Back to the Future Part III (1990) or, The DeLorean Time Traveler's Final Adventure

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Exciting graphics and fonts, bright colors and an expertly crafted painted image with the three stars provoke imagination and anticipation on this poster for Robert Zemeckis' Back to the Future Part III

 

Doc Brown falls in love during a time travel to the Wild West of 1885. Will Marty McFly succeed in getting his pal to return with him, back to the future?

 

Back to the Future Part III is written by co-writer/co-producer Bob Gale (1941 (1979)), with Illinoisan master filmmaker, co-writer/director Robert Zemeckis (I Wanna Hold Your Hand (1978)) contributing story elements. It is the 3rd and final film in Gale/Zemeckis' Back to the Future trilogy (1984; 1989; 1990) and Zemeckis' 8th feature.
The movie is driven by the same love of storytelling and effects as the two first, and the story and script are again intelligent and fun. But the exciting time aspects of Part II are mostly left for a romance that, however sweet feels somewhat recycled.
Part III is still a good and exciting film, and Michael J. Fox (Spin City (1996-2001)) and Christopher Lloyd (Taxi (1978-1983)) are still an entertaining delight as its lead duo.

 

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Back to the Future (1985) or, The DeLorean Time Traveler

1941 (1979) - Spielberg's bizarre 'comedy spectacular' sinks like a rock (co-writer)

Take a look at the movie in its original trailer here

Cost: 40 mil. $
Box office: 245 mil. $
= Huge hit (returned 6.12 times its cost)

[Back to the Future Part III was released 25 May (North America) and runs 118 minutes. Fox was paid 5 mil. $ for his performance in the film. The old West setting was reportedly chosen based on a remark by Fox made during production of the first film. Shooting took place back to back with Part II (11 months of production in total) from August 1989 - January 1990 in California, Utah and Arizona. The film opened #1 to a 19 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent another 3 weekends in the top 5 (#2-#3-#5), grossing 87.7 mil. $ (35.8 % of the total gross). Roger Ebert gave the film a 2.5/4 star review, translating to a notch under this one. Zemeckis returned with Two-Fisted Tales (1992, TV movie, segment) and theatrically with Death Becomes Her (1992). Fox returned in The Hard Way (1991); Lloyd with a voice performance in DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Last Lamp (1990) and physically in Suburban Commando (1991); and Mary Steenburgen (Antiquities (2018)) with a voice performance in The Long Walk Home (1990) and physically in The Butcher's Wife (1991). Back to the Future Part III is certified fresh at 80 % with a 6.70/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of Back to the Future Part III?

Back to the Future Part II (1989) or, The DeLorean Time Traveler Returns

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Doc Brows and Marty McFly are poised for a new adventure on this delightful poster for Robert Zemeckis' Back to the Future Part II

Marty McFly visits the future world of 2015 but is then forced to travel back to 1955 to make sure no dire changes are made to the past, as well as his his 1985 self, by a competing traveler in time with selfish aims.

Back to the Future Part II is written by writer/co-producer Bob Gale (Tales from the Crypt (1993, TV-series)), with co-writer/director, master Illinoisan filmmaker Robert Zemeckis (Flight (2012)) contributing story elements. It is the 2nd in Gale and Zemeckis' Back to the Future trilogy that also spans Back to the Future (1985) and Back to the Future Part III (1990).

Part II is my favorite of the three Back to the Future films and for me the most interesting one.
Where the original was the romantic, sensational blockbuster phenomenon, the sequel in my mind does the necessary; something different: Part II drops the romantic side of things, heads into the future, SPOILER where Marty McFly wants to prevent his future son from being imprisoned, and then back again to the 50's scenario, where the characters went in the first film, as the evil Biff character has stolen the DeLorean time machine in the future and goes back to give himself the means to become a rich man early in life. Tom Wilson's (Reba (2005, TV-series)) part as Biff is much bigger in Part II.
The science fiction plot of Part II is intricate and requires that the audience's brain is switched on. SPOILER As Biff's futuristic hell has to be prevented, things get complicated, as characters may stumble into themselves in the past. - And where might that lead? The possibility of parallel universes and time paradoxes are stimulating to the mind, but the film crucially doesn't lack fun, excitement and adventure to lighten up the dizzying plot aspects.
The late 1980s future vision is pretty electronically and technologically optimistic, (as could be expected), and always interesting, although Zemeckis  and Gale have admitted that they exaggerated certain predictions for effect.
The film's effects were innovative and very impressive at the time, and they still look great, although no one will lose their breaths over them in today's world.
Back to the Future Part II is a fantastic, whirlpool adventure in time and an impressively well achieved sequel to the first film.
 

