Ep. 1 - Back to the Future!

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[0:00] J.J.: Check this out! We are in our own movie theater! I'm so excited!

[0:09] Olaf: Welcome everybody to our brand new podcast, Back to the Movie Theater. My name is JJ.

[0:15] J.J.: And I'm Olaf. And we are two guys who have always loved talking about movies. And we thought, hey, why not do what every two dudes who love talking about movies have been doing for years and that's start our own movie theater podcast.

[0:29] J.J.: That's right. We may be late to the party, but we are definitely going to be the life of the party. We're going to be talking about all different types of movies, giving you different insights, hitting on different franchises.

[0:43] Olaf: We've got all kinds of great plans. We're going to rank movies. We're going to just talk about our favorite movies. We're going to talk about movies that are so bad, they're good.

[0:51] J.J.: That's right. Guilty pleasures, forgotten gems. It's just going to be a great opportunity to not only talk about recent movies, but also movies from the past, past couple of decades, and how amazing would it have been to have been around when some of these movies hit the big screen? Am I right?

[1:08] Olaf: Well, guess what? We've got a time machine today. That's right, folks. Let's get back to the movie theater where we can talk today about Back to the Future.

[1:44] J.J.: Hey, everybody. Welcome back to the theater. Today, you heard it. We are talking about Back to the Future.

[1:50] Olaf: Yeah. This is, for me, my favorite movie of all time.

[1:55] J.J.: It's definitely in my top five.

[1:58] Olaf: Yeah.

[1:59] J.J.: Well, today, we're going to do on this podcast what thousands of other two guys that like movies and talk about movies on a podcast do. Let's talk about why we love this movie, what makes it great, break it down a little bit, give some fun facts that we know and probably everybody else knows at this point. It's just a fun drive down memory lane in our shoddy DeLorean.

[2:25] J.J.: Let me ask you, because I know the impact and significance of this movie at that age for me, can you remember seeing this movie? Maybe not the first time, but at what point did this movie lock in for you?

[2:40] Olaf: Yeah. Growing up as a kid, I saw a lot of stuff on TV that was edited for television. We had a huge library of VHS tapes that my dad would record everything. He would record movies. He would record music videos from MTV or VH1. I would end up discovering a lot of these movies on my own, which was great.

[3:07] J.J.: Yeah.

[3:07] Olaf: I'm sure my parents probably like, yeah, he might like this or whatever, but just finding it on my own made it so much more special because I'm like, what is this? No one was telling me I had to watch it or that I had to like it or whatever. It was just me finding this amazing discovery. That was with Back to the Future. That was with Predator. That was with Aliens and Terminator and all these movies back then that really ignited my imagination and my love for movies and special effects and just the idea of story and being swept away by it all.

[3:41] J.J.: I ask because for me, this movie came out in '85, so I was seven. It was a time right there where a lot of things, for me anyway, seven, I was becoming more aware of things around me. I watched a lot of television. I'd already been watching Family Ties and Growing Pains and a lot of these '80s sitcoms. So for me, watching Back to the Future and why it stuck so much initially or imprinted so much initially is because I saw myself in Michael J. Fox or Marty McFly or Alex P. Keaton or these teenage characters, even though I was seven, eight, but the personality of this character, of Marty, was something that I immediately gravitated towards and then got swept away into the whole story of it and then everything else. Then you realize through the course of time, oh, this movie is as good as I think it is. Everybody thinks this too. Great. We can all share this thing together because it really is a fantastic film that almost didn't happen.

[4:52] Olaf: Oh, yeah.

[4:53] J.J.: It was a long road to get to where it ended up becoming all the way to the one thing that I gravitated towards the most almost didn't happen, which is Michael J. Fox not even being in the movie.

[5:03] Olaf: Which is crazy to think. He is that character. It's defined his career.

[5:07] J.J.: Yeah. Well, and he was the only, they'll always say, you're making a movie and you have your dream list of actors like, oh man, it would be great if we could get this or we're thinking about three or four, tossing around three or four different names. For Marty McFly, Michael J. Fox was the clear and only choice for the Bobs, for Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis. He was their guy and shooting Family Ties at the time was, I read somewhere, Gary David Goldberg, the creator of Family Ties, didn't even tell Michael J. Fox that they wanted him because he was in the middle of Family Ties and he didn't. He found out about the movie while he was shooting Teen Wolf.

[5:50] Olaf: Yeah.

[5:50] J.J.: And Back to the Future was location scouting right near where they were filming.

[5:56] Olaf: Right. And he knew Crispin Glover because.

[5:57] J.J.: What's going on with this?

[5:59] Olaf: Yeah. Cause Crispin Glover had done an episode of Family Ties or something and he knew Crispin Glover was in it who was playing George McFly. I guess for me, like if I was on a film and I was on a successful TV show at the same time, I guess I would be upset, but I'm over here. I'm thinking it'd be just great to be on a successful TV show and shooting this other film. Granted, you don't know what Teen Wolf's going to be. He's sitting there in like this latex werewolf makeup.

[6:22] J.J.: Yeah. Which I don't think he thought was going to be anything great.

[6:26] Olaf: Right. Sitting over there going, that is what I'd like to be doing and to not even know. And I guess maybe that's good. Maybe it's good that he didn't know cause he would have just been torturing himself.

[6:35] J.J.: Well, to skip ahead just a little bit, when they finally do approach him, he's handed the script and per Michael J. Fox, he says he just held the script in his hands and said, I'll do it. It's the best thing I've ever read without reading a word. And he seemed to have been okay with the fact that it was withheld from him. He's like, yeah, I totally understood. I understand why they did that. And it was pretty amazing too, because Back to the Future had to agree to work around the Family Ties schedule. It was, that comes first. And as long as Michael is happy to do it. And for those who don't know, and I mean, the story is out there, Meredith Baxter, who plays his mom, was about to give birth to twins. So they needed Michael J. Fox's character more available for Family Ties. And so eventually-

[7:23] Olaf: Also like exploded on the show too.

[7:24] J.J.: And he also exploded, right. They were-

[7:26] Olaf: The show is really starting to just evolve around his character.

