BACK TO THE FUTURE PART III

(Redirected from Back to the Future III)

'''Back to the Future Part III''' is a science fiction western comedy film starring Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd that opened on May 25, 1990. It is the third and final part of the ''Back to the Future'' trilogy, following ''Back to the Future'' and ''Back to the Future Part II''. The film is mostly set in the year 1885.

Plot

Picking up where ''Part II'' left off, Marty McFly is now stranded in 1955. The 1985 Doc is trapped in 1885, but he has written a letter with the explicit instructions that it be delivered to Marty in 1955. The letter explains where the DeLorean is and tells him to immediately return to 1985, where he is to destroy the time machine to prevent further disruption of the space-time continuum.
With the help of the 1955 Doc, Marty uncovers the DeLorean from a mine. Before leaving the mine, they discover a tombstone that reveals the '85 Doc died just six days after he wrote the letter, having been murdered by Biff Tannen's great-grandfather Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen "over a matter of $80". With the DeLorean restored to working order with the technology available in 1955 (the car is fitted with whitewall tires and vacuum tubes are used to replace the damaged time circuits), Marty and the '55 Doc agree that he will go back to 1885 and bring the 1885 Doc back to his own time. Doc and Marty take the fixed DeLorean to the Indian-motifed Pohatchee Drive-In Theater outside of town. Marty takes off from the back of the lot and heads towards the screen tower, reaching the required 88 MPH and traveling to 1885 just before hitting the tower.

Marty McFly under the alias of Clint Eastwood

After surviving scares from Indians, a bear, and even the cavalry, he finds refuge with his own great-great-grandfather Seamus McFly (also played by Fox). He introduces himself as Clint Eastwood, and Seamus, followed reluctantly by his wife Maggie (played by Lea Thompson), agree to help Marty find his "Blacksmith Friend". Marty goes into Hill Valley, and goes into the local saloon to try and find out where Doc lives. Buford shows up however, and ridicules him, in no small part due to the "Western" clothing given to him by the 1955 Doc. Marty recognizes Buford from research he and the '55 Doc conduct upon discovering the tombstone. He calls him "Mad Dog", provoking Buford, and Buford fires several shots at Marty, causing him to launch a spittoon at Buford. Marty ends up being chased, then dragged, through town by Buford's gang, and fated to be hanged from the partly-complete clock tower, at which point Doc shows up and saves him by blasting the rope with a high-powered custom sniper rifle.
Buford then demands $80 from the Doc: $75 to replace a horse he shot a few days previously, blaming a horse-shoe the Doc attached, and $5 for a bottle of alcohol that was broken when the horse threw its shoe. Doc refuses, and Buford promises to kill him. Doc takes Marty back to his workshop, and the two are set to return home, only for Marty to tell Doc that he ripped the DeLorean's fuel line. Marty is unconcerned, believing they can use the 2015 model "Mr. Fusion" to draw energy from any object placed inside to power the time machine, but a devastated Doc tells Marty that Mr. Fusion only powers the time circuits and Flux Capacitator. The actual car has always run on Unleaded Gasoline and always will. "There won't be a gas station around until sometime next century...", hence they are out of gas and out of luck. Doc's first idea is to get a team of horses to pull the DeLorean to 88 MPH, but this fails, as the car barely breaks 20 MPH. The next plan is to fill the DeLorean's gas tank with a alcoholic substance only referred to as "strong stuff" from the saloon; unfortunately, this proves too volatile and destroys the fuel injection manifold. Because it will take too long to repair it, Doc desperately thinks of another idea.