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Back to the Future (1985) or, The DeLorean Time Traveler 

1941 (1979) - Spielberg's bizarre 'comedy spectacular' sinks like a rock (co-writer) 

 

 

Watch the trailer for the film here

Cost: 40 mil. $
Box office: 332.5 mil. $
= Mega-hit (returned 8.31 times its cost)

[Back to the Future Part II premiered 20 November (California) and runs 108 minutes. Zemeckis and Gale only jumped at the opportunity to make a sequel when Universal Pictures made it clear to them that a sequel would be made without them, if they didn't make it themself. Michael J. Fox (Teen Wolf (1985)) was paid 5 mil. $ for his performance. Crispin Glover (Back to the Future (1985)) was the only one in the first film's main cast who refused to take place in the sequel due to a pay dispute. Shooting took place from February - August 1989 in Las Vegas, Nevada and in California, including in Los Angeles. Pre-production lasted two years due to the fact that Part II and Part III were shot back-to-back. The film opened #1 to a 43 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it stayed #1 for one more weekend and spent another 4 weekends in the top 5, grossing 118.4 mil. $ (35.6 % of the total gross). It was the 6th highest-grossing film of the year in North America and 3rd highest-grossing of the year worldwide, behind Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and Batman. It was nominated for the Best Visual Effects Oscar, lost to The Abyss. It won a BAFTA, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave the film a 3/4 star review, translating to a notch under this one. Zemeckis returned with Back to the Future Part III, which was also Fox's next appearance. Christopher Lloyd (Suburban Commando (1991)) first returned in Buster Poindexter: Hit the Road, Jack (1989, music video) and theatrically in Why Me? (1990). Back to the Future Part II is fresh at 63 % with a 6.20/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of Back to the Future Part II?

Back to the Future (1985) or, The DeLorean Time Traveler

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'He was never in time for his classes... He wasn't in time for his dinner... Then one day... he wasn't in his time at all' reads the great tagline on this spectacular poster for Robert Zemeckis' Back to the Future

Marty McFly is a lively high-school kid in '85, who hangs around now and again at his friend Doc Brown's house/laboratory. The good doc has now devised a time machine out of a DeLorean, and by and by McFly gets catapulted back to the 1950s, where he endangers the surety of his mother and father falling in love, and thereby his own existence!

 
Back to the Future is written by co-writer/co-producer Bob Gale (Used Cars (1980)) and co-writer/director, master Illinoisan filmmaker Robert Zemeckis (I Wanna Hold Your Hand (1978)), whose 4th feature it was.

The film is pop culture history and a prime example of Hollywood at its very best. Seemingly without straining itself to achieve it, it captures with wonderful sharpness so many things from the life and mentality of America in the 80s, - a good deal of it through parodying America of the 50s. Back to the Future is incredibly vivid good fun.

Christopher Lloyd (The Pagemaster (1994)) and Michael J. Fox (Mars Attacks! (1996)) are both perfect in their parts, funny and enthusiastic with great on-screen chemistry. Crispin Glover (Dead Man (1995)) is also hilarious and memorable as McFly's door mat of a dork father, who learns how to stand up for himself from his son.
Zemeckis pulled it all together and directed the film with great skill and vision and along the way immortalized himself in cinema history with one of the best time travel films of all time. Back to the Future is wildly entertaining and wildly popular: One of the great time-related jokes in the film is about that guy on TV in the 50s, who isn't likely going to be president, (that guy being, of course, Ronald Reagan, who was a Hollywood actor before he became a politician and later president.) Reagan was reportedly amused by the joke himself and even incorporated Back to the Future in his 1986 State of the Union address, saying: "Never has there been a more exciting time to be alive, a time of rousing wonder and heroic achievement. As they said in the film Back to the Future, 'Where we're going, we don't need roads'." - The 80s in some ways was an exciting, optimistic time.
The film also has a fun cameo by Huey Lewis, and two great pop themes, The Power of Love, and Back in Time, also both written for the film, - to great success on their own as hit songs as well, - by Huey Lewis and the News. 

