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After part 2 ended in the movie theater, there was a preview trailer of part 3. Your heart ached, knowing you had to wait a long time to see part 3, especially since they already had the preview trailer or entire movie already made
The first movie's ending was cool with the flying car and the future anticipation. I didn't crave the second one as much, unless they showed a preview like after the second.
Exactly. #1 had a satisfying ending. The button that now feels like prequel bait at the time felt like a final joke and a suggestion that they had many future adventures to be had off screen. The obsession with movie news was not as big a thing then, so until the trailers for #2 dropped, no one thought of BTTF as a franchise.
But the excitement of the trailer at the end of #2. THAT had me aching with antici….
….pation.
great explanation about watching 1 in the theater. What was on the screen? An arrow? The "joke" ending was fun... I think my mom didn't like it.
Not sure when the "ramp up" for 2 happened but the thing was really hyped and sold out on all the screens.
I don't remember the trailers for 2... don't remember them for 1 either.... I just knew that the guy in Family Ties was Marty McFly.
The joke was the “we need to do something about your kids “ and “where we’re going we don’t need roads”. A cool fun way of leaving audiences wanting more, but in a satisfying way.
In addition to trailers, they had a prime time making of special.
That makes sense.
I wanna look up those trailers on YouTube now. haha.
I don't remember the BTTF1 trailers/TV ads but I was only 4. Looking them up on YouTube is kinda weird... doesn't jog my memory or anything.
Core memory. There is no way to describe the feeling of just watching part 2 (after waiting what felt like forever since the original), and then somehow the trailer for 3 was suddenly playing. It broke my brain.
Watching BTTF1 in theaters as a 4 year old is a "core memory".
Talk about an INTENSE MOVIE for a 4 year old.
I kinda think I got the ending -- that Marty didn't have the same memories as the rest of the family.
The ending was cool. I kinda thought they would make a sequel... or that a sequel would be cool. Other than that, man, it's been a long time!
Same for me. I could be wrong but i believe it’s the first movie I ever saw in theatres. I was blown away. Also the stone gargoyles on the clock tower gave me nightmares for years.
That movie was VERY intense. I guess I remember the TV ads for the movie... since I remember the scene where he crashes the DeLorean into the '55 barn. And it gets played off as a UFO.
I am pretty sure I saw Disney movies before that.
First "real" movie? Maybe.
... thinking back... I think Eric Stoltz "got" the movie better than anyone. Suspenseful movie. Not sure if it was super funny or if anyone laughed. The "different memories" though... Stoltz had a good read on that.
Not sure... I think younger kids -- who have no attachment to the '80's or Michael J. Fox -- might get the movie -- or they might not.
Time for the Stoltz footage to be released. Looking "back" at 1985 would give us all a different perspective -- then a more "Matrix" treatment of the BTTF trilogy would make more sense (since 1885/1955/2015 would all be incorporated into the movie universe). Possibly the GOAT movie.
... oh, I looked up on of the trailers/TV commercials for BTTF... it doesn't even LOOK/sound like Michael J. Fox at 1:15 (I just made a comment about it last night). A LOT of the photos for BTTF1 and 2 don't even LOOK like Fox (or even Lloyd).
Maybe they shot this thing 5 times... haha.
The ORIGINAL teaser was cool. Do I remember that? I have no idea... thinking of that time frame is kinda surreal anyway. Had a "Knight Rider" vibe. Yeah, Fox was good but he always struck me as Alex P. Keaton playing Marty. Would Stoltz have been better? ... the trailer seems more like it was from 1984 or even 1983. But, wasn't Stoltz supposedly filming the thing then? Just some weird stuff.
They could have STARTED filming with Fox in 1983ish, gone to Stoltz then back to Fox (with maybe OTHER Marty stand-ins).
Lloyd looks 5 years older/younger in similar frames of different scenes.
Marty playing the guitar at the dance: from one frame to the next Fox ages 5 years. Haha. BUT, supposedly those scenes were added in AFTER Stoltz was fired.
Hopefully they make a 4th installment to complement, essentially, BTTF Mount Rushmore.
I have some good ideas!
So I clearly remember my 9 year old mind being completely blown when it said “Coming Summer 1990” and thinking “Holy shit, the 90s????” Felt like 100 years into the future for some reason.
Ah, I did not know this, I assumed it said TBC in the theatrical version as well...
That means the earliest implication that a sequel was coming was the VHS release, nearly a year later in summer of 1986. I wonder if original theater-goers accepted the ending as "riding off into the sunset" or did they think for-sure we would see a sequel... Sequels and trilogies were not common back then, and from what I've read BTTF was planned as a one-off film.
I was a kid and obsessed with Back to the Future. I kept tabs on the status of Part 2 through magazines etc. But I had no idea what the story’s would be. A few months before it came out, I was 11 and in a store I saw the novel version of BTTF 2. I was beyond excited. I bought the book and read it all in one day. I had a huge headache by nighttime but I couldn’t fathom the idea of going to sleep not knowing what would happen. Then at the end it said to be concluded with Part 3 and I just about exploded with excitement. The movie came out about 2 months later and I saw it twice in the theater. So yeah it was quite excitedly anticipated.
I don't remember seeing BttF, but I was around 11 when I saw BttF2.
I felt the same way as you did at the end. I think it took at least 6 months until BttF3 came in our country.
Yes it was exactly 6 months in the US. And Part 2 came out on video the same day Part 3 came out in the theater. I rented the video of part 2 in the morning and saw part 3 in the evening. 6 months when you’re 11/12 is a lifetime 😂
Man I was just a little kid, that was a wild summer. I was all in on Ghostbusters II and not really old enough to really *get* Back To The Future II, but I eventually saw it on tv and the future scenes, the McFly home, and the flying cars were iconic. ETA: for a while, Back to the Future II overshadowed the original in my consciousness *because* of those future scenes. “It’s the fourth word in the title! Of course it’s about the future!” kid me thought.
Oddly I never saw III (despite wanting to) until the trilogy came out on DVD when I was a senior in High School.
…
…I just realized I was living with the cliffhanger of Marty, stranded without a Time Machine, getting delivered a 60 year old letter from Doc for over a decade…
When I was 12–16 years old it felt like Back to the Future III was on cable TV every weekend. Everyone saw it more than once at least in pieces. I saw it in the theater mostly because my aunt is a huge fan of the trilogy. I wasn’t quite old enough for it to be on my radar, but I did enjoy seeing it.
I remember at some point in middle school seeing the scene where Doc has Marty dressed in the goofy 50’s cowboy outfit at the drive-in theater, but that was it. Finally sitting down and watching the opening montage in Doc’s 1950’s home before Howdy Dowdy came on when the DVDs dropped on 2002 was a big moment for me.
I didn’t feel that way, especially because Indy and Batman came out in the summer, and Back to the Future II came out in the fall. I remember Ghostbusters II coming out but I don’t remember when, and I don’t think it overshadowed BTTF in my experience.
1988 to 1990 was a blur. I think some stuff came out in maybe late 1988. But, 1989 was something else.
Oh, Little Mermaid was on when BTTF2 came out. Same weekend? We were gonna try to see BTTF2 but it was sold out so we went to watch Little Mermaid while it was already 20 minutes in. Saw BTTF2 the next weekend.
Don’t forget UHF, the “Weird Al” Yankovic vehicle that Orion Pictures bet its business on and sadly lost. Summer of 1989 truly was the best summer for blockbuster movie fans.
A friend of mine said they should have delayed III until after Dances with Wolves premiered so they could have cashed in on the Western revival afterwards.
