A Time Capsule of Film References: Looking Back to the Future
Not only are the three highly acclaimed Back To The Future films a rich trove of film references, but they also include thrilling time-traveling adventures that helped push the sci-fi genre to unprecedented heights. These subtle and overt references to classic films give the already compelling plot even more depth and nostalgia. While several are now regarded as antiquated and should only be seen by people with an acute eye for cinematic history, many may have been instantly recognized to audiences in the 1980s.
A Guide for Time Travelers to Antiquated Sources
True movie buff Robert Zemeckis skillfully incorporated allusions from famous science fiction masterpieces to silent film era favorites into the narrative of Back To The Future. Ten such allusions that contemporary viewers are likely to overlook are examined in this article.
In Back to the Future Part III: Western Legends
The Back to the Future Series We embark on an exciting journey to the Wild West of 1885 in Part III. Three males, Levi, Zeke, and Jeb, are seen sitting at a table in the backdrop of a bar scene. Not just any old extras, these are great Western actors, Pat B., Harry Carey Jr., and Dub Taylor, who made their mark in Movies like The Searchers, Bonnie and Clyde, and Wild in the Country. This surprising presence gives the movie a hint of nostalgia for the West.
A Clock Dangling Precariously: The "Safety Last!" Allusion
A group of clocks sets the scene for the time-traveling adventures to come at the opening of the first Back to the Future movie. One clock in particular sticks out because it has a tiny man cutout dangling from one of the hands. This is a clear allusion to Harold Lloyd's classic silent picture Safety Last! from 1923. A rivalry between Harold, a store clerk, and Doc Brown included a scenario in which Harold, in the movie, climbs a tall building and ends up hanging dangerously from a clock, emulating Doc Brown's actual clock-hanging event in the town square.
The Kit Kat Clock: A Nod to the 1950s
A Kit Kat clock sticks out in the initial scene among the many different types of clocks. Perhaps this animated clock in the shape of a cat is a subliminal reference to the 1950s, the decade that Marty McFly revisits.
Darth Vader and Planet Vulcan: The 1950s edition of Star Trek
In a humorous sequence, Marty McFly, disguised as Darth Vader from the Planet Vulcan, uses a hairdryer to wake up George McFly while wearing a yellow hazmat suit. Marty makes fun of Star Wars and Star Trek by using 1980s ideas that people in the 1950s wouldn't have known about, including Darth Vader and Van Halen songs.
Inspiration for Time Travel: "The Time Travelers"
Zemeckis and the film's writers made sure that every part of the production, even seemingly little aspects like commercials, had allusions to previous science fiction pictures. Time to Travel? is the message on a billboard in the town plaza. Consult Mr. Foster's Travel Agency." This alludes somewhat to Ib Melchior's 1964 film The time travelers, which tackles related topics of time travel and the future. The moniker "Mr. Foster," which alludes to Preston Foster, the movie's star, is where the reference is found.
An Association with "2001: A Space Odyssey"
In the first scene with Marty McFly, there's a brief glimpse of a red label reading "CRM 114" above Doc Brown's amplifier. This label alludes to Stanley Kubrick's 1968 science fiction masterpiece, 2001: A Space Odyssey. The famous spacecraft in the movie, the Jupiter Explorer, has the serial number CRM 114. This homage to a seminal science fiction classic gives the time-traveling quest more nuance.
A Serial Killer Who Travels Through Time: "Time After Time"
Time After Time, a 1979 Nicholas Meyer film, is directly referenced by Doc Brown in the DeLorean on November 5th at 10:15 AM. This movie explores time travel as well, telling the tale of Jack the Ripper, who uses a stolen time machine to flee the 19th century. This is an appropriate homage to the movie Time After Time, since the chosen date matches the one specified by the novel's author and protagonist, H.G. Wells.
The Time Machine Song: An Orchestral Ode to
There's the sound of fast piano keys as Marty McFly walks into Doc Brown's lab. This subtly alludes to George Pal's 1960 film The Time Machine, since it features the same soundtrack. This demonstrates the extreme care and attention to detail that was put into making Back to the Future.
Inspiration for the WABAC Machine: "The Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show"
The WABAC Machine, a time-traveling apparatus that aired in the 1960s cartoon series The Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show, served as the model for the DeLorean Time Machine, the central character of the Back to the Future franchise. Sherman and Peabody, the cartoon's main characters, travel through time using the WABAC Machine. Beyond The Time Machine, there is a clear nod to the program with characters in the movie called Peabody and Sherman.
"The Twilight Zone" is mentioned in a newspaper.
Back to the Future contains a subtle allusion to The Twilight Zone episode "To Serve Man" from 1962 in a seemingly unimportant element, a newspaper headline. The headline "State Backs Tax Resale in Creek County" on the Hill Valley Telegraph is a clear allusion to the Twilight Zone episode headline "Kanamits Offer Peace and Prosperity." This meticulous attention to detail demonstrates the authors' intense love of science fiction and their wish to include subtly humorous references in the movie.
A Heritage of Cinematic Allusions: The Everlasting Allure of Back to the Future
Back to the Future's copious allusions to earlier Movies reveal the directors' passion for the canon of cinema and their wish to honor the subgenre that influenced them. Even if some of these allusions could be missed on contemporary audiences, they give the movies a nostalgic and deep quality that further cemented their status as cherished sci-fi classics. These allusions are not only historical allusions; they also demonstrate the cinematic medium's timeless quality and cross-generational appeal.