Zemeckis and Gale have orchestrated a romantic science fiction adventure story that is highly original. It holds up to the last second and to many joyful returns.

 

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1941 (1979) - Spielberg's bizarre 'comedy spectacular' sinks like a rock (co-writer)

 

Watch the original trailer for the film right here

Cost: 19 mil. $
Box office: 383.8 mil. $
= Blockbuster (returned 20.2 times its cost)

[Back to the Future was released 3 July (USA) and runs 116 minutes. The film was developed after a string of initial flops for Zemeckis and Gale and thus didn't find support until after the release of Zemeckis' first big hit Romancing the Stone (1984). Then the green-lit project was rushed into production with the wrong star in the McFly part, Eric Stoltz. Weeks into production the decision was taken to replace Stoltz (full salary paid) and switch him with Fox, who was secured while still simultaneously acting on his sitcom Family Ties (1982-89). Fox was paid 250k $ for his performance. The decision was central in the film's costs growing over-budget by 4 mil. $ during production. Shooting took place from November 1984 - April 1985 in California, including in Los Angeles. The film was rushed through post production for a mid-summer release. It opened #1 to an 11.1 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it stayed #1 for another 10 weekends, with 8 more spent in the top 5, grossing 210.6 mil. $ (54.9 % of the total gross). It was the year's highest-grossing film, the highest-grossing in North America and the 3rd highest grossing of the year outside of North America, behind Out of Africa and Rocky IV. The film was nominated for 4 Oscars, winning for Sound Effects Editing. It lost Best Original Song (The Power of Love) to Say You, Say Me from White Nights by Lionel Ritchie, Sound to Out of Africa and Original Screenplay to Earl Wallace for Witness. It was also nominated for 5 BAFTAs, won 2 David di Donatello awards, was nominated for 4 Golden Globes, a Grammy, won a National Board of Review award, among many other honors. Roger Ebert gave the film a 3.5/4 star review, equal in rating to this one. IMDb's users have voted the film in at #30 on the site's Top 250 list, sitting between Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) and Spirited Away (2001). The film was the first in what became the Back to the Future trilogy with returning filmmaker Zemeckis, writer Gale and Fox, Lloyd and others; Back to the Future Part II (1989) and Back to the Future Part III (1990) were the result. Zemeckis first returned with Amazing Stories (1986). Fox first returned in Teen Wolf (1985); Lloyd in Clue (1985). Back to the Future is certified fresh at 97 % with an 8.80/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of Back to the Future?

1941 (1979) - Spielberg's bizarre 'comedy spectacular' sinks like a rock

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A packed, explosive and fire engine red poster drawn poster for Steven Spielberg's 1941

Ohioan master filmmaker Steven Spielberg's (Jurassic Park (1993)) initial entry in the annals of the bombs of the New Hollywood directors is his 1979 war comedy 1941. The failure was not as spectacular as that of some of his contemporaries, like Dennis Hopper's The Last Movie (1971), Martin Scorsese's New York, New York (1977), Francis Ford Coppola's Peggy Sue Got Married (1986), George Lucas's Howard the Duck (1986) or (especially) Michael Cimino's Heaven's Gate (1980), and it broke even and may have turned a slight profit, but it is still a deeply strange jumble, an impressively gigantic production of a crazy array of ideas and pointless dalliances. It is written by Robert Zemeckis (Flight (2012)) and Bob Gale (Amazing Stories (1986), TV-series), with John Milius (Evel Knievel (1971)) contributing story elements.

