BackToTheFuture Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Cinematical Seven: Race Against the Clock!
Filed under: Classics », Thrillers », Cinematical Seven », Lists »
3 - 2 - 1 ... There's nothing like a ticking time bomb to give any movie a sense of urgency. Whether it's a literal set of explosives (as in Speed), a new ice age (The Day After Tomorrow), alien attack (Independence Day), hostage execution (The Taking of Pelham One Two Three), fatal poison (Crank), or the threat of loved ones being killed (Nick of Time), it's an honorable tradition to ratchet up the tension by pitting heroic characters in a relentless race against the clock.
This week marks the home video release of Alex Proyas' Knowing, a somewhat insane thriller in which astrophysicist Nicolas Cage comes to believe that future disasters can be predicted -- and races against time to stop the next one. You have to see it to believe (or mock) it. If you're in a countdown frame of mind, here are seven more entertaining thrillers that feature seriously motivated heroes trying to avert disaster. Consider this a starter list; see if you can be the first one to list your favorite(s) in the comments section. Go!
7. Back to the Future (1985)
Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) is just an ordinary high school student, doing a favor for good old Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) when he finds himself transported back in time 30 years. Before he knows what's happening, he's dodging Oedipal issues and trying to make sure his parents fall in love before he is gone, baby, gone. He is highly-motivated, to say the least, resulting in a pulse-quickening race in which a literal clock plays a major role.
Brett Ratner's Building a Time Machine ... Out of a DeLorean?
Filed under: Deals », Newsstand »
Before you start twitching and shaking uncontrollably at the thought of Brett Ratner remaking Back to the Future, that's not what's going on here ... thank god. Instead, Variety tells us Ratner is teaming with James Toback and producer Robert Evans on a biopic about the rise and fall of the innovative car designer John DeLorean, whose car is most widely remembered as being used as a time machine in the Back to the Future trilogy.
Oh yes, if you're not a child of the 80s or a car nut, you probably have no idea who John Delorean is or that the Delorean automobile was named after an actual dude ... and that his story is interesting enough to spawn not one biopic, not two biopics, but three freakin' biopics!. The second film, which doesn't seem to have quite the star power as the first, involves producers David Permut and Steven Lee Jones, who are working off the life rights of Delorean's longtime attorney, Mayer Morganroth. The third teams Time Inc. Studios and XYZ Films on a biopic that will come from old magazine articles.
So what's so fascinating about John DeLorean other than the fact that you can turn his car into a time machine by adding a flux capacitor? Well, turns out the guy was busted by the FBI back in 1982 on charges of drug trafficking in an apparent attempt to raise funds for his damaged company, which later went bankrupt that same year. However, DeLorean defended himself in court and won by claiming the FBI tried to set him up. Ratner will direct the film with Toback writing the script, which, from the looks of it, will be very pro DeLorean and simply tell the rise-and-fall story of a great entrepreneur who beat the system, but lost his dream in the process.
List This: Top Ten Sci-Fi Comedies
Filed under: Comedy », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Fandom », Lists », Summer Movies »
In spite of the some rather negative early reviews, I plan on plunking down my cash to see Land of the Lost this weekend. It's a silly move, but I can't help myself; I blame my addiction to Danny McBride. Plus, I wasn't around for the original series, so it's not like Ferrell can mess up any childhood memories. But it did get me thinking; sci-fi and comedy are two genres that usually work pretty well together, right? So what does any movie geek do in this situation? That's right, we make a list. So now I present in no particular order, my top ten sci-fi comedies:
1. Hellboy
So technically, maybe not a pure sci-fi flick (it has gadgets...does that count?). But you definitely can't argue with funny; and it made for a nice departure for those of us tired of seeing our heroes 'brood' all the time.
2. Innerspace
Most people I know hate this movie; and to be fair, it hasn't aged well. The F/X are a little creaky, and Meg Ryan is downright annoying, but when I saw this film as a kid it was the height of hilarity -- score one for nostalgia.
3. Idiocracy
How could you not love Mike Judge's vision of a dystopic future where the #1 rated TV show is Ow! My Balls!
