Back to the Future (1985)

Director:

Robert Zemeckis

Writers:

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

Release Date:

3 July 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Action | 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 invented time travel, in 1955, Marty McFly accidentally prevented his parents from meeting, putting his own existence at stake.

Plot Keywords:

Self Worth | Interrupted Kiss | Profanity | Reagan On Television | Bicycle

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 12 wins & 22 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	...	Old Man 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	...	The Starlighters
Granville 'Danny' Young	...	The Starlighters
David Harold Brown	...	The Starlighters
Lloyd L. Tolbert	...	The Starlighters
Paul Hanson	...	The Pinheads - Guitarist
Lee Brownfield	...	The Pinheads
Robert DeLapp	...	The Pinheads
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)

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

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	....	stand-by 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
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	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Dan Leahy)
Harry B. Miller III	....	sound editor
Glenn T. Morgan	....	assistant adr editor
Robb Navrides	....	supervising sound editor: restoration
Chuck Neely	....	sound editor
Alan L. Nineberg	....	adr editor (as Alan Nineberg)
Sonny Pettijohn	....	apprentice sound editor
Bruce Richardson	....	sound editor
John Roesch	....	foley artist
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	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Tenny Sebastian II)
Larry Singer	....	supervising adr editor
Fred Stafford	....	sound editor
Jerry Stanford	....	sound editor
Robert Thirlwell	....	sound re-recording mixer
Bill Varney	....	sound re-recording mixer
Darcy Vebber	....	utility sound
David Kelson	....	utility sound (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
Michael Moore	....	assistant visual effects editor
Steve Gawley	....	supervising modelmaker (uncredited)
Ned Gorman	....	production buyer (uncredited)
Pamela Marcotte	....	visual effects (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
Michael R. Marquette	....	assistant camera
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)

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: picture cars
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	....	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 designer
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

• Amblin Entertainment
• U-Drive Productions
• Universal Pictures

Distributors

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

Special Effects

• Industrial Light & Magic (ILM)

Other Companies

• Chapman / Leonard Studio Equipment  dollies
• Dolby Laboratories  sound post-production
• Movie Magic  opticals
• Post Logic Studios  digital film mastering
• Softitler  English subtitles
• Unique Movie Cars  picture cars

Runtime:

117 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

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

Certification:

South Korea:12 | Australia:M (TV rating) | USA:PG | Netherlands:MG6 (DVD rating) | Brazil:Livre | Australia:M | Ireland:PG | Portugal:M/6 | 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:

Amblin Entertainment

Trivia:

The inspiration for the film largely stems from Bob Gale discovering his father's high school yearbook and wondering whether he would have been friends with his father as a teenager.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Obvious stunt double for Biff when he and his thugs are chasing Marty around the town square.

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:

Referenced in "Futurama: Roswell That Ends Well (#4.1)" (2001)

Soundtrack:

PLEDGING MY LOVE

The Lost Blockbuster

Back to the Future is one of those rare, almost forgotten, pieces of pop culture that, surprisingly, draws little attention to itself. Unlike such notable gimmicks as Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Jaws, and Independence Day, there aren't any low-budget leeches trying to imitate off this work and cash-in on its success. This is due to the near flawless script. Why it didn't win an Oscar, you're guess is as good as mine. Making a time-travel storyline as in this movie that doesn't fall into plot holes the size of Terminator's is exceptionally difficult. I'd know.

The film starts slow, and gradually accelerates as it progresses. You could almost call it a Jerry Bruckheimer movie for kids with Spielberg's trademark nostalgia. The characters themselves are typical stereotypes for a movie like this and none of them, not even Marty himself, gel with potential. In some ways it's as if MAD magazine made the film in an attempt to be serious.

With such an automotive obsession as this film has, one must wonder if George Lucas was involved.

Overall, I have to praise this movie for its inventiveness and originality, even if it created most of our time-travel cliches. 4 out of 5 stars. Well worth your time.