Back to the Future: Back to the DVD Shelves February 2009

[Escapay]

I know I started a Back to the Future thread waay back in 2004 (asking about the framing issues and the new V2 discs), but this is not about that, so I'm leaving that thread alone instead of resurrecting it.

Anyway, BTTF.com has news of the new TWO-DISC SPECIAL EDITION of Back to the Future that will street on February 10, 2009, along with individual releases of the sequels. However, it will be DVD-only, no Blu-Ray release just yet. (Click link to read full article and see screen caps of Disc 2's menus)

• BTTF 2-Disc Special Edition DVD coming in February!
  
  Bonus features to include Back to the Future...The Ride and all-new Looking Back to the Future documentary!
  
  Lightning's about to strike again! Universal Studios Home Entertainment announced today that they will be re-releasing the Back to the Future Trilogy on DVD this February as individually released editions. All three films will feature special foil packaging. The classic original film will be a two-disc special edition collection which also contains Back to the Future...The Ride, the infamous Leslie Nielsen special preview of Back to the Future Part II and the long-awaited documentary Looking Back to the Future!
  
  Back to the Future Part II and Back to the Future Part III will also be released as single-disc editions, which will be basically the same discs contained inside the 2002 Boxed Set (yes, with the "V2" correct framing!).

Here's the list of featurettes that make up "Looking Back to the Future" (which BTTF.com actually had a hand in producing).

• The Script
• Casting Marty McFly
• Christopher Lloyd Reflects on Doc Brown
• The DeLorean as the Time Machine
• Building Hill Valley
• Prepping for the “Johnny B. Goode” Scene
• The Score
• Rushing the Cut
• The Legacy

I have to say, I'm quite excited for this. I never got the V2 discs for II or III, so I'll have to pick those up as well, and I'm excited especially for the new stuff on the two-disc of the first film (especially THE RIDE! ). However, there's still some things not included but should have been. For example, the music video for "Back in Time" is still absent as is the actual trailer (not just the teaser) for the first film. Also, it's kind of sad that they couldn't get a cast commentary recorded, those are always a lot of fun.

Of course, the best extra we'll probably never see is the Eric Stoltz version of the movie (well, however much they filmed of it). I wonder how quickly they'll gloss over it in the documentary. I'm guessing it'll get 30 or maybe 45 seconds of discussion.

And where's the Animated Series? I remember hearing that it would be coming sometime this year. Perhaps they're gonna release it in tandem with these new sets. One can only hope.

albert

[JiminyCrick91]

Oh, shoot. I just got the last set this year.


BUT....it was cheap and I do like the extras in it so I don't think I'll get this new version. Thanks for the head's up, Albert.

-Sky

[Disneykid]

I'm really tempted by the new extras (especially the ride), but I'll wait for the Blu-ray. It shouldn't be too long since the producer confirmed it's being worked on right now. Let's see if we get it by the end of next year.

I, too, would love to see the Eric Stoltz footage, but I don't think that footage will ever be seen till Eric passes away. Morbid as that sounds, that's pretty much what it amounts to since the filmmakers have said they're don't want to show it out of courtesy for Eric. Well, maybe the 50th anniversary edition will have it...

[PixarFan2006]

I already own the boxset of the trilogy (which has the corrected versions of part II and Part III) so I'll have to pass, even though the ride feature sounds tempting.

[buffalobill]

I already own the boxset of the trilogy (which has the corrected versions of part II and Part III) so I'll have to pass, even though the ride feature sounds tempting.

Same here.

[DarthPrime]

I already own the boxset of the trilogy (which has the corrected versions of part II and Part III) so I'll have to pass, even though the ride feature sounds tempting.

Same here.

Doing the same thing. Might pickup the 1st movie eventually if it gets real cheap ($5 or so).

[Elladorine]

It doesn't matter how many times I've seen these, this trilogy is probably my favorite when it comes to live-action films and I'll never get sick of them.

I sorta understand why they'll never release the Eric Stoltz version of Marty, but I sure wish someone would at least leak the footage onto youtube (I actually got rickrolled over that a while back). It would be interesting to see a different take on a character so many of us are familiar with. Oddly enough, I think that releasing such footage would only boost his career, not harm it. . . I mean, how many of us know who he is outside of this mis-casting? Besides, the footage is so old now.

I never did get to experience the ride (didn't make it to Universal until right after it closed down, darn the luck) so I'm looking forward to seeing the footage. Is it sad that the coolest things I saw at Universal was one of the Deloreans used in the films and the Lyons Estates statues? It's also cool to see the courtyard square in person, even though they've lost most of the set to several fires over the years. One of these days I'm gonna head over to the mall where they filmed the chase at the beginning of part one just because . . . well, I dunno, it would be cool . . .

Wow, looks like I just revealed Disney's not the only thing I ever geek out over.