[7:30] J.J.: Right. And so he agreed, the studio agreed that he would get done with Family Ties, it's 5 p.m. and he would go shoot Back to the Future from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. and basically just working.

[7:41] Olaf: A teamster would pick him up in a station wagon that had a bed in the back.

[7:46] J.J.: He would sleep on the way.

[7:48] Olaf: And a lot of times the teamster would, after shooting Back to the Future, would carry him up to his apartment because he'd be asleep.

[7:55] J.J.: Asleep, yeah. So exhausted.

[7:56] Olaf: And just drop him off and then see himself out.

[7:59] J.J.: To know that piece of information, to know that he's basically playing Iron Man football here, he's playing both sides, he's shooting two shows, two projects in any given day, to then see the final product and to know he's basically had been working all day on another project and then everything you're seeing in the film at night is stuff that he was shooting with little to no sleep.

[8:22] Olaf: But you know what? That's the beauty of youth. He was-

[8:26] J.J.: 23.

[8:26] Olaf: Still very young.

[8:27] J.J.: Yeah.

[8:28] Olaf: He had- it was a perfect time to have that kind of energy.

[8:32] J.J.: And he'd been chomping at the bit for some opportunity like this.

[8:36] Olaf: Yeah. He had said, I knew Marty from the beginning. He was about skateboarding, girls, and rock and roll. And like, these are things that I am. So he was able to just fall right into it.

[8:46] J.J.: It's crazy to think that Michael J. Fox almost didn't do this movie. But to also realize this movie almost never happened in the first place.

[8:54] Olaf: Right. 44 times it was rejected. And then what we ended up getting is not how it started.

[9:00] J.J.: Oh, yeah.

[9:00] Olaf: Or how it could have been.

[9:02] J.J.: The DeLorean was, I think, a refrigerator. It wasn't even a car yet.

[9:06] Olaf: And they were like video pirates, pirating films. It was sort of the business they were doing. But then finally, the script came together and they got what they wanted. The only thing missing was Michael J. Fox.

[9:22] Olaf: Yeah, because-

[9:22] J.J.: So they ended up going with another actor who is very accomplished. And they've had nothing but good things to say about him.

[9:30] Olaf: Yeah, absolutely.

[9:31] J.J.: And, you know, the other casting choices seem to kind of fall into place. Christopher Lloyd, though, felt like he read the script the first time and threw it in the trash can. He's like, he didn't get it.

[9:40] Olaf: He didn't understand the script and he threw it in the trash can.

[9:44] J.J.: And his wife was like, remember when we said you should, you know, take advantage of every opportunity that's given to you just to see.

[9:51] Olaf: Yeah.

[9:52] J.J.: And so he takes a meeting with Zemeckis and ends up doing it. And again, it's hard to imagine anybody else. I mean, they were tossing around like John Lithgow and Jeff Goldblum and, you know, some names like that.

[10:05] Olaf: I could see it.

[10:06] J.J.: Sure. But it made no sense for anyone else to do it.

[10:10] Olaf: Especially since he was-

[10:11] J.J.: It was just pitch perfect.

[10:12] Olaf: He was the original person.

[10:14] J.J.: What's crazy to me, and it's a testament to everybody involved, all the way down to like craft services, I can imagine, that they had shot six weeks of material with the other actor, with, it's Eric Stoltz, everybody, who's had an amazing career before and beyond. And he was doing a fine job in the role. It just, when they'd look at the dailies and they just weren't getting the humor that they were-

[10:40] Olaf: Yeah, it was a different movie.

[10:41] J.J.: They weren't getting the laughs. They just knew it. The more they watched it, the more they knew it. And wow, how brave to go to Spielberg, show him, and then say, we need to reshoot six weeks of work.

[10:54] Olaf: Right.

[10:54] J.J.: And the fact that the studio got behind them and let that happen, that was amazing. Spielberg said, keep shooting with the other actor until you can get who you want, which was Michael J. Fox. And that way, once you have him, we can go to Sid at Universal and say, we already got our guy. And they are shooting. And then one night, they all show up ready to shoot. And they have a quick meeting saying, Michael J. Fox is Marty McFly.

[11:21] Olaf: Yeah, he'll be here in two days.

[11:24] J.J.: I remember Christopher Lloyd was kind of unsure, not of Michael J. Fox, but just, can I reshoot these scenes that I've done? Can I redo what I did? And obviously, he did. And he was amazing. But then that casting change affects other casting changes. Not many, but the girl who plays Jennifer in the film, Claudia Wells, who was the original choice for Jennifer also, but she had just booked a TV show and the pilot got picked up. She was committed to that.

[11:56] Olaf: And so she had to drop out.

[11:58] J.J.: They hadn't even shot any of the character of Jennifer's scenes. And then Michael J. Fox casts eight weeks later. And sure enough, the show that she was in didn't get picked up. And so she was available. And so she ends up becoming Jennifer anyway.

[12:10] Olaf: Yeah, it's just crazy to think of all of that happening before we got to the finish line and just get such an amazing movie.

[12:18] J.J.: Would you say it's a perfect movie?

[12:20] Olaf: I had that thought in my head when I was rewatching it. And I'm really trying to remove my bias. I was really trying to be objective with that question in terms of the style of the type of movie. It was trying to be everything being executed in such a tight way. The pacing of the film is fantastic.

[12:40] J.J.: Oh, yeah.

[12:41] Olaf: The story. You could really, I mean, it's hard to find. And I'm sure people have tried. I'm sure people have done it. Find holes in the plot or holes in the story. This doesn't make sense or whatever. And as somebody who likes to find things, especially when it comes to like ages of characters, and they're not supposed to be there.

[13:00] J.J.: Yes.

[13:01] Olaf: I don't see any of that in this film. So it's a long answer. But I would say I would lean towards. Yes, I think it is pretty.

[13:09] J.J.: Yeah, I would agree. I mean, you can pretty much pick apart any movie, even movies that are considered perfect. But if a movie is so well made that you can easily just forget and overlook any minor issue or plot hole or whatever, those are perfect for me. And this is one of those movies.