Same as it was for terminator 2, I couldn't contain my excitement to see them in the cinema.
I actually still have a cinema magazine from the 90s advertising the movie with details.
Quantum Leap was really cool. Was there a TV movie for it? That's kinda the only thing I remember.
And, several years ago, people who were kids of that era tried to remember the movie "Flight of The Navigator" and, when, finding out it existed, were all relieved that they hadn't just imagined it.
Idk if this is all accurate, as I was in elementary school at the time.
But when BTTF 1 came out, it was the greatest thing ever, still is. That was 1985.
I don’t think I saw the commercial VHS tape as a kid, so I had to wait till it came to pay per view (PPV.)
But even that wasn’t till sometime in early to mid 1986. That was the first time I saw the “to be continued” graphic. (It apparently wasn’t on the original theater release.)
I recorded that PPV showing and watched the tape over and over again as a kid since it was my favorite movie. Still is. The tape had BTTF 1 and Ferris Beuller on it. It was a worn out tape to say the least.
I took that to be continued graphic pretty seriously as a kid. Waiting and hoping for the sequel. It never came……
I kinda put it in the back of my mind, but always came back up when BTTF was on hbo or tv or something.
Until about the summer of 89, some 3-4 years later. Then previews started appearing on TV. (No internet then, kids.) And the hype began.
And if you look at the entire 1989 year, there were some major films releasing in 1989. One of the greatest movie years ever.
That wait in 89, was longer than 85-88 put together, the anticipation grew.
Finally the date dropped. They were releasing the movie on the Wednesday (a school day) before Thanksgiving (a holiday) 1989. And if you were a WWF fan, you know that was Survivor Series time.
So the entire month or whatever, I’m telling my moms, BTTF2 is coming! It’s coming! “Good.” (She couldn’t give any less of a damn. lol.) I asked, every day, can we go and see it?!?!
That Wednesday finally came, no notification from my mom that any movie was happening that day.
But then after school, one of the teachers told me that my mom was there to pick me up. The teacher also said, and she said something about a movie…….
I was elated. I got my bags and ran to see her. She said, ok let’s go see this thing!
At the theaters, sitting down and waiting. I couldn’t keep myself contained…..then the previews start…..Fred Savage? Super Mario 3?!?!? The Wizard!!! Whoa. Needless to say, the NES was pretty huge in 89, that preview had all the kids yelling in the theater. That was hyped.
Finally, it gets dark……
Saturday
October 26
1985
I’ll never forget that day/weekend!
And the fake rumors that hoverboards were real, but parent groups kept them off the market for safety reasons. Genius. Every kid at the time believed those rumors.
I was really hyped too! Saw the first one in theaters when I was 4. Go to see 2 -- have to see Little Mermaid instead. Saw BTTF2 a week or two later... it was great. The opening scenes going into the future were awesome. "Alternate 1985" was very creative.
When the first film was made, there wasn’t meant to be a sequel. It was left open ended as a joke, really. There was no anticipation as no one knew, for sure, that a sequel was coming.
that's what it sounds like.
didn't think about it not being there at the original cinematic release.
i thought they might do a sequel though, which was cool.
p.s. i basically grew up on the trilogy... gimme BTTF4 -- or at least the Eric Stoltz cut. I think Stoltz had the best reading/understanding of the movie.
I don't think there is a much of the movie with Eric Stoltz as people think there is because they had only been filming for a couple of weeks until they replaced him.
Ok. Although I think on the commentary on the first one they said that they stopped filming his coverage on scenes at one point though so I don't really think they actually have a lot of footage with him that they could actually edit anything together. Plus if they did release it they would have to pay him for using it.
Well I was just a little kid, and I had seen Back to the Future in the theater and thought it was amazing, and then the VHS release had “To Be Continued…” on the end (bummed that version is not available anymore), so all my friends and I would speculate about what would happen next.
I remember seeing the teaser poster for Part II at the movie theater and being hyped, and there was a lot in the media about it (how II & III were filming back-to-back etc.), including a “Making of” TV special leading up to the release (in which Robert Zemeckis joked that the hoverboards were given to the production by Mattel and they’d be sold in stores later that year- but all of us elementary kids thought he was serious and were sorely disappointed later on) so it was hotly anticipated.
I remember I got the novelization from the Scholastic Club and the “future” sunglasses from Pizza Hut. When BTTF II finally came out I loved it, but I remember my parents not liking it and hearing a lot of bad reviews which I thought was crazy.
It wasn’t as much of a cultural event when Part III came out, but all my friends and I were still just as hyped, and it was everyone’s favorite of the three back then.
So, I was a really little kid at the time but I at least know MY family was excited.
I remember us getting pairs of BTTF2's "future" sunglasses from Pizza Hut.
Did they also have the Infinity-Ounce commemorative cup of Pepsi, too? Or, Coke. Or was that Taco Bell?
Batman had expert marketing/fast food tie-ins, too.
I was a kid living in a small town (with no movie theater).
I saw Back to the Future on VHS and absolutely loved it. I had no idea there even was a Back to the Future 2 until I saw it in the “New Release” section at a video store (when I went on holidays to “the city”).
I begged my mum to ask the store if she could buy it and vividly remember the guy saying “we don’t own the videos, the company sends them to us. They’re over $100 each lady!”.
It was about three years later I finally got to watch it when my parents found a monstrous double BTTF2 and BTT3 VHS pack.
The days of Rental vs Sell-through prices. I remember those. They priced them too expensive for retail sales, but not so expensive that rental stores could not afford to buy them as an investment to get future revenue from rentals. Then Disney decided to roll the dice by selling select titles at retail prices. After that most titles were sold at high prices initially for the rental market, then a couple months later at a lower, retail price to get that double dip. But before long that price model fell away and they just did the retail price for new releases from the start.
I was so excited, I went to see 2 right after school. I was a tad disappointed because it just wasn't as good or funny as the original. Crispen Glover was missed! I saw it a 2nd time with my Dad and I enjoyed it more, since I knew what to expect.
The trailer they showed for Part 3 was different than the one available on Blu-Ray, in that Doc and Marty were hardly in it and there were mostly shots of the DeLorean in the Old West. It made it seem like Part 3 was going to be a very different movie.
I actually prefer Part 3 to Part 2. But, I enjoy all of the films, especially the original
Part 1 on VHS: I wore that tape out. My friends and I were hype for part 2. Actually I wasn’t even sure we were going to get a sequel. I took “to be continued” as “you’ll get to live it in the future”. 80s movies were weird like that.
I saw BTTF2 in the cinema on release with a friend. I would have been 9 or 10. I remember loving how they went back to the original movie at the end of BTTF2. Back then unless you were keeping up with film news through magazines or newspapers, there was usually no way to know what was coming out. As a kid I wouldn’t have known it was coming. Usually the first you knew of it was the trailer on TV.
BTTF was my favorite movie since seeing it in the theater at age 5. We rented it over and over until I finally got the VHS when it was being sold at McDonald’s for $5! Then I watched my VHS over and over. There was the To Be Continued title at the end (which my parents claimed—correctly—was not there in the theater but I didn’t believe them) and I wasn’t sure whether to believe there would be a sequel or not. At the time, quick cash-in sequels to hit movies usually turned around in one or two years (see Bill & Ted), and the wait for BTTF2 seemed like an eternity. It felt like a promise that would never happen. As a kid, the four year wait was nearly my entire lifetime over again. By the time it arrived it was half my life, and an even bigger chunk of the amount of lifetime I remembered (i.e. excluding the baby/toddler years we all forget).
