Back to the Future (1985)

Director:

Robert Zemeckis

Writers:

Robert Zemeckis (written by) &
Bob Gale (written by)

Release Date:

3 July 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Family | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

He's the only kid ever to get into trouble before he was born. [UK]

Plot:

In 1985, Doc Brown invents time travel; in 1955, Marty McFly accidentally prevents his parents from meeting, putting his own existence at stake.

Plot Keywords:

1955 | Time Machine | 1985 | Time Travel | High School

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 13 wins & 23 nominations

Cast

Michael J. Fox	...	Marty McFly
Christopher Lloyd	...	Dr. Emmett Brown
Lea Thompson	...	Lorraine Baines McFly
Crispin Glover	...	George McFly
Thomas F. Wilson	...	Biff Tannen
Claudia Wells	...	Jennifer Parker
Marc McClure	...	Dave McFly
Wendie Jo Sperber	...	Linda McFly
George DiCenzo	...	Sam Baines
Frances Lee McCain	...	Stella Baines
James Tolkan	...	Mr. Strickland
J.J. Cohen	...	Skinhead (as Jeffrey Jay Cohen)
Casey Siemaszko	...	3-D
Billy Zane	...	Match
Harry Waters Jr.	...	Marvin Berry
Donald Fullilove	...	Goldie Wilson
Lisa Freeman	...	Babs
Cristen Kauffman	...	Betty
Elsa Raven	...	Clocktower Woman
Will Hare	...	Pa Peabody
Ivy Bethune	...	Ma Peabody
Jason Marin	...	Sherman Peabody
Katherine Britton	...	Daughter Peabody
Jason Hervey	...	Milton Baines
Maia Brewton	...	Sally Baines
Courtney Gains	...	Mark Dixon
Richard L. Duran	...	Libyan Terrorist
Jeff O'Haco	...	Libyan Van Driver
Johnny Green	...	Scooter Kid #1
Jamie Abbott	...	Scooter Kid #2
Norman Alden	...	Lou Caruthers
Read Morgan	...	Hill Valley Cop
Sachi Parker	...	Bystander #1
Robert Krantz	...	Bystander #2
Gary Riley	...	Guy #1
Karen Petrasek	...	Girl #1
George 'Buck' Flower	...	Red Thomas (as Buck Flower)
Tommy Thomas	...	Starlighter
Granville 'Danny' Young	...	Starlighter
David Harold Brown	...	Starlighter
Lloyd L. Tolbert	...	Starlighter
Paul Hanson	...	Pinhead - Guitarist
Lee Brownfield	...	Pinhead
Robert DeLapp	...	Pinhead
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Christopher Cundey	...	Lorraine's Classmate (scenes deleted)
Charles L. Campbell	...	1955 Radio Announcer (voice) (uncredited)
Deborah Harmon	...	TV Newscaster (uncredited)
Huey Lewis	...	High School Band Audition Judge (uncredited)
Tom Tangen	...	Student (uncredited)
Mary Ellen Trainor	...	TV News Anchor (uncredited)

Directed by
Robert Zemeckis

Writing credits
Robert Zemeckis		(written by) &
Bob Gale		(written by)

Produced by
Neil Canton	....	producer
Bob Gale	....	producer
Kathleen Kennedy	....	executive producer
Frank Marshall	....	executive producer
Steven Spielberg	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Alan Silvestri

Cinematography by
Dean Cundey		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Harry Keramidas
Arthur Schmidt

Casting by
Jane Feinberg
Mike Fenton
Judy Taylor

Production Design by
Lawrence G. Paull

Art Direction by
Todd Hallowell

Set Decoration by
Hal Gausman

Costume Design by
Deborah Lynn Scott		(as Deborah L. Scott)

Makeup Department
Dorothy Byrne	....	hair stylist
Ken Chase	....	makeup designer

Production Management
Jack Grossberg	....	unit production manager
Dennis E. Jones	....	unit production manager
Arthur F. Repola	....	post production supervisor (as Arthur Repola)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Mitchell Bock	....	first assistant director: second unit
Pamela M. Eilerson	....	second assistant director (as Pamela Eilerson)
Frank Marshall	....	second unit director
David McGiffert	....	first assistant director
Concetta Rinaldo-Williams	....	dga trainee (as Concetta Rinaldo)

