Back to the Future: A TRN Round Table

Back to the Future logo

Few films have left a mark on pop culture quite like Back to the Future. Released in 1985, Robert Zemeckis’ time-traveling adventure wasn’t just a box office smash, it became a generational touchstone.

From its iconic DeLorean to the unforgettable chemistry between Michael J. Fox’s Marty McFly and Christopher Lloyd’s eccentric Doc Brown, Back to the Future captured the imagination of audiences and has remained a beloved classic for four decades.

To celebrate its enduring legacy and 40th anniversary, we asked TRN writers and contributors to share their memories of Back to the Future. From first-time theater experiences to collectibles and favorite moments, these reflections remind us why Back to the Future continues to resonate forty years later.

Fire up the flux capacitor and take a trip through these nostalgic recollections from people who, like so many of us, still dream of hitting 88 miles per hour.

Back to the Future memories 88mph

Ken Spaulding; Co-Host Retro Resurgent Podcast

I remember seeing Back to the Future in the theater as an 11 year old. I just remember being absolutely amazed by the whole movie and leaving the theater totally wound up! For 1985, I thought the special effects were great.

When the DeLorean flew and “Back in Time” from Huey Lewis hit at the end…Awesome! Great story, instant 80s classic, timeless. I recorded it when it hit HBO and proceeded to watch it at least 3 times a week!

Karen Flieger; contributor and writer TheRetroNetwork.com

A few years ago, one of my friends got a Doc Emmett Brown Funko Pop in his Lootcrate shipment and asked me if I liked the movie. I said yes and he gave me the Doc Funko. Since I had Doc, I needed a Marty and I found one on Amazon for under $10.00!

Back to the Future Karen Funko

The biggest memory I have of Back to the Future was that it was the first time I saw an actor play a character that was so distinctly different from the character they played.

Alex P. Keaton and Marty McFly were completely different from each other. I was used to seeing people like Bill Cosby who were usually the same.

Wyatt Bloom; owner/writer Rediscoverthe80s.com

I know I saw the first Back to the Future as a rental and was blown away with the concept of a two-door racing to a specific 88 MPH to achieve this while being electrically kicked with plutonium and the flux capacitor. Being a person of faith, I enjoyed the nod with the notion of seeing the birth of Christ as Doc Brown lists a few key historical dates.

The fun fantasy of being able to time travel at whim to whatever point in time, spend any amount of time and then return to the exact point in which you left was an awesome story.

With Back to the Future Part II, I believe that I saw this one with my best friend Jason Gross. This was the movie that had a line out and around the alleyway, anticipating and hoping we got in the door of the Ritz Theater before they hit max capacity in the 2 room theater.

Seeing Marty and Doc with the hover boards then getting thrust back to the ’50s to right-set the “time and space continuum” while watching the ’50s Doc Brown explain the parallel time one a chalkboard was so fun. Seeing that very same ’50s Doc Brown be dumbfounded that Marty knew about the flux capacitor then the cliffhanger as Marty is left reading the 70 year old letter that Doc is safe in 1885. Epic!

Back to the Future memories part 2

Finally, I sadly did not see Back to the Future Part III until my late teenage years. Nevertheless, watching Marty and the ’50s Doc unearth the DeLorean with complete era-relevant schematics to resurrect the time machine was a great story. Then, seeing Marty drive through a defunct drive in into an oncoming Native American stampede and hopping the DeLorean (like KITT or the General) and rushing it into the cavern was epic.

Then the western setting with the shootout, the shot of whiskey scene with Doc Brown ranting about the future and then finally having that shot while needing the “special” to bring him about. And then the sheer genius of having to steal a steam engine to thrust the time machine into1985 all to get smashed. I was quite heartbroken when I saw that DeLorean pulverized, yet seeing Doc, Clara, and their children swoop in on a steam engine time machine was still a radical movie. All three leaving a permanent mark in cinema history.


A big thank you to Ken, Karen and Wyatt for sharing their Back to the Future memories. The stories remind us why this film continues to capture hearts and imaginations over the last forty years.

Whether it was your first big-screen adventure, a family movie night favorite, or a late-night VHS marathon, the memories prove that Back to the Future is ingrained in our pop culture.

Here’s to 40 years of time travel, DeLoreans, and timeless storytelling.

The end
About Pitfall Gary 200 Articles
Just your average Gen X'er. Born in the 70s and raised in the Decade of Decadence! I rode my bike without a helmet and was home when the street lights came on. I love to reminisce about the good ol' days; Movies, TV, music, if it happened in my childhood I'll share it with you.

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