Mark Turner The trilogy of films BACK TO THE FUTURE 1-3 have captured the love and admiration of a generation. It was the perfect combination of writing, directing and acting that brought to life the tale of Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox), a 17 year old high school student who gets caught up in traveling back in time in his friend Dr. Emmett Brown's (Christopher Lloyd) time machine, a hopped up DeLorean. He ends up meeting his parents in their high school years as well and comedic results follow.One of the things found in the series of films, in particular the second where they went into the future, was predicting what the world would be like in 2016. So as the year arrives many have wondered what did and did not occur in those predictions. It garnered a new interest in the films for many who remembered them fondly and a new generation that wondered what the allure was. In short, a new interest in a classic set of films that hold up today as much as they did during their initial releases.So it's no surprise that a documentary about the films has been in the works for some time and now arrives on that well known year. BACK IN TIME gives us a look back at the original films along with interviews with those involved in the making of the movies as well as the lives of the fans that it touched. In so doing the homage gives us a chance to reminisce and to discover just how deep the world of fandom goes when it comes to movies.One would expect to find glowing memories coming from those behind the scenes. For Fox it was the movie that catapulted him from TV series star to mega-movie box office success. Lloyd did much the same having gotten his first major notice in the series TAXI. Director Robert Zemekis cemented his standing in Hollywood with this film, a follow up to his successful ROMANCING THE STONE. Any documentary about these films would have to include all of them and they do so here, showing not only how the films were made but how grateful all involved were for the opportunities it provided them.What makes this film a bit different than the standard documentary on these movies is the look at the fandom that surrounds it. There are people who have recreated replicas of the car that was the time machine in the film. There are others who dress as the characters they love when they gather together for various events and conventions. None of these seems too over the top infatuated with the film but there is definitely a love affair with the movie going on here.The few complaints of those who didn't seem to enjoy this documentary revolve around the disjointed way in which the story is told at times. I found that to be on the plus side. When you gather together with friends to discuss a movie or an event it is rare that you do so in a straight timeline. You talk about one item and that reminds you of another so you discuss that topic and then maybe return to the initial subject. This film is like that, as if you're sitting with a friend talking about these great movies going back and forth and bringing back the excitement they instilled in you at the time. Its comfortable feeling.Documentaries about movies should have that sense of wonder and appreciation rather than being made as if the topic at hand were as important as say the rise and fall of the Third Reich. Those fact based documentaries are about things that will change the world and the history of it. Documentaries on movies are about those things that may have changed a few lives personally but not the history of the world. They are the things that dreams are made of, things that might inspire but that don't actually make it happen.This film is a love story to all of those who found the original films to be fantastic. It is a documentary that will inspire some to seek out the original three movies and to watch them. It will renew interest in movies that were a part of their time, which captured the imagination of a generation. That's a good thing. To get young people to discover something great from the past is something that needs to happen more often. Let's just hope it doesn't inspire Hollywood to place this on their far too lengthy list of past hits they think need remade. A must see for fans of the films.

David Ferguson Greetings again from the darkness. Thirty years is an eternity in the filmmaking world. Only a few dozen movies even get a cable run in year two. So, it's worth noting, and maybe even magical, when a movie is beloved and worshiped by a rabid fan base some three decades after release. Such is the case with Back to the Future, the story of Marty McFly and Dr. Emmett Brown and their time-traveling escapades. First time director Jason Aron offers up a look at the BTTF community of fans, and some behind-the-scenes scoop from those involved.Talking heads abound in the first part of the movie, as we see and hear from the masterminds of the classic: Robert Zemekis and Bob Gale, as well as Michael J Fox, Lea Thompson, Steven Spielberg, Huey Lewis, Christopher Lloyd, Claudia Wells, Alan Silvestri, Dean Cundey, Dan Harmon, Frank Price and others. Very little new information is served up, and in fact Mr. Zemekis doesn't seem especially excited to be involved, whereas Mr. Gale seems quite pleased and comfortable with his role in film history. The best "making of" anecdotes come from Michael J Fox, though it is interesting to note just how difficult it was for the film to get studio backing – "time travel" movies didn't have a successful box office track record.The middle third of the movie is dedicated to the iconic Delorean car, and all that entails. This sequence would have been effective were it completed in 10 minutes, but instead it brings the film's flow to a dead stop. Sure, it's amazing that this many have a hobby related to this obscure car and its role in a classic film, but enough already!Fan-based clubs and the accuracy of the film's "future" predictions for 2015 make up the final third of the run time, as we get a glimpse of how close we are to real hover boards and flying cars. The question that seems unanswered is just who is this film aimed at? Most of the insight has been long ago discussed in DVD "bonus" coverage or previous interviews with the key players. The fan communities are certainly of interest if one is part of it, but the vast majority of those who have held the film close to their heart for 30 years care little for the obsessive fringes, and only for the emotions and imagination delivered by the film that needs no roads.

mickyal86 As a die hard BTTF fan I was pretty excited for this. I contributed to the Kickstarter campaign based off the trailer, which looked amazing. With all the coverage the trilogy was getting this year and especially in October, I thought finally viewing this would be a great way to cap it all off. Unfortunately, it left me pretty disappointed.The marquee names involved are obviously great, but way too much time is spent on random fans and contributors. It's hard to believe that what we see in the final piece is the best they got out of the interviews with Fox, Lloyd, and Thompson; all of which appear on screen for a total of maybe 10 minutes total.There are a few nice anecdotes and facts sprinkled throughout but overall the surface barely gets scratched on the depth of not only the movies themselves, but also the incredibly devoted subculture that has been generated over the years. To be fair, I am an above average fan so I know or am at least aware of the more behind the scenes stories and facts. However, even for the regular person with just basic knowledge of the films the documentary leaves a lot of holes.Storywise the editing is not good at all and very fragmented. For example, the first part (it's split into 2 very unequal parts for some unclear reason. Part 1 is about the move getting made) ends on the topic of the iconic delorean. Then we see a title card for "Part 2: The Fans", and for a minute or 2 they talk to some people, but then somehow the topic gets back to the delorean and into a pretty long exposition about people replicating the cars etc. Now sure, technically this is fans who build the cars, but there is so much of it there really should have been an entire section just about the car. Then, another part about the subculture of fans. I really saw no point at the attempt to segment the film into actual parts, of which there are only 2. There are some really nice nuggets and stories in there—like the private owner who actually owns the delorean from part 3 and 4x4 from part 1. But overall this really fell flat for me which is a big shame. I contributed because of my love for the movies. And although I'm sure the director is a passionate fan, it may have been better left in the hands of experienced story tellers.

Patrick Shea My father, fiancé and I had the opportunity to go to a special screening of Back in Time in NYC on 10-20-2015. In attendance were Jason Aron, Louis Krubich, Lee Leshen as well as Bob Gale and Don Fullilove. It was awesome to be able to share this fantastic documentary in the presence of the film makers as well as BTTF legends! The film is extremely well done and is an absolute must see for any fan of the trilogy. It has a fantastic mix of stars, behind the scenes personnel and fans that really works. I cant wait to see it again! They are doing a nationwide tour also where they will be screening the movie. The tribute band The Flux Capacitors will play a show at each screening and some of the movie stars will attend as well. Gotta see that too! Congrats to all involved.