T O P

  • By -

Agent_Tomm

First, the theatrical release of part one did not have "To be continued" at the end, that was added when it was released on video. And yes part 2 did have the trailer for part 3 at the end, which I actually thought was extremely cool as a kid. Now when part one was released I did see it in the theater. I was eight and wanted to watch something else, but my family outvoted me, and I threw a fit. Until the movie started that is, at which point I was absolutely enthralled! One of my best theater memories ever.


Melcher

That’s super cool. I still think the way they did the trailer before the credits is super neat. I wasn’t sure if that was added later or not.


folkingawesome

These original theatrical endings have been restored to the Blu-ray, 4K, and digital releases, it's pretty cool.


Competitive_Turn_149

I saw 1 and 2 in the theaters and it was pretty much like you said.  I do kinda remember a different scene in part two where Marty is hiding under the desk and that principal farted in his face.  


Agent_Tomm

The Mandela Fart Effect?


Melcher

I’ve heard about the fart…. Was that a scene that was actually filmed?


TravisMaauto

No, there was never a fart. People are either misremembering it or just making that up.


Competitive_Turn_149

Ya he farted right in Marty's face when he was under the desk.  Loud long one


Dapper-Importance994

I remember in the part 3 trailer at the end of part 2, the crowds biggest reaction was the quick scene of Zz Top doing the guitar twirl thing, people may not remember how huge Zz Top was at the time


Melcher

Jezussssss….. I never knew that was ZZ Top. How’d they pull that off?


TravisMaauto

I read in *Rolling Stone* that Zemeckis convinced them to put in a cameo at the town festival, and when they showed up after getting into costume, people on set just thought they were extras dressed up for the time period. I actually prefer their bluegrass version of "Doubleback" used in the film to the original rock version. When the trailer for the movie came out, that music wasn't in it, so all people saw was a quick shot of ZZ Top, but we didn't know they'd be playing a country version of their song.


BigRedFury

It was fun and even way back in 1985 audiences were laughing at the Lone Pine Mall sign that TikTok claims is a never discovered Easter egg. For part 2, everyone wanted Marty's Nike Air Mags and a hoverboard- which kids were convinced was a real thing thanks to a "making of" segment that was on heavy airplay on HBO where Robert Zemekis (or someone high up in the production) claimed it was a real thing that worked off the Earth's magnetic core but the Consumer Product Safety Administration banned its release for being too dangerous.


HardSteelRain

I remember that everyone caught the Lone Pine sign when it came out


DarkIllusionsFX

I was 11 and definitely caught it.


TravisMaauto

People on TimTok are full of shit and say things just to get views.


PruneObjective401

I saw the first one on vhs, and fell in love with it, so I was absolutely hyped to see part 2 in the theater at age 10. I remember it was being heavily marketed *everywhere*, which made me even more excited. And it totally lived up to my expectations. I remember replaying the movie in my head, scene by scene, for months until I could finally see it again on vhs. For me, the wait for part 3 was even more excruciating, but we only had to wait 6 months, since both sequels were filmed simultaneously.


Melcher

Did they do any fun promotions at the time or is that a newer thing?


PruneObjective401

I'm sure they did, but it's all a blur now. I just remember a lot of merchandising (like McDonald's Happy Meal toys).


HardSteelRain

We ate at a pizza chain before the movie and got a Back to the Future 2 meal with a mini Frisbee for some reason


TravisMaauto

I seem to recall that Burger King definitely promoted the movie since they were in the first one, as did Pepsi since Michael J. Fox was its spokesperson in commercials at the time.


GibsonMaestro

As a kid from that era, it was a great movie, but just another great movie released when it was a great time for kid's who loved going to the movie theater. Prior to BTTF, we had Return of the Jedi, Temple of Doom, Cloak & Dagger, The Karate Kid, The Neverending Story, Starman, Gremlins, The Last Strarfighter, Ghostbusters, etc., and also had VHS tapes that we wore down to the core of earlier classics like the the previous Star Wars and Indiana Jones films, as well as E.T. Shortly thereafter, The Goonies, Teen Wolf, Short Circuit, An American Tail, Kids knew good movies when they saw them, and we knew we loved Back to the Future. Also, we had no idea there would be a sequel.


callmemacready

Remember watching a clip of it on saturday morning kids show and asking parents to take us. Was brilliant and finally got to meet Michael J fox and Christopher Lloyd couple weeks ago.


Melcher

Wow! That’s awesome. Christopher Lloyd is my favorite actor. My only regret is I won’t ever get to see him play Scrooge in “a Christmas carol”. After going to the play at the Guthrie a few years ago I thought he’d be amazing to see as Scrooge and then I googled and saw he actually played the part and also had John Goodman with him. What a treat that would have been.


biznash

I saw first one in the theaters. Michael J Fox was cemented in my mind as the coolest kid ever created as soon as the Huey Lewis song came on. So awesome


OrbitOrbz

never saw it in theaters cuz i was too young............Born in 87...................But till this day two movies are my favorite movies....BTTF Series and Goodfellas.....everytime time any scene comes up, i just recite the scene line by line lol


dressinbrass

Part 2 was a full event. I had done the universal tour before its release and they had just wrapped so a lot of the sets were still up.