[13:27] Olaf: Well, that's what makes the backstory of just getting this film made that much cooler for me. When you really like dive into the rabbit hole of like the things that they had to go through the obstacles. They finished filming this movie, and then they released it nine weeks later, which is unprecedented, really, for a big budget movie.

[13:46] J.J.: It finished shooting in like April, and they released it at the beginning of July, July 3rd. I mean, that's insane. You know, they really didn't have that many special effects. It was really all practical effects for almost the entire movie.

[14:00] Olaf: Yeah, you're right. It didn't need a lot of post-production work, which helped as well.

[14:06] J.J.: And then you've got the third ingredient that makes this movie so amazing, and that's the music. The scene when Doc is in the '50s, it's right before he discovers the letter in the pocket. Doc is explaining, you know, once you hit 88 miles an hour, everything will be fine. And it's like everything he's doing there and the score behind it. I don't know. It's like I get chills. I get like emotional.

[14:30] J.J.: Welcome to the first episode of "Back to the Movie Theater" with me, J.J., and my co-host, Olaf. Today, we're diving into a classic that inspired our podcast title—"Back to the Future!"

[14:56] Olaf: That's right! "Back to the Future" is such an iconic film. I mean, who doesn't love time travel and the adventures of Marty McFly and Doc Brown?

[15:16] J.J.: Exactly! It's a film that has everything—humor, action, and a great storyline. Plus, the performances by Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd are just unforgettable.

[15:36] Olaf: And let's not forget the amazing soundtrack! "The Power of Love" by Huey Lewis and the News really sets the tone for the movie.

[15:56] J.J.: Absolutely! The music is a huge part of what makes it so memorable. Speaking of memorable moments, what’s your favorite scene from the movie?

[16:26] Olaf: Oh man, there are so many! But I think I have to go with the scene where Marty first travels back to 1955. The way he interacts with his parents is just hilarious.

[16:56] J.J.: That scene is a classic! I love how he accidentally becomes his own father’s best friend. It really adds to the whole time travel paradox.

[17:26] Olaf: Right? And the way they set up the whole "save the future" plotline is so clever. It keeps you on the edge of your seat.

[17:46] J.J.: For sure! And the DeLorean as a time machine is such a brilliant choice. It’s become a pop culture icon in its own right.

[18:06] Olaf: Definitely! I mean, who wouldn’t want to drive a DeLorean? It’s sleek, stylish, and just screams adventure.

[18:36] J.J.: Speaking of adventure, let’s talk about the sequels. Did you enjoy "Back to the Future Part II" and "Part III"?

[18:56] Olaf: I did! "Part II" was fascinating with its take on the future and all the cool gadgets. But I think "Part III" has a special charm with the Western setting.

[19:16] J.J.: I agree! It’s a nice change of pace, and seeing Doc in a cowboy hat is just too good to pass up.

[19:36] Olaf: Plus, the way they wrapped up the trilogy was satisfying. It felt like a complete journey for all the characters.

[19:56] J.J.: Exactly! And it’s amazing how the film still resonates with audiences today. It’s a timeless classic.

[20:16] Olaf: For sure! And it’s great to see how it has influenced so many other movies and shows over the years.

[20:36] J.J.: Absolutely! It’s a testament to the creativity of Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale. They really crafted something special.

[20:56] Olaf: And let’s not forget the impact it had on the concept of time travel in cinema. It set the bar for so many films that followed.

[21:26] J.J.: Definitely! It’s hard to imagine the genre without "Back to the Future." It’s a film that will always hold a special place in our hearts.

[21:46] Olaf: Agreed! So, what do you think makes "Back to the Future" stand out compared to other films from the same era?

[22:06] J.J.: I think it’s the perfect blend of humor, heart, and science fiction. It appeals to a wide audience, and the characters are so relatable.

[22:26] Olaf: That’s a great point! The character development is top-notch, especially with Marty and Doc’s friendship.

[22:46] J.J.: Yes! Their dynamic is what drives the story forward. It’s a friendship that transcends time.

[23:06] Olaf: And the way they tackle serious themes like family and destiny while keeping it light-hearted is impressive.

[23:26] J.J.: Exactly! It’s a film that can be enjoyed by kids and adults alike. It’s timeless in that sense.

[23:46] Olaf: So, what’s next for us? Are we going to dive into some trivia or maybe discuss some behind-the-scenes facts?

[24:06] J.J.: I think trivia sounds fun! Let’s see how well we remember the details of the film.

[24:26] Olaf: I’m ready! Bring it on!

[24:46] J.J.: Alright, here’s the first question: What is the name of the town where "Back to the Future" takes place?

[25:06] Olaf: That’s easy! It’s Hill Valley!

[25:26] J.J.: Correct! You’re off to a great start. Next question: What year does Marty travel back to?

[25:46] Olaf: He travels back to 1955!

[26:06] J.J.: Right again! You’re on a roll. Let’s keep this going!

[26:26] Olaf: I’m ready for more! This is so much fun.

[26:46] J.J.: It really is! And it’s a great way to relive the magic of "Back to the Future."

[27:16] Olaf: Absolutely! I can’t wait to see what other trivia questions you have for me.

[27:36] J.J.: Alright, here’s another one: What is the name of Doc Brown’s dog?

[27:56] Olaf: That would be Einstein!

[28:16] J.J.: Correct! You’re really nailing this trivia.

[28:36] Olaf: Thanks! This is a blast.

[29:01] J.J.: I love you. He's keeping that forever, or you know, he's going to keep it in his jacket for a while. So now he rides along on who knows how many cars for how long, how far. Well, the sun's down by the time he gets home. I mean, it's already dark, and he clearly did not get pulled over by the police officer because that was the first car he took home.

[29:23] Olaf: Yeah, that was the first. But he made sure he got down. He's down low. He's basically, he's practically underneath the car.

[29:32] J.J.: Yeah. So now we get to his home where again, exposition like crazy again, but it's done in such an amazing way because everything is intentional. They're not only setting up exposition, but you know, every single character like, oh, yeah, these are the two kids that are clearly older than Marty. But for whatever reason, they're still home. They've not had lives of their own.

