MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

The "Complete Trilogy" is right. All three movies are here, and that would be a pretty full meal in itself, but along with the 339 minutes of movie on three discs -- all transferred about as well as anyone ever imagined they could be for the home screen, with bright, solid colors and resolution that reveals picture details that might have previously escaped viewers, plus ear-popping sound -- we also get ten hours of extra features. Each disc leads off its bonus section with a 14-minute making-of featurette, done at the time of each respective movie's release, about the evolution of ideas for the plots, the design of the sets and props, the way in which the score was conceived, and the makeup, casting, etc. None is revelatory, but it also would have been silly not to have included each in this package. Much more interesting is "The Making of the Trilogy," three new 15-minute featurettes in which the creators explain themselves better in all of the areas covered by the older featurettes, especially where the special effects and makeup are concerned, though each also reveals some superficiality in the thinking of the producers, such as Bob Gale's statement that no Hollywood movie had ever been built on the notion that every adult was once a kid (there's a movie called It's a Wonderful Life that spends a good bit of time on that very subject). Not that this matters -- the makers came up with two eminently enjoyable and one genuinely funny, touching movie, and it's fascinating to see how they did it, to learn that the movie was nearly sunk by its PG-rated orientation (with R-rated comedies like Fast Times at Ridgemont High making a fortune, every studio thought Back to the Future was too "soft," except for Disney, where they felt the script was too "dirty" because of the implication of defacto incestuous attraction between two of the characters), and to see how Michael J. Fox managed to get the lead role after shooting had already commenced with Eric Stoltz in the part. And then there are the sets of commentary tracks on each disc, one a live question-and-answer session by Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale before an audience of film students; another an "enhanced" interview with Michael J. Fox (who appears in a window in the upper right-hand corner of the screen) discussing the movie and his role in it; and a commentary track by Gale and Neil Canton, which is deliberately keyed to carry the viewer past the boundaries of the other two commentaries. Disc two contains a similar range of material, but without Fox's enhanced reminiscences; instead, we get a selection of some substantial outtakes from the movie, with the optional accompaniment of Bob Gale's commentary explaining why they were deleted, and an array of outtakes, including flubbed lines and cues. Disc three, in addition to two commentaries, contains one violent scene that was cut out of the third movie, with Gale's explanation of why. The commentary is a little bit thin by this time, as though the participants lost some of their own continuity, even engaging in some strained and limp humor that doesn't quite work. They do admit to an error in the script during the first ten minutes of the movie, but otherwise the remarks here are less focused, and seem to suffer from some of the same weariness that overtook the makers in shooting the third movie. Each disc is dual-layered and offers a seamless, invisible transition, even on older players. Each one opens to a three-tiered menu that is very easy to use, with bonus features that advance automatically on the selection list as they play out. There are also production stills, storyboards, conceptual art, and promotional and marketing materials presented in an interactive format, and each disc offers a DVD-ROM function (for those playing these discs on their computers) that includes the original script for each movie. These extras all may be a little bit more than the trilogy deserves in the total scheme of cinema -- none of the Back to the Future movies is remotely as significant as, say, The Birth of a Nation, Citizen Kane, etc. -- but it is all interesting to take in, one movie at a time, one day at a time, and enlightening about how important luck is, along with talent and bold intentions, in making a successful film (or two or three). ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 3
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 (Theatre Wide Screen)
• Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1
• Screen: Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
• Subtitle: Spanish
• Features:
  • • Michael J. Fox discusses his experiences making the Back to the Future trilogy
    • Hilarious outtakes: Flubs, bloopers, and antics from the films
    • Deleted scenes: Exclusive, never-before-seen footage from all three films
    • Audio commentaries: On all three films by writer/producer Bob Gale and producer Neil Canton
    • Live Q & A session: On all three films by director Robert Zemeckis and writer/producer Bob Gale
    • Hoverboard tests: Original "flying skateboard" on-location road tests
    • Digitally remastered: All three films have been completely remastered in 5.1 digital surround
    • Making the Trilogy: A rare, behind-the-scenes look at the making of all three film, including original and new interviews with the cast and crew
    • Animated anecdotes: Hundreds of fun facts and interesting trivia you can choose to view while watching the films
    • Music videos: "Power of Love" by Huey Lewis and the News, and "Doubleback" by ZZ Top
    • Evolution of the Special Effects: Lucasfilm's Industrial Light and Magic shows how the films' special effects were developed
    • Behind-the-scenes segments: Designing the DeLorean, makeup tests, time travel, storyboarding, production design, and more
    • Production archives: Interactive environment featuring production photos, original storyboards, conceptual art, props, and theatrical marketing materials

AWARDS

• Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

•     Won Best Sound Effects - 1985 (Robert R. Rutledge, Charles L. Campbell)
•     Nominated Best Visual Effects - 1989 (Stephen Gawley, Michael Lantieri, John Bell, Ken Ralston)
•     Nominated Best Original Screenplay - 1985 (Bob Gale, Robert Zemeckis)
•     Nominated Best Song - 1985 (Huey Lewis, Chris Hayes, Johnny Colla)
•     Nominated Best Sound - 1985 (Bill Varney, Robert Thirlwell, B. Tennyson Sebastian II, William B. Kaplan)

