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
Universal Pictures released Back to the Future Part II in 1989, the immediate sequel to one of the highest-grossing films of the 1980s. Directed by Robert Zemeckis and produced under Amblin Entertainment with Steven Spielberg's backing, the film pushed the time-travel premise into the future, past, and an alternate present, expanding the mythology built by its predecessor. It arrived amid enormous anticipation, cementing the trilogy's place in mainstream science fiction cinema and giving audiences a fresh wave of the franchise's inventive plotting and effects work.
This cell centers on Marty McFly, the character whose perspective drives the entire trilogy and whose likeness anchors much of the collector demand around this franchise. As the audience's constant guide through shifting timelines, Marty represents the throughline of the story, making any 35mm piece bearing his image a natural focal point for those assembling a collection tied to the series. Isolated on film, a frame like this preserves a fragment of that continuity, a physical remnant of the character's presence within the release print itself.
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 holes appear clean with no visible tearing or distortion.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible running along one edge beside the picture area, appearing as a dual-band wavy pattern consistent with a stereo variable-area optical track.
Edge print
Bottom edge reads (mirrored): 'M3 28 ea 01'; top edge reads (mirrored): '18' followed by additional characters including what appears to be Eastman Kodak edge coding.
Base & colour
Base appears with a slight warm-neutral tint; dye image shows rich, saturated colour with no visible fading or red shift.
Projection history
No visible splices; faint longitudinal lines are present across the frames consistent with a projected print.
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.
Era check
The dual variable-area optical soundtrack, Eastman colour stock edge coding, and saturated dye image are all 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 000064242
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
