Michael J. Fox, Seth Green, and John Stamos are reported Jean Girard alternatives; Stamos is the one the panel can most readily imagine. — Craig Horlbeck
Helen Slater prompts debate among this film, Supergirl and The Secret of My Success, with box-office failures weighed against the Michael J. Fox opportunity. — Bill Simmons
City Slickers is counteroffered; expectations for Slater are compared to Elizabeth Shoe and Kelly Preston, with a hypothetical Working Girl role. — Bill Simmons
Billie Jeans prompt comparison of the film, song and tennis player, with uncertainty about the filmmakers’ reaction to the shared name and a Billy the Kid interpretation. — Bill Simmons
Fair being fair and short-haired women are proposed; specific haircut memories remain uncertain. — Chris Ryan
Michael J. Fox is initially selected, with Doc floated, but the discussion shifts to Robert Zemeckis for the visual invention following Roger Rabbit and explicitly agrees on him.
Sports-gambling movies receive an initial yes, then debate includes The Gambler, Two for the Money, The Hustler, Rounders, Focus and Uncut Gems without a settled conclusion. — Bill Simmons
Real hoverboards should be released to lure young people away from screens, despite safety objections and existing wheeled devices using the name. — Chris Ryan
Marty could be Biff's son, sharing his temper rather than George's timidity; this would make a better Part III twist than the Western. — Cousin Sal
The unrealized anti-gravity Slamball concept combining jai alai, handball and roller derby should become a real sport. — Bill Simmons
Craig says Christopher Lloyd is the only good actor in the movie and carries it; the others agree Fox and Thompson are less effective here than in the original. — Craig Horlbeck
The opening remake of the original ending is rejected after a clarification distinguishes it from the final half-hour. — Bill Simmons
Marty's future shoes, Hill Valley, Cafe 80s and hoverboard chase form a strong opening stretch, especially the cafe's celebrity waiters and failed distraction of Griff.
Marty buys the almanac and Doc rejects using time travel for financial gain.
Marty returns to the corrupted 1985 and encounters Biff's casino empire.
Marty confronts Biff about the almanac; this wealthy Biff is praised as perhaps the best incarnation.
Old Biff demonstrates the almanac to young Biff with the UCLA score.
The two Docs' brief weather conversation is especially fun.
Two hosts choose the extended 1955 almanac retrieval, dance recreation and car chase, praising familiar scenes restaged from new viewpoints.
Another host prefers Cafe 80s and adds the failed future McFly family dinner, including the descending fruit tray and Fox's multiple roles.
ILM's compositing let Michael J. Fox appear as three characters within a scene more easily than older techniques. — Bill Simmons
A $40 million budget and $332 million gross are cited, ranking third for 1989. — Bill Simmons
Glover's lawsuit led to likeness provisions in the Screen Actors Guild agreement. — Bill Simmons
The Cafe 80s Wild Gunman game was made for the film; the Oh LàLà cover used a 1955 Swank photograph of Venetia Stevenson. — Bill Simmons
Lea Thompson kept the breast prosthetic; the rejuvenation-clinic explanation spared Lloyd heavier old-age makeup. — Bill Simmons
The film is described as MCA Universal Home Video's first videocassette release, followed by recollection of expensive early tapes. — Bill Simmons
Antique-store objects include Jaws 2 and Animal House tapes, Roger Rabbit, Perrier, a Bee Gees album, Pac-Man lunchbox, Carter peanut bank, radio and video-game packaging. — Bill Simmons
Fifty years of results seem impossible to fit into the thin almanac; a larger book would not work as a pocket-sized plot object. — Bill Simmons
Fox and Elisabeth Shue look too old for teenage roles; advancing Marty to college or young adulthood would help. — Bill Simmons
Biff's precise memory of receiving the almanac and Marty's childhood knowledge of the manure crash seem implausible. — Cousin Sal
Marty's casual rooftop drop onto the hovering DeLorean requires extraordinary nerve and coordination.
Doc risks a close encounter with his earlier self despite his strict warnings about others meeting themselves.
Marty's newly central chicken sensitivity feels invented; loser or a short joke would be a more credible trigger.
Doc condemns knowing one's destiny despite surviving because he read Marty's letter and wore a bulletproof vest. — Cousin Sal
A local robbery should not lead USA Today's front page, even if its real-time updating is appealing. — Cousin Sal
Marty could identify himself by fingerprints as Jennifer's husband and retrieve her rather than breaking into the house. — Cousin Sal
Western Union preserving and delivering the letter after seventy years is implausibly reliable. — Bill Simmons
Biff's growing power should change sporting outcomes and invalidate the almanac, perhaps after his first win. — Chris Ryan
Biff's national celebrity sits oddly with building his casino only in his hometown. — Cousin Sal
The second manure humiliation might make young Biff violently retaliate rather than leave a repaired timeline. — Cousin Sal
Old Biff returns to the same future after changing the past, conflicting with alternate-timeline rules; the fact that young Biff has not yet bet is offered as a possible defense. — Bill Simmons
The World Series is implausibly finished by October 20. — Bill Simmons
Doc and Marty could address present problems directly, or use their extraordinary invention to prevent major historical tragedies rather than fix their own family.
Jennifer is unnecessarily brought along, sedated and abandoned; an early exit from the malfunctioning car could remove her more cleanly.
Doc leaves the time-machine keys in the car. — Bill Simmons
Leaving Einstein in suspended animation seems cruel and wastes a potential canine contribution; returning him home would be simple. — Bill Simmons
The Libyans from the first movie disappear from the story.
Biff foolishly exposes the almanac in his winning-race photograph. — Bill Simmons
Biff's casino residence is too dark and ordinary for his enormous wealth. — Bill Simmons
Why would Griff need clumsy Marty Jr. for the robbery? Using him as the fall guy resolves the objection. — Bill Simmons
Marty absorbs punishing blows from Biff while hanging beside the car without being incapacitated. — Cousin Sal
Another vote goes to Cruise, who would have learned skills like flying a helicopter or winning at race-car driving; no one loses.
An amendment requires putting Cooper into the swapped star's movie: take 2004 Will Smith after Bad Boys 2 and swap out I, Robot for Cooper.
Cooper as Mike Lowrey in Bad Boys with Martin Lawrence is offered as the obvious swap; Cooper in The Firm is another, and Cruise didn't make enough Limitless-type movies, unlike Keanu.
With cops coming, the oven is questioned as the best hiding place and called underrated for money, drugs or guns.
A childhood memory recalls an aunt who hid drugs in the microwave; anything oven-related is endorsed.
An old-fashioned air-conditioner vent, as in No Country, is always great. — Chris Ryan
The alternative is to take all the NZT and make yourself police commissioner.
