Back to the Future Why it should never be remade
To film aficionados, today is a very special day - 21 October 2015 is famous amongst Back to the Future fans as it is the day to which Marty McFly, played by Michael J. Fox, travels when he is sent to the future in Back to the Future II.
Dr Claire Jenkins from the Department of the History of Art and Film has written an article for Think: Leicester about Back to the Future Day, and in particular why the franchise still endures so much popularity today. In the article she explains how part of the enduring appeal of the films is that they have never been remade, in part due to fierce opposition from the film's writer and director.
Dr Jenkins said: "Back to the Future is a great film – and one that most certainly should not be tampered with. The enduring appeal of Back to the Future surely lies within its ability to play with nostalgia, and for this reason, viewed thirty years after its release, this is only heightened. Nostalgia is created through the impeccable art direction of the film that creates a heavily mediatised version of both the 1950s and the 1980s. The artifice and saturated colour palette of both the past and present Hill Valley allow both to function as constructed versions of these time periods."
In support of the undeniable greatness of Back to the Future, the University has launched the new Department of Transtemporal Studies, dedicated to research and teaching in all aspects of time travel. Leading experts in the field conducting research in the Department include Dr Ted 'Theodore' Logan, Awesome Professor of Excellence, and Gary Sparrow, Lecturer in Non-technological Time Travel and world-class Nicholas Lyndhurst impersonator.