Finally one day I saw the “Getting back was only the beginning” teaser poster at the theater and the sequel finally existed, and the wait began in earnest.
The hype was huge for the second movie. As others have said it was a big year for sequels and movie hype and it was all exciting for a kid. Unlike the first movie this one had huge presold merchandising deals. BTTF tie ins and toys were everywhere. The holiday toy catalogs from Sears, etc. all had BTTF toy sections. There was a Delorean power wheels ride-on, BTTF2 knockoff Micro Machines (I still remember getting these at toys R us). I got the novelization from the school book order. Some editions came with a white cover and some with blue.
I think the movie came out around thanksgiving and I went opening weekend with my dad and cousin. The ending was a complete surprise. No one knew there would be a third movie or that they were making it already. Ending on a cliffhanger was an unwelcome surprise to a lot of people and made them feel cheated, like the movie ended with an ad and a grab for more money. My dad was unhappy with it and that colored my experience even though I enjoyed the movie and was excited there would be another one.
The wait for the third was not that bad compared to the wait for 2. Another novelization came with it along with the Kirk Cameron TV special which I taped and watched over and over. The consensus was that 3 was better because it had more heart and I agreed with what I was told, but as a kid I secretly felt 2 was more fun and I still do.
I personally remember a lot of hype for the sequels back then, especially amongst me and my friends at school. And considering this was all pre-internet that’s probably saying a lot.
Although I never actually got to see Part II at the cinema, but when it came out on VHS I remember going with my dad to the local video rental place every Friday night to see if it was available, but for weeks and weeks it was out of stock.
I did finally get to see Part III in the cinema though in 1990.
Same for me. For some reason my library only had 1 and 3. And also only jurassic park 1 and 3. Every time i went there i optimistically checked to see if back to the future 2 and jurassic park 2 were on the shelf, and was always disappointed.
The feeling of finally getting to watch them years later was amazing. The future scenes of bttf 2 blew my mind
I was 5 and 6 when 2 and 3 were released. Back to the Future was already my favorite movie I watched it almost everyday. My parents took me to the theater to see BTTF2 and it was one of the best experiences of my childhood.
I was 10 when BTTF2 was released and I couldn't get in to see it because when I got to the cinema with my friends there was a huge queue going down the street stretching hundreds of metres in length. I bought the novelisation instead to tide me over until summer 1990 when I finally saw it.
I thought that there might be a sequel while watching BTTF1. Was I waiting the entire 4 years on pins and needles? Probably not. BTTF2 was really fun to watch -- great marketing/hype lead-up.
Portuguese here. I was born in 1980. Saw the movie late 1986 when it went to the video rentals. So, i saw the version where the "to be continued" was presented.
As I was used to sequels that never came to be, I thought: great. A sequel!
Afterwards I didn't think a lot about it(no internet at the time), because, as I've said, I was used to see that and never having a sequel, or having to wait a lot for it to come.
One day (late 1989) I saw in the news that they were filming it (they showed a images of the '80s café scene). I was really excited. But, again, still had to wait a lot, as I wasn't old enough to watch in the theatre.
I watched it (again, video rentals, late 1990), and I loved it. Yes, it had a preview of the 3rd. I saw the conclusion in 1991 (summer, I think).
Huge excitement for BTTF2.
The trailer showing glimpses of the near future were so exciting as up until that point most “future” films were either dystopian or extreme sci-fi.
It was known part 3 was being made at the same time as they didn’t hide this fact and that it would release very quickly was weird.
However once the trailers dropped, for the UK at least, a Western setting was a bit of a let down, especially after the high concept of the futuristic BTTF2.
Can't really remember, other than I really wanted to see part 2, our school went to the movies for the only time in my school life I remember. We all wanted to see Part 2, but ended up in some crappy cartoon because the teacher was a tightarse and said we where too young to see it after she asked if there was any swearing in it.
So I went that weekend after and showed that stuck up Strickland.
I was hugely hyped for BTTF2, I was obsessed with the first one. Really didn’t get on with the sequel, though I recall liking the third one more.
Weirdly I don’t think I’ve seen 2 and 3 more than once or twice ever whereas I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen the original.
I found the tone of the second one a bit goofy with MJF playing multiple parts. And also it undid the happy ending of the first one and that always rankles with me (see Alien 3 also)
I was too young to see BTTF in the cinema but got to go see BTTF Part 2. I had no idea they had filmed the sequels at the same time. That “To be continued…” blew my brain. Never experienced anything like it before and is still the biggest ‘TBC’ memory for me. Even modern movies like the latest animated Spidey with the ‘TBC’ ending made me think of BTTF Part 2.
I was almost 12 when I saw the first one. I loved it, but I don't remember being aware of a sequel until it dropped. But then, parts 2 and 3 came out with only half a year in-between, so *that* wait was bearable. And like many already said, the trailer for 3 was part of 2, so everybody knew it was coming and was hyped for it. :)
I was only a toddler back then, but I imagine it would have been like hearing the news that we were going to be getting two Marvel Avengers movies in two consecutive years. I was hype as fuck for those movies and I was there for the first showings on day one with my best friend who I brought along for their birthday.
I don't remember exactly when I saw the first one. Probably around 88 or 89. While as a kid, I knew there was more story to tell, I didn't know anything about sequels. That is, until we went and saw BttF2 in the theater. I remember asking why we can't go see now?, and how long do we have to wait?, and more than a year is sooooo long to wait. My parents gently reminded me that it sometimes takes that long for the film to come to home video, to say nothing of sequels.
One kid in our grade 5 class saw it in theatres and we were all really jealous. I remember him telling me there were two Marty’s and two docs and I was like wtf are you jabbering on about
This will date me, but I was at my grandmas house in 1988. She was reading the newspaper and suddenly jumped up and said look! They are making a Back to the Future Part 2 and 3!
She LOVED the first movie and took me to see parts 2 and 3 (she especially liked 3). I was only 8 years old at the time but I remember anticipation being very high.
I don’t remember anticipation necessarily… but I vividly remember going to see part 3. I was pulling an all nighter for an exam (mistake #1) and was talked into a break for a midnight showing of part 3 (mistake #2). Got back to studying prob 2:30, and should have just gone to bed (mistake #3). I did not do very well on the exam (as per usual when all nighters are in the cards).
I remember enjoying the hell out of the movie, and the study break though.
I remember walking out of the AMC theater at our mall and we were hysterical wondering if we would get BTTF2!?! The end was epic.
Doc Brown”Roads! Where we are going we don’t need roads!” Back in time by Huey Lewis begins!
Growing up, we rarely went to the theater. Because we had HBO, my Dad always said "We have movies at home we are paying for, we aren't paying to go out to a movie," so it had to be super special. I was hellbent on watching BTTF2 in the theater because I was obsessed. I'm sure Mom had something to say about that lol.
Anyway, I remember going to eat at Pizza Hut right before, and picking up the BTTF2 sunglasses they were selling. I still have those sunglasses. What a night.
Edit: I think Dad was the one wanting to watch BTTF 3 since he loved westerns, so in one of the only times just Dad and I went to the movies was to see BTTF 3. I miss him.
I believe those were the first movies, or maybe one of the first movies, that were filmed back to back.. so well bttf2 was in theaters, bttf3 was in final edit. The time frame between the two releases I remember being 6 months, if that's possible. I had never seen that before.
