Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.PCS 1/10/84; site mtgzz.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxn!ihnp4!drutx!mtuxo!mtgzz!leeper From: leeper@mtgzz.UUCP (m.r.leeper) Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers,net.movies Subject: BACK TO THE FUTURE Message-ID: <898@mtgzz.UUCP> Date: Mon, 1-Jul-85 22:24:42 EDT Article-I.D.: mtgzz.898 Posted: Mon Jul 1 22:24:42 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 6-Jul-85 11:02:52 EDT Organization: AT&T Information Systems Labs, Holmdel NJ Lines: 48 Xref: watmath net.sf-lovers:8410 net.movies:6898 BACK TO THE FUTURE A film review by Mark R. Leeper The last film that came out with Stephen Spielberg's name on it was GOONIES. After seeing that I decided that these Spielberg-produced films were on a downward spiral. I told myself that I would avoid them in the future. Then a local theater had a sneak preview of BACK TO THE FUTURE and hope sprang eternal. For the first ten minutes of the film I was asking myself why I didn't listen to my advice to myself and stay away. After all, why do I need a film about a cute kid on a skateboard and a horribly over- acted mad scientist? The remaining 106 minutes answered that question rather nicely. In fact, BACK TO THE FUTURE has few or none of the script problems that I saw in GOONIES. Instead, we have a tightly written science fiction story with likable characters, a fair amount of wit that really *is* funny, and a great collection of time paradoxes presented in a witty fashion. Nobody who has read the basics of science fiction or seen much of science fiction cinema will find much in the way of real ideas, but the old ideas are tied together in a way as entertaining as they have ever been in the past. The story deals with Marty McFly, whose father is a life-long nerd and whose life is in a shambles. Marty has somehow acquired the friendship of a really weird scientist (Christopher Lloyd), who one night reveals that he has made a few special modifications to a DeLorean car. When it is powered with plutonium and is moving at precisely 88mph, it becomes a time machine. It isn't too long before our hero finds himself trapped in 1955 and madly trying to repair changes he has made in history. The script (by director Robert Zemeckis and producer Bob Gale), after a shaky start, is remarkable for clever lines and for attention to technical detail. In spite of a few bizarre touches, this film works as a piece of science fiction. The cast is made up almost exclusively of unknowns. The minor exceptions are Lloyd, whose face is familiar from ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST--he played a belligerent inmate--and from TO BE OR NOR TO BE. Also familiar-looking is James Tolkan as the vice-principal of the local high school. This is a +2 film (on the -4 to +4 scale) and I consider it to be the best thing with Spielberg's name on it since E. T. Mark R. Leeper ...ihnp4!mtgzz!leeper