Clara Clayton

Doc devises a plan to push the DeLorean with a train locomotive across a bridge over Shonash Ravine (later to be renamed Clayton Ravine) that has not been completed yet, but will be in use in 1985 when Marty arrives. However, Doc finds himself infatuated with the town's schoolteacher Clara Clayton after rescuing her from falling into the ravine (the ravine was to be named after her, as Marty points out; however, Doc's intervention prevents this). Buford tries to kill the Doc at the town's festival, only for Marty to disrupt the attempt. The next day however, Marty notices that a photo he took of the Doc's gravestone is changing to read "Clint Eastwood" instead, and realizes that now Buford is after his blood. Later that night, Doc tells Marty that he's decided to stay in 1885 with Clara. Marty tries to convince Doc to change his mind. Doc relents, and plans to say goodbye to Clara. Marty doesn't know if she will believe Doc, but suggests that they bring her with them. Doc painfully disagrees not willing to risk damaging the time line again. However, he goes to Clara, and tells her that he has to go back where he came from. Clara asks him to take her with him, but he tells her he can't. He then reveals to her that he's from the future and has to go back to the year 1985. As Marty predicted, Clara doesn't understand this, either; she thinks Doc is lying. She slaps him, then slams her door in his face.
The next day, Marty tracks down Doc at the saloon, but Tannen shows up. Marty is able to defeat Tannen (with a trick inspired by the real Clint Eastwood, as seen in part of a movie during part two), and persuades Doc to come back with him. They steal the locomotive, and push the DeLorean down the tracks towards the ravine. As they attempt to push the De Lorean back to 1985, Clara (now realizing that Doc was telling the truth) follows the locomotive on horseback. When she catches up to it, she climbs off the horse, over the tender, and into the cab. As Doc is climbing on the outside of the locomotive to reach the DeLorean, Clara blows the locomotive's whistle. Doc goes back for her, making the decision to take her back to the future. Before he can reach her however, the locomotive releases an explosion (a result of how Doc fuels it to get it to increase speed), causing Clara to slip, leaving her suspended from the side of the locomotive. Marty is able to slip Doc the hoverboard he took back with him from 2015. Doc rescues Clara. The DeLorean then hits 88 mph just before it hits the edge of the ravine, sending Marty back to the future by himself. The locomotive flies off of the bridge and is destroyed.
Upon arriving back to 1985 on what is now named Eastwood Ravine, Marty escapes from the DeLorean just before it is hit by a train and destroyed. He then realizes he can't go back to 1885 to save his friend, but that Doc's wish to have the DeLorean destroyed has been realized. Marty reunites with his girlfriend Jennifer and his family at home - in relief that everything had returned to the now-normal 1985 after the events of ''Back to the Future Part II''. On their way to the wreckage in Marty's truck, Marty runs into Needles and his gang, who challenges him to a speed race at a traffic light. Jennifer tries to persuade Marty not to accept it, but when Needles calls Marty a "chicken", Marty looks like he is going to take the challenge. However, using his better judgment, he escapes the challenge by shifting the truck into reverse; he then discovers that if he had gone on with the race, he would have hit a Rolls Royce (see the Marty McFly page). In 2015, Jennifer had overheard Marty's mother and daughter talking about how Marty was sued by the driver, injured his hand, and gave up his dream of being a rock star. She also kept a note from 2015 with the "YOU'RE FIRED!!!" message for Marty but these words disappear after the incident. It is hinted that Marty and Jennifer's future have changed to a better, but unknown one.
He returns to the DeLorean's wreckage site with Jennifer. Thinking he would never see Doc again, Marty is surprised as the railroad crossing lights activate without a train in sight. A brilliant flash of light combined with a low, slight "BOOM" throws both Marty and Jennifer to the ground in disbelief. The Doc has returned to 1985 in a new time machine, fashioned in the form of a modified 1880s-era locomotive. Doc is now married to Clara and they have two sons, Jules and Verne (named after Clara and Doc's favorite author, Jules Verne). Doc assures Marty that everything is back to normal in all times and that the future is "Whatever you make of it." After Marty inquires where Doc is headed next, the inventor replies that he won't be returning to the future, as he has already been there. The train itself lifts off of the track and turns around (extends some wings) in midair, much like the DeLorean did in the first movie, accelerates toward the viewer, and vanishes into another time as the movie ends, bringing the entire paradox to a close.