[29:55] Olaf: Yeah, you get to see George and Lorraine and that dynamic. And of course, you get Biff. Yeah, and you get all these interactions that on first viewing you're just like, okay, we're in the middle of something. Sure. This is just who they are. Whatever. It's not until you go back in time where you see how life is cyclical, right? The interactions are the same. They never changed.

[30:21] J.J.: Yeah, and you get to see, I don't want to call it consequences of choices, but Lorraine isn't happy, clearly. She's, oh, she's got a drinking problem. She's got three kids. She's got a brother who cannot get out of jail to save his life. And she's looking at George even when she's telling that story about how they met. She's like, I knew this was going to be, I was going to spend the rest of my life with this guy.

[30:45] Olaf: It's almost like it starts out romantic and then it dives into disappointment.

[30:49] J.J.: Yeah, and that's a credit to Leah Thompson to deliver that under like this makeup because they have to age her like 25 years to make her look 47. It's also such a great scene to establish so much because you hear about how George and Lorraine first meet and kiss and it ends up being like the whole plot of the movie. They have to go back. They have to recreate this and then you get Marty's sister going, that was so stupid. Your dad hit him with the car.

[31:18] Olaf: If I hit him with the car again, you do you get the honeymooners episode that they're watching because that's important later. You know, you get Joey the brother who can't get out of prison. You get that because that's important. It's just these mirroring dinner scenes. We get the dinner scene in '85 that we're then going to see in '55 with Lorraine as a kid with her family and now both of these scenes sort of converge on each other.

[31:46] J.J.: Yeah. So now we're going to Twin Pines Mall. We show up. There's a truck. There's Doc's dog Einstein's hanging out, and that's when it happens. We get the shot. We get the reveal. The back of the truck opens up and the DeLorean, which as a kid didn't even know the DeLorean was a thing.

[32:09] Olaf: Nope. I had no idea this thing comes out. It's silver. It's got doors that open like gull wings, and I'm just like, what? It's the coolest thing I've ever seen in my life.

[32:23] J.J.: What's funny is that they were almost going to have a Mustang. They had gone with the DeLorean, and then somebody had gone to Bob Gale and said, hey, we can get some money influx back into the budget if Doc ends up driving a Mustang instead. Bob Gale goes, Doc Brown doesn't drive a Mustang. Really adamant, like we're going with the DeLorean.

[32:51] Olaf: I love that scene so much because prior to this, you are seeing Michael J. Fox interact with everybody else, but the key interaction to this whole movie is the relationship between Marty and Doc. And to know later on that Christopher Lloyd wasn't sure about how it was going to happen, having shot some of this stuff already, and then to see the immediate chemistry that Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd have in that scene in the parking lot where he's got the camera and he's scared, and Doc just keeps looking at him like, where are you going? Get over here as the cars.

[33:31] J.J.: It's like all of this stuff away, all of the reaction that Michael J. Fox is doing, it could be delirium because it's a night shoot and he's been working already, but it's just they fall right into this rapport that this is why the movie works, and this is why it wasn't working. Their relationship just sells it immediately. Ah, it's just so good.

[33:54] Olaf: Just like that scene.

[33:55] J.J.: Oh, yeah, it sets up everything because if that scene doesn't work, then nothing will because you have to believe that Marty is going to go back in time to save his friend.

[34:05] Olaf: Well, sorry. Let's just point out for a second, him going back in time was an accident.

[34:10] J.J.: It was an accident. He was like, Doc, he just got shot. I'm going to go in the time machine and save you. But he's willing to see if these guys can do 90, and it's not like a lot of time has passed. He's clearly aware of what he's doing when he's driving towards the Fox photo. Y'all, you see his face. He's not just going to run into the Fox photo.

[34:29] Olaf: He was not paying attention to the fact that he was running for his life. You rewatch it. Once he decides to push it to 90, he's looking at the speedometer and realizes what is going to happen.

[34:39] J.J.: No, I think he was just like, you're in this little van thing from the show Lost, and I'm in a DeLorean. Let's see if you can keep up when I go 90 miles an hour.

[34:50] Olaf: I think once he's committed and he realizes, well, you know, I think at a certain point. Okay, so you and I, this is really interesting because you and I have a very different take on this because when I watch this, and I just rewatch this, and I know you did too, he jumps in the car to get away from the Libyans.

[35:06] J.J.: Correct.

[35:06] Olaf: He's running for his life.

[35:07] J.J.: Yes.

[35:08] Olaf: He's just trying not to get shot, agree? And they're chasing him, and he's trying to get away, and he's having to drive in different directions in the parking lot. Keep him under 88. He accidentally activates the time circuits.

[35:21] J.J.: He does when he's shifting gears. Now in my mind, he's got a straightaway. He's trying to just get away, and he's in a car. So he's like, I'm being cool. Let's see you do 90.

[35:30] Olaf: But when he looks up and he sees the photo booth, he's like, oh crap. I'm going to crash into this thing. It wasn't like, oh, let's see you guys can do 90 because I'm going to go back in time.

[35:44] J.J.: I think that was all an accident.

[35:47] Olaf: I'm with you all the way up until because there is a moment when he sees the speedometer. You're right, time circuits are on. He's got the straightaway. He says, let's see if you guys can do 90. There's a moment there where I think he realizes if I do 90, I'm going back.

[36:02] J.J.: Why would you just choose to drive directly into the Fox photo booth?

[36:06] Olaf: He even squints again.

[36:07] J.J.: I don't think he's preparing to write.

[36:09] Olaf: No, but I don't think he chose to drive into it. I think in the panic of it all, he sees it coming, and he's like, oh crap. I don't have time to swerve, and he's just going to run into it.

[36:20] J.J.: I do not think that he went back in time intentionally. This is one of those are all completely by accident.

[36:25] Olaf: I think people need to come in here. What are your thoughts? It was literally, I'm trying to get away from the Libyans, but he did see the DeLorean disappear, you know, in a streak of flames. So he clearly knew he was going to go somewhere.

[36:38] J.J.: Maybe not into the past or into 1955 because I don't think he was ever able to process all of that because everything happened so fast.

