Back to the Future (PG)

Director Robert Zemeckis’ 1985 Oscar winning ‘Back to the Future’ is the last of our November movies chosen by younger members. Here’s what Moving Image projectionist John W. says about their choice:

“A hugely enjoyable time-travel sci-fi adventure comedy starring Michael J Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson and Crispin Glover. The storyline delights in plot twists and ‘what if’ moments as Marty McFly (‘the only kid to get into trouble even before he was born’) accidentally gets sent back thirty years in a time-machine built into a 1980’s DeLorean sports car, back to 1955 to meet his teenage parents, invent the skateboard and (incidentally) change the course of rock&roll history.

“Back to the Future is DEFINITELY in my top 20 films of all time, not because of its artistic direction, not even because it’s not corny (it is quite) but because it’s clever AND funny, has such outrageous overacting from Christopher Lloyd (as the eccentric inventor Doc. Emmett Brown) and because the story itself, without ever being self-conscious, is so intertwined with the very business of making movies: storylines, re-takes, set pieces and camera shots; really you could base a whole film studies course around this crazy film. But basically I just love this film.

“Speaking personally, it also has a special poignance for me as it was the last movie I ever watched with my dad (himself a bit of an inventor) just before he became ill with Parkinson’s Disease (a condition that was coincidentally to hit Michael J Fox himself some years ago). It’s an enjoyable, optimistic film that has been a great family favourite with us and our (teenage) son too, so I am doubly pleased to be able to show it this weekend as part of these Moving Image November screenings.

“Back to the Future is a great film for anyone who values second chances, teenagers, anti-gravity machines, Chuck Berry or Relativity jokes. So if any of that is for you and you can manage to get up to ‘eighty-eight miles per hour’ then come down to Phillip Road on Sunday at three where you’re going to see some serious… TIME TRAVEL!”

Back to the Future (CERT PG) Director: Robert Zemeckis (USA 1985) 116 mins.

Heres a short BBC TV news item with Michael J Fox talking about Parkinsons.