@knickynoo’s Back to the Future Challenge!
So, a few weeks ago @knickynoo posted these questions here. It’s taken me a while, but here are answers to all of them!
1. Which film is your favorite in the trilogy and why?
Well, when I first saw the movies when I was a little kid (in 1997, I think), my favorite was Part II, because of the future portion. I would sometimes just watch until they left to return to 1985, rewind the tape, and watch that part again.
By the time I was in college, Part III was definitely my favorite. I think the romance aspect resonated with me at that age.
By the time the real 2015 came around, it became Part I. I’m not entirely sure why, though? Maybe because of how well it stands on its own.
2. A favorite memory attached to the films
In 2000, my parents and I took a vacation to Los Angeles, and we stopped at Universal Studios. I got my picture taken with “Doc,” and I rode the ride at least three times. But I was kinda more interested in the props and memorabilia in the waiting rooms for the ride than the ride itself, as well as the names on the doors of the “offices” in the Institute of Future Technology. (Like Benjamin Franklin.)
Also, after having moved to Los Angeles late in 2014, I was actually in Courthouse Square on October 21, 2015. It was quite something. Though the buildings were different (The Courthouse facade is different, for one), it was still like actually being in Hill Valley.
Finally, I saw the 25th anniversary rerelease in 2010. It was amazing! I saw and heard things I never had before, like all the past due bills in Doc's garage, and the leaves rustling at the clocktower.
3. A scene that makes you smile/laugh/cheer and why
I always want to cheer at the scene in Part II when Marty burns the almanac and sees that his dad is alive again. Also works as an answer to the next question.
4. A scene that makes you emotional (sad, edge of your seat, etc.)
I get so emotional at the scene where Doc tells Clara he’s leaving her that I usually have to mute it because I can’t take it!
5. Who is your favorite secondary character?
I have to go with Jennifer Parker. I feel like there’s much more to her than we get to see. (Enough that in a fanfic that I’ve been working on [for like seven years now, so don’t get your hopes up] she sorta took over as the main character from Marty!) Also, what little we see of her and Marty in the first movie—like, it’s obvious that they’d still be together thirty years later, IMO.
6. A favorite quote/bit of dialogue
I have to go with “EAT LEAD, SLACKERS!” I crack up just thinking about it. Marty’s little “Augh!” as he runs away adds to it.
7. Things you would have liked explored or explained
This one was holding me up for a while, but I think that, after seeing so much of the McFlys and the Tannens, we need more of the Browns, Baineses, and Claytons. Especially the Baines family--even the extensions (see below) have no information on their background, AFAIK.
8. Any thoughts or opinions on the extensions of the film? (TellTale game/comics, etc.)
I’m not a video game player—the most recent system I have is an N64 I was given when it was new, in 1996—but I tried the Telltale game. I didn’t finish it, but I read the articles about it on the BTTF wiki and fell in love with the story anyway! I actually started incorporating bits into my fanfics.
The comics I liked enough, though I should note I never got around to Hard Time, Tales From The Time Train, or Biff to the Future. 3.5 of 5 stars, perhaps—though mostly because they conflict with my post-Part III headcanons and such! Still, I wish they were making new ones. (Also, I did a fic in 2009 called “The Other Time Traveler” about someone else who comes up with the flux capacitor, and it was interesting to see the same idea in the comics with Professor Irving.)
The animated series—I’ve never seen it. I’ve heard bad things, but all I’m going to say is that, from seeing screen grabs, I don’t like the art style. But, when I learned about the series as a kid, it had already gone off the air, so I scoured every video rental store in town to find a copy of any episode (there were some VHS releases). I couldn’t find them anywhere, and writing this almost makes me relive the disappointment!
Finally, though I’ve never read the whole thing, a copy of the Part III novelization is in my possession. I got it at a thrift store/antique store the first day I transferred to my university, and the lady there said she hoped it would be good luck, since it was my favorite of the three at the time.
I’m going to tag anyone who’s interested, assuming everyone hasn’t done this already!