[36:46] Olaf: Yeah, so he goes into fight or flight mode, and he's trying to just get away. He's not thinking about the science experiment. He was just a part of all. He's thinking of Doc's dead. This guy's got a rocket launcher, and he's trying to blow me up. I am trying to get away, and we keep coming back to this, but Doc establishes a whole bunch to have exposition like when he's talking about the DeLorean.

[37:10] J.J.: He's talking about the mall and why Twin Pines Mall and that old man Peabody, like all of these things used to be farmland as far as the eye can see. Old man Peabody had a strange breeding, breeding pine trees.

[37:24] Olaf: I say that because, yeah, Marty ends up in '55 on the Peabody farm, crashes right into their barn.

[37:35] J.J.: Yeah, and he's in the barn, and old man Peabody and the whole family.

[37:39] Olaf: Oh, yeah, the whole family gather outside the barn, and they're peeking in, and his son happens to have a comic book with him that just happens to resemble what they're looking at.

[37:49] J.J.: Yeah, and he's like, he's not, it's a space like an airplane without wings. He's already mutated into human form. Shoot him.

[38:00] Olaf: But yeah, Marty drives off and knocks down one of the pine trees. Keep that in your memory, everybody, right? That might come back.

[38:07] J.J.: It's just a fun Easter.

[38:09] Olaf: It's a totally, it is. If you are paying attention to it, which is so funny because you read on the internet, you're like, things people miss when they watch Back to the Future. And I'm like, no, because when he does eventually get back to the present and he shows back up at the Twin Pines Mall, it is now the Lone Pine Mall.

[38:25] J.J.: Yes, but I love stuff like that. That stuff is the attention to detail of things like that is also very fun.

[38:32] Olaf: So Marty, I guess, tries to go home, and then he screeches to a stop in the middle of the road in the DeLorean because the turn off to where his neighborhood is only just started being constructed.

[38:44] J.J.: Yeah, there's just nothing there again because he didn't know he went back in time. And then, of course, as a DeLorean is known to do, it breaks down. But then, you know, Marty walks into town, and this is when we see the transformed Town Square. And again, clock tower, the camera establishes exposition at the beginning because you do get that establishing shot of Hill Valley when he's going to school with the jazzercise in the courthouse, and then you get to see it all again when you really stop to think about how much exposition is in this movie.

[39:19] Olaf: It blows your mind because you don't notice it. You don't notice it at all. And it doesn't feel like we're going to stop this movie so we can explain what's about to happen because the stakes are so high when everybody's giving their exposition, especially when Doc is giving his exposition in the parking lot of the mall.

[39:33] J.J.: But yeah, he gets, he walks into Lou's diner, and what I love about the outfit change because in the original concept of it, you know, Marty is not wearing the red vest and in the jeans and the Nikes. He's wearing something that I guess would fit into that time period. That's how they dressed Eric Stoltz, but they got this great running joke with his outfit when he did go into the '50s with that red vest.

[40:00] Olaf: Yeah, the first one is Lou's like, did you jump ship?

[40:04] J.J.: Yeah, jump ship.

[40:06] Olaf: Yeah, he's like, well, yeah. So then we find out he's sitting next to his dad because Biff walks in, and now he's ripped.

[40:14] J.J.: Yes, future Biff is all like fat, and Thomas Wilson is so underrated.

[40:19] Olaf: Oh, he's so good, but he's so great in this movie, and he's great in all of them. But in this movie, he sets that sort of archetype up so well where you don't like him. I mean, you know, he's like this type of person, but you like the actor, like you like Thomas Wilson.

[40:36] J.J.: Yeah, he's such a buffoon, but he's not a cartoon about it, right? He could easily have fit into that world. And I guess I had read somewhere that he was bullied a lot when he was a kid.

[40:47] Olaf: So he was sort of channeling a lot of that, which is crazy because when you see him when he's young Biff, he's just him, right? He really is that tall. He really is that buff. Honestly, I think he's a good-looking guy to think that he was bullied just because he's such a big guy.

[41:03] J.J.: And then we're kind of off to the races again.

[41:09] Olaf: We are. George McFly runs away, and Marty's chasing after him and some hanging in a tree as a peeping Tom, right?

[41:18] J.J.: Which Lorraine thought, what were you doing up in the tree up there, George? Birdwatching?

[41:23] Olaf: Well, no idea.

[41:26] J.J.: And we find out that this is how Lorraine's dad hit him with the car initially because he falls out of the tree into the street, and his dad hits him with the car, right?

[41:37] Olaf: But it's so funny. He pushes George out of the way. He gets hit by the car. Lorraine's dad runs out. George runs away, and he's like, he yells to his wife, another one of these kids jumped in front of my car. It's like how many kids has he hit?

[41:50] J.J.: This happens quite a bit.

[41:53] Olaf: It's just all different peeping Tom.

[41:57] J.J.: It clearly is.

[41:58] Olaf: I love the family dinner sequence in the '50s because you get the Joey setup with the kid in the crib. We get the Jackie Gleason honeymooners episode, which is the same episode that George is watching later on, but we also get to see the other kids like Lorraine's siblings.

[42:17] J.J.: Yeah, a young Jason Harvey from Wonder Years sitting there at the table, and then the little girl is the sister in Adventures in Babysitting a couple years later. That's like one of her first movies, but I love the dad, man. He's not really paying attention to the conversation that's going on because he's eating and watching him, but he has something to say about everything that's going on, like it's a block past Mabel.

[42:42] Olaf: Oh, that's John F. Kennedy Drive.

[42:43] J.J.: Who's John F. Kennedy?

[42:44] Olaf: And he's an idiot.

[42:47] J.J.: His parents are probably idiots too, Lorraine. If you ever have a kid that acts like that, it's so good.

[42:55] Olaf: And so we immediately see a problem where Marty's mom, not knowing obviously that this is her future son, is having the Nightingale effect on Marty.

[43:07] J.J.: Yes, and we're also quickly learning that she's not quite who she said she was, but she's her older son. Clearly, you see this in reverse, this sort of like polar opposite of we got to see who she is and then who she was. And you know, she doesn't have her whole life ahead of her because we already see, we see at the beginning, and she's like, this is who she is, and then we get to see her and go, oh, but this is who she was.

