I feel like I’ve missed things I wanted to talk about in the previous entries. Mainly because I was so focused on certain bits that I forgot about others. SO, hopefully, I can hit on some of those points here and still keep it simple. I understand the irony in that since my entries have been… extensive. But hey, this is my blog! I can write whatever I want!
I was exposed to Back to the Future part II and III extensively throughout my younger days. One cable network like TBS, USA, or SYFY would frequently run a double feature of both films during holiday weekends or something to that. And it felt like they did it ALL the time. Like the equivalent of how often TNT ran the Beastmater back in the 90s. If that one goes over your head, it’s understandable.
I mentioned last time how elements of part II influenced me as a youth in some ways. This film, however, was largely dismissed by me at that time since it didn’t wow me with the fantasy/science fiction of it all. But as time passes and I mature, I find myself enjoying this entry more and more. And I think because it feels like a refreshing idea. The irony of that statement is the conceit that history repeats itself as this film, the entire trilogy, really likes to imply.
The reason I believe it feels refreshing is because most time-travel tales seem to avoid the old West. Granted, there have been a few but they are very few and far between. Plus, this allows the film to go back to basics and tell a story about someone misplaced in time trying to get home. Sure, it was fun to see a potential future where… I don’t know… maybe Al Gore won the election in 2000. Would that have been our future in 15 years? Doubtful but fun to consider.
The old West was a setting I wasn’t too keen on as a kid. My father would watch old John Wayne and Clint Eastwood movies when I was a kid. And like most kids my age, if the movie was old, in black & white or didn’t feature a kid or some silly shit I could connect with, then I wasn’t interested. Eventually, my perspective changed and I think that’s clear what happened here.
And I respect Bob Zemeckis and Bob Gale for taking a chance, considering the Western genre was effectively dead in Hollywood. Granted, there were a number of them in the 80s, but very few of them were box-office gold. So getting a green-light on a straight Western could have been difficult. Here, they created the opportunity to make a Western in the traditional sense but with a modern sensibility.
The Western influence isn’t just surface level either. While Marty does utilize the moniker Clint Eastwood in the past, the location of the film set and even the Hill Valley clock itself were used in the 1985 film Pale Rider, directed by and starring Clint Eastwood. A film that was ironically dethroned from the box-office by the original Back to the Future. Another interesting connection to that film is Jeffrey Weissman, who replaced Crispin Glover as George McFly, was also in Pale Rider.
I also love that Clint Eastwood was a good sport about all of this. It was said he was tickled by the use of his name in the film. And the fact it was mocked for not being a tough guy name is a pretty funny joke. Fun fact for those who might not be aware, but during the scene at the drive-in when Marty comments that Clint Eastwood never wore clothes like that, Doc responds with, “Clint who?” To the left of Marty are posters for Tarantula and Revenge of the Creature, two of his first films, both of which he was uncredited. On the drive-in marquee, you can see the top-billed title as Francis in the Navy, Eastwood’s first credited role.
The cast variation in this film is another aspect that makes me appreciate this film more as well. As mentioned, part II feels like a light retread of the original film. Same cast, similar beats. Nothing to help make it stand apart outside of settings. In part III, there are the main four cast members that carry over. Mostly everyone else is a fresh face. The additions of Dub Taylor, Pat Buttram, and Harry Carey Jr. were pure perfection as they encapsulate those Western archetypes so perfectly. Dub Taylor was one of those faces I felt like I saw all the time in the 80s. Does anyone remember Soggy Bottom U.S.A.? (Don’t you do that, Sooner!) Also, Pat Buttram is one of those voices I enjoy doing.
I truly love Mary Steenburgen as Clara Clayton. While the film series up to this point never dwells on Doc’s lack of a love life, when he meets her, it’s love at first sight in all the best ways. Doc had never given much thought to it and now it suddenly overwhelms him to the point he can’t think rationally. It’s the perfect conflict for the character and perfectly allows Doc to be the focal point of the story for once. Another fun fact I learned very recently was that the character of Clara Clayton is, in part, based on Mark Twain’s own daughter Clara who almost perished in a similar fashion.