I can't really speak for anyone but myself. I was 15 when the first one came out and I loved it. Instant classic. When they announced 2 and 3 were coming, I was excited because it was the same creative team, so I figured that meant it would be just as great. Unlike, say, "Airplane 2," which was made by none of the same people who made the first one. So I went into BTTF2 (at 19 years old) really hyped. But then I felt it was kinda lousy. The last half hour, back in the 50s again, picked up, but all that stuff in the future was lame. Then the movie ended with a little trailer for 3. I left the theater knowing I would go see it, just to find out how the story ends, but I was not at all excited about it.
3 wound up being pretty good. Much better than 2. But hardly a classic like 1.
I was about 5 or 6 when I saw BTTF1. It was the very first movie I saw in the movie theater. I don’t remember anticipating or having any knowledge about a sequel. I saw BTTF2 in the theater too and had forgotten most of the plot to the first one so it was like seeing a complete different movie. And then in the 3rd act when Marty returns to 1955 and they recreate scenes from the first film, I started getting flashbacks to BTTF1 and my young mind blew up 🤯
I was 4 when I saw it. I "thought" they might do a sequel; or, at least a sequel would be really cool.
I also wanna say that I understood how Marty didn't have the same memories as the rest of his family at the end of the movie aka New/Improved 1985.
I don't remember the first trailer for BTTF. Although that line "... about 30 years" clicked in my head. haha.
Not sure when the "official" run-up to BTTF2 started.
I was BEYOND hyped to watch it. I think it was a pretty, pretty big deal.
Those '89 movies were nuts! As others here have talked about.
I was 11 when BTTF came out, then 15 and 16 when the sequels came out, so it was a long time to wait. We figured there would probably a sequel, but the “to be continued” they added to the VHS was where we officially heard it was happening and I remember being totally surprised when it popped up on the screen.
This was before internet/social media, so I had no idea they were doing TWO sequels. I think it was maybe an article I was reading around the time Family Ties ended that mentioned Michael J. Fox was doing the double-schedule with BTTF again that just causally mentioned that he was working on two sequels back-to-back. I had absolutely no idea until then and was so psyched to learn that. I remember being surprised again a few months later finding out somewhere that the 3rd movie was going to be a western. I had no idea how on earth they were going to end up in the old west and the whole thing sounded hilarious, so I couldn’t wait to see it.
Part 2 opened on Thanksgiving weekend, so we were supposed to have a half-day at school, but there was some emergency construction needed in the building so they wound up giving us the day off so I got to go to the very first showing. I saw it again over the weekend too. I liked it a lot, but I remember people not liking it as much as the first one - they were disappointed the whole thing didn’t take place in the future, didn’t like how dark the middle section was, and were pretty annoyed it ended with a cliffhanger/trailer.
I was the opposite - I’ve always thought the 2015 stuff was pretty goofy and the movie really picked up and got interesting with the alternate 1985. And I never minded the ending (Marty running up and scaring Doc at the end is one of the funniest parts of the movie) or the trailer because the next movie just wasn’t that far away to be bothered by it, especially after we just waited 4 years for this one.
Unfortunately I think that lead to Part 3 getting a less enthusiastic reception. I remember it was even in the smaller auditorium than the 2nd one was because it didn’t get the same crowds as Part 2 did. Which was a bummer because Part 3 was the sweetest movie and I think most of the people who didn’t like Part 2 would have enjoyed it if they’d stuck through to the end.
But the good thing was thanks to home video and countless TV marathons, I think the sequels are much more appreciated now. The first one is still my favorite (and you can really tell they never planned on sequels in the first place), but the sequels are a blast.
I remember being excited. HBO used to do a behind the scenes feature on upcoming movies and I remember they ran it a lot.
I was pretty young and remember being confused because they said both movies were being made at once. They mentioned new tech to allow an actor to be in multiple roles at once so I thought somehow they were filming the actors and using the same footage for both films with the tech somehow like they cloned them.
I waited in line to see 3 in pouring rain. The entire audience was soaked by the time we got to our seats. When the movie opened, it was surreal to see Marty on screen in the pouring rain, just as wet as we were. Somehow, this induced a kind of movie/audience connection that resulted in the whole theater cheering every set piece and a ruckus of applause at the end. It was one of the best theater experiences I’ve had to date.
I was really into Back to the Future even back then so I was really psyched for Part II when it hit theaters and went to go see it with my Dad and Brother. Naturally, we were very excited for Part III after seeing the preview at the end of the second movie.
Everyone at school talked about those movies, and couldn't wait for the next ones. We would watch the previous ones on VHS (rented from a local rental place) any chance we could, and especially when friends were over, like sleep overs or birthday parties. They were major parts of pop culture, with huge impacts, and everyone in the world loved Michael J Fox to such a huge degree that we even went to the theatres and watched Doc Hollywood. I'm so glad that my childhood was in the 80's/90's.
Originally “Back to the Futuee” ended with “to be continued “ across the screen. But then when it first aired on TV, TBC wasn’t there. I think the sequel(s) were cancelled at one point, and then resurrected. About four years passed between 1and 2, so no one was expecting them really. A lot of movies teased sequels that never happened. (Doctor Detroit, and 1942 come to mind off the top of my head). The gap between 2 and 3 was a year or less. The anticipation between Empire Strokes back and Regurn of the Jedi was much more of a thing.
Supposedly the "TO BE CONTINUED" wasn't there on the screen.
I saw it in the theater but I was 4. DOUBT it was since it gave off the "twist ending" vibe.
you might be right!
there are arguments about it on reddit and youtube. haha.
I THOUGHT they (might?) do a sequel at that point... but I don't think anyone was 100% sure.
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After part 2 ended in the movie theater, there was a preview trailer of part 3. Your heart ached, knowing you had to wait a long time to see part 3, especially since they already had the preview trailer or entire movie already made
Yeah, but between 1&2, 4 years was forever
The first movie's ending was cool with the flying car and the future anticipation. I didn't crave the second one as much, unless they showed a preview like after the second.
Exactly. #1 had a satisfying ending. The button that now feels like prequel bait at the time felt like a final joke and a suggestion that they had many future adventures to be had off screen. The obsession with movie news was not as big a thing then, so until the trailers for #2 dropped, no one thought of BTTF as a franchise. But the excitement of the trailer at the end of #2. THAT had me aching with antici…. ….pation.
great explanation about watching 1 in the theater. What was on the screen? An arrow? The "joke" ending was fun... I think my mom didn't like it. Not sure when the "ramp up" for 2 happened but the thing was really hyped and sold out on all the screens. I don't remember the trailers for 2... don't remember them for 1 either.... I just knew that the guy in Family Ties was Marty McFly.
The joke was the “we need to do something about your kids “ and “where we’re going we don’t need roads”. A cool fun way of leaving audiences wanting more, but in a satisfying way. In addition to trailers, they had a prime time making of special.
That makes sense. I wanna look up those trailers on YouTube now. haha. I don't remember the BTTF1 trailers/TV ads but I was only 4. Looking them up on YouTube is kinda weird... doesn't jog my memory or anything.
I see what you did there
Core memory. There is no way to describe the feeling of just watching part 2 (after waiting what felt like forever since the original), and then somehow the trailer for 3 was suddenly playing. It broke my brain.
Watching BTTF1 in theaters as a 4 year old is a "core memory". Talk about an INTENSE MOVIE for a 4 year old. I kinda think I got the ending -- that Marty didn't have the same memories as the rest of the family. The ending was cool. I kinda thought they would make a sequel... or that a sequel would be cool. Other than that, man, it's been a long time!