[43:32] J.J.: Probably you know would be if certain things that happened. Yeah. One of my favorite set pieces, one of my favorite scenes is Doc's house. I was just gonna say so we move on he goes and finds Doc's house which in the present it's just a garage. Well because it burned down. Yeah. There's a newspaper article at the beginning of the house that burned down. Yeah, and now we see his house, and it is sprawling. It is this. I love it. I want to live there. And when they went to shoot Michael J. Fox's stuff, the house had been sold and was in escrow. Yeah, yeah. And they had like a week to film the house stuff with Michael J. Fox. Yeah. And they found out that the owner still had it, and she's like, yeah, no problem.

You can come back and shoot, you know, for however many days you need to shoot it so they could get the Michael J. Fox stuff at the house, which is that the thing that Doc is wearing when he was. What a great. We had already seen him earlier. So we kind of knew he was eccentric already. But then for them to take it to this other level with this helmet thing that he's wearing. He doesn't know who Marty is. He doesn't. He just drags him into his house. It's just somebody that he can finally talk to because maybe people do think he's crazy. He puts a suction cup on his forehead. Not a word. I'm going to read your mind. Not a word. Not a word. And then. Because he had something on the dog. He had like some sort of contraption on the dog.

Because I think he was trying to read the dog's mind. And it kind of comes off as like, is he a huckster? I think he really does believe in science. But at some point you can tell because of how he's guessing that he thinks he's reading Marty's mind. He's like, he just sees the life preserver and he's like, you want me to donate money to the youth lifeguard? Coast Guard Authority. Yeah. Yeah. And it's like, are you a sham? Well, and that's an interesting point because we know he's an inventor because clearly we see certain things in his house that work and don't work. The can opener works, the toaster doesn't. It's like you get the idea that nothing he makes works. Right. And it wasn't until he sees the flux capacitor working.

Because he hit his head and he drew the flux capacitor and he clearly got to a place in his life where it worked because Marty wouldn't be there if it hadn't. Sure, sure. But for Doc to see it work that early because he just drew it like an hour ago and for him to then be shown that it actually worked, no doubt. Yeah. And he's like, do you know this? I made something that works. Yeah. I just love it, though, where he's like, OK, future boy, who's the president? And he's like Ronald Reagan, the actor. Who's the vice president, Jerry Lewis? I love that line. I love that line because everything else he says running down. But he's just so digging when he says Jerry Lewis and he just says it's so eccentric and so out of control.

And this is really like we established the relationship from the mall. But this is really when everything clicks, because he quickly gives him the information about the flux capacitor and how he came up with the idea, which immediately now Doc is in. I believe you now. Yeah. And then they go and they find the DeLorean. He's just blown away and they get it back. And now it's all like, OK, I'm in. Yeah. How are we going to get you there?

[46:01] Olaf: Yeah. What I love, too, as an actor, because he shot a lot of this stuff with Eric Stoltz, but there's a different energy, you know, Christopher Lloyd was clearly dialed into what he needed to do by the time Michael J. Fox got there. But I'd like to think that Michael J. Fox brought Christopher Lloyd another nuanced level of energy of a dynamic because that scene in the 50s when they first meet and he's like he pulls the thing off. He goes, I came here in a time machine, you know, and all of this stuff that you invented. And then when they go to the in the living room and Marty's like, I got to get back, Doc. I got a girl. I got all these things. And he's like, look. And Doc's just like he rips the paper out of his hand. He's like he's like it's just this whole relationship that they have. And I sound like a broken record. But to me, it just makes this movie that much more special.

[47:38] J.J.: Yeah. Well, if they hadn't had the chemistry or the relationship that they had, we as the viewer wouldn't have bought it. Yeah. This movie wouldn't have worked. Yeah. And they knew that in time. Yeah. So it just wasn't going to work. It had to work with these two for us to be to go along on this ride with them.

[47:54] Olaf: Yeah. I'm going to the school. I wanted that leather jacket, that leather jacket.

[47:59] J.J.: That Marty McFly wears when they go back.

[48:01] Olaf: Oh, yeah. The tan with the man. I love that jacket. Yeah.

[48:05] J.J.: It's a good looking jacket. It's a great jacket. What I also found interesting is when Christopher Lloyd is like, all right, you stick to your dad like glue. We got to get these two to the dance. You got to go just like Marty invests in like a textbook in a folder like he really is. Make he's going to class or going to. I don't know what he's doing, but he's clearly know if he's ever going to class.

[48:27] Olaf: We never see class.

[48:28] J.J.: We don't. We see the bell ring and they're running off and stuff.

[48:31] Olaf: Yeah. And then he shows up at the lunch room to talk to George and stuff.

[48:36] J.J.: And that's when he finds out that George is a writer of science fiction.

[48:39] Olaf: Yeah. We get to see Marty and him connect with George saying, you know, I don't know if I could take rejection by letting other people read my stuff, which is what Marty just said. And I guess you don't know anything about that. And then we're talking about Lorraine and Biff shows up. And this is when we really get to hear the iconic line.

[49:00] J.J.: Why don't you make like a tree and get out?

[49:04] Olaf: What a great line that Thomas Wilson ad libbed himself. That is not in the script.

[49:10] J.J.: So for him to. Is it really?

[49:11] Olaf: I don't know that. Yeah. He came up with that one. And Butthead, you're looking at Butthead like these are two things that he brought to the table when they were shooting, which they'll make like a tree and get out of here is so great. It's such a thing that Biff would say. And we get another taste of that later in the second movie where he says the phrase, that's like a screen door on a battleship and it's supposed to be screen door on a submarine. You dork.

[49:39] J.J.: Oh, man. Then we get to my favorite scene of the movie, one of my favorite scenes in the movie, which is the diner skateboarding scene, which, again, they had to reshoot because they had already shot this scene with Eric Stoltz and they had to get a new stunt person because the stunt person was too tall.

