Scan barcode
chuskeyreads's review against another edition
2.0
I was fifteen when I saw Back to the Future in the theater for the first time, and I've watched the trilogy almost as many times as I've seen The Princess Bride. Naturally, I was drawn to this book and requested a copy from NetGalley.
The best parts about the book are the cover and the Introduction. It goes pretty much downhill for me from there. Maybe I just had grand expectations. Or maybe I was too eager to find out cool behind-the-scenes info/trivia that would make me love these movies even more (as if that were possible).
But, no such luck.
Instead, the information revealed was dry, haphazardly written, and frankly, quite depressing. The first chapter, "Think, McFly, Think" is supposed to be about Michael J. Fox stepping into the role of Marty McFly (I think), but it digresses into a list of films that the directors of BTTF had previously worked on, but wait! Here's a blurb about Steven Spielberg. Now, back to the boring list of films and people they knew and how they felt about their other films and all the negative crap that happened. Who cares?!
And that's just the first chapter.
Every chapter has a catchy title and a date, both of which are almost irrelevant to the stuff that's actually in the chapter. Why use a specific date when the content is all over the place?
2. Erased From Existence
Thursday, January 3, 1985
Back in mid-August, when Meredith Baxter was put on bed rest as her due date neared, Family Ties went on a brief hiatus . . .
Maybe other readers actually enjoy reading about all the negative crap that went into the films, but bashing Crispin Glover, mentioning the rest of the actors' negative reactions to the George and Jennifer replacements, and the 'film is falling apart' scenarios left a sour taste in my mouth and tainted my view of the movies.
I expected a more light-hearted, uplifting history full of hilarious antics, how they actually captured famous scenes, dog trivia, and inside jokes.
The best parts about the book are the cover and the Introduction. It goes pretty much downhill for me from there. Maybe I just had grand expectations. Or maybe I was too eager to find out cool behind-the-scenes info/trivia that would make me love these movies even more (as if that were possible).
But, no such luck.
Instead, the information revealed was dry, haphazardly written, and frankly, quite depressing. The first chapter, "Think, McFly, Think" is supposed to be about Michael J. Fox stepping into the role of Marty McFly (I think), but it digresses into a list of films that the directors of BTTF had previously worked on, but wait! Here's a blurb about Steven Spielberg. Now, back to the boring list of films and people they knew and how they felt about their other films and all the negative crap that happened. Who cares?!
And that's just the first chapter.
Every chapter has a catchy title and a date, both of which are almost irrelevant to the stuff that's actually in the chapter. Why use a specific date when the content is all over the place?
2. Erased From Existence
Thursday, January 3, 1985
Back in mid-August, when Meredith Baxter was put on bed rest as her due date neared, Family Ties went on a brief hiatus . . .
Maybe other readers actually enjoy reading about all the negative crap that went into the films, but bashing Crispin Glover, mentioning the rest of the actors' negative reactions to the George and Jennifer replacements, and the 'film is falling apart' scenarios left a sour taste in my mouth and tainted my view of the movies.
I expected a more light-hearted, uplifting history full of hilarious antics, how they actually captured famous scenes, dog trivia, and inside jokes.
labunnywtf's review against another edition
5.0
I was 3 when Back to the Future came out.
Damn.
This book is fantastic for anyone who is a fan of this trilogy. I didn't even like part 3, and I still enjoyed the (much shorter) portion dedicated to that installation.
I'm an IMDB whore, I check IMDB after every movie and television show to see the trivia and bits and pieces. So a lot of this information, I knew already. And some things I know weren't in here. Oops.
I don't know that it would be a perfect match for someone who isn't that into trivia, but there is a healthy portion of behind the scenes drama, which usually appeals to everyone.
My only complaint is I desperately want to watch all three movies again, and neither my library nor my regular book/movie store has them. Dammit!
Damn.
This book is fantastic for anyone who is a fan of this trilogy. I didn't even like part 3, and I still enjoyed the (much shorter) portion dedicated to that installation.
I'm an IMDB whore, I check IMDB after every movie and television show to see the trivia and bits and pieces. So a lot of this information, I knew already. And some things I know weren't in here. Oops.
I don't know that it would be a perfect match for someone who isn't that into trivia, but there is a healthy portion of behind the scenes drama, which usually appeals to everyone.