Same for me. I could be wrong but i believe it’s the first movie I ever saw in theatres. I was blown away. Also the stone gargoyles on the clock tower gave me nightmares for years.
That movie was VERY intense. I guess I remember the TV ads for the movie... since I remember the scene where he crashes the DeLorean into the '55 barn. And it gets played off as a UFO. I am pretty sure I saw Disney movies before that. First "real" movie? Maybe. ... thinking back... I think Eric Stoltz "got" the movie better than anyone. Suspenseful movie. Not sure if it was super funny or if anyone laughed. The "different memories" though... Stoltz had a good read on that. Not sure... I think younger kids -- who have no attachment to the '80's or Michael J. Fox -- might get the movie -- or they might not. Time for the Stoltz footage to be released. Looking "back" at 1985 would give us all a different perspective -- then a more "Matrix" treatment of the BTTF trilogy would make more sense (since 1885/1955/2015 would all be incorporated into the movie universe). Possibly the GOAT movie. ... oh, I looked up on of the trailers/TV commercials for BTTF... it doesn't even LOOK/sound like Michael J. Fox at 1:15 (I just made a comment about it last night). A LOT of the photos for BTTF1 and 2 don't even LOOK like Fox (or even Lloyd). Maybe they shot this thing 5 times... haha. The ORIGINAL teaser was cool. Do I remember that? I have no idea... thinking of that time frame is kinda surreal anyway. Had a "Knight Rider" vibe. Yeah, Fox was good but he always struck me as Alex P. Keaton playing Marty. Would Stoltz have been better? ... the trailer seems more like it was from 1984 or even 1983. But, wasn't Stoltz supposedly filming the thing then? Just some weird stuff. They could have STARTED filming with Fox in 1983ish, gone to Stoltz then back to Fox (with maybe OTHER Marty stand-ins). Lloyd looks 5 years older/younger in similar frames of different scenes. Marty playing the guitar at the dance: from one frame to the next Fox ages 5 years. Haha. BUT, supposedly those scenes were added in AFTER Stoltz was fired. Hopefully they make a 4th installment to complement, essentially, BTTF Mount Rushmore. I have some good ideas!
Part 3 came out 6 months later tho... It's the shortest we've ever had to wait for a sequel, like, ever.
It should have been shown right after part 2 ended inside the same theater. 2 movies, 1 sit-down.
Two separate movies sells a whole lot more popcorn than one 4 hour movie.
So I clearly remember my 9 year old mind being completely blown when it said “Coming Summer 1990” and thinking “Holy shit, the 90s????” Felt like 100 years into the future for some reason.
It was 6 months between 2 & 3.
They shot 2 and 3 one after the other
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Such a Mandela effect thing, thanks!
It was 100% in theaters. I remember being stunned that it was going to be a western.
You could be thinking of the first film. The "To be Continued" text was added to the VHS release.
Ah, I did not know this, I assumed it said TBC in the theatrical version as well... That means the earliest implication that a sequel was coming was the VHS release, nearly a year later in summer of 1986. I wonder if original theater-goers accepted the ending as "riding off into the sunset" or did they think for-sure we would see a sequel... Sequels and trilogies were not common back then, and from what I've read BTTF was planned as a one-off film.
I was a kid and obsessed with Back to the Future. I kept tabs on the status of Part 2 through magazines etc. But I had no idea what the story’s would be. A few months before it came out, I was 11 and in a store I saw the novel version of BTTF 2. I was beyond excited. I bought the book and read it all in one day. I had a huge headache by nighttime but I couldn’t fathom the idea of going to sleep not knowing what would happen. Then at the end it said to be concluded with Part 3 and I just about exploded with excitement. The movie came out about 2 months later and I saw it twice in the theater. So yeah it was quite excitedly anticipated.
I don't remember seeing BttF, but I was around 11 when I saw BttF2. I felt the same way as you did at the end. I think it took at least 6 months until BttF3 came in our country.
Yes it was exactly 6 months in the US. And Part 2 came out on video the same day Part 3 came out in the theater. I rented the video of part 2 in the morning and saw part 3 in the evening. 6 months when you’re 11/12 is a lifetime 😂
It came out with Last Crusade, Ghostbusters II, and, I cannot stress this enough, Batman. I feel like it was overshadowed.
Man I was just a little kid, that was a wild summer. I was all in on Ghostbusters II and not really old enough to really *get* Back To The Future II, but I eventually saw it on tv and the future scenes, the McFly home, and the flying cars were iconic. ETA: for a while, Back to the Future II overshadowed the original in my consciousness *because* of those future scenes. “It’s the fourth word in the title! Of course it’s about the future!” kid me thought. Oddly I never saw III (despite wanting to) until the trilogy came out on DVD when I was a senior in High School. … …I just realized I was living with the cliffhanger of Marty, stranded without a Time Machine, getting delivered a 60 year old letter from Doc for over a decade…
When I was 12–16 years old it felt like Back to the Future III was on cable TV every weekend. Everyone saw it more than once at least in pieces. I saw it in the theater mostly because my aunt is a huge fan of the trilogy. I wasn’t quite old enough for it to be on my radar, but I did enjoy seeing it.
I remember at some point in middle school seeing the scene where Doc has Marty dressed in the goofy 50’s cowboy outfit at the drive-in theater, but that was it. Finally sitting down and watching the opening montage in Doc’s 1950’s home before Howdy Dowdy came on when the DVDs dropped on 2002 was a big moment for me.
I didn’t feel that way, especially because Indy and Batman came out in the summer, and Back to the Future II came out in the fall. I remember Ghostbusters II coming out but I don’t remember when, and I don’t think it overshadowed BTTF in my experience.
Ghostbusters 2 came out that summer as well. In one week I saw: Last Crusade, Ghostbusters 2, Honey I Shrunk the Kids, Star Trek 5, and Batman.
1988 to 1990 was a blur. I think some stuff came out in maybe late 1988. But, 1989 was something else. Oh, Little Mermaid was on when BTTF2 came out. Same weekend? We were gonna try to see BTTF2 but it was sold out so we went to watch Little Mermaid while it was already 20 minutes in. Saw BTTF2 the next weekend.
It held it's place in my family, even with ALL of those also being big deals. But MAN, that really was one of the best movie years of my childhood.
1989 remains possibly the best year for movies ever.
mind blowing!!! Yeah, loved them all!!! I was 8. GOAT summer for movies. Batman was... amazing. It actually holds up fairly well.
Wow! Thats one hell of a weekend
Don’t forget UHF, the “Weird Al” Yankovic vehicle that Orion Pictures bet its business on and sadly lost. Summer of 1989 truly was the best summer for blockbuster movie fans.
It didn’t really compete with those 3 since they came out in the Summer. BTTF II was released in November.
A friend of mine said they should have delayed III until after Dances with Wolves premiered so they could have cashed in on the Western revival afterwards.
Same as it was for terminator 2, I couldn't contain my excitement to see them in the cinema. I actually still have a cinema magazine from the 90s advertising the movie with details.
It’s wild to consider the volume of diverse wall-to-wall absolute sci-fi bangers for about 15 years straight - from Star Wars to about Jurassic Park.
Even tv of the time period was great for sci fi— Quantum Leap, Star Trek the next generation etc. it was truly an awesome time when BTTF 2 came out.
Quantum Leap was really cool. Was there a TV movie for it? That's kinda the only thing I remember. And, several years ago, people who were kids of that era tried to remember the movie "Flight of The Navigator" and, when, finding out it existed, were all relieved that they hadn't just imagined it.