[50:09] Olaf: The original one. So, yeah. And the fortuitous story about the stunt guy is that the stunt man who does like to jump into Biff's car when on the skateboarding scene and then avoids the manure truck. That guy had gone to L.A. and was sneaking on the lot, seeing what movies were being shot to see if he could be a stunt. And he got onto the Universal lot and they were only shooting Back to the Future. And he's talking with somebody on the set. And Michael J. Fox comes up, he goes, hey, are you my new stunt guy? And the guy's like, yep. He's like, OK, great. Nice to meet you. Michael J. Fox walks away and then the guy goes, you know how to do stunts, right? And sure enough, he does the car jump and the rest is history. He was able to clearly stay on the set. But I love this scene. I love everything about it. From the time George runs up to Marty and Marty can't get the Pepsi bottle open because it's not a twist off and George just like immediately does the bottle opener.

[50:59] J.J.: But, you know, he's writing stuff down. And this movie is so quotable, including a lot of this scene where, you know, George is messing up the speech that he's written down when he walks into the diner and he asks Lou for a milk chocolate.

[51:16] Olaf: I love that. And they slide the chocolate milk across the bar. It's like I'm like, this is it's such an awesome scene. We get George trying to charm Lorraine, which I feel like there's a moment where she kind of does.

[51:30] J.J.: I think so. At the very end.

[51:31] Olaf: But then she's just immediately distracted by Marty, not trying to make a scene, but makes a scene.

[51:37] J.J.: I know it's like he's trying to do good, but he can't stop being cooler than George.

[51:42] Olaf: And then the scene where he faces off with Biff and you just see Biff stand up straight and his eyes are just over.

[51:52] J.J.: That's my life.

[51:53] Olaf: That's my life. And that was another reason why I love this. I'm like this. I get it. But the acting work with Michael J. Fox's eyes, you can see it was so great. And then we're off to the races. He runs out. He sees a kid on a kind of a scooter.

[52:10] J.J.: I know it's a box.

[52:12] Olaf: It's all wood is whatever. He runs over. He rips the box part of it. I still love when he picks up the kid and moves up. You just hear this clearly ADR.

[52:23] J.J.: Hey, it's like, I'm not sure that was the actual.

[52:29] Olaf: And then, yeah, he turns it into a skateboarding, which he does. A lot of that skateboarding is Michael J. Fox. I mean, clearly there's some scenes that it's not him, but he was proficient enough where they were able to get some wide shots of him actually on the board, which makes that scene a lot cooler to me.

[52:44] J.J.: Yeah, and it's just fun. You know, they're driving all over outside the clock tower and going in a circle and going in a circle. We get the classic ending where they drive into the manure truck. At this point, we are sort of at this fine clip where then Lorraine's like, I'm going to find out where this guy lives. And so you get to see another side of Lorraine. She's going to follow this kid home, which she never would have done, I guess, in her previous life.

[53:07] Olaf: She asks him to the dance.

[53:09] J.J.: Yeah. And you get the only interaction between Lorraine and Doc in this movie.

[53:14] Olaf: I love Doc in this scene. Doc's facials in this scene are classic. His eyes were just like, what's going what are we doing here? How are you going to get out of this? Like, you are screwed. He's just like leaning up and Doc's not helping him. He's just like, I'm going to see what you're going to do here, because this is going to be interesting. You are not making this easy for either of us.

[53:37] J.J.: As we move into like the what I consider to be the final act of the film, which is basically the evening he goes home. This movie, we've talked about it a little bit, the pacing of this movie and everything keeps moving ahead. It's not like the scenes are super short either. Every scene has a pretty good length to it, but every scene has got something there that's keeping your attention.

[53:59] Olaf: Yeah. And getting wasted and getting you to the next scene, which is like everything that has happened has now brought us to the finale where we're or the final act, I should say, where it's the night of. And Marty's got to take Lorraine to the dance now.

[54:13] J.J.: And George is going to be there already waiting to, you know, to confront them. Obviously, they've set up this plan where George is going to save the day because Marty's going to, quote unquote, try and take it.

[54:24] Olaf: I love that he's going to, quote unquote, try and take advantage of his mom so George can then save her.

[54:30] J.J.: And then it gets totally flipped.

[54:33] Olaf: Yeah, yeah. Because Lorraine is the aggressive one in the car.

[54:37] J.J.: Yes. And Marty is so uncomfortable.

[54:40] Olaf: And then they finally kiss and she's like, this is wrong.

[54:45] J.J.: When I kiss you, it's like kissing my brother.

[54:49] Olaf: Well, and prior to that, it's, you know, you you drink.

[54:53] J.J.: Yeah. She's like, yeah, I swiped it from the old lady's liquor cabinet and she's drinking.

[54:57] Olaf: You smoke, too.

[54:58] J.J.: And then she's like, you're starting to sound like my mother.

[55:01] Olaf: And what I love is after she says it's like kissing my brother, I think she says something like, does that make any sense or something like that? And he's like, no, I get it. Like they don't sit on that. They don't let it get awkward because she's immediately like someone's coming.

[55:16] J.J.: And then we think it's George because we've just seen him see what time it is and he's got to get there.

[55:22] Olaf: And it's but it turns out it's Biff.

[55:24] J.J.: But then this is what I found interesting. Even watching it, I've kind of always felt like this. But the subject matter in this very brief scene where George confronts the car with Biff and Lorraine, that's pretty. I mean, even for it, it's really intense, even for a kid watching because of the heaviness of it, the dynamic of what it is and what's the objective there for Biff.

[55:37] Olaf: Well, that that scene is not played lightly.

[55:51] J.J.: It's not. It's like the whole movie's kind of like fun and it's got humor to it and levity to it until this.

[56:01] Olaf: Right. This scene just hits you out of nowhere where it's just like, oh, this is very serious.

[56:06] J.J.: Yeah. And then you're going like no one, no one's playing a character and everybody's being very serious.

[56:12] Olaf: And at this point, you're like, yeah, you could laugh off Biff as a character because of the things he was doing, because maybe he was all talk and no action.

[56:23] J.J.: But in this moment, you're going, oh, this dude is bad.

[56:27] Olaf: Oh, yeah. Lorraine, she's playing this very serious.

[56:31] J.J.: You see her very desperate, very scared.