4. Ghostbusters
When it comes to sci-fi comedy, Ghostbusters is the granddaddy. To this day I consider it one of the funniest films ever made; and thanks to Bill Murray, I grew up to be the smart-a** that my family and friends know and love.
5. Sleeper
Woody Allen and sci-fi probably aren't two things that most people think would work well together. But Allen transplanted his nebbish New Yorker into the future, and still managed to make jokes about sex and health food stores.
After the jump; the final five...
Cinematical Seven: Great Time Travel Movies
Filed under: Cinematical Seven »
Terminator: Salvation hits theaters today and to commemorate that we're looking at films that veer into the fourth dimension (that's time for us non-technical folk). Time travel is a story device with all kind of possibilities built right in. If I could travel back to 2005 and locate Jennifer Aniston would I be able to convince her that making The Break-Up was a really bad idea? I can dream, can't I? Anyway, here are seven of my favorite time travel movies.
Back to the Future (1985)
Between constant reruns on basic cable and just being a pretty awesome flick is there anyone in this world who hasn't seen Back to the Future? Eccentric scientist Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) while demonstrating his Delorean-mounted time machine sends Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) back to the 1950s. Marty's return to 1985 must be timed to the split second to coincide with a lightning bolt that will power the Delorean's Flux Capacitor, but in the meantime Marty disrupts the event that got his parents together thus threatening his very existence. Before he can return to his own time Marty needs to put his folks back on the path to marriage, put a bully in his place and invent the skateboard all set to the music of Huey Lewis and The News. This movie is just plain fun. The following year Lea Thompson who plays Marty's mom graduated from coming on to her own son to putting the moves on a cranky water fowl in Howard the Duck.
Buy This: Back to the Future II DeLorean That Lights Up!
Filed under: Fandom », Home Entertainment »
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It's almost impossible for me not to pimp out nifty little Back to the Future-related gadgets, seeing as my first film-related love was the original Back to the Future. Some people think I'm nuts when I say this, but if someone forced me at gunpoint to name my favorite movie of all time, I might just have to go with BTTF -- it means that much to me. Which is why I'm here to tell you about this cool new toy (us guys love our toys) over at Entertainment Earth. It's a toy DeLorean based on the one featured in Back to the Future II -- complete with electronic lights and sounds, gull-wing doors that swing open and wheels that pop out for flight mode. Sadly no Doc or Marty figures come with the car, which is a limited edition that measures 14 inches long; 1:18 scale.
The car arrives in August 2009, and they're currently going for $34.99 over at the Entertainment Earth website. In my opinion, it's the perfect gift for that Back to the Future geek in your family (there's always one), and for you movie buffs I can't think of a better gadget to rest on your desk at home. Whaddya think?
[via SuperPunch]
Cinematical Seven: Franchises J.J. Abrams Should Reboot
Filed under: Fandom », Cinematical Seven », Lists »
Now that J.J. Abrams has reinvented, and especially, reinvigorated Star Trek for an all new generation of fake-pointy-eared fans, it would be unfair to let the filmmaker simply take time off to garden or crochet, much less celebrate the film's projected $72 million opening weekend. Especially since there are just so many other franchises and film series that deserve – or perhaps more accurately – need his golden touch. As such, we've thoughtfully assembled a short list of franchises that Abrams could and should take over, tackle, and reboot. And while we tailored our selections to suit the filmmaker's writing and directing strengths, we encourage you to leave your comments and suggestions which films and franchises you think might be better suited to Abrams' cinematic style.
In no particular order:
Did You Know That Zac Efron is Obsessed with 'Back to the Future'?
Filed under: Sci-Fi & Fantasy », RumorMonger », Fandom », Remakes and Sequels »
Get ready folks, because if there's a movie from the 60s, 70s, 80s or 90s that was popular and featured a teenage male in the lead role, there's a good chance Zac Efron's name will be mentioned with regards to a remake. Dude was real close to starring in a Footloose reboot, and now folks are beginning to go near a film I deem untouchable (mainly because it's right up there with my favorite movies of all time): Back to the Future.
