Back to the Future: Those little details that no one notices after 1 hour and 40 minutes into the movie – Actus Ciné

Back to the Future is a film as nuanced as a time condenser, detailed and nuanced, leaving nothing to chance and one that we never stop exploring. Even 38 years after its theatrical release in 1985, we can still spot the little details that have eluded us until now.

Indeed, if many of the Easter eggs hidden by Robert Zemeckis’ famous trilogy have already been listed by the most ardent and ardent fans, it may just so happen that some winks – especially rare and discreet – have managed to pass under their radar.

The one that will interest us today is at the end of the movie, when Marty, driving a DeLorean, is about to return to his time.

For the operation to work, the time traveler must pass in front of the town hall clock at the exact moment lightning will strike the monument. To do so, he speeds across Hill Valley’s main avenue, aiming to reach the 88 mph needed to perform the time jump.

At this exact moment in the movie – at 1 hour 40 minutes 7 seconds to be exact – you’ll have to check out the shops that line the street. On the right side of your screen, you will be able to see a luminous sign bordered by a small hour, and bearing the following inscription: “Time to travel? Ask Mr. Foster.” (“Time to travel? Ask Mr. Foster.”).

This neon sign, which probably belongs to a watchmaker’s shop, serves above all as a subliminal message to Marty, as if the film were addressing the young hero directly to advise him to hurry up, reminding him that it was “time” to “travel” into the future.

Universal Pictures

But can we consider this small detail as a coincidence? Not if you look at the sign closely. We can already notice that the hands of the clock, like the hands of a large clock, accurately indicate 10 hours 4 minutes, that is, exactly the hour when lightning should strike.

It’s almost impossible to spot a small wink if you don’t know where to look for it, but this adds to the tension of the scene for the few onlookers who will notice it.

(Re)discover other hidden “Back to the Future” details…