[56:34] Olaf: You see Biff very serious, very menacing.

[56:37] J.J.: Yeah. And then you see George terrified.

[56:41] Olaf: But knowing that he can't leave.

[56:44] J.J.: But there's a there's just this moment before he makes that decision where he's coming in to give his scripted lines that they'd planned out only to see that it's Biff.

[56:55] Olaf: And it almost seems like he's going to break down because he's about to lose.

[57:01] J.J.: He's about to be destroyed by this bully.

[57:04] Olaf: But then, you know, it's such a shame that Crispin didn't work out for the other movies. But what he does in this movie is so good. His characterization of stuff, you can see the thought processes that he goes through in his head when he's making the decisions that he makes as the character.

[57:21] J.J.: And you really see all of this turmoil and fortitude and resolve happen in a moment of no Biff, you get away.

[57:32] Olaf: And it's it's almost underappreciated, not not only his performance, but this one moment, because this one little microcosm of a moment is in this what is a very fun journey and fun movie. But in this sort of like two minutes, you're thrown into this very real, very serious situation.

[57:54] J.J.: And what everyone is doing, all three of them are doing in this scene make it very real.

[57:59] Olaf: You're right. Like her desperation, her fear.

[58:02] J.J.: Welcome to the first episode of "Back to the Movie Theater" with J.J. and Olaf!

[58:32] Olaf: We're excited to kick things off with a classic that inspired our podcast title—"Back to the Future!"

[59:02] J.J.: Absolutely! It's such an iconic film. I mean, who doesn't love time travel and the DeLorean?

[59:32] Olaf: Right? And the characters are so memorable. Marty McFly and Doc Brown are just legendary.

[1:00:02] J.J.: Let's dive into the plot a bit. The whole premise of Marty accidentally traveling back to 1955 is just brilliant.

[1:00:32] Olaf: And the way he interacts with his parents is both hilarious and cringeworthy at times!

[1:01:02] J.J.: For sure! It's wild to think about how his actions could change the future.

[1:01:32] Olaf: Plus, the soundtrack is amazing. "The Power of Love" really captures the essence of the movie.

[1:01:34] J.J.: Oh, definitely! And the visuals still hold up today, especially the time travel scenes.

[1:01:36] Olaf: I love how they used practical effects. It adds so much to the film's charm.

[1:01:38] J.J.: And let's not forget about Biff Tannen. What a great antagonist!

[1:01:40] Olaf: He really embodies that classic bully role. You just love to hate him.

[1:01:42] J.J.: Exactly! And the dynamic between him and George McFly is so entertaining.

[1:01:44] Olaf: Speaking of George, his character development is fantastic. He goes from shy to confident.

[1:01:46] J.J.: It’s a great message about believing in yourself and standing up for what’s right.

[1:01:48] Olaf: And the humor throughout the film is spot on. It balances the serious moments perfectly.

[1:01:50] J.J.: Agreed! The comedic timing is impeccable, especially with Doc's eccentric personality.

[1:01:52] Olaf: And the way they set up the time travel rules is clever. It keeps you engaged.

[1:01:54] J.J.: Absolutely! The whole idea of the butterfly effect is fascinating.

[1:01:56] Olaf: It makes you think about how small actions can have big consequences.

[1:01:58] J.J.: And the ending is just perfect. The cliffhanger with the time machine being taken by Doc is iconic.

[1:02:00] Olaf: It leaves you wanting more, which is why the sequels were so anticipated.

[1:02:02] J.J.: Speaking of sequels, what are your thoughts on them?

[1:02:04] Olaf: I think they did a great job expanding the story, especially with "Part II" and its futuristic elements.

[1:02:06] J.J.: I agree! The hoverboards and the future setting were so cool.

[1:02:08] Olaf: And "Part III" brought it back to the Wild West, which was a fun twist.

[1:02:10] J.J.: It really showcased the versatility of the concept. Each film feels unique.

[1:02:12] Olaf: Plus, the chemistry between Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd is just unbeatable.

[1:02:14] J.J.: They really bring the characters to life. Their friendship feels genuine.

[1:02:16] Olaf: And the supporting cast is fantastic too. They all contribute to the film's charm.

[1:02:18] J.J.: Definitely! It’s a well-rounded movie that appeals to all ages.

[1:02:20] Olaf: And it’s one of those films you can watch repeatedly and still enjoy.

[1:02:22] J.J.: For sure! It’s timeless.

[1:02:24] Olaf: So, what’s your favorite scene from the movie?

[1:02:26] J.J.: I’d have to say the clock tower scene. It’s so suspenseful!

[1:02:28] Olaf: That’s a great choice! The tension builds perfectly as the clock strikes.

[1:02:30] J.J.: What about you?

[1:02:32] Olaf: I love the scene where Marty first plays "Johnny B. Goode." It’s such a fun moment.

[1:02:34] J.J.: That’s a classic! It really showcases the cultural impact of rock and roll.

[1:02:36] Olaf: And it’s a pivotal moment for Marty’s character too.

[1:02:38] J.J.: Exactly! It’s where he really starts to embrace who he is.

[1:02:40] Olaf: So, what do you think makes "Back to the Future" stand out among other films?

[1:02:42] J.J.: I think it’s the perfect blend of humor, heart, and sci-fi elements.

[1:02:45] Olaf: Agreed! It’s a film that resonates with so many people for different reasons.

[1:02:47] J.J.: And the nostalgia factor is huge. It takes you back to a simpler time.

[1:02:53] Olaf: Plus, it has a great message about family and friendship.

[1:02:55] J.J.: Absolutely! Those themes are universal and timeless.

[1:02:57] Olaf: So, what’s next for us in this podcast journey?

[1:03:00] J.J.: We’ll be diving into more classic films, discussing their impact, and sharing our thoughts.

[1:03:02] Olaf: And we’ll also have some fun trivia and games along the way!

[1:03:04] J.J.: Can’t wait! It’s going to be a blast.

[1:03:06] Olaf: Thanks for joining us on this first episode of "Back to the Movie Theater."

[1:03:08] J.J.: Be sure to subscribe and follow us on social media for updates!

[1:03:10] Olaf: See you next time!