Teen Hollywood claims Efron really wants to play Marty McFly in a new Back to the Future movie. However, they seem to have dreamt that up because the only Efron quote presented in their article shows he's a fan of the series, but doesn't necessarily want to take over the role held by Michael J. Fox for three films. He says, "Growing up, my favourite thing to do was to climb into the car and play Back To the Future. I would pretend I was Marty McFly." We all did that, Zac, but what most of us didn't do was grow up and
So he's obviously a huge Back to the Future nut, which, honestly, makes me like him a little bit more now -- but does that mean he'd also jump to play McFly if a studio presented it to him? Or, like a true fan, would he yell, scream, hiss and throw flaming piles of monkey poop at any studio henchman who does so little as hold a conversation about taking on the role in either a sequel or a remake? That's the multi-million dollar question, and I bet you a shiny stack of marbles it crosses his desk sometime soon (if it hasn't already ...).
[via Moviehole]
The Top 40 '80s Movies? I Say Moviefone is Wrong!
Filed under: Fandom », Newsstand », Lists »
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Let me get this right out of the way: I love the folks over at Moviefone; they're cool people. We've hung out together, thrown back a few cold ones and even high-fived on one or two occasions. But this latest list ... well, I'm a little upset. Moviefone has counted down the top 40 films from the '80s, and while I certainly agree with a lot of the films on said list, their placement is completely out of whack. Here's their top five: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1), Blade Runner (2), Raging Bull (3), Empire Strikes Back (4) and This Is Spinal Tap (5). Don't get me wrong -- all dynamite flicks -- but Back to the Future at 21, Ghostbusters at 40 (!!!!!), E.T. at 20 and The Breakfast Club at 27? And don't get me started on the fact that Ferris Bueller's Day Off didn't even make the list -- just thinking about it sends murderous shivers down my spine. What's up with that Moviefone? I guess when it comes to listing the best '80s movies, I'm more inclined to stick films that defined the decade in top spots moreso than films that were critically acclaimed (not that some can't be both). I mean, I definitely do not think Bull Durham (9) should beat out Aliens (10), The Terminator (13) or The Shining (14) ... but maybe I'm missing the total and complete awesomeness that is Bull Durham. Check out their list over here and let us know where they got it right and where they went wrong. (Trust me, I've already gone after them about the Back to the Future placement because if we don't protect Marty McFly, who will?)
Watch This: 'Back to the Future' Alternate Ending
Filed under: Fandom », Trailers and Clips »
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A friend of mine sent this to me because he knows how much I absolutely adore Back to the Future. And as someone who's placed Back to the Future in his top five favorite films of all time, you'd think I'd get a little peeved whenever someone tried to mess with it. Not so in this case as the following video is short, sweet and pretty damn hilarious. Imagine if at the end of Back to the Future (or the beginning of Back to the Future 2, if you will), Doc miscalculated when punching in the time coordinates and he, Marty and Jennifer wound up in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Oh internet, what will you come up with next?
Fan Made: 1960s Book Covers for Popular Movies
Filed under: Fandom », Images », Fan Made »
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Okay, I've officially discovered my first favorite piece of geeked-out awesomeness of 2009, and it comes in the form of these excellent 1960s-inspired paperback book covers of novelized movie adaptations. Artist Mitch Ansara created these illustrations as part of his own Make Something Cool Every Day project, and all of them come from his (fictional) I Can Read Movies series. What we have are paperback book covers for films like Back to the Future, Mean Girls, Ghostbusters, Shaun of the Dead and Caddyshack, among others. My personal favorite (as seen in the gallery below) is the freaky Japanese paperback cover he created for Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Check out some of our favorites down below, then head on over to this page and click on the paperback cover to read more about how Mitch went about creating it. Nice work, sir.
[via LaughingSquid]
Peter Jackson Says Spielberg's 'Tintin' is Done Filming, but...
Interracial Harmony: 'Ninja Assassin' vs. 'Blind Side'
Spin-ematical: New on DVD for 11/24_thumbnail.jpg)
Exclusive 'Nine' Poster Premiere!
Exclusive: Title Track for 'The Road' Soundtrack
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