Summary
- Back to the Future is filled with hidden references to classic films, showing the ion and knowledge for film of director Robert Zemeckis.
- The Western-themed Back to the Future Part III features iconic Western actors in a fun bar scene, adding depth to the film.
- The first film includes clever nods to movies like Safety Last! and 2001: A Space Odyssey, showcasing the attention to detail by the creators.
The Easter eggs. The creators of the franchise truly made every creative decision with careful consideration and meaning behind it.
The first film was released in 1985, and was a major hit among audiences and critics, making it a staple in both films of the 1980s and the entire sci-fi genre. The references listed cover films all the way back to the 1920s up through the '80s, which only further attests to the director, Robert Zemeckis' ion for film and his knowledge and appreciation of its history.
10 Fun, Feel-Good Sci-Fi Movies Like Back to the Future
While Back to the Future was one of the most unique and enduring sci-fi movies, several other films captured its feel-good energy and style.
10 Western Actors
Three Veteran Western Actors are Featured In A Bar Scene
Back to the Future Part III is possibly the most fun film of the trilogy, as it follows a Western theme. It follows Marty, who ends up stranded in the Wild West of 1885. A bar scene in the film references veteran Western actors. In the scene, we see three men named Levi, Zeke, and Jeb seated at a table together in the background of the bar Marty McFly is at. Upon viewing without the knowledge of who they are, audiences would look over this quick detail, but in fact these actors are icons of the Western genre.
The actors featured are Dub Taylor, Harry Carey Jr., and Pat B. These actors are known from films like Bonnie and Clyde (1967), The Searchers (1956), and Wild in the Country (1961). It's so enjoyable to see actors like this, who usually stick to the Western genre, venture out and have fun in other films, even if they're sci-fi.
9 The 'Safety Last!' Clock
A Reference To The 1920s Film, Safety Last!
At the beginning of the first Back to the Future film, very fittingly, we see a variety of different clocks. This was one of many great scenes and opportunities for director Robert Zemeckis to sneak in references and Easter eggs that both tell us what will happen later in the film, and show appreciation for films of the past that inspired him in the creation of this one. All of this is wrapped together in a perfect scene that perfectly captures the overall theme of the films: Time.
On one clock in particular, we can spot a small cutout of a man hanging from one of the hands. This is actually Harold Lloyd from the 1923 film Safety Last! The silent film tells the story of a store clerk, Harold, who creates a climbing contest on a tall building, and he climbs it himself, where he ends up hanging from a clock. This is referenced later in the film, where Doc hangs from the clock in the town square.
8 Kit Kat Clocks
A 1950s Kitchen Staple
Kit Kat Clocks may or may not be something seen before in older films or catalogs. In the first scene, which pictures a variety of clocks, we can spot a Kit Kat clock. This animated clock shaped like a cat could be a reference to the 1950s, when Marty McFly ends up traveling back in time to his parents' house.
7 Star Trek
"Darth Vader From Planet Vulcan"
In one particularly hilarious scene from the first Back to the Future film, we see Marty McFly in a yellow hazmat suit wielding a hair dryer, wake up and scare the younger version of his father, George McFly. Marty claims that he is Darth Vader, a reference obvious to most of Star Wars, and also that he is from the planet Vulcan. He is there to make George agree to take his mother, Lorraine, to the school dance that weekend.
Planet Vulcan is a reference to Star Trek. Marty used things from the 1980s that he was aware of, because people of the 1950s wouldn't have heard of them before. He also hilariously plays a Van Halen tape to wake him up.
6 The Time Travelers
A Billboard ment For Mr. Foster
Zemeckis and the creators of the movie truly seized every opportunity to honor movies of the past by referencing them in many areas of the film, even if the audience only catches a glimpse of them for a second. They have the creative mindset that says, if there needs to be any kind of text or ments on sets in the backgrounds, why not use those to add bits of sci-fi film history here and there?
