'Back to the Future' marks 40 years
Film was released on July 3, 1985
Today marks the 40th anniversary of "Back to the Future," released on July 3, 1985, starring Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson and Crispin Glover.
In the film, a teenager from the 1980s went back in time, and as a result of his interference with the timeline, had to make sure his parents met and fell in love.
I wrote about some of the toys, comics and other merchandise that came out for the 35th anniversary in a column for The Oklahoman back in 2020. I think writer Bob Gale did a good job expanding the “BTTF” universe in comics and games — as well as the sequels — but I still find the original to be the most impressive of all of them. It’s an amazingly constructed time-travel film that invites repeat viewings with its plethora of clues and callbacks.
The film has been very influential on me -- I have an "OUTATIME" license plate hanging on my wall, and I discussed the movie, and others of the 1980s, on a panel at Soonercon this year.
I also tried to pay tribute to it to some degree in a short film a few years back.
If you've seen the short film "Semi-Social," you likely noted the "Back to the Future" influence in our dance scene.
In 2017, I joined with director Ricky Pope for his debut 48-hour film entry, “Semi-Social.” Ricky had worked on “The Bulleteers” along with director Kyle Roberts. Writers Jon Skelly, Chris Forbes and Songo Adoki joined me in the writers’ room for this one. Skelly and I previously worked together on “Heroes of the Realm” with Kyle.
I remember breaking it down in the writers' room overnight and saying things like "OK, then we go to the 'Back to the Future' homage.'"
“Semi-Social” was nominated for Best Sound Design, Best Editing and Best Cinematography in the OKC contest.
Our logline was as follows: A tech-addicted teen attempting to attract the girl of his dreams gets help from an unexpected source.
You can see "Semi-Social" here:
I hope if you're a fan of "Back to the Future," you're also enjoying the 40th anniversary! Wow, 40 years -- heavy!
“Why are things so heavy in the future? Is there a problem with Earth's gravitational pull?”
Matthew Price, matthew@matthewlprice.com, has written about the comics, film and entertainment for more than two decades. He is the co-owner of Speeding Bullet Comics in Norman, Oklahoma.