My only complaint is I desperately want to watch all three movies again, and neither my library nor my regular book/movie store has them. Dammit!
emheld's review against another edition
4.0
Great read about one of the best film series to grace the silver screen. Where others might try to dig further into some of the tabloid aspects, the controversy, Gaines keeps his narrative from "going low" when talking about, for example, Crispin Glover's departure.
While I would have loved another 20-30 pages (more on BTTF 3, the cartoon, perennial reboot rumors), that's almost me being greedy. The book has plenty to satisfy casual or serious fans of the franchise, and there's always the possibility that the story will continue (and the book addendum'ed) if there are any large-scale future developments.
A clear recommendation.
While I would have loved another 20-30 pages (more on BTTF 3, the cartoon, perennial reboot rumors), that's almost me being greedy. The book has plenty to satisfy casual or serious fans of the franchise, and there's always the possibility that the story will continue (and the book addendum'ed) if there are any large-scale future developments.
A clear recommendation.
tmleblanc's review against another edition
3.0
The future is upon us! Give us our hover boards and self lacing shoes!
Okay, okay, so we haven't quite gotten to that point in the technology stream yet. Patience is a virtue and Hollywood isn't always right. And while we patiently wait for hoverboards, self lacing shoes and time travel to become a reality, you can read Caseen Gaines's book, We Don't Need Roads: The Making of the Back to the Future Trilogy, to travel back in time and relive the making of the trilogy.
This book is a great overview of the making of the Back to the Future trilogy. Full of personal stories from the set, facts and insider information, it is a quick read that fans of the series and movies, in general, will enjoy. If you haven't watched the movies in awhile, it will probably make you want to dust off your copies and have a marathon.
When I finished the book I marveled at how the Hollywood machine cranked out 3 quality movies in quick succession. I longed for the days when fans didn't know about backstage drama and tragedies. There was a mystery about movie making not long ago that is lost in today's modern world of constant updates via the 24-hour news cycle and social media.
If you are a fan of the Back to the Future trilogy or love to learn about the history of movie making, you'll definitely want to consider picking up a copy of this book.
This review was originally posted on Second Run Reviews
Okay, okay, so we haven't quite gotten to that point in the technology stream yet. Patience is a virtue and Hollywood isn't always right. And while we patiently wait for hoverboards, self lacing shoes and time travel to become a reality, you can read Caseen Gaines's book, We Don't Need Roads: The Making of the Back to the Future Trilogy, to travel back in time and relive the making of the trilogy.
This book is a great overview of the making of the Back to the Future trilogy. Full of personal stories from the set, facts and insider information, it is a quick read that fans of the series and movies, in general, will enjoy. If you haven't watched the movies in awhile, it will probably make you want to dust off your copies and have a marathon.
When I finished the book I marveled at how the Hollywood machine cranked out 3 quality movies in quick succession. I longed for the days when fans didn't know about backstage drama and tragedies. There was a mystery about movie making not long ago that is lost in today's modern world of constant updates via the 24-hour news cycle and social media.
If you are a fan of the Back to the Future trilogy or love to learn about the history of movie making, you'll definitely want to consider picking up a copy of this book.
This review was originally posted on Second Run Reviews
lintkaurea's review against another edition
4.0
Como fan puedo decir que me ha encantado: toca todos los temas que esperaba, aunque el autor da demasiada cancha a los asuntos turbios (Eric Stolz, Crispin Glover y el accidente de la especialista en BTTF2). Lo que más he echado de menos es una buena entrevista con Michael J. Fox, porque el libro se limita a expresar lo majo que era Fox para todo el mundo.
jcpdiesel21's review against another edition
4.0
Very fun and entertaining. Although not everything contained here was brand new to me, such as Eric Stoltz's brief stint as Marty, I still appreciated additional information about these topics as well as gaining more knowledge about the series. Since I am not as fond of the second and third movies, it was a relief that the book focuses more on the first film and the foundation that it laid while still including material about the later installments. Highlights include the juicy drama caused by Crispin Glover not participating in the sequels, the breakdown of a near-fatal stunt in Part II, and the lasting impact of the trilogy in pop culture with individuals of all ages. My only quibble is wishing that Michael J. Fox and Tom Wilson had been interviewed in addition to the many members of the cast and crew that Gaines spoke with to share their memories and offer insider insight on the movies.
abigcoffeedragon's review against another edition
3.0
This is okay. It has some research but it is a mixture of facts and opinion with the author placing their point of view into this - though it should only be factual. Some new information for me and some old, it is still an interesting read.