In 1985, Back to the Future did something movies rarely do—it didn’t just entertain, it rewired the cultural timeline. Now, forty years later, it’s not just a nostalgic favorite; it’s a cinematic cornerstone that still sparks curiosity, conversation, and a whole lot of cosplay.
Directed by Robert Zemeckis and produced by Steven Spielberg, Back to the Future was never supposed to be a massive hit. But with its genre-blending formula of sci-fi, teen drama, and adventure comedy, it struck a nerve worldwide. Packed with loads of quotable lines and memorable moments, this classic quickly cemented its spot at the top and set the standard for what a movie should be.
The story follows Marty McFly, a quick-witted teenager who’s stuck in a life that feels... small. His family’s stuck in a rut, his dad’s a pushover, and his mom is full of regrets. Deep down, Marty’s afraid he’s destined for the same dead-end future, despite having huge ambitions of his own.
Everything changes on one fateful night when his wild-eyed scientist friend, Doc Brown, turns a DeLorean into a time machine. 88 MPH later, Marty’s thrown back to 1955, where he accidentally prevents his parents from falling in love. Now, with the clock ticking (quite literally), he has to fix the past, save his own future, and find a way back to the future before he’s erased from existence. In doing so, he realizes that a world without family is not one he wants to live in.
Here at RSVLTS, this movie isn’t just a license, it’s a passion project. We’ve had the absolute honor of working on numerous Back to the Future Collections over the years, and let’s just say we’ve never needed 1.21 gigawatts to get hyped for a brainstorm call or a launch day reveal. Getting to work on collections for such an iconic film has brought our team a lot closer to the classic that is ingrained in the very fiber of their being, only deepening their love for it.
Back in 2023, our events team got a chance to meet the Holy Trinity of Hill Valley at Fan Expo Philadelphia: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, and Tom Wilson. That's right, Marty, Doc, and Biff. The legends themselves. Let’s just say we kept our cool, didn’t challenge anyone to a hoverboard duel, and might have shed a nostalgic tear or two as we walked away looking at each other in disbelief.
We love this movie like Doc loves plutonium, and we’re proud to celebrate 40 years of time-traveling excellence with the RSVLTS fam. So whether you're reliving it for the 40th time or introducing it to a new generation, remember what Doc said best:
"Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads."