Art Department
Cameron Birnie	....	set designer
Ernest Depew	....	construction coordinator (as Ernie Depew)
Al Gaynor	....	graphic artist
Al Gaynor	....	scenic artist
Kirk D. Hansen	....	paint foreman
Joseph E. Hubbard	....	set designer
Dick Lasley	....	production illustrator
Margie Stone McShirley	....	set designer (as Marjorie Stone McShirley)
James Passanante	....	standby painter (as Jim Passanante)
Joe Pfaltzgraf	....	assistant property master
Andrew Probert	....	production illustrator
Michael Scheffe	....	construction coordinator: DeLorean
Arthur Smedley	....	lead person (as Art Smedley)
'Dangerous' Bob Widin	....	assistant property master
John Zemansky	....	property master
Mario D'Alfonso	....	labor foreman (uncredited)
Robert Misetich	....	paint foreman (uncredited)
Drew Struzan	....	poster artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
Charles L. Campbell	....	supervising sound editor
Larry Carow	....	sound editor
Samuel C. Crutcher	....	sound editor (as Sam Crutcher)
Larry Fallick	....	assistant sound editor
Janice Hampton	....	sound editor
Craig Harris	....	processed sound effects
Scott Hecker	....	sound editor
William B. Kaplan	....	production sound mixer
John A. Larsen	....	sound editor
Daniel J. Leahy	....	re-recording mixer (as Dan Leahy)
Harry B. Miller III	....	sound editor
Glenn T. Morgan	....	assistant adr editor
Chuck Neely	....	sound editor
Alan L. Nineberg	....	adr editor (as Alan Nineberg)
Sonny Pettijohn	....	apprentice sound editor
Bruce Richardson	....	sound editor
John Roesch	....	foley
Rod Rogers	....	assistant adr editor
Robert R. Rutledge	....	supervising sound editor (as Robert Rutledge)
Earl Sampson	....	boom operator (as Earl F. Sampson)
B. Tennyson Sebastian II	....	re-recording mixer (as Tenny Sebastian II)
Larry Singer	....	supervising adr editor
Fred Stafford	....	sound editor
Jerry Stanford	....	sound editor
Robert Thirlwell	....	re-recording mixer
Bill Varney	....	re-recording mixer
Darcy Vebber	....	utility sound
David Kelson	....	utility sound (uncredited)
Robb Navrides	....	supervising sound editor: restoration (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Sam Adams	....	special effects
Richard Chronister	....	special effects
William A. Klinger	....	special effects (as William Klinger)
Kevin Pike	....	special effects supervisor
Kimberley Pike	....	special effects
Neil Smith	....	special effects foreman
Steve Suits	....	special effects
David Wischnack	....	special effects foreman
Neil Trifunovich	....	special effects buyer (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Steve Gawley	....	supervising modelmaker (uncredited)
Ned Gorman	....	production buyer (uncredited)
Pamela Marcotte	....	visual effects (uncredited)
Michael Moore	....	assistant visual effects editor (uncredited)
Ken Ralston	....	visual effects supervisor: Bafta (uncredited)
Jay Riddle	....	animation camera: ILM (uncredited)
Thomas Rosseter	....	optical lineup (uncredited)

