British Academy Film Awards — 2 wins, 1 nominationAcademy Awards — 1 nominationKids' Choice Award — 1 nominationSaturn Award — 1 nominationAll 2 wins · 4 nominations on record
British Academy Film Awards: Best Special Visual Effects
Scholarship
Named in the title of 1 peer-reviewed work
Examples
Sources: Wikidata · OpenAlex · Library of Congress. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
Back to the Future Part II arrived in 1989 from Universal Pictures, the immediate sequel to Robert Zemeckis's smash 1985 original and a direct bridge to Part III, filmed back to back with it. It pushed the franchise's time travel premise into 2015 and into a dark alternate 1985, expanding the mythology with hoverboards, self-lacing shoes, and a flying car that had already become one of cinema's defining icons. The film cemented the trilogy's status as a cornerstone of blockbuster science fiction and family adventure from the era.
This 35mm cell is drawn simply from the DeLorean, the modified time machine at the center of the entire saga. Frames tied to the vehicle itself are prized by collectors precisely because the car functions as the franchise's true protagonist, recognizable instantly and central to the mechanics of every plot turn across all three films. A cell bearing this name likely comes from footage, a trailer excerpt, or a promotional strip built around the machine, the kind of artifact that stands in for the whole series without needing a human face attached to it.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Back to the Future Part II.
Gauge
35mm, four perforations per frame on both edges; the strip holds three frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on each edge, evenly spaced; punched edges appear clean with no visible tearing or distortion.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical soundtrack track is visible running along one edge beside the picture area.
Edge print
Top edge reads 'SAFETY FILM' and frame number '18'; bottom edge reads 'M3 28 68'.
Base & colour
Base appears with a slight cool-blue tint consistent with a colour dye image; no obvious fading or red shift visible.
Projection history
Horizontal lines are visible in the soundtrack area suggesting some emulsion or base abrasion consistent with a projected print.
Picture
Positive colour image; all three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single continuous shot, consistent with Back to the Future Part II.
Era check
The variable-area optical soundtrack, safety base stock, and edge coding format are all consistent with a theatrical release print from the late 1980s to early 1990s.
Read from the original intake capture shown below. Observations only — film is authenticated, not graded.
This original motion picture film element has been examined and authenticated by Crown Grading in partnership with National Film Vault, and encapsulated for archival preservation.
Why so little survivesRelease prints were leased to theaters, not sold. When the run ended they went back to the distributor to be destroyed, and most were. What collectors hold today came from the prints that escaped that order, and no new 35mm prints of these films are being struck.
CROWN SERIAL 000064154
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