• British Academy of Film and Television Arts

•     Won Achievement in Special Effects - 1990 (Michael Lantieri, John Bell)
•     Nominated Best Picture - 1985

• National Board of Review

•     Nominated Best Picture - 1985

• People's Choice Awards

•     Won Best Picture - 1985

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Director:

  Robert Zemeckis

• Producer:

  Neil Canton, Bob Gale

• Screenwriter:

  Bob Gale, Robert Zemeckis

• Screen Story:

  Bob Gale, Robert Zemeckis

• Cinematographer:

  Dean Cundey

• Songwriter:

  Chris Hayes

• Musical Direction/Supervision:

  Bones Howe

• Songwriter:

  Huey Lewis

• Composer (Music Score):

  Alan Silvestri

• Songwriter:

  Johnny Colla

• Editor:

  Harry Keramidas, Arthur Schmidt

• Production Designer:

  Lawrence G. Paull, Rick Carter, Marjorie Stone McShirley

• Art Director:

  Todd Hallowell, William Elliott, Marjorie Stone McShirley, Jim Teegarden

• Co-producer:

  Neil Canton, Bob Gale

• Associate Producer:

  Steve Starkey

• Executive Producer:

  Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, Steven Spielberg

• Set Designer:

  Cameron Birnie, Hal G. Gausman, Joe Hubbard, Marjorie Stone McShirley, Linda de Scenna, Martha Johnston, Beverli Eagan, Nancy Mickelberry, Lisa Newman, Joseph G. Pacelli Jr., Paul Sonski

• Costume Designer:

  Deborah L. Scott, Joanna Johnston

• Sound/Sound Designer:

  B. Tennyson Sebastian II

• Makeup:

  Ken Chase, Kenny Myers, Michael Mills, Ellis Burman

• Special Effects:

  Kevin Pike, Don Elliott, Michael Lantieri, Ken Ralston, Scott Farrar

• Consultant/advisor:

  Arvo Ojala

• Animator:

  Wes Takahashi, Gordon Baker

• Camera Operator:

  Raymond Stella

• Stunts:

  Walter Scott, Tony Brubaker, Gary Morgan, John-Clay Scott, Charlie Croughwell, Greg W. Elam, Karen Laine, R.L. Tolbert, Patrick Romano, Danny Costa

• Choreography:

  Brad Jeffries

• Casting:

  Judy Taylor, Mike Fenton, Jane Feinberg, Valorie Massalas

• Assistant Properties:

  Peter Lonsdale

• Musical Performer:

  Tommy Johnson

• Associate Editor:

  Peter Lonsdale

• Production Coordinator:

  Lata Ryan

• Dolly Grip:

  Al Laverde

• Visual Effects:

  Stephen Gawley

• Foley Artist:

  Kevin Bartnof

REVIEWS:

• "History repeats itself" is the jokey lesson at the heart of Back to the Future Part III, as the Old West version of Hill Valley is chock full of ancestors who all behave exactly as their descendents will in 1955, 1985 and 2015. It's in this way that Back to the Future Part III succumbs to sequelitis, the malady that inflicts series in which the same jokes are tirelessly repeated, to remind audiences what they liked so much about the original. And because the head-spinning questions raised by time travel in the first two movies were what connected with audiences, awakening their intellectual curiosity and sense of awe, there's something noticeably absent when the series settles down in an old dusty town for its finale. A conventional, though not unappealing, western/comedy, Back to the Future Part III relies a lot more on the waning charm of Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd, plus an influx of sweetness from Mary Steenburgen, than the fascinating gadgets and elaborate plans that made the first two whir along. Although the softer tone is a welcome change after the dark Back to the Future Part II, the third film feels like a technological and creative step backward in terms of its narrative and contrived plot elements. It maintains a whiff of the genius and wit that set the series in motion, but it also seems like Universal's attempt to play it safer after the risky and challenging middle installment. It's a competent conclusion to the series, but too comfortable to earn the kind of affection this series deserves. ~ Derek Armstrong, Rovi
• Back to the Future is Robert Zemeckis/Steven Spielberg storytelling at its best, with humor, action, special effects and a Huey Lewis soundtrack rolled together in a package that proves "Fun" and "PG" are not antonyms. Michael J. Fox, then known mostly for his role on TV's Family Ties, is a teenage everyman who fulfills the dream of escaping his go-nowhere home life and dorky parents, only to find them transformed by his own hand. Supporting him is Christopher Lloyd, let loose to do what he does best -- act like a complete nut -- in the role of mad scientist Doc Brown. The film makes the most of the notion that Fox's Marty McFly can change the future, and successfully pays off on an astounding number of plot angles. Marty not only assures his own continued existence but changes the makeup of his family and community by helping his dad grow a backbone or (if you're watching carefully) altering the name of the local mall. More than just a series of anachronisms, Back to the Future has a real heart. You suffer along with Marty's teenaged dad, George, at the depredations of his tormentor, Biff, and get a genuine surge of adrenaline and pride when George finally takes his stand. Could this event lead to a changed life? In Back to the Future it does, believably. In fact, the film has more in common with the sentimental fantasy of It's a Wonderful Life than with the often-mindless action of the science fiction pictures that followed, proving that bigger budgets and more elaborate special effects didn't exactly lead to a higher-quality summer blockbuster. ~ Matthew Doberman, Rovi