Release and recognitions

The new time machine, in the form of a steam locomotive

The movie grossed US$23 million in its first weekend of US release and $87.6 million altogether in US box office receipts – $243 million worldwide. On 17 December 2002, Universal Studios released ''Back to the Future Part III'' in a boxed set with the first two films on DVD and VHS which did extremely well. In the DVD widescreen edition there was a minor framing flaw that Universal has since corrected, available in sets manufactured after February 21, 2003.
In 1990, the movie won a Saturn Award for Best Music for Alan Silvestri and a Best Supporting Actor award for Thomas F. Wilson. In 2003, it received AOL Movies DVD Premiere Award for Best Special Edition of the Year, an award based on consumer online voting.
Many critics consider this installment "warmer" than the others because of its emphasis on the relationship with Marty and Doc Brown.
The film received a Thumbs Up from Gene Siskel and a very marginal Thumbs Down from Roger Ebert on ''Siskel & Ebert''.

Cast and crew

Cast

Thomas F. Wilson as Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen

★ Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly, ("Clint Eastwood"), and Seamus McFly

★ Christopher Lloyd as Dr Emmett "Doc" Brown

★ Mary Steenburgen as Clara Clayton

★ Thomas F. Wilson as Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen and Biff Tannen

★ Lea Thompson as Maggie McFly and Lorraine Baines McFly

★ James Tolkan as Marshal Strickland

★ Elisabeth Shue as Jennifer Parker

★ Jeffrey Weissman as George McFly

★ Matt Clark as Chester, the bartender

★ Dub Taylor as Saloon Old-Timer #1

★ Harry Carey, Jr. as Saloon Old-Timer #2

★ Pat Buttram as Saloon Old-Timer #3

★ Burton Gilliam as Colt Gun Salesman

★ Richard Dysart as Barbed-Wire Salesman

Crew

★ Robert Zemeckis: director/screenwriter

★ Bob Gale: producer/screenwriter

★ Neil Canton: producer

★ Kathleen Kennedy: producer

★ Frank Marshall: executive producer

★ Steven Spielberg: executive producer

★ Steve Starkey: associate producer

Additional notes

Music

''Back to the Future: Part III'' is the second movie in the trilogy to feature a major-label band on its soundtrack. Southern rockers ZZ Top contributed "Doubleback" from their 1990 album ''Recycler'' to the soundtrack, and the trio even have a cameo appearance during the town's festival scene as the band, playing an 1885 version of "Doubleback". (They are not credited as themselves in the movie, although their trademark appearance does not change for their roles.) The subsequent video for "Doubleback" also uses clips from the movie. This video is featured on the 2002 DVD release of the ''Back to the Future trilogy''. Michael J. Fox is also seen moonwalking while singing Billie Jean by Michael Jackson.
The movie also has a rendition of "Clementine."

Other notes

★ When an Indian arrow hits the car shortly after it arrives in 1885, all the fuel leaks out. Many fans wonder why Marty didn't siphon the gas from the other version of the car (the one that is still buried in the mine, and which Marty will one day unearth in 1955 and use it to travel to 1885). Presumably, Marty would not want to risk damaging the car that is buried in the mine, since this would leave him with no car to use in 1955 and thus no way of reaching 1885 at all - thus creating a temporal paradox. In the Back to the Future 3 novel, the fluids are drained from the car to prevent damage to the engine and tank. Most vehicles that are stored for long periods of time are usually drained of all fluids.

★ Doc tells Marty that his family, the Von Brauns, emigrated to the United States in 1908, but changed their name to Brown as a result of World War I. Doc does not reveal which country the von Braun family was native, although it is presumably Germany, Austria, or the Netherlands. Wernher Von Braun was a German scientist who is responsible for the design for the infamous V2 Rocket of the second World War, as well as assisting the Americans in their race to space in the 1950s.

★ Clint Eastwood was not offended at having his name used in this film, and was reportedly rather amused at the notion.

