Great Scott! Back To The Future is about to turn 35 – and has inspired today’s film tips.
In the era of reboots, spin-offs and franchises, an original popcorn blockbuster that led to an organic trilogy feels like a relic. In almost every other way, BTTF remains ageless.
Needless to say, you should watch them all again.(For the record, the ranking undoubtedly is: I, III, II.)
You could also check these out:
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CLASSIC – CHINATOWN (1974)
There will never be a more fun example of a film title being said in dialogue than Doc Brown’s final scene plea, “Marty, you’ve got to come back with me… back to the future!” But, “Forget it, Jake. It’s Chinatown,” may well be the most masterful, an appropriately melancholic and satisfying note on which to end one of the all-time great films and screenplays.
RT: 99% | Hulu / Starz
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CROWDPLEASER – HER (2013)
It may be the best-known of BTTF trivia, but we probably wouldn’t be here if Robert Zemeckis hadn’t insisted on recasting Marty McFly a full five weeks into the shoot. I’d still love Spike Jonze’s Her even if Samantha Morton’s voice as the flirty computer hadn’t been ruthlessly replaced by Scarlett Johansson’s in post-production. It would still be stylish, soulful, imaginative and captivating – but it‘s another great call.
RT: 95% | Netflix
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WILDCARD – PREDESTINATION (2014)
If BTTF was Film Time Travel 101, then brain-melting indies Predestination and Primer (2004) could be the Masters and PhD. The first uses a futuristic cop story to take the principle of causality to the brink of insanity; the latter is an ultra low-budget present-day cult hit which… well, damn it, one day I’ll work out what happens. Strictly for the adventurous.
Rotten Tomatoes: 83% / 73%
MS