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‘Back to the Future Part II’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Cousin Sal

May 21, 2024 · Back to the Future Part II (1989) · Adventure · Comedy · Sci-Fi · 1:42:01

IMDb ↗Letterboxd ↗

Categories

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 35:40Marty putting on the self-lacing Nikes sequence - includes Downtown Hill Valley in 1985, Biff's Grandpa, Nostalgia Store with Perrier, Cafe 80s, two McFlys in Cafe 80s, hoverboard chase
Cousin Sal▶ 36:01Cafe 80s scene - specifically mentions the video game, Elijah Wood cameo, and the 'chicken' moment with Griff

What's Aged the Best

Chris Ryan▶ 52:52Hoverboard sequences, especially the practical effects and harnesses used in filming
Cousin Sal▶ 52:20Michael J. Fox aged better than his 2015 portrayal, future jokes still hold up, and slacker terminology should be used more

Butch's Girlfriend Award

Bill Simmons▶ 55:00The Crispin Glover Frankenstein situation - his absence from the film and the awkward replacement
Chris Ryan▶ 55:04The Crispin Glover Frankenstein situation - agrees it's the weak link and emphasizes how it hurts the movie
Cousin Sal▶ 55:53Discusses the Crispin Glover situation extensively but doesn't explicitly state it as their pick, though participates in the consensus

What's Aged the Worst

Bill Simmons▶ 57:44Multiple picks: the movie's groundbreaking nature being hard to explain, Marty and Jennifer being too old (Elizabeth Shue specifically), excessive Pepsi product placement, Michael J. Fox playing his daughter, and Griff's overacting
Chris Ryan▶ 58:22Too much science talk/exposition - the movie became nerdy compared to the cool, rock and roll first film
Cousin Sal▶ 58:37The original premise - Doc should have just told Marty to get therapy for his chicken problem instead of time traveling

Is There a Better Title?

Bill Simmons▶ 1:03:39No
Chris Ryan▶ 1:03:53Same game parlay
Cousin Sal▶ 1:03:40Suggested 'Marty still chicken after all these years?' and 'Back to the Future 2 Electric Boogaloo' but ultimately said no

Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:07:27The anti-gravity slam ball sport described in the movie's research (combination of jai alai, handball and roller derby) should exist and would be better than pickleball
Chris Ryan▶ 1:04:28We should release real hoverboards to get kids away from social media devices, despite the safety risks
Cousin Sal▶ 1:05:59Marty is actually Biff's son, not George's son, and this should have been the plot of Back to the Future 3

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 1:09:13Crispin Glover — Discussed Crispin Glover's departure over money/story disagreements and Claudie Wells being replaced by Elizabeth Shue due to family crisis
Chris Ryan▶ 1:09:48Claudia Wells — Discussed Claudie Wells situation and mentioned something fishy about her absence from anniversary materials until 2015
Cousin Sal▶ 1:09:45Claudia Wells — Asked about Wells getting a settlement for reshooting scenes

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:15:22Paul J. Wilson — Yes for sports almanacs, Tom Wilson, Jeffrey Weissman, Oolala Magazine, D. Jones manure hauling, hoverboard technology, and sports gambling movies. No for Michael J. Fox, Leah Thompson, Elizabeth Shue, Zemeckis, time travel movies, and Mr. Sandman in movies
Chris Ryan▶ 1:15:59Paul J. Wilson — Yes for Tom Wilson (plays 19 people) and hoverboard technology apex mountain
Cousin Sal▶ 1:16:01Paul J. Wilson — Yes for Tom Wilson and agrees this is apex mountain of sports gambling movies

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 1:31:25Could he have just gone back into the fiery garbage and maybe look through and make sure?

Is This Movie Better With

Bill Simmons▶ 1:33:52Byron Mayo
Chris Ryan▶ 1:33:53Chris was trying to imagine a Wayne Jenkins scene involving screaming about 'Haralabob', but didn't land on a specific pick.
Cousin Sal▶ 1:34:15Samuel L. Jackson — Sam Jackson as the father with the baseball bat

Just One Oscar

Bill Simmons▶ 1:34:26The Score — The score
Cousin Sal▶ 1:34:43Tom Wilson for supporting actor

Best Double Feature

Bill Simmons▶ 1:36:56Back to the Future Part III, because it's basically one movie with Part II

Coach Finstock Life Lesson

Bill Simmons▶ 1:38:28Doc shouldn't go into the future to fix Marty's kids' problems since he'll probably be dead by then - criticizes Doc's creepy over-involvement
Chris Ryan▶ 1:37:43The past is the past. Just leave it alone. Just look forward.
Cousin Sal▶ 1:37:54You can't change it based on even if you know your flaws. And really try hard not to fuck your mother.

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:38:57Robert Zemeckis — Initially suggests Michael J. Fox, then agrees with Zemeckis as the winner
Chris Ryan▶ 1:39:07Robert Zemeckis — Zemeckis (Robert Zemeckis)

Movies Referenced (38)

Back to the Future (1985)

38 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Cousin Sal▶ 2:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jaws (1975)

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Cousin Sal▶ 17:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Limitless (2011)

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 15:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Time Machine (2002)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Cousin Sal▶ 4:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Halloween (1978)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:15:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Blood Diamond (2006)

2 mentions · Cousin Sal▶ 5:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Casualties of War (1989)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 28:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Fargo (1996)

2 mentions · Cousin Sal, Bill Simmons▶ 34:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Focus (2015)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:17:56IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Grease (1978)

2 mentions · Cousin Sal▶ 31:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Risky Business (1983)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 1:19:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Say Anything (1989)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 31:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (6)

Robert Zemeckis

15 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Cousin Sal · Known for Back to the Future, Forrest Gump, Contact▶ 18:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Brian De Palma

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Body Double, Dressed to Kill, The Bonfire of the Vanities▶ 28:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Max Spielberg

1 mentions · Cousin Sal▶ 52:13IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Russ Meyer

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 26:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Stanley Kubrick

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon▶ 51:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Steven Spielberg

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Schindler's List, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Saving Private Ryan▶ 49:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (52)

Michael J. Fox

23 mentions · Bill Simmons, Cousin Sal, Chris Ryan · Known for Back to the Future, Back to the Future Part II▶ 2:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Crispin Glover

10 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for River's Edge▶ 27:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Elisabeth Shue

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Leaving Las Vegas, Adventures in Babysitting, The Saint▶ 50:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Christopher Lloyd

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Cousin Sal · Known for Back to the Future, The Addams Family▶ 2:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bill Hader

4 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Skeleton Twins, Inside Out▶ 1:32:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Claudia Wells

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Cousin Sal · Known for Back to the Future▶ 29:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Joe Flaherty

4 mentions · Chris Ryan, Cousin Sal · Known for Happy Gilmore, Back to the Future Part II▶ 1:10:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Pill

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Spring Breakers▶ 15:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Harrison Ford

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, The Fugitive▶ 54:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jeffrey Weissman

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Back to the Future Part II, Pale Rider▶ 54:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mike Myers

3 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery▶ 1:00:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Cruise

3 mentions · Chris Ryan, Cousin Sal · Known for Top Gun, Minority Report▶ 1:18:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (6)

Roger Ebert

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 26:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Holland

4 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Child's Play▶ 1:32:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bob Gale

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Back to the Future▶ 27:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Carl Sagan

2 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Contact▶ 6:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kurt Warner

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 1:39:56IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Richard Nixon

1 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 19:10IMDb ↗Lb ↗