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 middle chapter of Robert Zemeckis's trilogy and one of the most ambitious studio sequels of its decade. Where the original film was a self-contained comedy of manners about causality, this installment pushed the franchise into hoverboards, self-lacing shoes, and a dystopian alternate 1985, expanding the mythology while doubling down on the time-travel mechanics that made the series a cultural touchstone. It remains a favorite among collectors for its ambition and its eerie predictions about the future, cementing the partnership at its center as one of American cinema's defining duos.
This cell centers on Marty McFly and Doc Brown, the two figures whose bond drives the entire trilogy. Marty is the reluctant time traveler, Doc the eccentric inventor whose DeLorean makes the impossible possible, and together they represent the emotional core collectors return to again and again. A cell simply marked with their names, absent any scene description, points to a shared frame from the reel itself, a fragment of the physical print capturing their partnership rather than a single dramatic beat, prized for placing these two icons together on film.
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.
Soundtrack
Two variable-area optical tracks visible as a white-and-black waveform band running beside the picture area on one edge.
Edge print
Edge reads 'SAFETY' on one side and 'EASTMAN' on the other, both appearing mirror-reversed in this capture.
Base & colour
Base shows a slight blue-cyan tint consistent with Eastman color print stock; dye image appears warm and well-saturated with 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 color image; all three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single continuous shot, consistent with a theatrical release print of Back to the Future Part II.
Era check
The dual variable-area optical soundtrack, Eastman safety base stock, and color dye saturation are all consistent with a 35mm 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 000064177
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