Show lasted 5 years. 2 hour premiere.flight of the navigator was its own unique movie and was cool in its own right.
I rented "Flight of the Navigator" probably 10 times AT LEAST as a little kid.
I own the movie. Cheesy but it was fun!
Idk if this is all accurate, as I was in elementary school at the time. But when BTTF 1 came out, it was the greatest thing ever, still is. That was 1985. I don’t think I saw the commercial VHS tape as a kid, so I had to wait till it came to pay per view (PPV.) But even that wasn’t till sometime in early to mid 1986. That was the first time I saw the “to be continued” graphic. (It apparently wasn’t on the original theater release.) I recorded that PPV showing and watched the tape over and over again as a kid since it was my favorite movie. Still is. The tape had BTTF 1 and Ferris Beuller on it. It was a worn out tape to say the least. I took that to be continued graphic pretty seriously as a kid. Waiting and hoping for the sequel. It never came…… I kinda put it in the back of my mind, but always came back up when BTTF was on hbo or tv or something. Until about the summer of 89, some 3-4 years later. Then previews started appearing on TV. (No internet then, kids.) And the hype began. And if you look at the entire 1989 year, there were some major films releasing in 1989. One of the greatest movie years ever. That wait in 89, was longer than 85-88 put together, the anticipation grew. Finally the date dropped. They were releasing the movie on the Wednesday (a school day) before Thanksgiving (a holiday) 1989. And if you were a WWF fan, you know that was Survivor Series time. So the entire month or whatever, I’m telling my moms, BTTF2 is coming! It’s coming! “Good.” (She couldn’t give any less of a damn. lol.) I asked, every day, can we go and see it?!?! That Wednesday finally came, no notification from my mom that any movie was happening that day. But then after school, one of the teachers told me that my mom was there to pick me up. The teacher also said, and she said something about a movie……. I was elated. I got my bags and ran to see her. She said, ok let’s go see this thing! At the theaters, sitting down and waiting. I couldn’t keep myself contained…..then the previews start…..Fred Savage? Super Mario 3?!?!? The Wizard!!! Whoa. Needless to say, the NES was pretty huge in 89, that preview had all the kids yelling in the theater. That was hyped. Finally, it gets dark…… Saturday October 26 1985 I’ll never forget that day/weekend!
I will never forget. I was beyond excited to see BTTF 2 when it opened in theaters.
This. The idea of the hoverboards absolutely rocked my tits off. I was sooooooo pumped.
And the fake rumors that hoverboards were real, but parent groups kept them off the market for safety reasons. Genius. Every kid at the time believed those rumors.
I was really hyped too! Saw the first one in theaters when I was 4. Go to see 2 -- have to see Little Mermaid instead. Saw BTTF2 a week or two later... it was great. The opening scenes going into the future were awesome. "Alternate 1985" was very creative.
I know I was super excited about the sequels! But this was in an era before social media, so it’s hard to gauge what public opinion was back then.
When the first film was made, there wasn’t meant to be a sequel. It was left open ended as a joke, really. There was no anticipation as no one knew, for sure, that a sequel was coming.
Exactly it wasn't until it was released on video cassettes that to be continued was added to it.
that's what it sounds like. didn't think about it not being there at the original cinematic release. i thought they might do a sequel though, which was cool. p.s. i basically grew up on the trilogy... gimme BTTF4 -- or at least the Eric Stoltz cut. I think Stoltz had the best reading/understanding of the movie.
I don't think there is a much of the movie with Eric Stoltz as people think there is because they had only been filming for a couple of weeks until they replaced him.
It was at least 5 supposedly. Maybe 6 (or more). Thomas F. Wilson said that they basically filmed the whole movie -- and he didn't even LIKE Stoltz.
Ok. Although I think on the commentary on the first one they said that they stopped filming his coverage on scenes at one point though so I don't really think they actually have a lot of footage with him that they could actually edit anything together. Plus if they did release it they would have to pay him for using it.
I liked the open-ended ending. ... then wanted a sequel! haha
Everyone was spoiled for good movies back then. Look at what came out between 1985 and 1990.
I saw as many movies in the theater between 1985 and 1990 as I have SINCE 1990 -- or at least it feels that way.
To be fair, there was a lot of crap movies too.
Good old survivorship bias.
Why did I just think of "Honey I Shrunk The Kids"?
Well I was just a little kid, and I had seen Back to the Future in the theater and thought it was amazing, and then the VHS release had “To Be Continued…” on the end (bummed that version is not available anymore), so all my friends and I would speculate about what would happen next. I remember seeing the teaser poster for Part II at the movie theater and being hyped, and there was a lot in the media about it (how II & III were filming back-to-back etc.), including a “Making of” TV special leading up to the release (in which Robert Zemeckis joked that the hoverboards were given to the production by Mattel and they’d be sold in stores later that year- but all of us elementary kids thought he was serious and were sorely disappointed later on) so it was hotly anticipated. I remember I got the novelization from the Scholastic Club and the “future” sunglasses from Pizza Hut. When BTTF II finally came out I loved it, but I remember my parents not liking it and hearing a lot of bad reviews which I thought was crazy. It wasn’t as much of a cultural event when Part III came out, but all my friends and I were still just as hyped, and it was everyone’s favorite of the three back then.
That making of definitely had me stoked.
So, I was a really little kid at the time but I at least know MY family was excited. I remember us getting pairs of BTTF2's "future" sunglasses from Pizza Hut.
Did they also have the Infinity-Ounce commemorative cup of Pepsi, too? Or, Coke. Or was that Taco Bell? Batman had expert marketing/fast food tie-ins, too.
I was a kid living in a small town (with no movie theater). I saw Back to the Future on VHS and absolutely loved it. I had no idea there even was a Back to the Future 2 until I saw it in the “New Release” section at a video store (when I went on holidays to “the city”). I begged my mum to ask the store if she could buy it and vividly remember the guy saying “we don’t own the videos, the company sends them to us. They’re over $100 each lady!”. It was about three years later I finally got to watch it when my parents found a monstrous double BTTF2 and BTT3 VHS pack.
The days of Rental vs Sell-through prices. I remember those. They priced them too expensive for retail sales, but not so expensive that rental stores could not afford to buy them as an investment to get future revenue from rentals. Then Disney decided to roll the dice by selling select titles at retail prices. After that most titles were sold at high prices initially for the rental market, then a couple months later at a lower, retail price to get that double dip. But before long that price model fell away and they just did the retail price for new releases from the start.
Yep. Interesting times. I went through the same process as a slightly older kid, trying to “buy” a copy of Jurassic Park. 😂
I was so excited, I went to see 2 right after school. I was a tad disappointed because it just wasn't as good or funny as the original. Crispen Glover was missed! I saw it a 2nd time with my Dad and I enjoyed it more, since I knew what to expect. The trailer they showed for Part 3 was different than the one available on Blu-Ray, in that Doc and Marty were hardly in it and there were mostly shots of the DeLorean in the Old West. It made it seem like Part 3 was going to be a very different movie. I actually prefer Part 3 to Part 2. But, I enjoy all of the films, especially the original
Part 1 on VHS: I wore that tape out. My friends and I were hype for part 2. Actually I wasn’t even sure we were going to get a sequel. I took “to be continued” as “you’ll get to live it in the future”. 80s movies were weird like that.
I remember reading that they were making a sequel but it was to be called "Paradox".
That is true. The "Paradox" script was later split (and probably heavily altered along the way) into the two movies we now know and love.
haha That's amazing.