Centered on a war-paranoid, gun-loving Los Angeles in the wake of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, 1941 presents a range of more or less comical figures, who we follow as they engage in attacks on - mostly - each other.

Some audiences surely think that 1941 portrays the American war effort in WWII as silly, a laugh, pointless, and/or unimportant. If Spielberg had not stayed working for decades and given us two of the best, serious WWII-films of all time as well, later on in his career - Schindler's List (1993) and Saving Private Ryan (1998), - 1941 would have been a much more embarrassing blot on his body of work than it is.
As it stands, I don't feel he should be embarrassed of it. Everyone knows that Spielberg's heart is in the right place, and he just made a ridiculous film back in the heyday of these young directors' perceived immortality in 1979. Today, perhaps, he has become even more immortal in terms of his industry status and monetary gains; (he was the second-highest earning celebrity of 2012 according to Forbes Magazine; making around 100 mil. $; only surpassed by Madonna.) - But does Spielberg have more good pictures up his sleeves? His only directorial effort planned at the time of writing this is an Indiana Jones 5, with the far from youthful Harrison Ford (Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)), and it thus it unfortunately seems that Spielberg's finest hours are behind him. (Ed.: This was proved wrong as Spielberg did return with great family comedy The BFG (2016) and political drama masterpiece The Post (2017).)
Back to 1941:
Lacking a central character and an engaging story, and super-abundant in odd slapstick-comedy that doesn't result in real laughs, 1941 is strange, empty and extravagant to a point of ... pointlessness.
Visually, much of it is made uncomfortably bright for no apparent reason, while a seemingly grand and spectacular airplane scene in LA towards the end is so under-lit that it is hard to make out what's going on.
With an impressive cast of names such as Toshirô Mifune (Winter Kills (1979)), Ned Beatty (The Killer Inside Me (2010)), John Candy (Space Balls (1987)), Christopher Lee (Starship Invasions (1977)), Slim Pickens (The Swarm (1978)), Robert Stack (Police Story (1976), TV-series), Treat Williams (Moola (2007)) and others, and several fellow filmmakers involved in its making, contributing jokes, cameos, story, and script-wise, at least for Spielberg's sake, when the film was met with incomprehension, head-shaking and box office far below his two sensational films before it, masterpiece Jaws (1975) and Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), - he had a boatload of good people on his side to share the negative critique with.
The things that make 1941 bearable (if not, for the general viewer, worth watching exactly), are the few laughs that it does have. Especially John Belushi (Old Boyfriends (1979)) and Dan Aykroyd (Tammy (2014)) and some of the toilet-humored Pickens-scenes supply these. There's also a quite extraordinarily staged and filmed dance scene that goes totally amok, which is also entertaining and fun in its own way.
Spielberg has stated that he considered turning 1941 into a musical halfway through production, and that, in retrospect, it might have helped it. I doubt it, but, of course, we will never know.

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Here is a teaser for the film with Belushi prominently featured

Cost: 35 mil. $
Box office: 94.4 mil. $
= Box office success
[1941 premiered 13 December (Los Angeles, California) and runs 118 minutes. Spielberg sought out cinema legends John Wayne and Charlton Heston to participate in the film, but both advised him against it and called it unpatriotic. The enormously long shoot took place in California, including Los Angeles, and in Oregon from October 1978 - May 1979. Belushi was in an airplane accident during shooting and was hospitalized; the shot of the accident was used in the film. The film opened #3 to a 2.7 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it grossed 31.7 mil. $ (33.6 % of the total gross). The film was nominated for 3 Oscars: Best Cinematography (William A. Fraker (Protocol (1984))), lost to Vittorio Storaro for Apocalypse Now, Best Effects, Visual Effects, lost to Alien, and Best Sound, lost to Apocalypse Now. Roger Ebert gave the film a 1.5/4 star review, translating to one notch harder than this review. Spielberg has later said that personal arrogance on his side contributed to the film's not "funny enough" but that he is "not embarrassed by it." He returned with great adventure Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). Belushi and Aykroyd returned together in John Landis' masterpiece The Blues Brothers (1980). 1941 is rotten at 36 % with a 5.2/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of 1941?