1. Originally Back to the Future Parts II and III were actually supposed to be just one movie. The script included all the elements and went under the title of 'Paradox' (a title that stayed whilst shooting). It soon became clear that a 2 hour running time would not do the story justice so a re-write was ordered to split the script into two installments. They were then both shot back to back, this was the very first time any movie studio had attempted such a thing with a split script.
2. Before 'Paradox' had been settled upon, an earlier story for what would become Back to the Future Part II had Marty meeting up with his parents in 1967 whilst they were hippies. George and Lorraine would've been active in the 'protest movement', Marty would've got himself arrested for not having a Draft Card and inadvertently stopped his own conception (!). Robert Zemeckis decided this idea was too similar to the first movie.
3. Back to the Future Part II is notable for the absence of Crispin Glover - who played George McFly in the first movie. He was unhappy with the money offered to resume the role. Later Glover explained why:
"They offered me $150,000 to be in—it was a long screenplay. Like, a 200-something-page screenplay. I could tell they would split it into two movies. But Lea Thompson was making something like $650,000, and Tom Wilson was making something like $325,000 or $350,000, so it was less than half of what my fellow actors were making, coming back for similar-sized roles. And my agents knew it wasn’t fair. It wasn’t like I was saying I needed to make more money. I just basically, at that point in the negotiation, I just wanted to be fairly compensated."Glover went on to reveal that he felt the low ball offer was because producer Bob Gale was upset with him voicing his disapproval of the original ending of the first film - Glover didn't believe Marty's parents should view money and material possessions as rewards. Glover's agent allegedly asked for $1,000,000 plus a script approval clause in his contract. A revised offer came back, for an even lower figure than at first - $125,000. Glover passed and Bob Gale rewrote the script to cut most of George McFly's screen time.
4. But not all of George McFly's screen time! A new actor was cast as Marty's Dad, Jeffrey Weissman. He wore facial prosphetics made from molds of Crispin Glover that were taken during the production of the first film. Back to the Future Part II was cleverly edited so all shots of Weissman either show him from behind, at a distance, upside down, or with sunglasses. Crispin Glover took issue with this (and probably quite rightly so), claiming the producers were in effect, fooling audiences into believing that he had taken part in the sequel. Glover sued Universal for using his likeness without permission. The case was settled out of court with Universal paying Glover $765,000.
5. When production began on the movie Michael J Fox discovered he had forgotten how to ride a skateboard!!! It had been 5 years since he'd last set foot on one. Clearly it's not like "riding a bike" then!
6. Flea, the bassist from the Red Hot Chili Peppers has a small part in the movie. He plays Needles.
7. Back to the Future Part II was set in 2015, and as a kid I always looked forward to that year arriving so I could lay my hands on one of those cool Hoverboards. Unfortunately no-one has created a ride-able Hoverboard as yet but you remember those neat looking self-lacing Nike boots? Well they will be available to purchase for reals by next year.
8. It turns out those Hoverboards weren't as cool as they looked though. The actors had their shoes drilled onto the boards and then suspended by harnesses to give the effect of floating (the harness cables were removed in post production). As it took so long to get in and out of the things Michael J Fox had to be carried around in between takes.
9. Future Hobbit, Elija Wood, made his movie debut in Back to the Future Part II. He is one of the kids playing Wild Gunman in the Cafe 80's
10. Whilst were talking about Cafe 80's, the menu listed four types of Pepsi: Original, Diet, Max, and Perfect. Pepsi Max was not released until 1993, 4 years after Back To The Future premiered. Cool, eh?
11. In Back to the Future Part II, the 'Holomax' says that Jaws 19 is directed by Max Spielberg. Max is Steven Spielberg's real life son. He was 4 in 1989, and although he's never followed in his father's footsteps and gone behind the camera he did appear in his Dad's 2002 movie Catch Me If You Can.
12. So we never got Hoverboards, or made it to Jaws 19 (although SyFy pump out a new 'Shark' film every year, surely they've made at least 19 of them?) but Back to the Future Part II did make a few spot on technology predictions for 2015, including wireless hands-free gaming, video conferencing and wall mounted flat widescreen televisions. All common place today, but all unheard of in 1989.
13. After being name checked in the first movie, Ronald Reagan ("the actor?") was offered the role of Hill Valley's Mayor Hubert in Back to the Future Part III. Regrettably, he had to turn it down.
14. In his autobiography Michael J Fox revealed that during the scene when Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen tries to lynch Marty, Fox was momentarily hanged, rendering him unconscious for a short time. Ouch!
15. That lasso work was just one of the stunts that Thomas F Wilson (Tannen) performed himself, he also did all his own horse riding stunts in the movie.
16. Back to the Future Part III was Tom Wilson's favourite of the three films. This is one of the 'facts' that Wilson reveals on a special postcard he had made up. He gives them away to people who want to talk to him about the movies, just to save time...
17. You may remember that Marty uses a pie plate to knock a gun out of Mad Dog's hand. The brand name of that pie plate was Frisbie, the Frisbie Pie Company was real and had been established in 1871. It was these actual pans being thrown on the campus of Yale University that lead to the invention of Frisbees.
18. The Doc's kiss with Clara marks Christopher Lloyd's first and only kissing scene throughout his entire movie career.
19. You remember the character Larvell Jones from the Police Academy films? The dude who made all the funny noises? He was played by Michael Winslow, who, in Back to the Future Part III, performs the sound effects of Michael J. Fox's feet during the Moonwalk/dancing sequence.
20. And finally, near the end of the movie when Doc introduces his family to Marty, Doc's sun Verne points to his penis! Yep, sorry to lower the tone, but you just have to check out the clip below and pay particular attention to Verne (the younger boy, next to Einstein) from about the 20 second mark. He seems to be ushering Elisabeth Shue towards his groin - Creepy kid!
Previously
16 things you might not know about Back To The Future
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