As October 21st 2015 wings its way ever closer, it`s easy to get despondent about all the things that Back to the Future Part 2 offered us all those years ago. Indeed, Bob Zemeckis set his sights pretty high thinking that we`d have flying cars and hoverboards by this point a mere twenty six years ago. But, as the day when Marty McFly arrived in the “future” draws near, let`s not lament what we don`t have, and take a look at a few of the things that BTTF2 actually got right.
“Pull out you pants` pockets”
When Marty first arrives, Doc tells him that “all the future kids wear their pants inside out”. Okay, so we`re not quite at that extreme yet, but the recent insurgence of hot-pants with pockets hanging out has somehow always reminded me of this little throwaway gag.
Café 80s
They say that fashion goes in thirty year circles, and it`s weird to see youngsters nowadays wearing stuff that my parents were wearing when I was a kid. That, coupled with Reflex being the best damned nightclub on the highstreet, proves that 80s nostalgia is all the rage.
VHS Tapes are obsolete
In the shop Marty buys the ill-fated sports almanac, a pile of VHS tapes can be seen for sale at a pretty penny. It`s true, with the influx of DVD and Blu-ray, videos are now antiquities, but unfortunately for most of us, they are utterly worthless, with the shelves of charity shops filled with unwanted gems.
Resurgence of 3D movies
Although for the most part, 3D movies kind of suck, I think we can all agree they are still a darn sight better than Hill Valley`s Jaws 3D (and the actual Jaws 3D of course). Our recent obsession with 3D movies is something of a mystery to me. But then again, so is Justin Bieber…
Computer waiters
Café 80s is home to a staff made entirely of computer screen waiters. Now, we may not have advanced quite so much in the West, but over in Japan, computer screens replaced table service years ago, and in Saudi Arabia, drones are now delivering meals to your table. The future is now!!
Biometric ID
When the 2015 police find Jennifer passed out in an alleyway, they simply scan her in order to find out who she is, discovering her address, age and every other vital statistic. That thick card in the back of your passport? That`s exactly what that is. Big Brother is watching.
Personalised security systems
When Jennifer tries to escape from her future home, she is hindered by the lack of doorknobs, replaced by nothing more than a fingerprint scanner. Over in Japan (again!) many houses are doing away with the traditional lock and key and instead going with exactly that. Anyone else get the feeling that Marty simply travelled to Tokyo…?
Phones in your glasses
As the future McFly family sit around the kitchen table, the kids are all using groovy spectacle phones. Google glasses. Already there.
Self-tying sneakers
Okay, so we`re not quite there yet, but Nike (who actually designed the shoes used in the film) have acquired the patents, and have assured us that the self-tying trainers will be with us by the end of the year. So, only a maximum of two months late.
Hoverboards
Again, we`re not quite there yet, but the signs are looking good. And I`m not talking about those ridiculous segway things that pretentious pricks across the country are cruising around on. I`m taking about the Lotus hoverboard. If you haven’t seen it, look it up on YouTube. Sure, it only works on a track, but even Mattel hoverboards don’t work on water unless you have powaaaaaa!
So be thankful. The future is here! Stick your dehydrated pizza in the microwave and jump in your Delorean. Or at least indulge yourself in a Back to the Future marathon on Wednesday.
