Back To The Future... 30 Years On



Last year (the 3rd of July 2015), marked the 30th anniversary of the release of the original 'Back to the Future' movie. It features the fantastic quote: "Roads! Where were going we don't need roads."

The 1980's were such a golden time for me growing up and this particular movie played it's part in my transition from a boy to a young adult. Yep I was one of those kids that sported the Marty McFly inspired look which included a body warmer, the tongues of my ankle high sports shoe sticking out over the sprayed on bleached jeans and of course topped off with a mullet ! Yep, I was that cool back then!!!

If your one of my younger readers or if you were stranded on a desert island back in the 1980/90's then the premise of the movie is that an eccentric scientist Doc Brown (played by Christopher Lloyd) builds a time machine out of a DeLorean (that's an iconic 1980's sports car if you were looking for a message in a bottle on that island) and sends teenager Marty McFly (played by Michael J. Fox) back to 1955 where he needs to play match maker to his future parents to be able to return back to 1985. That's no mean feat when his dad of 1955 turns out to be the high school wimp and that the class bully is making advances on Marty's future mother! Things get worse when Marty matchmaking efforts end up with his future mum fulling for him!!! Confused? You won't be if you go see it. I promise! Writing this is making me want to watch it right now! I once had it on Betamax… (Ok.. Betamax! Now that might be pushing things a little too far for those of you who were heavily bearded and speaking to faces drawn onto soccer balls on that desert island!)

And I wonder what will happen in the next ten… hover boards!

So what of the predictions in the movie franchise. How many actually became a reality?

1) Wearable technology
Marty wheres something very similar to Google's Glass at the breakfast table?

2) Video calls
Skype and FaceTime are now an essential part of our of day to day life.

3) Wall mounted video screens

4) 3D Movies

5) Its been announced that Nike will be releasing a self tying shoe later this year. Click here to read more in the Independent.

And what of the things that didn't come true.
The fax machine for communication wasreplaced by the digital revolutions email.
Laser discs are again replaced by the digital (downloadable) revolution.
The mention of Queen Diana. A prediction that was sadly never to become true.

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