Stunts
Richard E. Butler	....	stunts
Charles Croughwell	....	stunts (as Charlie Croughwell)
Loren Janes	....	stunts
Max Kleven	....	stunts
Bernie Pock	....	stunts
Spiro Razatos	....	stunts
Robert Schmelzer	....	stunts
John-Clay Scott	....	stunts
Walter Scott	....	stunt coordinator
Per Welinder	....	stunts
Bob Yerkes	....	stunts
Charles Croughwell	....	stunt double: Michael J. Fox (uncredited)
Terry Jackson	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Dic Alexander	....	grip
Richard Babin	....	dolly grip (as Dick Babin)
Clyde E. Bryan	....	first assistant camera
Dan Cooper	....	best boy grip
George La Fountaine Jr.	....	electrical lighting technician (as George LaFountaine)
'Wild' Will MacLean	....	dolly grip
Thomas Marshall	....	assistant chief lighting technician (as Thom Marshall)
Steve Mathis	....	electrical lighting technician (as Steven R. Mathis)
Ralph Nelson	....	still photographer
Michael Orefice	....	assistant chief lighting technician (as Michael Paul Orefice)
Michael Salts	....	grip
Charles J. Schray	....	grip (as Chuck Schray)
Raymond Stella	....	camera operator
Raymond Stella	....	director of photography: second unit
Steve Tate	....	second assistant camera (as Stephen Tate)
Mark Walthour	....	chief lighting technician (as Mark D. Walthour)
Anthony Wong	....	electrical lighting technician
Ronald Woodward	....	key grip (as Ronald T. Woodward)
Ray Gilberti	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Albert Hood	....	electrician (uncredited)
Randy Jonsson	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Ron Kunecke	....	musco light operator (uncredited)
Michael R. Marquette	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Brian Callahan	....	costume supervisor: men
Julie Starr Dresner	....	key costumer
Haleen K. Holt	....	costume illustrator (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Donah Bassett	....	negative cutter (as Donah J. Bassett)
Barbara Palmer Dixon	....	assistant film editor (as Barbara Dixon)
Terry Haggar	....	color timer
Roger Jaep	....	apprentice film editor
Peter Lonsdale	....	assistant film editor (as Peter N. Lonsdale)
Charles Simmons	....	apprentice film editor
David Handman	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Dick Bernstein	....	music software
James B. Campbell	....	orchestrator (as James Campbell)
Bones Howe	....	music supervisor
Kenneth Karman	....	music editor
Huey Lewis	....	musician
Dennis S. Sands	....	music scoring mixer (as Dennis Sands)
Deborah Zimmerman	....	assistant music editor
Tommy Johnson	....	musician: tuba (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Bob Cornell	....	transportation captain (as Bob R. Cornell)
John Feinblatt	....	transportation coordinator
Tom Garris	....	transportation captain
Eugene Schwartz	....	transportation manager (as Gene Schwartz)
Jack Carpenter	....	driver: insert car (uncredited)
Gregory Dultz	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Kate Barker	....	assistant: Ms. Kennedy
Maureen O. Beall	....	production coordinator (as Maureen Osborne-Beall)
Richard L. Calkins	....	animal handler (as Richard Caulkins)
Jeffrey R. Coates	....	production associate
Ron Cobb	....	consultant: DeLorean time travel
Robert R. Draney	....	assistant accountant
Lynn D. Ezelle	....	assistant accountant
Ann Furia	....	assistant accountant
Anthony Gibson	....	production associate
Babette Gorman	....	assistant: Mr. Canton (as Babette T. Gorman)
Nancy Hansen	....	script continuity (as Nancy B. Hansen)
Diana L. Hayes	....	production associate
Brad Jeffries	....	choreographer
Leanne Moore	....	production accountant
Julie Moskowitz	....	assistant: Mr. Spielberg
Gail Oliver	....	assistant: Mr. Zemeckis
Eileen Omaye	....	assistant: Mr. Gale
Ramon Pahoyo	....	craft service (as Ramon B. Pahoyo)
Paul Pav	....	location manager
Bonne Radford	....	production controller
Mary T. Radford	....	assistant: Mr. Marshall
Marsha Robertson	....	unit publicist
Nina Saxon	....	title design
Rob Stevens	....	assistant production coordinator
Steven Talmy	....	production associate
Judy Thomason	....	assistant: Mr. Repola
Robert Weatherwax	....	animal handler
Alexander Xavier Ponce-Bonano	....	scientific consultant (uncredited)

