Monday, October 1, 2007

Number Ten: Back To The Future (Zemeckis, 1985) [Y]

Yeah, that's what I chose. No hiding it with that picture above my post and why should I try? I thought of putting Platoon here for respectability but I don't even remember what happens in Platoon. Plus it has Charlie Sheen in it. How can you watch it the same way after Hot Shots Part Deux?

What's so good about Back to the Future? First, it's got great performances by Christopher Loyd and Crispin Glover, two actors who rival Christopher Walken and Ben Affleck in their penchant for suicidal career moves. Before he became a full time corporate huckster, before he longed for the halcyon days of Addams Family sequels, Christopher Loyd was the weird old professor friend we all wanted to have. His workshop featured automatic pet feeders, giant speakers, and weird metal helmet things. Now that's the kind of professor I wish I'd had in college! (Doc is only equaled by another amazing professor from this decade. '80s the decade of cool professors? Russell Crowe's got nothing on these guys.)

Crispin Glover, on the other hand, was the dad that none of us wanted to have--because he was too much like us! In the course of the movie Michael J. Fox comes to terms with the fact that his father is just a grown-up kid who went through the same crap he's going through as an adolescent. But, through the miracle of Lucassified special effects he's able to achieve inner knowledge and peace AND change history to give himself what he wants. This smacks a little bit of me-decade thinking, but the Marty McFly who ends the movie seems to have genuinely grown as a person.

One other thing that Back to the Future has going for it is the relative plainness of the actors involved. Marty's mom is attractive but no supermodel. Christopher Loyd and Crispin Glover wouldn't win any beauty contests. And most important of all--Michael J. Fox was short, and obviously so! Would this movie work with Jim Carrey or Zack Braff acting opposite Scarlet Johansson? Well maybe Zack Braff, I kinda like Scrubs I have to admit. Now back to the 80s...

7 comments:

Little Earl said...

I don't remember what happens in Platoon either. All I remember is that I watched Apocalypse Now and I told people I liked it and some of them suggested I go rent Platoon. So I rented Platoon two weeks after watching Apocalypse Now, and I couldn't have told you why at the time, but although I thought Platoon was really good, I didn't think it was as good as Apocalypse Now. I'd figured that since Apocalypse Now had only been nominated for Best Picture, and since Platoon had actually WON Best Picture, then that would mean it would be better. That's when I sort of started suspecting the Oscars.

Also: Lea Thompson was pretty hot in this movie. If she's your idea of plain, then who are your female friends, and can I meet them please?

jin-hur said...

Oh Yoggoth, just because you're pissed about JFK being fifty-million hours long doesn't mean you can bring Platoon down like that! Besides, if Platoon loses out to Back to the Future, I might have to Tonya Harding your knees. Just maybe.

yoggoth said...

I liked JFK, but it wasn't as good as Nixon.

yoggoth said...

And sure she was attractive but not in that fake hollywood way.

jin-hur said...

It also doesn't help that I hate Michael J. Fox with a passion. Hell, you could've used Tom Cruise
(<3 Top Gun)

I better see that movie near the top 3!

yoggoth said...

How could you like Tom Cruise more than Micheal J. Fox?? One's dependent on a logic insulting sci-fi religion, the other campaigns for scientific research that could help millions. No amount of superior performances(not that Top Gun would even fit in that category) could make up that gap.

Anonymous said...

I have to say I like this choice. I must have watched BTTF a hundred times when I was a kid; it had everything anyone could want in a movie. Action - Romance - Comedy - Guitars and weird metal helmet things.

But what this movie really had was escape. LE should at least appreciate that. With this movie, you could go back in time, change the past - claim your do-over. Think of it LE; you could see every Beatle's concert ever!

And for the record, Lea Thompson was cuter in Howard the Duck, Micheal J. Fox kicks all over Tom Cruise, and I don't remember what happens in Platoon either.