Post by Torgo on May 14, 2012 2:14:16 GMT -5
I was browsing through Wal-Mart the other day and I was shocked to find that they were playing the original Back to the Future on their television. Internally I wondered why they were playing such an old movie, especially when its Blu-Ray release was about a year or two ago and wasn't fresh on their shelf. Maybe they got tired of playing Alvin and the Chipmunks 3, Hop, and the Tooth Fairy 2 (starring the unbearable hilarious Larry the Cable Guy), and who would blame them?
Long story short, I walked up to the woman behind the register and I told her "Whoever put Back to the Future up there is a goddamn genius" and bought the Blu-Ray trilogy.
It never really occurred to me why I didn't buy the Blus sooner, because I recall being all over the initial DVD release of the films day one. This is my fourth time buying these movies. I own them on VHS, two editions of DVD (my first copy was full screen, due to rumors of framing issues on the widescreen release, so I upgraded when they were individually released), and now I own them on the latest format. I have all three movies memorized, so another viewing is hardly necessary. But here I am anyway, buying movies I've seen at least a hundred times, so I can watch them again.
As I sat here and marveled at their stunning hi-def transfers (and they look really, really good), memories flooded my head. Kids my age always acted out scenes from Star Wars. Me and my group? We played BTTF, and I was always Doc. I had this unnatural obsession with Doc Brown. In retrospect, he's probably my all time favorite movie character. Christopher Lloyd's body movements and line delivery mesmerized me. No kid could play Doc like me, and it was pointless to ask me to play Marty or Biff (I probably could have done either, but I digress).
What occurs to me while watching these movies for the one hundred and first time of watching these three movies back to back to back (TO THE FUTURE! Hehe, I do puns) is that each film is entirely different, yet they somehow flow as a whole adventure when odds are they shouldn't.
Take the first film. It's the most self contained of the three movies, since it was made without the intention of setting up a franchise (despite its quirky cliffhanger ending). The idea is simple, sending a kid to high school with his own parents. In the film, time travel is merely a plot device to set it up. But the time travel scenes, as well as the scenes with Christopher Lloyd, are such scene stealers that the overshadow the premise upon which the entire movie is based. The movie is actually just a fun character comedy, a comparison of generations with humorous and touching results. The real hero of the movie is supposed to be Marty McFly's father, George, as he learns the value of self-confidence. We're shown two versions of his own future, one where he's a nervous wreck and another where he's found the value of esteem. In the former, the human doormat has suffered financial hardship and his family is struggling to make ends meet. In the latter, not only has he found success and passion, his children have as well. According to the DVD/Blu-Ray features, there are people who interpret the ending of this movie to mean that happiness means financial gain. While I understand how one can make that claim, that interpretation seems quite a bit superficial to me, and I think the much more important lesson is being ignored by those who criticize it. The family in the beginning isn't unhappy because they aren't wealthy, they're unhappy because they feel they have nowhere to go. It's not saying there's happiness in money, it's saying when you believe in yourself the possibilities are endless; you can positively influence your own life as well as the lives of those around you.
Except Biff. Biff's always going to be an ass.
But the sad thing about the entire story is that as good and well told as it is, and as great a moment as George punching Biff in the face is, it's not the first thing you remember when you watch the movie. It's always the climatic scene in the thunderstorm, as Doc struggles with a stubborn wire and Marty races the clock to hit said wire at a fateful moment when lightning strikes it. Logic dictates that they could have probably just hooked the wire into the damn car, jacked it up, and hit the accelerator and it would have had the same effect without the billion things that could have gone wrong. But that wouldn't have been dramatic enough a finale now wouldn't it? And between you and me, as smart as Doc is, I'm not sure if his brain works that way. No the finale we have is one of the best scenes in film history. To date I still get chills watching it (and it's played in all three movies! It's just that good!). This is both a blessing and a curse. I'm sure these money shots led to the movie being as popular as it is, but one has to ask if it's being remembered for the right reason. Kind of like how Star Wars isn't remembered for its thin and uninteresting plot, but because lightsabers look f'ing cool.
But even if the adventurous side of the film steals the show, that can't be the only reason the movie is fondly remembered. If it were, then the sequels would have been more highly regarded. They have fans, but most would be hardpressed to call them classics. They both emphasize spectacle over story and push the adventure of the idea to the limit. But I contend that's a good thing. As good as the first Back to the Future is, when the filmmakers found themselves trying to follow up the story, recreating the dramatic idea of the first film would have been pointless. Instead they decide to figure out what kind of mischief Marty and Doc could get into with such a device, and with that idea they created just about the best sequels imaginable.
While both the first and the third films concentrated their story on time travelers stuck in a time period trying to get home, the second film creates an interesting and new story. Marty and Doc have a misadventure in the future that really has nothing to do with anything, but find that their tampering with the future has actually changed the past, as an older Biff steals the time machine and returns to the day that he was humbled and returned his own self confidence, this time for the worse.
The adventure through time goes everywhere, and as a child it was my favorite of the three. The first act in the future is wild and over the top, and I find it hard not to adore it, even if it is a slight tonal clash with the previous film. But as the time period is not the focus of the story, the film keeps the gags fast and the visuals flashy until the premise comes into focus.
