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 sequel built to expand the mythology of Robert Zemeckis's time travel saga rather than simply repeat it. Following the enormous success of the 1985 original, this installment pushed the story into 2015, 1985A, and 1955, weaving a denser, more ambitious plot around consequence and paradox. It remains a touchstone of late 1980s blockbuster filmmaking, remembered for its bold speculative vision of the future and its technical achievement in doubling actors across timelines within a single frame.
This cell centers on the DeLorean itself, the modified time machine that anchors the entire franchise's identity. More than a prop, it functions almost as a character, instantly recognizable and central to any collection built around this series. A 35mm cell bearing this subject captures the vehicle at the heart of the story's mechanics, the object collectors most associate with the saga's visual language and its enduring pull on fans of eighties science fiction cinema.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm Dolby Digital optical 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.
Soundtrack
Two variable-area optical tracks visible along one edge, with what appears to be a Dolby Digital data-block strip in the inter-perforation gaps on the same edge.
Edge print
Edge print reads, mirrored: 'FUJI', 'FC13', and partial text consistent with 'SUPER F' series stock designation.
Base & colour
Base carries a blue-tinted safety stock tint; the silver dye image appears neutral with no visible red shift or fading.
Projection history
Light longitudinal lines consistent with projection wear are visible across the frame area; no splices or cue marks seen.
Picture
Positive image; all three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single continuous shot, consistent with a release print of Back to the Future Part II.
Era check
The combination of Fuji Super F safety stock, dual variable-area optical tracks with Dolby Digital data blocks, and blue-base tint is 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 000064164
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
