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 beloved 1985 original into a sprawling multi-era adventure spanning 2015, 1985, and an alternate 1985. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, it pushed the franchise's time travel premise into darker, more ambitious territory while retaining its wit and heart. The film remains a touchstone of late-80s blockbuster filmmaking, notable for its then-futuristic vision of 2015 and its layered plotting, and it holds a firm place in the era's most celebrated science fiction sequels.
This DeLorean cell centers on the film's defining vehicle, the modified time machine that anchors the entire trilogy's mythology. As a symbol, the DeLorean is inseparable from the franchise's identity, drawing collectors who want a tangible piece of its central icon rather than a moment tied to Marty or Doc themselves. A 35mm cell of this nature likely comes from footage tracking the car's presence within the story, a reminder of its mechanical, time-bending role. For collectors, this represents core franchise material, prized simply for featuring the vehicle that makes the entire narrative possible.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Back to the Future Part II (1989).
Gauge
35mm, confirmed by four perforations per frame on both edges; the strip holds three frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, evenly spaced; punched edges appear clean with no visible tearing or distortion.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible along the bottom edge, appearing as a dual bilateral variable-area strip consistent with a Dolby analogue optical format.
Edge print
Partial edge print readable along the top edge reads '84' and '623' and '619'; full sequence not visible in this capture.
Base & colour
Base shows a blue-tinted safety stock; dye image appears warm with strong colour saturation and no visible fading.
Projection history
Light vertical scratching is visible across the frame area, consistent with a print that has passed through a projector gate.
Picture
Positive colour image; the three frames run consecutively as a single continuous shot and the subject matter is consistent with a visual effects sequence from Back to the Future Part II.
Era check
The dual bilateral variable-area optical track, blue-tinted polyester safety base, and warm Kodak-type dye set are all consistent with a theatrical release print from the late 1980s.
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 000064166
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
