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‘Back to the Future’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan
May 19, 2020 · Back to the Future (1985) · Adventure · Comedy · Sci-Fi · 1:28:12 · ▶ Listen on Spotify
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Bill Simmons$381 million worldwide box office, $210 million domestic, won Academy Award for Best Sound Effects Editing, highest grossing film of 1985, followed by Rambo ($150M) and Rocky IV ($127M), spawned franchise with sequels, animated series, theme park ride, video games, comics, and stage musical▶ 16:58
Sean FennesseyOriginal concept was a refrigerator time machine instead of DeLorean, which wouldn't have created the same cultural phenomenon▶ 15:39
Most Rewatchable Scene
Bill SimmonsThe action scene of Marty going from 1955 to 1985 at the end - the eight-minute sequence▶ 23:46
Probably Unanswerable Questions
Chris RyanAgrees the movie could have mainstreamed skateboarding beyond Southern California punk culture, and wonders if the truck-grabbing scenes led to accidents▶ 48:15
What's Aged the Worst
Bill SimmonsAgrees with the rock and roll concept aging poorly, compares it to Forrest Gump's similar approach of having the protagonist interact with significant historical moments▶ 1:00:36
Casting What-Ifs
Bill SimmonsJohn Lithgow — Discusses John Lithgow as original choice for Doc Brown, JJ Cohen originally cast as Biff, Melora Hardin originally cast as Jennifer, and jokes about Al Pacino screen test▶ 1:01:06
Chris RyanJohn Lithgow — Agrees Lithgow would have been good, describes him as 'ageless kind of guy', participates in Al Pacino joke by doing impression▶ 1:01:15
Sean FennesseyJohn Lithgow — John Lithgow might have been better than Christopher Lloyd as Doc Brown - 'I've never not liked John Lithgow in a movie'▶ 1:01:19
Joey Pants Award
Bill SimmonsCourtney Gains — Malachi from Children of the Corn (the redheaded guy from Can't Buy Me Love)▶ 1:04:31
Sean FennesseyMarc McClure — Suggests Mark McClure (Jimmy Olsen from Superman movies who plays Dave McFly) but agrees with Malachi pick▶ 1:04:24
Dion Waiters Award
Bill SimmonsDoesn't think there's a clear winner, suggests maybe Leah Thompson's dad or the principal, but ultimately believes nobody fits the category well enough▶ 1:07:39
Chris RyanJames Remar — Suggests James Remark from 48 Hours but doesn't strongly advocate for any particular choice▶ 1:08:45
Sean FennesseyPaul J. Wilson — Suggests Thomas F. Wilson as Biff but acknowledges he might be in too many scenes, also mentions James Tolkien as Franklin as a possibility▶ 1:07:30
Apex Mountain
Bill SimmonsMichael J. Fox — Yes for Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Claudia Wells, Crispin Glover, Thomas F. Wilson, Pepsi Free, Pepsi in general, and Robert Zemeckis. Also discussed time travel apex mountain.▶ 1:13:26
Chris RyanBack to the Future — Yes for time travel apex mountain over Lost - this popularizes time travel ideas that only scientists had contemplated before▶ 1:15:24
Sean FennesseyRobert Zemeckis — Yes for Robert Zemeckis - this sets him up for anything he wants to do, even though he later wins Best Director for Forrest Gump▶ 1:14:58
Movies Referenced (50)
| Title (year) | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forrest Gump (1994) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 7 | Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons | ▶ 3:01 |
| Titanic (1997) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | ▶ 3:01 |
| About Time (2013) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | ▶ 16:28 |
| The Godfather (1972) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 53:14 |
| Top Gun (1986) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:03:47 |
| Apocalypse Now (1979) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 26:10 |
| Basic Instinct (1992) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Chris Ryan | ▶ 47:38 |
| Bright (2017) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 34:59 |
| Ghostbusters (1984) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | ▶ 3:01 |
| Home Alone (1990) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | ▶ 3:01 |
| Jurassic Park (1993) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | ▶ 3:01 |
| Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | ▶ 3:01 |
Directors Referenced (16)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Zemeckis | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 21 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan | Back to the Future, Forrest Gump | ▶ 1:28 |
| Steven Spielberg | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 9 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan | Schindler's List, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Saving Private Ryan | ▶ 1:28 |
| Christopher Nolan | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Chris Ryan | Tenet, Interstellar, Inception | ▶ 20:53 |
| Brian De Palma | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Sean Fennessey | Body Double, Dressed to Kill, The Bonfire of the Vanities | ▶ 19:40 |
| Frank Capra | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | It's a Wonderful Life, It Happened One Night | ▶ 36:27 |
| Joe Dante | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | Gremlins | ▶ 22:26 |
| Joe Johnston | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | Raiders of the Lost Ark | ▶ 22:26 |
| John Hughes | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Sean Fennessey | Planes, Trains & Automobiles, Uncle Buck, The Breakfast Club | ▶ 23:16 |
| John McTiernan | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Sean Fennessey | Die Hard, Last Action Hero | ▶ 23:11 |
| Martin Scorsese | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Sean Fennessey | Taxi Driver, Killers of the Flower Moon, Mean Streets | ▶ 19:40 |
| Michael Mann | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | The Insider, Collateral, The Last of the Mohicans | ▶ 22:52 |
| Sean Penn | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | Mystic River, 21 Grams, Dead Man Walking | ▶ 35:05 |
Actors Referenced (53)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eric Stoltz | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 22 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Pulp Fiction, The Butterfly Effect | ▶ 25:52 |
| Huey Lewis | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 19 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Back to the Future | ▶ 6:00 |
| Claudia Wells | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 11 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey | Back to the Future | ▶ 53:40 |
| Michael J. Fox | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 11 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | Back to the Future, Back to the Future Part II | ▶ 1:47 |
| Christopher Lloyd | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 8 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | Back to the Future, The Addams Family | ▶ 1:48 |
| Crispin Glover | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 8 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan | ▶ 1:04:41 | |
| Calvin Klein | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 7 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 41:53 | |
| Chuck Berry | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 7 | Bill Simmons | Men in Black, Back to the Future | ▶ 1:00 |
| C. Thomas Howell | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial | ▶ 31:21 |
| Charlie Sheen | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey | Wall Street | ▶ 30:53 |
| Dennis Quaid | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | Far from Heaven, The Day After Tomorrow | ▶ 1:11:23 |
| Joaquin Phoenix | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | Walk the Line, Gladiator | ▶ 1:05:28 |
Writers Referenced (7)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bob Gale | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey | Back to the Future, Back to the Future Part III | ▶ 14:02 |
| Roger Ebert | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | ▶ 17:51 | |
| Bruce Springsteen | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Sean Fennessey | The Wrestler, Philadelphia | ▶ 50:57 |
| Daniel Biagi | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | Elysium, The Shape of Water | ▶ 1:21:30 |
| George Lucas | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Sean Fennessey | Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, American Graffiti | ▶ 19:40 |
| John Milius | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Sean Fennessey | Conan the Barbarian, Jeremiah Johnson, Apocalypse Now | ▶ 19:40 |
| William Goldman | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, All the President's Men, The Princess Bride | ▶ 15:11 |