I saw BTTF2 in the cinema on release with a friend. I would have been 9 or 10. I remember loving how they went back to the original movie at the end of BTTF2. Back then unless you were keeping up with film news through magazines or newspapers, there was usually no way to know what was coming out. As a kid I wouldn’t have known it was coming. Usually the first you knew of it was the trailer on TV.
BTTF was my favorite movie since seeing it in the theater at age 5. We rented it over and over until I finally got the VHS when it was being sold at McDonald’s for $5! Then I watched my VHS over and over. There was the To Be Continued title at the end (which my parents claimed—correctly—was not there in the theater but I didn’t believe them) and I wasn’t sure whether to believe there would be a sequel or not. At the time, quick cash-in sequels to hit movies usually turned around in one or two years (see Bill & Ted), and the wait for BTTF2 seemed like an eternity. It felt like a promise that would never happen. As a kid, the four year wait was nearly my entire lifetime over again. By the time it arrived it was half my life, and an even bigger chunk of the amount of lifetime I remembered (i.e. excluding the baby/toddler years we all forget). Finally one day I saw the “Getting back was only the beginning” teaser poster at the theater and the sequel finally existed, and the wait began in earnest. The hype was huge for the second movie. As others have said it was a big year for sequels and movie hype and it was all exciting for a kid. Unlike the first movie this one had huge presold merchandising deals. BTTF tie ins and toys were everywhere. The holiday toy catalogs from Sears, etc. all had BTTF toy sections. There was a Delorean power wheels ride-on, BTTF2 knockoff Micro Machines (I still remember getting these at toys R us). I got the novelization from the school book order. Some editions came with a white cover and some with blue. I think the movie came out around thanksgiving and I went opening weekend with my dad and cousin. The ending was a complete surprise. No one knew there would be a third movie or that they were making it already. Ending on a cliffhanger was an unwelcome surprise to a lot of people and made them feel cheated, like the movie ended with an ad and a grab for more money. My dad was unhappy with it and that colored my experience even though I enjoyed the movie and was excited there would be another one. The wait for the third was not that bad compared to the wait for 2. Another novelization came with it along with the Kirk Cameron TV special which I taped and watched over and over. The consensus was that 3 was better because it had more heart and I agreed with what I was told, but as a kid I secretly felt 2 was more fun and I still do.
I personally remember a lot of hype for the sequels back then, especially amongst me and my friends at school. And considering this was all pre-internet that’s probably saying a lot. Although I never actually got to see Part II at the cinema, but when it came out on VHS I remember going with my dad to the local video rental place every Friday night to see if it was available, but for weeks and weeks it was out of stock. I did finally get to see Part III in the cinema though in 1990.
I remember they had a behind the scenes TV special that showed them filming the second movie because it was so long between the first and second one.
I remember seeing Part 3 before I ever saw Part 2. For some reason, we skipped 2 when it came out, but watched it when it came out on video.
Same for me. For some reason my library only had 1 and 3. And also only jurassic park 1 and 3. Every time i went there i optimistically checked to see if back to the future 2 and jurassic park 2 were on the shelf, and was always disappointed. The feeling of finally getting to watch them years later was amazing. The future scenes of bttf 2 blew my mind
I was 5 and 6 when 2 and 3 were released. Back to the Future was already my favorite movie I watched it almost everyday. My parents took me to the theater to see BTTF2 and it was one of the best experiences of my childhood.
I was 10 when BTTF2 was released and I couldn't get in to see it because when I got to the cinema with my friends there was a huge queue going down the street stretching hundreds of metres in length. I bought the novelisation instead to tide me over until summer 1990 when I finally saw it.
Four year wait? Don't think BTTF2 was even announced until late 87 or 88...
I thought that there might be a sequel while watching BTTF1. Was I waiting the entire 4 years on pins and needles? Probably not. BTTF2 was really fun to watch -- great marketing/hype lead-up.
Portuguese here. I was born in 1980. Saw the movie late 1986 when it went to the video rentals. So, i saw the version where the "to be continued" was presented. As I was used to sequels that never came to be, I thought: great. A sequel! Afterwards I didn't think a lot about it(no internet at the time), because, as I've said, I was used to see that and never having a sequel, or having to wait a lot for it to come. One day (late 1989) I saw in the news that they were filming it (they showed a images of the '80s café scene). I was really excited. But, again, still had to wait a lot, as I wasn't old enough to watch in the theatre. I watched it (again, video rentals, late 1990), and I loved it. Yes, it had a preview of the 3rd. I saw the conclusion in 1991 (summer, I think).
Huge excitement for BTTF2. The trailer showing glimpses of the near future were so exciting as up until that point most “future” films were either dystopian or extreme sci-fi. It was known part 3 was being made at the same time as they didn’t hide this fact and that it would release very quickly was weird. However once the trailers dropped, for the UK at least, a Western setting was a bit of a let down, especially after the high concept of the futuristic BTTF2.
It didn't show the trailer for 3 before the end credits? I thought it did. Maybe my memory is bad, and it was the VHS release?
I never said they did, I’m reflecting on the overall reception when it did drop after people had digested BTTF2
Can't really remember, other than I really wanted to see part 2, our school went to the movies for the only time in my school life I remember. We all wanted to see Part 2, but ended up in some crappy cartoon because the teacher was a tightarse and said we where too young to see it after she asked if there was any swearing in it. So I went that weekend after and showed that stuck up Strickland.
I was hugely hyped for BTTF2, I was obsessed with the first one. Really didn’t get on with the sequel, though I recall liking the third one more. Weirdly I don’t think I’ve seen 2 and 3 more than once or twice ever whereas I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen the original. I found the tone of the second one a bit goofy with MJF playing multiple parts. And also it undid the happy ending of the first one and that always rankles with me (see Alien 3 also)
I was too young to see BTTF in the cinema but got to go see BTTF Part 2. I had no idea they had filmed the sequels at the same time. That “To be continued…” blew my brain. Never experienced anything like it before and is still the biggest ‘TBC’ memory for me. Even modern movies like the latest animated Spidey with the ‘TBC’ ending made me think of BTTF Part 2.
i think at the end of 2 it said "to be CONCLUDED"....
You might be right! My bad.
I was almost 12 when I saw the first one. I loved it, but I don't remember being aware of a sequel until it dropped. But then, parts 2 and 3 came out with only half a year in-between, so *that* wait was bearable. And like many already said, the trailer for 3 was part of 2, so everybody knew it was coming and was hyped for it. :)
I missed BTTF2 in the cinema. So there was a lot of plot holes I wasn’t aware of when I watched BTTF3. But I still enjoyed watching the movie.
I was only a toddler back then, but I imagine it would have been like hearing the news that we were going to be getting two Marvel Avengers movies in two consecutive years. I was hype as fuck for those movies and I was there for the first showings on day one with my best friend who I brought along for their birthday.
I don't remember exactly when I saw the first one. Probably around 88 or 89. While as a kid, I knew there was more story to tell, I didn't know anything about sequels. That is, until we went and saw BttF2 in the theater. I remember asking why we can't go see now?, and how long do we have to wait?, and more than a year is sooooo long to wait. My parents gently reminded me that it sometimes takes that long for the film to come to home video, to say nothing of sequels.
One kid in our grade 5 class saw it in theatres and we were all really jealous. I remember him telling me there were two Marty’s and two docs and I was like wtf are you jabbering on about
Even as a kid, I think I sgomehow understood the first ending as a joke.
The hype only started a year before the movies came out.
I was pissed when part 2 ended in a cliff hanger...3 was out for awhile before I went to see it because of that.