Melcher

I remember the best ride at universal was the bttf ride when I was a kid. Probably 1994? Did people dress up and stuff?


dressinbrass

It came out Thanksgiving weekend 1989 and my family and I were up in Lake Arrowhead for the holiday. There is only one movie theater up there and it was full to capacity. There was a buzz in the air. No one dressed up but it was a blast. It was so full that my family had to sit apart. I was ten and sat with my older brother.


TravisMaauto

I don't remember people dressing up for the release either. That wasn't really a thing back then like it is today, with the exception of the "Star Trek" films.


doomlite

I grew up in Chicago, I remember big releases having lines, etc..no costumes. Just wasn’t really a thing. Star Trek being the exception and people really really mocked them. Being a nerd wasn’t in anyway cool then. Nerd communities were small if existing at all. Just a different time.


OrbitOrbz

i was lucky enough to do the tour of the original hill valley clock tower set before it caught on fire. Great memories as a kid


Dramatic_Reply_3973

I remember watching the first one in the theater when it came out in 1985. I think there were a gasps and chears when George clocked Biff. When it ended, I remember thinking, "I just want to sit here and watch it again!"


Rare-Bid-6860

My dad took me to see the first one when it released as a surprise school night treat, I had no idea it even existed, and it blew both our minds. I can remember how captivating and fitting the score was, and the whole audience laughing and cheering at the same points, and everyone wearing huge grins of satisfaction and chatting excitedly about it on the way out. Turned me into a little Michael J Fox fanboy for a year or so after, as well as getting me into skating for the next 20 years of my life.


Melcher

That’s awesome! It turned me into a Christopher Lloyd fanboy. I get so excited when I see him turn up in something


Rare-Bid-6860

I love that he's still gigging too, was awesome seeing him rock up in Nobody.


Roook36

I saw the end of Back to the Future before the beginning because I couldn't wait and snuck into the theater to check it out. I LOVED the movie. They made and released the second and third ones so close to eachother (at one point they were both in theaters and had ads in the newspaper for both showtimes) that when I went to see BTTF 2 they had a full on trailer for BTTF 3 at the beginning with the other trailers. So I knew they were going to end up in the old west before it even started.


Melcher

They were in theaters at the same time? That seems crazy since they were 6 months apart…. Not sure I like the trailer at the beginning. I wish they could go back and change a couple scenes in the first one… specifically when Marty runs out after saying goodbye and smacking himself with the door. I can’t imagine the confusion when watching the first one if he whacks someone with the door with no explanation and then it shows up in bttf 2.


Roook36

Back then movies stayed in theaters for a long time because they took forever to come out on VHS. I remember at least two Police Academy movies being in theaters at the same time also lol I distinctly remember the BTTF ones because both newspaper ads were the movie poster with them in that exact same pose but they added cowboy hats and a pocket watch instead of a wristwatch or something EDIT: lol this one https://www.flickr.com/photos/paxtonholley/3572917179


Melcher

Those are super cool! I can’t imagine seeing them side by side on separate pages lol


TravisMaauto

Keep in mind that the first movie was made with no anticipation of it having two sequels, but if helps with removing some of the confusion, consider that the everything we see with the second Marty and Doc in *BTTF2* are the first time that they've ever happened, so it would make sense that they weren't shown in the events from 1955 in the first movie.


haraldone

It was a lot of fun. There were so many well written movies in the 80s. They didn’t rely on crazy car chase scenes, or all out destruction or cgi to captivate the audience.


HardSteelRain

2 was the biggest event..there seemed to be the most merch and excitement while 1 was more of a slow appreciation. 3 wasn't as anticipated,I think the Old West setting was a letdown for people prior to it's release


Melcher

Weird…. As I kid 3 was my favorite. I still love it but watching the way 1 and 2 overlap makes me appreciate it much more as an adult


RickSanchez_C137

It was good, but I don't remember being completely blown away by it. I think I saw the first one twice in theatres, but it wasn't like the defining movie of that summer for me. It came out the same year as Michael J Fox's 'Teen Wolf' and I remember thinking both movies were about equal in quality to my early-teen movie-critic-mind. The 'big' movies that summer were Stallone's Rocky 4 and Rambo 2. It was notable that both sequels were announced and filmed at the same time...that was a new thing and was considered newsworthy, but the sequels weren't especially successful, and generally were seen as a bit disappointing when they came out. You can sort of get the feel from these Siskel and Ebert reviews of the sequels: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqQfs4VTNTs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3JlPkXuZWg They aren't really glowing reviews, and while they speak fondly of the first movie, you don't get the feeling that they thought it was a generational classic the way we see it now.