Thanks
Mark Campbell	....	special thanks
Ron Hitchcock	....	special thanks
Gregg Landaker	....	special thanks
Steve Maslow	....	special thanks
Tim May	....	special thanks
Stephen Semel	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures
• Amblin Entertainment
• U-Drive Productions

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1985) (USA) (theatrical)
• Lucernafilm - Alfa (1992) (Czechoslovakia) (theatrical)
• Svenska Filminstitutet (SFI) (1985) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1985) (France) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1985) (UK) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1985) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1985) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (19??) (Argentina) (VHS)
• CIC Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• MCA Home Video (1986) (USA) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1989) (USA) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1988) (USA) (TV)
• Prem'er Video Fil'm (Russia) (VHS)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Home Video (Brazil) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS)
• Universal Pictures (1985) (USA) (all media)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) (visual effects produced at) (as Industrial Light & Magic)

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera cranes and dollies (uncredited)
• Dolby Laboratories  sound post-production (uncredited)
• Intrada  score album released by (limited edition)
• Movie Magic  opticals
• Panavision  Panaflex camera and lenses by
• Post Logic Studios  digital film mastering (uncredited)
• Softitler  English subtitles
• Unique Movie Cars  picture cars (uncredited)

Runtime:

116 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Ireland:PG | USA:PG | Netherlands:MG6 (DVD rating) | Australia:M (TV rating) | Portugal:M/6 | Australia:M | South Korea:12 | Brazil:Livre | Spain:T | Canada:G (Quebec) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Canada:PG | Chile:TE | Finland:K-10 | Iceland:L | Italy:T | Netherlands:AL | Norway:11 | Peru:PT | Singapore:PG | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:PG (certificate #27831) | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

1711 Bushnell Avenue, South Pasadena, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Doc Brown's middle initial is "L" but no name was ever actually given. Bob Gale, the film's writer, was asked about this and gave him the name "Lathrop" (almost "portal" backwards - see above).

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Marty is being chased by terrorists, it appears as though a stunt double is driving the car. Actually, this is footage that was shot with the actor Eric Stoltz playing Marty. Michael J. Fox was later chosen over him, but they kept the driving scenes at the mall with Stoltz in, since the shots were fairly distant and the driver's face is not particularly visible.

Quotes:

[first lines]
1985 radio announcer: October is inventory time, so right now, Statler Toyota is making the best deals of the year on all 1985 model Toyotas. You won't find a better car at a better price with better service anywhere in Hill Valley...

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "Family Guy: Road to Germany (#7.3)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

EARTH ANGEL (WILL YOU BE MINE)

A Time -Travelling Classic

Zemeckis's 'Back To The Future' trilogy has been a childhood favourite for a long time. Having revisited it today, brought me to a nostalgic state. The 80's saw a lot of excellent original fun 'young' films like 'Back To The Future' (of course), 'Better Off Dead', 'Heathers', 'The Breakfast Club' etc. What really made these films immensely enjoyable then, and classics today, is that they really reflected what it was like being a young person in the 80s. The movies themselves were well written, well executed, well acted and they cut straight to the point.

Back to 'Back To The Future'. This one is sheer fun, even today. There's an incredible energy about it but it still manages to stay an 'innocent' film. The music is very effective. It's slick and follows a steady pace. The special effects are decent. Though people might pick on the plausibility of the time travelling, I think this is really a very minor flaw because it is overall a well written movie and the point was to entertain. Yet, this is not to say that it's brainless entertainment. I think it cleverly brings forth some interesting themes and I liked how they funnily used some ideas of Oedipus Rex's story.

The acting is superb overall. Christopher Lloyd as the over-the-top mad scientist is a laugh riot. Michael J. Fox totally owns Marty McFly with his natural charisma, raw energy and brilliant dialogue delivery. Lea Thompson is cute and vivacious and Crispin Glover is good.

'Back To The Future' is one of the most enjoyable time-travelling classics. It's over 23 years old and it still hasn't gotten old. Sadly, they don't make it like this these days but then again we always can revisit them. That's why they're classics.