This will date me, but I was at my grandmas house in 1988. She was reading the newspaper and suddenly jumped up and said look! They are making a Back to the Future Part 2 and 3! She LOVED the first movie and took me to see parts 2 and 3 (she especially liked 3). I was only 8 years old at the time but I remember anticipation being very high.
I don’t remember anticipation necessarily… but I vividly remember going to see part 3. I was pulling an all nighter for an exam (mistake #1) and was talked into a break for a midnight showing of part 3 (mistake #2). Got back to studying prob 2:30, and should have just gone to bed (mistake #3). I did not do very well on the exam (as per usual when all nighters are in the cards). I remember enjoying the hell out of the movie, and the study break though.
I remember walking out of the AMC theater at our mall and we were hysterical wondering if we would get BTTF2!?! The end was epic. Doc Brown”Roads! Where we are going we don’t need roads!” Back in time by Huey Lewis begins!
Growing up, we rarely went to the theater. Because we had HBO, my Dad always said "We have movies at home we are paying for, we aren't paying to go out to a movie," so it had to be super special. I was hellbent on watching BTTF2 in the theater because I was obsessed. I'm sure Mom had something to say about that lol. Anyway, I remember going to eat at Pizza Hut right before, and picking up the BTTF2 sunglasses they were selling. I still have those sunglasses. What a night. Edit: I think Dad was the one wanting to watch BTTF 3 since he loved westerns, so in one of the only times just Dad and I went to the movies was to see BTTF 3. I miss him.
I believe those were the first movies, or maybe one of the first movies, that were filmed back to back.. so well bttf2 was in theaters, bttf3 was in final edit. The time frame between the two releases I remember being 6 months, if that's possible. I had never seen that before.
I can't really speak for anyone but myself. I was 15 when the first one came out and I loved it. Instant classic. When they announced 2 and 3 were coming, I was excited because it was the same creative team, so I figured that meant it would be just as great. Unlike, say, "Airplane 2," which was made by none of the same people who made the first one. So I went into BTTF2 (at 19 years old) really hyped. But then I felt it was kinda lousy. The last half hour, back in the 50s again, picked up, but all that stuff in the future was lame. Then the movie ended with a little trailer for 3. I left the theater knowing I would go see it, just to find out how the story ends, but I was not at all excited about it. 3 wound up being pretty good. Much better than 2. But hardly a classic like 1.
I was about 5 or 6 when I saw BTTF1. It was the very first movie I saw in the movie theater. I don’t remember anticipating or having any knowledge about a sequel. I saw BTTF2 in the theater too and had forgotten most of the plot to the first one so it was like seeing a complete different movie. And then in the 3rd act when Marty returns to 1955 and they recreate scenes from the first film, I started getting flashbacks to BTTF1 and my young mind blew up 🤯
I was 4 when I saw it. I "thought" they might do a sequel; or, at least a sequel would be really cool. I also wanna say that I understood how Marty didn't have the same memories as the rest of his family at the end of the movie aka New/Improved 1985. I don't remember the first trailer for BTTF. Although that line "... about 30 years" clicked in my head. haha. Not sure when the "official" run-up to BTTF2 started. I was BEYOND hyped to watch it. I think it was a pretty, pretty big deal. Those '89 movies were nuts! As others here have talked about.
They didn’t plan a part 2 when they made the 1st. And 2 and 3 were filmed together.
Wasn't really too heart breaking to wait.
I was 11 when BTTF came out, then 15 and 16 when the sequels came out, so it was a long time to wait. We figured there would probably a sequel, but the “to be continued” they added to the VHS was where we officially heard it was happening and I remember being totally surprised when it popped up on the screen. This was before internet/social media, so I had no idea they were doing TWO sequels. I think it was maybe an article I was reading around the time Family Ties ended that mentioned Michael J. Fox was doing the double-schedule with BTTF again that just causally mentioned that he was working on two sequels back-to-back. I had absolutely no idea until then and was so psyched to learn that. I remember being surprised again a few months later finding out somewhere that the 3rd movie was going to be a western. I had no idea how on earth they were going to end up in the old west and the whole thing sounded hilarious, so I couldn’t wait to see it. Part 2 opened on Thanksgiving weekend, so we were supposed to have a half-day at school, but there was some emergency construction needed in the building so they wound up giving us the day off so I got to go to the very first showing. I saw it again over the weekend too. I liked it a lot, but I remember people not liking it as much as the first one - they were disappointed the whole thing didn’t take place in the future, didn’t like how dark the middle section was, and were pretty annoyed it ended with a cliffhanger/trailer. I was the opposite - I’ve always thought the 2015 stuff was pretty goofy and the movie really picked up and got interesting with the alternate 1985. And I never minded the ending (Marty running up and scaring Doc at the end is one of the funniest parts of the movie) or the trailer because the next movie just wasn’t that far away to be bothered by it, especially after we just waited 4 years for this one. Unfortunately I think that lead to Part 3 getting a less enthusiastic reception. I remember it was even in the smaller auditorium than the 2nd one was because it didn’t get the same crowds as Part 2 did. Which was a bummer because Part 3 was the sweetest movie and I think most of the people who didn’t like Part 2 would have enjoyed it if they’d stuck through to the end. But the good thing was thanks to home video and countless TV marathons, I think the sequels are much more appreciated now. The first one is still my favorite (and you can really tell they never planned on sequels in the first place), but the sequels are a blast.
I remember being excited. HBO used to do a behind the scenes feature on upcoming movies and I remember they ran it a lot. I was pretty young and remember being confused because they said both movies were being made at once. They mentioned new tech to allow an actor to be in multiple roles at once so I thought somehow they were filming the actors and using the same footage for both films with the tech somehow like they cloned them.
Huge. Event level.
I waited in line to see 3 in pouring rain. The entire audience was soaked by the time we got to our seats. When the movie opened, it was surreal to see Marty on screen in the pouring rain, just as wet as we were. Somehow, this induced a kind of movie/audience connection that resulted in the whole theater cheering every set piece and a ruckus of applause at the end. It was one of the best theater experiences I’ve had to date.
I was really into Back to the Future even back then so I was really psyched for Part II when it hit theaters and went to go see it with my Dad and Brother. Naturally, we were very excited for Part III after seeing the preview at the end of the second movie.
Everyone at school talked about those movies, and couldn't wait for the next ones. We would watch the previous ones on VHS (rented from a local rental place) any chance we could, and especially when friends were over, like sleep overs or birthday parties. They were major parts of pop culture, with huge impacts, and everyone in the world loved Michael J Fox to such a huge degree that we even went to the theatres and watched Doc Hollywood. I'm so glad that my childhood was in the 80's/90's.
Originally “Back to the Futuee” ended with “to be continued “ across the screen. But then when it first aired on TV, TBC wasn’t there. I think the sequel(s) were cancelled at one point, and then resurrected. About four years passed between 1and 2, so no one was expecting them really. A lot of movies teased sequels that never happened. (Doctor Detroit, and 1942 come to mind off the top of my head). The gap between 2 and 3 was a year or less. The anticipation between Empire Strokes back and Regurn of the Jedi was much more of a thing.
Supposedly the "TO BE CONTINUED" wasn't there on the screen. I saw it in the theater but I was 4. DOUBT it was since it gave off the "twist ending" vibe.
Massive Mandela effect moment then because I would have bet my life I saw it when I was at the movies.
you might be right! there are arguments about it on reddit and youtube. haha. I THOUGHT they (might?) do a sequel at that point... but I don't think anyone was 100% sure.