BACK TO THE FUTURE Brings its 40th Anniversary to 4K

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to 4K Ultra HD, Bluray and Digital from director Robert Zemeckis celebrating the 40^th Anniversary are films that are beloved and so iconic with BACK TO THE FUTURE, BACK TO THE FUTURE II and BACK TO THE FUTURE III.

BACK TO THE FUTURE: Welcome to Hill Valley in 1985 and the life of teenager Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) who lives with mom Lorraine (Lea Thompson), dad George (Crispin Glover), brother Dave (Marc McClure) and sister Linda (Wendie Jo Sperber). Mom seems to have a problem with the drink, dad is constantly being bullied by boss Biff Tannen (Thomas F. Wilson) and the only consolation is girlfriend Jennifer (Claudia Wells). Marty also has a friend in scientist Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) and really enjoys spending time with him when he’s not working on playing music.

Doc calls Marty to the mall to show him a time machine he’s made out of a DeLorean with a flux capacitor powered by plutonium. Well, the plutonium was sort of lifted from some angry people and a shoot out happens in the parking lot but Marty accidentally does the 88 miles per hour sending the DeLorean through time. Well, now Marty is in 1955 and doesn’t know how to get back home. A series of incidents bring him face to face with his mom and dad as teens but he doesn’t have time for that. He finds Doc and explains what has happened as they both discover another source of power and it has to happen soon or Marty’s future could be in jeopardy.

Once home, Marty is in for a huge surprise!

BACK TO THE FUTURE II: Marty isn’t home very long before Doc shows up in the DeLorean letting him know he must accompany him into the future because there are problems. This time they take Jennifer (Elisabeth Shue) with them! It seems Marty and Jennifer have children and now Marty Jr. is in trouble going up against Biff’s grandson Griff (Thomas F. Wilson). Doc knows the only way to fix this is by Marty taking his son’s place to handle Biff and his shenanigans.

Jennifer finds herself in her future home and learns about what Marty’s co-worker Douglas is up to and it could hurt the family. Biff, in the meantime, has found the Delorean, returned to 1985 and found a way to become wealthy. Now things have changed again and this time his mother Lorraine is involved! Now Marty must do some sleuthing himself to find out what is really going on and set things right.

Doc finds himself in a place Marty never could have imagined he’d go!

BACK TO THE FUTURE III: Marty gets a letter and it seems Doc has found himself in 1885 and the only way to get to him is find the DeLorean left with Doc 1955’s help. Follow? Even though Doc has told Marty not to come, that’s not about to stop him. Arriving in the west and with a damaged DeLorean, Marty finds himself in the presence of his great-great-grandparents Seamus and Maggie McFly who take him in. Asked his name, he replies, “Clint Eastwood” and all around him is the new town of Hill Valley.

Immediately, Marty recognizes Buford “Mad Dog” Tannen as Biff’s relatives and they are just as much a problem as they are in the future. Doc and Marty realize the only possibility of getting home (since there is no plutonium or lightening), that a locomotive will have to work. Doc meets schoolteacher Clara Clayton (Mary Steenburgen) and he’s smitten. At a town festival, Buford challenges Doc to a showdown and it’s hoped they will be gone by then. As with all things that Doc and Marty are involved in, things get chaotic and quick thinking needs to happen which is good since Marty knows how Buford is. On the locomotive, there one chance to get home turns into the most unexpected result.

Then again, Marty and Doc always do the unexpected!

Fox as Marty made a name for himself on the television series Family Ties which led to him playing the iconic character of a young man with an interesting life. After seeing the first film, there is no one else who could possibly play the role of Marty then or now. Fox had the amazing ability of timing with his humor, facial expressions that are hilarious and played opposite every character in such a way that he made it look easy. Maybe it was easy for him because, honestly, it looked like a blast to do. Fox is the reason for such repeatable lines such as, “you made a time machine…out of a DeLorean?” and so many more. I still hear people say things from the films still today and clearly, anyone who is a BACK TO THE FUTURE fan will know them instantly and from which film.