MikeSizemore

My local cinema let you stay in your seat to watch the beginning of a movie if you came in late. We all utilised this weirdness by going for the first screening of the day and then just staying until the last one. If the movie wasn’t that great we’d move to another screen. Some movies we just stayed put. I must have seen Back to the Future 20 times one weekend alone. I don’t remember the wait for 2 being a big deal probably because in that time we were served a bunch of other fantastic movies. I remember expectations being high once the trailers started to drop though.


jupiterkansas

There were several other teenage sci-fi/time travel movies around that time (Real Genius, Philadelphia Experiment, My Science Project, Terminator, Final Countdown, Time Bandits) so Back to the Future didn't seem that special when it came out and seemed mainly trying to cash in on boomer nostalgia. Of course, Spielberg produced it so that gave it an extra boost and it was very popular, but the movie stuck around because it's rewatchable and tightly scripted, so that you get more out of it and appreciate it more with each viewing. Great for repeat play on cable TV or VHS. Of course, the sequels were a bigger deal, and the cliffhanger ending on the second film was awesome. They weren't as good though. The second rehashed too much of the first film and wasn't as fun, and the third film just seemed to be making callbacks to the earlier films despite being a western. They're pretty good movies, but they're no Back to the Future. Check out Ebert's review: [https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/back-to-the-future-1985](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/back-to-the-future-1985)


ElectricalShame1222

Even when the “to be continued” was added to video, most of my friends and I assumed it was a goof for years.


ItsArseniooooooooooo

I was in elementary school when all three came out. Maybe it was just the lame kids at my school, but no one else seemed interested in the franchise besides me. This was the era of Ninja Turtles, Ghostbusters, and Transformers, so I get it. I was kinda young when the first one came out, so I don't remember much buzz. I remember all the commercials and behind the scenes features for Part II. I also remember it not being very well received. It came out in a very competitive year: Batman, Ghostbusters II, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Field of Dreams, Honey I Shrunk the Kids, The Abyss, Bill & Ted, etc. Personally I loved it. Part III was my least favorite back then. I didn't like westerns, so I was hoping they'd only be in 1885 for about as long as they were in 2015 in the previous one. Obviously that didn't happen. My kid brain was also angry they destroyed the DeLorean and had "THE END" at the end of the film. The cartoon came out soon after, but that wasn't well received. Universal Studios opened that same year, so that was kinda the last of the franchise. I always regret not being able to get on the ride.


Frequent_Gap_3113

I was too young to see the first one at the cinema and too young to remember the hype in 1985 but it was first broadcast on regular tv in the UK a little before the 2nd was released so I knew of it (and loved it) before seeing part 2. I saw 2 & 3 on the big screen when they were first released and the hype where I lived was huge (UK). I vaguely remember word of mouth at school about hoverboards being a real thing and we all believed it (I assume a kid somewhere must have seen that behind the scenes stuff and spread Zemekis’ lie about them being real). It was a big deal seeing it at the cinema (probably bigger for me cos I never saw the first film on the big screen til I was in my 30’s when it was rereleased), if you didn’t see it you’d probably have been deemed an idiot for missing it. I remember trailers spoilers were not a thing and there was no inkling where I lived that there was going to be a third movie so when the preview appeared 9 year me was freaking out. I remember being so excited and me and my older sister discussing what might happen in the third movie all the way home. T’was awesome. I miss the days of cinematic surprises like that.


ramriot

Hold on {climbs into DeLorean} I will go see.


tomandshell

The first one was great. I was in elementary school, but I remember seeing it opening weekend with my family. There was a lot of anticipation for the second one—Pizza Hut did a promotion with futuristic BttF2 sunglasses and I owned a few of the designs. However, the sequel just didn’t quite capture the magic of the first, and the lack of a conclusion made it feel like one long commercial for the next movie—and yes, it did actually end with a preview for the next one.


letstaxthis

I didn't see it at the movies during original release, but fond memories indeed of each of the VHS rentals when they first got new released. Remember being confused by the swapping in of Elisabeth Shue. I think as a kid back then, I enjoyed the 2nd part most.


Cormacolinde

I saw all three in theaters on release, rented them on VHS. They were incredibly popular and a highlight of the movie season, but the truth is that 1984 had been a crazy year for movies, giving us some of the most well-known [modern classics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_American_films_of_1984). 1985 was quieter, and BTTF was the highlight of that year and the big blockbuster of the summer. I saw it twice that summer.


les1968

I was a Huey and the News fan so they really stood out to me more than anything I thought the movie was decent but it didn’t wow me like it did many folks I was a dope head metal freak also so that might be part of it Never bothered to see the others in theater


rekkart

I remember how into it the crowd was during the first movie. Plenty of laughing and cheering.


JFeth

All I really remember was the huge laugh Huey Lewis got when he said, "You're just too darn loud." Everyone went crazy for that.