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, a rare sequel that expanded rather than repeated its predecessor's premise. Directed by Robert Zemeckis and produced by Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment, it pushed Marty McFly and Doc Brown into 2015, an alternate 1985, and back to 1955, weaving time travel logic into a layered structure that still impresses genre fans. Its ambition and technical achievement helped cement the trilogy's place in science fiction cinema history.
This cell centers on the DeLorean, the time machine at the heart of the entire franchise, arguably the most recognizable vehicle in film history. Collectors seek this piece not for a single character moment but for the object itself, the mechanism that drives every plot turn across all three films. A 35mm frame bearing the DeLorean represents the franchise's core icon, the visual shorthand for time travel that audiences instantly recognize, making this a foundational piece for any collection built around the trilogy's mythology.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Back to the Future Part II.
Gauge
35mm, confirmed by four perforations per frame on both edges; the strip holds three frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges; spacing appears even and the punched edges look clean with no torn or missing perforations visible.
Soundtrack
Two variable-area optical tracks run along one edge beside the picture area, consistent with a stereo optical release print.
Edge print
Partial text readable along one edge reads 'TY FILM +X' with remaining characters obscured; no key numbers legible in this capture.
Base & colour
Base appears with a slight blue-green tint typical of safety acetate or polyester stock; the dye image reads as neutral with no obvious red shift or fading.
Projection history
Light vertical lines are visible across the frame area, consistent with projection wear; no splices or cue marks seen.
Picture
Positive colour image; all three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single continuous shot, consistent with a theatrical release print of the film on record.
Era check
The dual variable-area optical soundtrack, base tint, and stock markings are all consistent with a late-1980s to early-1990s theatrical release print, matching the 1989 production date on record.
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 000064161
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