Lloyd as Doc is another character that can not be played by anyone else – ever. In the films he is clever, hilarious faces and embodied the character full on in all three films. Playing along side Fox, these two actors bounced off one another in such a way it flowed and kept us all entranced from the first film to the last. That is important because films in the 80’s had, and still have, such an impact on people that I don’t think the character of Doc would have worked without him. Instead, he gave us so much in this role that returning for all three films is nothing short of appreciated by fans and stellar in every way possible.

Thompson as Lorraine also gets the chance to play a teen, then Mom and future Mom. As a teen she was absolutely charming and cute, as a mom she showed the vulnerability of questionable youngster choices and it follows her when Biff pulls his nasty stunts. I loved watching Thompson in all three films and, as with Fox and Lloyd, she will always be Lorraine. Glover as George was the dad that just couldn’t seem to cut a break in the family life and as a teen, it took one moment with his sons help to change his future. That is food for thought even today, one choice can change everything.

Wilson as Biff and all the Biff incarnates is mean, vicious, hilarious, silly, and mainly a generational bully. That being said, well done sir, well done! I remember in the theatre people yelling at Wilson’s Biff being very unhappy with his shenanigans which is the sign that he was doing something very right. I’m a firm believer that if an actor can cause massive outrage, then his craft deserves a golf clap – if not several.

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has just added an amazing film to their library and making it available for us to all experience and re-experience in our own home theaters. There are films of every genre available from scary to drama to family films. For more of what they have to offer please visit www.uphe.com.

MOVIES ANYWHERE gives viewers the ability to download the Movies Anywhere App. With that you can view films by downloading or streaming to your favorite device using a Digital Code. For more information on Movies Anywhere please visit www.MoviesAnywhere.com.

Bonus Feaures include All New Content 40 Years Later: Reflecting on the Future, Back to Hill Valley, Untold Stories of BACK TO THE FUTURE, TCM Classic Film Festival Panel, and A Mystery is History. In other words, 90 minutes of All-New Bonus!

Legacy Bonus Features include Tales from THE FUTURE: 6-Part Documentary, Deleted Scenes (Commentary by Producer Bob Gale), An Alternate Future: Lost Audition Tapes, The Hollywood Museum Goes BACK TO THE FUTURE, BACK TO THE FUTURE: The Musical Behind the Scenes, Could You Survive the Movies? BACK TO THE FUTURE, OUTATIME: Restoring the DeLorean, Looking BACK TO THE FUTURE, and The Physics of BACK TO THE FUTURE with Dr. Michio Kaku.

Also, Huey Lewis and the News “The Power of Love” Music Video, ZZ Top “Doubleback” Music Video, BACK TO THE FUTURE: The Ride, Archival Featurettes, Behind the Scenes, 2015 Message from Doc Brown, 2015 Commercials, BACK TO THE FUTURE: The Animated Series (2 Episodes), Michael J. Fox Q&A, FAQs About the Trilogy, Theatrical Trailers, Q&A Commentary with Director Robert Zemeckis and Producer Bob Gale and Feature Commentary with Producers Bob Gale and Neil Canton.

It was 1985 and the theatrical experience was turned upside down as throws of people went to theatres because of a movie called BACK TO THE FUTURE and it was a monster hit. Yes, I was at the theatre with my kids as well at the time. My sons were especially taken with the films and it was Fox that got them into skateboarding and puffer vests along with attempting one liners – okay, they were funny. The same reaction happened with BACK TO THE FUTURE II and III. Audiences had embraced the characters of Marty and Doc because, at that time, adventure, imagination, creativity and originality was everything in the theatre.

These three films were a reason for entire families to go to the theatres together. It was “wholesome” entertainment, not exactly a word we hear much now. Everyone had a great time, everyone laughed, everyone cheered and everyone left the theatre in a fantastic mood. Can you imagine? No technology, no phones, no ipads etc., just a family going to the movies together to have a wonderful time. Maybe that is why these films are so nostalgic for the 80’s crowd, because it is reminiscent of a time of focus on family films and family fun – not to mention an amazing soundtrack that most of us can still sing today.

So, gather the kids and grandkids for a three-film experience that is memorable and see it through a new generation’s eyes with BACK TO THE FUTURE, BACK TO THE FUTURE II and BACK TO THE FUTURE III.

In the end – nothing better than a time machine for fun and adventure!