it on the list so Teague can put it in his infographic if he wants to.) -- Edit: D'oh! The sister popularity one is good, too! Will add.

And my "cool story bro" tale for the movie is this: Going to see Back to the Future was my parents' first date. So for me this movie has almost always had this extra layer of, "What if I have to go back in time, to make my parents go on their first date to see a movie about a kid who has to go back in time to make sure his parents go on their first date." The idea blew my mind as a youth and has remained much more of a threat in my head than it really should.

Trey wrote:

And the demo tape itself is a setup - (I believe) it's the same tape he later uses to melt George's brain.   (I admit I could be wrong on this one).

I'm pretty sure it's a Van Halen tape.

I know it says Van Halen but it's a handwritten label and it's not an actual Van Halen song that plays, just a Van Halen-esque riff.   And Marty certainly plays like Van Halen... so I dunno.

Insert shots are always suspect to me (severed arm in the Mos Eisley cantina, etc) - and that Van Halen label always seemed to me like a last-minute attempt to explain - or change - whatever that tape was originally intended to be.

I could be wrong, it's just a suspicion I have.

Cool Story Bro time - I am old enough that several of my USC film professors also taught Lucas and Zemeckis, and one of those professors was always saying "You can save any scene with an insert shot".    That was probably the single most important thing I learned in film school, really - and when I see critical information presented via insert shots in Lucas or Zemeckis movies I always think "Yep, I had that same guy."

(It would say "collated/written/whatever by [you], infographic by [me]." I'm not trying to steal your thunder, I just really like making infographics, and this is outstanding.  )

And the demo tape itself is a setup - (I believe) it's the same tape he later uses to melt George's brain.   (I admit I could be wrong on this one).

I'm pretty sure it's a Van Halen tape.

I think that makes the actual break Marty's final scene with his mom in the stairwell, where we find out for sure that Lorraine has chosen George.   Once that's settled, we immediately cut to Marty meeting up with Doc at the clock tower and the race to the finish is on.