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 from Universal Pictures in 1989, the middle chapter of Robert Zemeckis's trilogy and one of the era's most anticipated sequels. Riding the momentum of the 1985 original, it pushed Marty McFly and Doc Brown into a speculative 2015 before looping back through an altered 1985 and into the Old West setup for Part III. Its inventive time travel structure, layered callbacks, and ambitious visual effects made it a defining example of late eighties studio blockbuster craft, and it remains a touchstone for fans of the franchise decades later.
Clock Tower points to the Hill Valley courthouse tower, the film series' central emblem of time itself, tying every timeline together across the trilogy. As a name without a credited character, this cell likely comes from a title card, trailer segment, or transitional credits moment rather than a scene built around performance. Collectors prize clock tower material for its symbolic weight, since the structure anchors the mythology more than any single actor does. Owning this piece means holding a fragment tied directly to the franchise's signature image, the visual shorthand audiences immediately associate with the entire time travel premise.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Back to the Future Part II (1989).
Gauge
35mm, four perforations per frame on both edges; the strip holds three complete frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on each edge, evenly spaced; punched edges appear clean with no torn or missing perforations visible.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible running along one edge beside the picture area, appearing as a dual variable-area (stereo) format.
Edge print
Top edge reads 'SAFETY FILM KK'; bottom edge reads 'M3 28 61' (mirrored as printed).
Base & colour
Base appears with a slight blue-green tint typical of estar safety stock; dye image reads as warm with strong colour saturation and no visible fading.
Projection history
No splices, cue marks, or significant scratches are visible in this capture.
Picture
Positive colour 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 (1989).
Era check
The dual variable-area optical soundtrack, safety base stock, and colour dye saturation 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 000064229
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