While I am aware that Tom Wilson has spent decades trying to shed the “Biff” image, I would hope he found some joy in getting to portray three different members of the Tannen family. Granted, there are similarities in each role, but I feel like he adds a little something to each that allows them to stand apart. Biff is a proto-typical dumb jock bully. Griff seemed like a bully on crank or speed. While Mad Dog is just a straight-up murderer. I never understood why they removed the scene of Mad Dog killing Marshall Strickland. The film doesn’t stumble for it, but it’s odd when his deputy is seen doing the arrests at the end. And for what exactly? I think they were gonna rob a train or they did… I don’t remember. It just plays out oddly.
A casting choice that didn’t pan out which would have been a fun addition was that of former President Ronald Reagan. Apparently, he was offered the role of the mayor of 1885 Hill Valley. Obviously, he turned it down but couldn’t find any reason as to why. He could have actually acted in a good movie for once. I kid… or do I?
I mentioned Alan Silvestri’s score in the last film being a retread of the original film’s score. And I stand by that since here he really brings some additional flavor to the score. He found a balance of using the original score while incorporating newer, more Western-themed elements into it. The intense nature of the music during the train sequence sticks with me. You hear the adventurous elements. The Western elements. The romantic elements. You can even hear how the music is paced like the sound of a train at times. Then those familiar Back to the Future notes come in to round it all out. It’s blended together so well. He’s a memorable composer for a reason. I sometimes think I should have majored in music studies.
Now, I want to talk about this McFly problem in this movie that I don’t think the filmmakers really thought about. I know it’s a goddamn movie but just follow me. So, in the second film, we see Marty’s kids that both resemble him. Fine. That makes sense. In this film, we are led to believe that Seamus McFly married a woman who looks exactly like Lorraine Baines which raises some serious questions. Now, in saying this, I have to make it aware that the role of Seamus was meant for Crispin Glover, and it would have been a parallel to Marty’s parents. Fine I get that. But Lorraine is a dead ringer for Maggie… I’ve heard Bob Gale dismiss this by saying that maybe the McFly’s have a type. But this would imply they keep it in the family! At least I would read it that way. I don’t know. I would have preferred new actors.
I didn’t mention it in the last episode, but I’ve always been a bit conflicted with the addition of Marty having some personality flaw about being called a chicken. Now, I’ve read in various articles that this inclusion was to give Marty a bit more depth since he seemed somewhat flawless in the original film, although “flawless” is not the term I would use to describe him. He seemed very confident and capable, traits his father lacked, which begs the question of where Marty picked up these traits. But at no point did he ever come off like a hot head in the first film. So to rectify this in my own head, perhaps due to his meddling in the timeline, this new personality quirk arises thus changing his possible future. Had nothing changed in the first film and Doc still went to the future, maybe Doc never returns with a message about his kids. Which makes more sense anyway.
Hey, did you know that Michael J. Fox almost died in this movie? It seems he lost consciousness while being hanged. You know, something that seems very likely to happen. Oh and what the fuck is up with that kid at the end of the flick? If you have no idea what I’m talking about, I posted a GIF below. I have heard that he apparently needed to pee really badly. Still though… that’s a very bizarre way of indicating such a thing.
Back to the Future II and III were the first films I remember in my lifetime to have been shot back-to-back. And while others have attempted the same, I would argue that these two films are the only ones to stick the landing, despite having flaws. I say that because they both feel more connected and the first entry almost feels like the odd one out, if that makes sense. By the time the movie ends, every plot thread that was introduced was tied up in some form. If someone were to ask me what the best movie trilogy of all-time is, I couldn’t give you a straight answer because that’s subjective. But you can’t tell me this trilogy wouldn’t be in the top 5 of that debate.
One final thing that I feel has added to that is the lack of more movies. I would love nothing more than to see one more adventure with Marty, Doc, and the DeLorean. While we have gotten the further adventures through an animated series and even a Telltale game series (which was amazing BTW), it’s not the same as the big screen. And look, I have no grand concept for a sequel that has to be done. Honestly, I’m not even sure where to go from here outside of starting from scratch. But that’s not happening anytime soon since Zemeckis and Gale own the rights to the franchise. Not sure how they negotiated that deal, but that would never happen today. So in a time where every franchise under the sun has been remade, rebooted, or requeled, it’s nice to have one franchise that has remained intact for 40 years. Because the moment they are gone, the reboot will begin. Mark my words.
Pencil & Paper Productions 