Back to the Future
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Continuity mistake: In the cafeteria, when Mr. Strickland is glaring at Marty and Biff, the table Marty was sitting at with George is behind him. When Biff leaves there is a close-up of the table and both the lunch tray and Marty's jacket have changed positions significantly from the previous shots (George had already left). (01:00:30)

Super Grover

Back to the Future trivia picture

Trivia: The amplifier that Michael J Fox blows up at the beginning is labeled as being a CRM-114. This is a reference to Dr. Strangelove, in which the B-52 crews receive their orders over a CRM-114. It was also the serial number of the Jupiter explorer in 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) also directed by Stanley Kubrick. (00:03:05)

Back to the Future mistake picture

Revealing mistake: Right before the white smoke shoots out of the time machine after Einstein arrives one minute in the future in the beginning of the film, you can see the 2 fire extinguishers built in to shoot out the "smoke". (00:23:40)

Back to the Future mistake picture

Continuity mistake: After Marty has been thrown into the bookshelf after the amp explodes, he is lying on the floor with his left leg bent at the knee. In the very next shot however, he has not moved but both legs are straightened and on top of each other. (00:04:05)

Back to the Future mistake picture

Revealing mistake: When the DeLorean is struck by lightning near the end of the film, if you look closely, you can see that there are two people in the car, when it should just be Marty. You may have to look closely, but you don't need to zoom in to see it. Also, since they never re-shot this scene, you can see it in all three Back to the Future films. (01:40:40)

Back to the Future mistake picture

Continuity mistake: When the Libyan terrorists show up in the VW bus, there is no license plate at the front, but in some of the following shots during the scene a blue license plate is affixed to the front bumper. (00:28:55)

Super Grover

Back to the Future mistake picture

Continuity mistake: After Lorraine drops Uncle Joey's cake on the kitchen table, Dave can be seen resting both hands on the back of his chair. When the shot changes, both of his hands are elsewhere. (00:15:00)

ryguy_1983

Back to the Future mistake picture

Continuity mistake: After Marty drops a quarter in the clock tower fund can, he briefly rests his right hand on top of its red lid. But at the next angle, his left hand is on the lid instead. (00:10:45)

ryguy_1983

Back to the Future mistake picture

Continuity mistake: The second time the Libyans kill Doc, after the DeLorean disappears, the kiosk is in flames. A frame later the flames are gone. (01:44:19)

Sacha

Back to the Future mistake picture

Continuity mistake: At the beginning of the movie after Biff leaves the McFly home. There is a scene where Marty and George are talking. In one shot George has three pens in his pocket, a few seconds later he has two. (00:14:14)

JamesP

Back to the Future mistake picture

Continuity mistake: When George goes into the cafe to tell Lorraine he is her density/destiny, the people sitting at the bar keep changing with different shots. Best example is just after George refers to his "density" - in the background there's a brunette in a blue jumper at the bar. A blonde woman and a short-haired guy then sit on her left, but then disappear in the shot of Marty sitting at the bar - on the brunette's left there's now another brunette in a pink jumper with a different guy. The brunette's got shorter hair too. In the very next shot the blonde's back with no sign of Marty. (01:02:10)

Back to the Future mistake picture

Continuity mistake: At the Twin Pines mall during the chase scene with the Libyans, there is one shot where you get a great look at the driver as he's trying to start the engine. Later on you get another look at the driver as the van is moving and it's a totally different person. (00:29:52)

JamesP

Back to the Future mistake picture

Revealing mistake: When Marty is being chased by the terrorists, when he makes the 2nd turn, if you look closely at Marty it is obvious that it is not Michael J. Fox behind the DeLorean windshield, rather it's a stunt driver resembling the original Marty, Eric Stoltz, who was replaced early in filming. (00:30:45)

Back to the Future mistake picture

Continuity mistake: 1955 Skateboard Chase Scene around Town square. After Marty falls over the couple, a shot of Biff's car shows all the passengers standing up, but in the very next frame everyone is sat down. Also, that is not Biff driving. (01:04:20)

Paul Andrews

Back to the Future mistake picture

Continuity mistake: While Doc is waiting for Marty to get back from the dance, he looks at the watch on his left hand, his pocket watch, and the watch on his right hand. When he looks at the watch on his right hand, he is wearing it on the inside of his wrist. Then, as he is running around the car, he has no watch on his right wrist at all. Moments later, as he is pointing down the street, it is on the outside of his right wrist. When they are checking the alarm clock, he holds it in front of the alarm clock to check the time, and the watch is still on the outside of his right wrist. (01:31:15 - 01:32:30)

Back to the Future mistake picture

Continuity mistake: When Marty arrives in 1955, he lands on Peabody's farm and rams through the pine tree he then hits a scarecrow which flies over the top of his car. Then as they show it from the inside the scarecrow slams into the windshield - but how can it slam into his windshield if it is already over the car? (00:31:30)

AidanN

Back to the Future mistake picture

Revealing mistake: When Marty is being chased on the skateboard in 1955 he skids rounds a corner and you can see that this scene had been shot before as there are skid marks there from previous takes. (01:03:20)

Back to the Future mistake picture

Continuity mistake: In the 1955 skateboard chase scene around the town square, note how the skateboard used throughout the whole chase scene changes at least 4 times. Namely different wheels, trucks and the trucks' wooden mountings. (01:03:15)

Paul Andrews

Back to the Future mistake picture

Continuity mistake: When Marty's been thrown back by the amp, the papers on top of him change between the first and second shot. Precisely a Polaroid photo, a poster/map and a vase are missing. (00:04:20)

Sacha

Back to the Future mistake picture

Revealing mistake: At the end, the DeLorean hits the left dustbin and comes to a halt - you can easily see that it's not Christopher Lloyd driving, it's someone with a much bigger build, wearing an awful white wig. Further, he isn't wearing sunglasses until he gets out of the car. (01:45:55)

Back to the Future mistake picture

Continuity mistake: When we first see the machine in action, the travel is shown from three different angles. In the second, a line of fire passes directly between Doc's legs, but in the third angle, they pass to the left of both of his legs. (00:21:00)

Knever

More mistakes in Back to the Future

Dr. Emmett Brown: Don't worry. As long as you hit that wire with the connecting hook at precisely 88mph the instant the lightning strikes the tower... Everything will be fine.

More quotes from Back to the Future

Trivia: The farm where Marty arrives in 1955 belongs to a man called Peabody, and he calls his son Sherman; the names are a tribute to "Sherman and Mr. Peabody," two cartoon time travellers from a 1960s American TV show.

More trivia for Back to the Future

Question: What does the saying "Why don't you make like a tree, and get out of here", mean?

Answer: It's a way of saying "scram" or "get lost." But Biff is so dim, he doesn't realize he's saying it wrong; the expression is "make like a tree and leaf", with the joke being that "leaf" is meant to sound like "leave."

Cubs Fan

More questions & answers from Back to the Future

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