★ The clothes that Doc wears in the final scene in the movie were modeled after the Wizard in ''The Wizard of Oz''.

★ While shooting the stunt where Marty is being hanged by Tannen and his gang, Fox offered to try the stunt without using a box to stand on. He then miscalculated where his hand would slip between the rope and his neck, actually hanging himself, causing him to pass out. It was originally thought that there was a connection between Fox's Parkinson's symptoms and this incident.^[1]

★ Maggie McFly would presumably be an ancestor of Marty's father George McFly. Oddly, however, she is played by Lea Thompson. This was done in part to allow the "Marty waking up after being hit on the head" scene to take place with Lea Thompson, just like the other two films. The producers have stated that the scene should not suggest she is an ancestor of Marty's mother, and that a possible explanation is that "McFly men are genetically predisposed to be attracted to women who look like Lea Thompson."

★ When Marty first arrives in 1885, the DeLorean does not have ice on it, as it does immediately after some of the other time trips. The producers explained this in the DVD commentary of the first movie. They found it to be difficult to cover the DeLorean with ice for repeated takes, so as the three movies went on in time the DeLorean began to be progressively less covered in ice with each trip through time. The time trips in this last film apparently have no ice at all on the car, though if you watch the very last trip it takes, you can still see that the DeLorean has minor ice in a close up of Marty's face through the window. You can see vapor coming from it. Another explanation is that Marty landed in the prairie when the weather was dry, so no moisture was available to form frost.

★ Late former President Ronald Reagan, reportedly a fan of the BTTF series, was offered the role of the Mayor of the 19th Century Hill Valley, to which he ultimately declined.

★ Doc (the 1955 version) tells Marty he "doesn't want to crash into some tree that existed in the past". In the first film, one of the first things Marty does is kill one of Peabody's pine trees. (The sign of the mall changed from Twin Pines Mall to Lone Pine Mall)

★ In a scene in 1955, Doc Brown looks at the burned out microchip and leans over to Marty saying, "No wonder this circuit failed! It says, 'Made in Japan'." Marty looks back saying, "What do you mean, Doc? All the best stuff's made in Japan." Doc looks incredulously back saying, "Unbelievable." This is in reference to many of the poorly made items from Japan that were being sold in the U.S. during the 1950's. It could also be a reference that in the 1950s memories were still recent about the brutalities and expansionism of Imperial Japan, and the 1955 Doc was clearly shocked that Japan could once again become prominent (albeit by way of business rather than military might).

★ The barbed wire salesman is never identified by name, but he strongly resembles Joseph Glidden, the inventor of barbed wire. The time period of the film is also about the time Glidden began selling barbed wire.

★ Marty picks up a pie plate manufactured by the "Frisbie" pie company. This is in fact how the frisbee company started.

★ Doc Brown says "Great Scott" a total of seven times, one more than the previous film. Ironically, Marty also utters Doc Brown's catchphrase, while Doc describes the situation as "heavy", a comical role reversal.

★ When Marty is playing with the gun, he utters Travis Bickle's famous lines from Taxi Driver as well as Clint Eastwood's famous line.

Video and computer games

Main articles: Back to the Future video games

LJN released an NES game called ''Back to the Future II & III'', a sequel to their game based on the first movie. An arcade ''Back to the Future Part III'' game was also released that would eventually be ported to several home video game systems, including the Sega Genesis.

References in other media

★ In an episode of '' when the family travels back in time to the old west, when main character and father Wayne Szalinski is asked his name by the town's inhabitants, he says it's John Wayne. When his wife gives him a look of disbelief, he says that if Marty could be Clint Eastwood in ''Back to the Future Part III'', there was no reason why he could not be John Wayne.

References

1. Fox, Michael J.: "Lucky Man.", page 20. Hyperion, 2002.

External links

★ Official Universal Pictures site

★ BTTF.com

★ BTTF Frequently Asked Questions written by Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis

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