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, riding the massive success of its 1985 predecessor. Directed by Robert Zemeckis and reuniting Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd, the sequel pushed the franchise into bold new territory with dual timelines, a dystopian 1985 Hill Valley, and the endlessly quoted vision of 2015. It expanded the mythology of time travel while cementing the DeLorean, hoverboards, and self-lacing shoes as icons of late-eighties science fiction cinema, and it remains a touchstone of blockbuster sequel craft.
This cell centers on Marty McFly and Doc Emmett Brown, the inseparable pairing at the heart of the entire trilogy. Marty, the reluctant time traveler, and Doc, the eccentric inventor who set the whole adventure in motion, represent one of cinema's most collected duos, prized for their chemistry and shared sense of urgency across decades. A 35mm strip preserving these two together captures the partnership itself, the through-line collectors chase when building a complete visual record of the franchise's defining relationship.
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, cleanly punched 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
Partial text readable along the top edge reads 'THAN' and 'SAIF' (mirrored), consistent with a SAFETY FILM edge legend; full key number sequence not fully legible in this capture.
Base & colour
Base appears clear with a slight blue-teal tint typical of polyester safety stock; dye image reads as warm and well-saturated with no visible fading or red shift.
Projection history
No visible splices, cue marks, or heavy scratching; faint longitudinal lines consistent with a print that has passed through a projector gate.
Picture
Positive colour 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 variable-area optical soundtrack, polyester base tint, and saturated Eastmancolor-style dye image are all consistent with a late-1980s to early-1990s theatrical release print.
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 000064212
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
