THIRTY-FIVE years ago many of us got a flippant, little glimpse into the future.
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It was all about time-travelling, DeLorean-style.
Mid-century modern housing.
And Michael J. Fox, as a thinking-teenager's heartthrob, Marty McFly.
Not a pandemic in plain sight!
Back to the Future was released on July 3, 1985; just a little more than 35 years ago, categorically proving that time flies when you're having fun!
The film was well-received, placing at the top of the box office for 11 weeks and grossing more than $381 million worldwide to become the highest-grossing film of 1985. It gained three Academy Award nominations, five BAFTA nominations and four Golden Globe nominations, including Best Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy).
The film's success led to a franchise including two sequels, Back to the Future Part II (1989) and Back to the Future Part III (1990), a theme park ride, an animated series, video games, comic books and a stage musical.
Like Smith's chips, however, the original was the best!
There is definitely something in a science-fiction formula that appeals broadly to the masses.
While the franchise failed to predict the coronavirus pandemic of 2020, Back to the Future memes have been coming thick and fast this year.
"Listen carefully, Marty! Whatever you do, don't set it (the DeLorean) to 2020!"
"I bet in the year 2020, the streets will be filled with people on hover boards." (2020: Picture of empty street being sanitised by a lone worker.)
If Doc came back from April 15, 2020. "People are trading toilet paper for barrels of oil."
"Marty, I just came back from 2040. People still have unused toilet paper from 2020."
Whatever way you look at it, 2020 has dished up a whole, new reality series for most of us, far stranger than any science-fiction movie.
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While the franchise failed to predict the coronavirus pandemic of 2020, Back to the Future memes have been coming thick and fast this year. "Listen carefully, Marty! Whatever you do, don't set it (the DeLorean) to 2020!"
I saw the first and second movies of the franchise at the Albury cinema. (I wasn't a fan of the Wild West third one and I don't even remember where I caught it! On VHS, most likely?!)
However, if ever we could use a bit of nostalgia, it's right about now.
Among the other offerings at Regent Cinemas this week will be tried and true favourites Dirty Dancing, Die Hard, Jumanji: The Next Level, 10 Things I Hate About You, Aliens, The Incredibles and Sonic The Hedgehog.
If you're up for it, science-fiction thriller Tenet is playing multiple cinemas and sessions over the next week. The Personal History of David Copperfield, The King of Staten Island and Unhinged round out the selections.
Regent Cinemas Albury Wodonga will also unveil a new look when it reopens on Thursday. While the coronavirus crisis closed the business for five months, it let Regent Cinemas complete stage one of its multi-million-dollar makeover.
Six cinemas have been reseated with premium glide chairs; a new candy bar features the Regent Bar, which ultimately plans to serve eight licensed cinemas; and a "junior cinema" will offer special activities for children from its launch on September 17.
Meanwhile, we can still catch Back to the Future on the silver screen in Albury this weekend.
President Ronald Reagan, who was a big fan of Back to the Future, referred to the film in his 1986 State of the Union Address when he said, "Never has there been a more exciting time to be alive, a time of rousing wonder and heroic achievement. As they said in the film Back to the Future, 'Where we're going, we don't need roads'."
Turned out, we still need roads, maybe more than ever, in fact, but in March we also really needed toilet paper, tinned tomatoes, plain flour, yeast, cornflour and rice flour.
I guess no one in Hollywood saw that coming!
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