A nostalgic look back at the future

The time travel adventures of student Marty McFly and his friend, Dr. Emmett L. "Doc" Brown are told in the sci-fi trilogy "Back to the Future," by director Robert Zemeckis. The first of the films came out in 1985 and was the most successful of the three, raking in over $380 million at the box office.

With his time machine, a DeLorean that runs on plutonium, Marty McFly accidently launches himself back into the 1950s. There, he met his young parents and had to make sure they became a couple in order to ensure his own existence in the future. More difficult than it sounds - since his mother was about to fall in love with her own son.

Marty McFly arrives in the year 1954, just as his parents meet and fall in love. If that doesn't happen, then Marty and his siblings wouldn't be born in the future. In one scene, Marty sees his hand disappearing - a sign that his existence is at stake.

The young Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) and Dr. Emmett Brown (Christopher Lloyd) stole the hearts of millions of viewers and the film became a classic. Two films followed. To the disappointment of fans, director Robert Zemeckis turned down the possibility of doing a fourth.

In the second part of the trilogy, Marty McFly and Doc Brown make their way to the future. They are shocked to discover flying cars, flat screen TVs, tennis shoes that tie themselves, and hoverboards like this one. Even today, teenagers are still dreaming of skateboards without wheels.

Allegedly, the screenplay by Bob Gale was rejected over 40 times before Universal Pictures finally decided to go for it. Steven Spielberg was the producer. This scene comes from the third film, in which Marty and Doc land even further back in time: in the Wild West.

The first "Back to the Future" film came out 30 years ago. Marty and Doc travel through time - and arrive on October 21, 2015. All over the world, fans are celebrating Back to the Future parties with film marathons.