From there we travel into an alternate reality where the dangers of time travel are realized and Doc rants about how he should never have invented time travel. However, one can't help but wonder if conserving the one true timeline was that important to him, why was he insistent on fixing Marty's future in 2015? The predicament they found themselves in is outrageous enough to work in spite of this, but paradoxes aren't the only confusing thing about time travel. There's always an odd question that doesn't matter here and there. For example, I've always wondered just what in the hell Marty's family thought of some crazy old man who keeps hanging out with their son.
Out of the disturbing alternate timeline full of greed and violence ("EAT LEAD, SLACKERS!") we return to 1955, the same year as the first movie. So we have both the first movie and the second movie happen simultaneously. The camera tricks and plots twisting upon each other keep the film exciting and the momentum builds up until its own, much more intense, cliffhanger.
The third movie is essentially a copy of the first, yet done much differently. There's no emphasis on fixing the timeline and it's much more about the time period they're stuck in. In this case, they borrow from my least favorite genre, the western. Thankfully the franchises sense of humor keeps it afloat. Surprisingly, the fish-out-of-water aspect is more subdued, even though these characters are 100 years out of date instead of only 30.
Instead, the emphasis is on romance. Specifically, Doc Brown's romance. Despite the fact that the movies are told from Marty McFly's point of view, none of them seem to be actually about him. But Doc's story shows a recluse being opened up. Doc finds himself falling in love, something he seems to have never comprehended. Growing up, I found that the third was always the most popular with women because of this. Select critical sources would claim the film to be the worst, but I have to argue that catering to the western and romantic demographic, Back to the Future Part III delivers the goods. I can't claim to be a part of either demographic, but when I'm taken in by the characters, which Back to the Future already won me over with two previous films, I can be interested in just about any film.
I mentioned before that growing up that my favorite film was the second. I'd like to emphasize the "growing up" part of that statement. Does that mean I hold a different film to higher regard today? Not entirely. It's hard to get out of a child's mentality while watching these films. I'm still kind of mad that in disc format, you can't get the "To Be Continued..." that was included on the VHS release. I feel guilty for being mad since it wasn't a part of the original print, but it's a part of my childhood memories of these movies and it feels wrong without it. Because of my childish nature, Part II will always be my nostalgic favorite. The first film is unquestionably the best made and most well developed story, making it the most solid film of the series. The third has virtues that become more and more apparent as I grow older and only continues to age more solidly.
So ask me what my favorite movies are, and when I say the Back to the Future films, don't ask me "Which one?" My answer would be "All of them." Each film compliments each other in ways very few franchises can imagine, and watching them continues to be the most fun I've ever had plopped in front of a television set.
Thank you for reading. Now make like a tree and get out of here.
Long story short, I walked up to the woman behind the register and I told her "Whoever put Back to the Future up there is a goddamn genius" and bought the Blu-Ray trilogy.
It never really occurred to me why I didn't buy the Blus sooner, because I recall being all over the initial DVD release of the films day one. This is my fourth time buying these movies. I own them on VHS, two editions of DVD (my first copy was full screen, due to rumors of framing issues on the widescreen release, so I upgraded when they were individually released), and now I own them on the latest format. I have all three movies memorized, so another viewing is hardly necessary. But here I am anyway, buying movies I've seen at least a hundred times, so I can watch them again.
As I sat here and marveled at their stunning hi-def transfers (and they look really, really good), memories flooded my head. Kids my age always acted out scenes from Star Wars. Me and my group? We played BTTF, and I was always Doc. I had this unnatural obsession with Doc Brown. In retrospect, he's probably my all time favorite movie character. Christopher Lloyd's body movements and line delivery mesmerized me. No kid could play Doc like me, and it was pointless to ask me to play Marty or Biff (I probably could have done either, but I digress).
What occurs to me while watching these movies for the one hundred and first time of watching these three movies back to back to back (TO THE FUTURE! Hehe, I do puns) is that each film is entirely different, yet they somehow flow as a whole adventure when odds are they shouldn't.
Take the first film. It's the most self contained of the three movies, since it was made without the intention of setting up a franchise (despite its quirky cliffhanger ending). The idea is simple, sending a kid to high school with his own parents. In the film, time travel is merely a plot device to set it up. But the time travel scenes, as well as the scenes with Christopher Lloyd, are such scene stealers that the overshadow the premise upon which the entire movie is based. The movie is actually just a fun character comedy, a comparison of generations with humorous and touching results. The real hero of the movie is supposed to be Marty McFly's father, George, as he learns the value of self-confidence. We're shown two versions of his own future, one where he's a nervous wreck and another where he's found the value of esteem. In the former, the human doormat has suffered financial hardship and his family is struggling to make ends meet. In the latter, not only has he found success and passion, his children have as well. According to the DVD/Blu-Ray features, there are people who interpret the ending of this movie to mean that happiness means financial gain. While I understand how one can make that claim, that interpretation seems quite a bit superficial to me, and I think the much more important lesson is being ignored by those who criticize it. The family in the beginning isn't unhappy because they aren't wealthy, they're unhappy because they feel they have nowhere to go. It's not saying there's happiness in money, it's saying when you believe in yourself the possibilities are endless; you can positively influence your own life as well as the lives of those around you.
