Yes, it’s finally upon us. ‘Back to the Future Day’ – October 21st 2015 is the exact day that Marty McFly travelled to in the film ‘Back to the Future Part II’ with girlfriend Jennifer and eccentric inventor Doc Emmet Brown.
After years of false dates being photoshopped and shared on the internet the real date featured in the film is here, and I can’t think of a date within popular culture that’s been more keenly celebrated. With 2015 also being the 30th anniversary of the first film in the BTTF trilogy there’s been a renewed interest this year in the films, culminating in 21 October 2015.
Here at ESP, our roving reporter and film reviewer Mikey Clarke got to meet Michael J Fox over the summer at the London Film & Comic Con. Here’s what Mikey had to say about meeting the Back to the Future star.
“When I found out that Michael J Fox was coming to London to meet his fans, I booked tickets at a speed of 88mph (sorry, I couldn’t help myself!). I knew my time with the actor would be just as quick, but I figured I’d rather spend one second beside him than none at all. As a huge fan of 80’s movies, I wasn’t going to let this opportunity pass me by. I was right… I stood beside the Back to the Future legend and before you could say, ‘Great Scott’ (last reference, I promise), I was asked to move for the next fan in line. “Although my time was brief, I noticed a couple of things about him. Firstly, when someone asked him to hold up his arm to look at his watch – like in the film poster – he did it. He clearly struggled to lift his arm due to the Parkinson’s disease, but he did it nonetheless. When I said to him it was an honour standing next to a legend, although he struggled to say ‘Thank you’ he was kind enough to do so. And considering I was there dressed as Marty McFly, holding a homemade Hover Board, he could have called security on me, but again, he was a gentleman. He genuinely seemed like a great guy. Michael J Fox was clearly there for the fans. You could argue that it was more for the money, but considering most of it went to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (www.michaeljfox.org) that wouldn’t be such a bad thing. They say you should never meet your idol in case they disappoint. That certainly wasn’t the case on this occasion.”
If you grew up in the eighties or early nineties like myself or Mikey I’m sure you’ll have your own memories of watching the films. Here in Peterborough in early December 1989 I can remember Back to the Future II was the second film (after Batman with Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson) that I ever saw at the newly opened Showcase cinema. It’s often considered the weaker of the three films, but what I really like about it is that rather than base the whole story in 2015, it travels back to an alternate 1985 and then revisits 1955 from the first film but from a completely different perspective.
Meanwhile, back to the present October 21, and there’s a whole host of things going on for fans to enjoy including:
• ‘The Future 2015’ – Michael J Fox & Christopher Lloyd reunited and starring in a brilliant new car advert for Toyota (the make of car Marty skateboarded behind in BTTF). See them discussing what technology from their version of 2015 did or didn’t come true in the real 2015.
• Jaws 19 – A specially commissioned spoof trailer for the film which has a 3D hologram in BTTF2 that appears to attack Marty from the cinema poster.
• Hoverboard 2.0 – One of the most memorable moments from BTTF Part 2 is Marty skating on a hoverboard made by Matel. In real life kickstarter company Hendo are launching the Hendo Hoverboard 2.0 on 21 October 2015. Using electromagnets in the base, the hoverboard is able to float above a specially metallic surface installed in a skatepark.
ITV2 are also showing all three films back to back. Starting at 4.30pm, (exactly one minute after Marty arrives in 2015 with Doc in the time travelling DeLorean). While at 9pm, they’re showing ‘Keith Lemon’s Back T’Future Tribute Show’ (pictured left).
This could be really good, or it could be the televisual equivalent of having manure poured over your head for 90 minutes as you hear the muffled sound of Johnny B Goode being murdered by a boyband that most Back to the Future fans couldn’t give a flying Delorean about.
Anyway, however you choose to celebrate October 21st 2015 in the words of Doc Brown… “Your future is whatever you make it. So make it a good one”.
Steve Gonzalez
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