Thanks for articulating your points Bullet3, I think there is some merit to a few of the things you say, but I disagree with the point you make below:

Both Zemeckis & Gale have stated that they didn't want to spend a lot of time in the future because predicting the future is hard and your film will look stupid if it's full of lame predictions. The hook at the end of part I was just a joke that needed to be paid off. (You COULD totally remove 2015 from BTTF2 if you add an insert of young Biff finding a 1985 Sport's Illustrated in the trash on main street..maybe Doc was cleaning out the DeLorean before sending it back to 1985).

One thing to remember is that BTTF2 was shot in or around 1988, so I think it's fair to say concept art for costumes and sets could have been started as early as 1987. Zemeckis & Gale do talk about their vision of the future on the DVD commentary for BTTF2.  They specifically dialed up references to Asian culture because in the late 80's it seemed as though the USA would be bought out by the Japanese. Also, look at fashion in the 80's, if you amped up the ridiculousness of that decade's fashion I can see how they went off the wall in BTTF2. I think it's a matter of perspective. In 1989 it probably didn't seem TOO far fetched, as scary as that may seem...

In regards to future cars, many of those cars were concept cars produced by American car companies & reused for the film - and I the police cruiser was inspired by the Bladerunner spinner.

Lastly, I don't think there was any way around redressing the sets since so much of the action takes place on a backlot set. The first move extensively redressed the set to go from 1955 to 1985. For me that's part of the charm of the trilogy. Hill Valley is supposed to be the odd little microcosm of America, I think it would have been hard (i.e. expensive) to duplicate that feeling if actual locations were used.

Unrelated: in the commentary DiF talks about how they mentally dealt with the disappearing siblings in the photo while viewing the film as children. I was truly disturbed by that concept as a kid. In 1985 Dave (the older brother) leaves to take the bus to work. Later in 1955 his head is gone...I was convinced for years that there was a headless Dave corpse on the bus in 1985. I had nightmares about it.

As one of those audiences back in 1989, I'll say: no.

You don't have any two-bladed ties? Well, I guess Indiana has finally pulled ahead of California in fashion. Just wait till you start seeing the three shells in restrooms.

Was happy to hear you guys, considering you guys seem to really like science (and detailed science) forgive some of the stuff in this movie. I think it was Brian that made the point, that if you have true characters and a good story, you just accept the magic bean and move on, great point.

And I never really thought about the whole "Biff was an attempted rapist of my now wife and now I'm employing him" thing. Maybe Biff should've been the bum on the bench, at the end (replacing the original, timey whimey explanation).

And I think it's fun to know how old people are when they see things. I was 10 when I saw BTTF (in theaters, born in '75), a great age to see it.

Please eventually do Part II & III (nice idea about Part II being the final chapter btw)

Edit: About what was thought in '89 about the future: I doubt many actually thought there would be flying cars in the "near" future. I also like the aesthetic of 2015 in BTTF2's future. 

But I never bought that the Cubs would win the World Series by then. Absurd.

And sorry, but Delorean's really are shit cars (at least the engines). They really don't go fast.

I'd still want one though

Last edited by Mr. Pointy (2011-12-29 05:20:31)

The only thing about the second one that really bothers me is how the main story arc starts. Old biff steals the DeLorean and goes back to give himself the almanac, then returns to the future so Doc and Marty can go back to 1985. The movie gives an explanation about the time divergence, but the fact that old biff gets back to the old future contradicts that explanation. I also don't like that they cut out the bit where old Biff vanishes. As a kid I thought he had accidentally stabbed himself with his cane as he was trying to pull it out of the car. Turns out he was in the process of vanishing.

And why would he vanish? Does Biff die before 2015 in the new future? Maybe that's why they cut it out? But then... so are we supposed to think he stabbed himself with the cane?

Also, they should have called back to the whole "Those boards don't work on water!" thing. They made too big a deal out of it for it to not get called back later in the film or the third.

I love Deloreans,.... I was even researching earlier today at prices for new and used Deloreans.  I want to get one, but they're out of my price range.     Maybe I should get that Model instead.... 

I almost crashed my car last month by stopping in the middle of the road, staring at a Delorean pulling out of Wal-mart's parking lot.   

"Life is about movies; anything else is a bonus!"- Me   

Hahahahahahahahaha! Sucker!

No, yeah, we were. :-P

I always enjoyed this movie as a kid, but it wasn't until I watched it as an adult that I truly understood how great it was. I now got alot of the jokes (particularly Doc's) such as the world's gravity and Reagan as president, that went over my head as a young 'un.

It's a classic, a great, powerful story under the trappings of an exciting and funny adventure.

Network is another that always gets a nod. To me, the magic of BTTF is more the casting than the screenplay per se. But the film itself is certainly one of the great films of all time. I rank it well above oft-cited Some Like It Hot, which feels formulaic to me even compared to The Lady Eve or 1, 2, 3. But comedies get so little respect anyway, it's a crime. BTTF isn't even on the AFI 100 list.

Couple links for y'all.

Found that DMC-12 drag race (I assume Teague did all the graphics):

Chris Hardwick had Tom Wilson on his Nerdist podcast not too long ago (turns out he's a huge nerd, who knew?), in which he goes into some detail about BTTF.  The blurb on the page is on the back of postcard like handouts he carries around for fans, and has answers to the most common questions he gets:

Nerdist Episode #125 w/ Tom Wilson

Many of which, of course, are also answered here:

Last edited by Matt Vayda (2012-01-24 20:03:44)

good job nonetheless Teague!

The "A" Car is being restored.

https://www.facebook.com/timemachinerestoration

Last edited by Snail (2012-02-28 02:54:45)

"Life is about movies; anything else is a bonus!"- Me