One of the movies, and movie trilogies, that has influenced me is Back to the Future 2. When I was a young lad, this movie was my “go to” feel better movie when I’d be sick. It was entertaining. It was thought provoking. And today is a significant day in the life of the movie.
2015 marks the 30th anniversary of the movie trilogy’s beginning.
Significance of 30 Years
But, still, why October 21?
Well, it has to do with the sequel, Back to the Future 2. Even more, it has to do with how dates and time played out in each movie. The measurement of 30 years was used for both a travel to the past and future. Most of the first movie took place in 1955. The second looked at 30 years in the future from 1985. And that leads us to today!
The date in the movie that Marty McFly, Doc Brown, and Jennifer travel into the future is October 21, 2015 (despite what internet memes have wanted us to believe).
Who Cares About an Alternate Future?
Yes, Back to the Future is very fictional, even science fictional. So, who cares that the second movie took place in 2015?
Though the movie was very fictional, it tried to portray a possible future. This future had technology that we were dreaming of back in 1989 when the movie was released. We’ve dreamed of hover cars, hover boards, robot gas station attendants, hologram movies, better food production, and even accurate weather predictions. It was a hopeful future, much like the movies in the 50’s sometimes brought. I think that’s what Back to the Future 2 brought to audiences.
What BTTF2 Achieved
Obviously there are no flying cars zooming around the sky currently. We don’t have holograms over every movie theater to preview films. We still just have microwaves to heat, and not rehydrate pizza. But, I think there are ways that people were inspired by the movie to create new technology.
Nike has released some power lace shoes as part of an auction, but has released actual pairs as of today! No more tying shoes!!
Lexus has a hoverboard park. The boards work because of magnets in the ground of the course, but it’s still a step forward in what we saw in the movie.
We don’t have robot gas stations, but robots and automation has come a long way. In the film, home automation was something just thought of. Now we have smartphones that can help control lights, televisions, and other appliances as we step foot into our home. We certainly have better video phone capabilities than having to project it on a screen, as portrayed in the movie.
Are there holograms, though? Yes and no. It’s not an everyday occurrence, but there have been some momentous events like a live Homer Simpson in hologram form on a stage.
TV waiters in a Cafe 80’s? Well, not quite there yet either, but there’s plenty of progress in how we order food.
It may not look exactly like the future in the film, but there are comparisons.
Outta Time
The film has played with the idea of time travel, and helped shape a lot of time travel films. I’ll hear producers and directors talk about their time travel use in a film compared to Back to the Future’s. This set of films has left its mark on film makers and audiences. Since there’s no full science on time travel yet, all we have to go by is what we see in these films. Seriously. I think it’s pretty accurate.
Here’s To The Future
So, on this day in time, October 21, 2015, a young Marty McFly appeared to help his future family and mess up our present time because of what was done in the past and present. Ouch. My head hurts. Anyway, it’s always fun to think of what could happen in the future and this movie did it almost 30 years ago. In some ways, I’d like to think that Marty has just arrived with Doc Brown in the Delorean to see this alternate future from their present. Ok, my head hurts again, so I’m done with this look back. Or is it ahead? AAAAAHHHHHH!