The 1964 film The Time Travelers, directed by Ib Melchior, tells a similar story of experimenting with time warps and the future. Just like the beginning of Back to the Future, this film actually also opens to images of various types of clocks. This reference made by the director is even further cemented by a billboard that can be spotted in the town square. It reads, "Time to Travel? Ask Mr. Foster Travel Service." The reference here is in the text 'Mr. Foster'. The leading actor of The Time Travelers is named Preston Foster.
5 2001: A Space Odyssey
CRM 114
2001: A Space Odyssey is an early reference in Back to the Future and is a super easy one to miss. In this iconic scene where we first meet Marty McFly, played by the amazing Michael J. Fox, he plugs his guitar into Doc's amp and is blown away by the speakers. For a split second, we get a glimpse of a little red label above the plug that reads "CRM 114".
The incredible sci-fi staple by Stanley Kubrick, 2001: A Space Odyssey, was released in 1968. CRM 114 was the serial number of the Jupiter Explorer in the film. A Space Odyssey changed sci-fi forever and still impressively stands the test of time, making it a great reference to include in the film.
4 Time After Time
November 5, 10:15 AM
Another film referenced in numbers hidden in a Back to the Future scene is Time After Time, released in 1979 and directed by Nicholas Meyer. This film also includes elements of time travel. It tells the story of the infamous serial killer Jack the Ripper, who steals a time machine to escape the 19th century.
The reference here is the date that Doc sets in the time machine with Marty. He sets it for November 5 at 10:15 A.M., which is the same one set by H.G. Wells, the writer and main character of Time After Time. This makes for a very fitting reference.
3 The Time Machine
A Familiar Sound Plays When Marty Enters Doc's Lab
Yet another reference that takes place at the beginning of the film comes from the 1960 film The Time Machine, directed by George Pal. We can catch this reference as Marty is entering Doc's lab.
Instead of creating a reference in the form of a set piece, actor, or prop, this one actually comes from the music. The sound of rapid piano keys can be heard in the scene. This is the same background music played in The Time Machine. This is another example of every single element and the smallest of details being considered by the creative team.
2 Mr. Peabody & Sherman
The WABAC Machine
There are multiple references to the 1960s animated show, The Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show. This clever cartoon features Sherman and Peabody, who are late-night TV show hosts who bring on special guests from events throughout history by using Mr. Peabody's Time Machine, called the WABAC Machine.
The Time Machine in Back to the Future is the DeLorean, created from a retrofitted DMC DeLorean, which they use to travel both into the past and the future. This was inspired by the WABAC Machine. Another reference to the cartoon is that there are two characters in the film named Peabody and Sherman, which, of course, is a very direct reference.
1 The Twilight Zone
The Hill Valley Telegraph References The Classic Sci-Fi Show
Another reference that is pretty hidden and easy to miss is on the cover of a newspaper in Back to the Future. This comes from an episode of The Twilight Zone called "To Serve Man" from 1962. This can be seen on the front page of the Hill Valley Telegraph on November 3, 1955. One story that can be seen is titled "State Backs Tax Resale in Creek County", which appeared in the The Twilight Zone episode under the headline "Kanamits Offer Peace and Prosperity."
Even the smallest of details, like this one in Back To The Future, proves a creative team's ion for the story and what they do. It's an extra step that goes above and beyond just for the love of film and sci-fi, which is truly something to appreciate.
Back to the Future
- Release Date
- July 3, 1985
- Runtime
- 116 minutes
- Director
- Robert Zemeckis
Cast
Michael J. FoxMarty McFly
Emmett Brown
WHERE TO WATCH
Back to the Future follows teenager Marty McFly as he is inadvertently sent back to 1955, where he disrupts his parents' meeting. With the assistance of eccentric inventor Doc Brown, Marty must restore the timeline by ensuring his parents fall in love and find a way back to 1985.
- Writers
- Robert Zemeckis, Bob Gale
- Studio(s)
- Universal Pictures
- Distributor(s)
- Universal Pictures
- Main Genre
- Sci-Fi
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