Except Biff. Biff's always going to be an ass.
But the sad thing about the entire story is that as good and well told as it is, and as great a moment as George punching Biff in the face is, it's not the first thing you remember when you watch the movie. It's always the climatic scene in the thunderstorm, as Doc struggles with a stubborn wire and Marty races the clock to hit said wire at a fateful moment when lightning strikes it. Logic dictates that they could have probably just hooked the wire into the damn car, jacked it up, and hit the accelerator and it would have had the same effect without the billion things that could have gone wrong. But that wouldn't have been dramatic enough a finale now wouldn't it? And between you and me, as smart as Doc is, I'm not sure if his brain works that way. No the finale we have is one of the best scenes in film history. To date I still get chills watching it (and it's played in all three movies! It's just that good!). This is both a blessing and a curse. I'm sure these money shots led to the movie being as popular as it is, but one has to ask if it's being remembered for the right reason. Kind of like how Star Wars isn't remembered for its thin and uninteresting plot, but because lightsabers look f'ing cool.
But even if the adventurous side of the film steals the show, that can't be the only reason the movie is fondly remembered. If it were, then the sequels would have been more highly regarded. They have fans, but most would be hardpressed to call them classics. They both emphasize spectacle over story and push the adventure of the idea to the limit. But I contend that's a good thing. As good as the first Back to the Future is, when the filmmakers found themselves trying to follow up the story, recreating the dramatic idea of the first film would have been pointless. Instead they decide to figure out what kind of mischief Marty and Doc could get into with such a device, and with that idea they created just about the best sequels imaginable.
While both the first and the third films concentrated their story on time travelers stuck in a time period trying to get home, the second film creates an interesting and new story. Marty and Doc have a misadventure in the future that really has nothing to do with anything, but find that their tampering with the future has actually changed the past, as an older Biff steals the time machine and returns to the day that he was humbled and returned his own self confidence, this time for the worse.
The adventure through time goes everywhere, and as a child it was my favorite of the three. The first act in the future is wild and over the top, and I find it hard not to adore it, even if it is a slight tonal clash with the previous film. But as the time period is not the focus of the story, the film keeps the gags fast and the visuals flashy until the premise comes into focus.
From there we travel into an alternate reality where the dangers of time travel are realized and Doc rants about how he should never have invented time travel. However, one can't help but wonder if conserving the one true timeline was that important to him, why was he insistent on fixing Marty's future in 2015? The predicament they found themselves in is outrageous enough to work in spite of this, but paradoxes aren't the only confusing thing about time travel. There's always an odd question that doesn't matter here and there. For example, I've always wondered just what in the hell Marty's family thought of some crazy old man who keeps hanging out with their son.
Out of the disturbing alternate timeline full of greed and violence ("EAT LEAD, SLACKERS!") we return to 1955, the same year as the first movie. So we have both the first movie and the second movie happen simultaneously. The camera tricks and plots twisting upon each other keep the film exciting and the momentum builds up until its own, much more intense, cliffhanger.
The third movie is essentially a copy of the first, yet done much differently. There's no emphasis on fixing the timeline and it's much more about the time period they're stuck in. In this case, they borrow from my least favorite genre, the western. Thankfully the franchises sense of humor keeps it afloat. Surprisingly, the fish-out-of-water aspect is more subdued, even though these characters are 100 years out of date instead of only 30.
Instead, the emphasis is on romance. Specifically, Doc Brown's romance. Despite the fact that the movies are told from Marty McFly's point of view, none of them seem to be actually about him. But Doc's story shows a recluse being opened up. Doc finds himself falling in love, something he seems to have never comprehended. Growing up, I found that the third was always the most popular with women because of this. Select critical sources would claim the film to be the worst, but I have to argue that catering to the western and romantic demographic, Back to the Future Part III delivers the goods. I can't claim to be a part of either demographic, but when I'm taken in by the characters, which Back to the Future already won me over with two previous films, I can be interested in just about any film.
I mentioned before that growing up that my favorite film was the second. I'd like to emphasize the "growing up" part of that statement. Does that mean I hold a different film to higher regard today? Not entirely. It's hard to get out of a child's mentality while watching these films. I'm still kind of mad that in disc format, you can't get the "To Be Continued..." that was included on the VHS release. I feel guilty for being mad since it wasn't a part of the original print, but it's a part of my childhood memories of these movies and it feels wrong without it. Because of my childish nature, Part II will always be my nostalgic favorite. The first film is unquestionably the best made and most well developed story, making it the most solid film of the series. The third has virtues that become more and more apparent as I grow older and only continues to age more solidly.
So ask me what my favorite movies are, and when I say the Back to the Future films, don't ask me "Which one?" My answer would be "All of them." Each film compliments each other in ways very few franchises can imagine, and watching them continues to be the most fun I've ever had plopped in front of a television set.
Thank you for reading. Now make like a tree and get out of here.
