Couch Potato Pickings | Back to the Future and Cadillac Records | Movie Talk | What's on TV

Back to the Future, Michael J Fox, Christopher Lloyd

In 1985 America, teenager Marty McFly (Michael J Fox) joins inventor Dr Emmett Brown (Christopher Lloyd) to test his new time machine. The invention works, but after a brush with some terrorists Marty is accidently sent back to 1955, where he inadvertently interrupts his future parents' first meeting.

Even though I’ve seen this comedy adventure umpteen times I still love the time travel jokes. These are my top three:

When Marty asks the teen version of his mother Lorraine why she keeps calling him Calvin, and she replies that his name is written all over his underwear.
Doc’s reaction in the 1950s when Marty attempts to prove he’s from the future by revealing the name of the 1985 US president, actor Ronald Reagan.
When Marty is playing Johnny B Goode at the dance and Marvin Berry phones his cousin Chuck and tells him to check out the new sound he’s looking for…

On the subject of Chuck Berry, it was in 1955 that this Missouri-born singer-songwriter travelled to Chicago. There he met Leonard Chess of Chess Records, was signed up to the label, and promptly ascended to stardom.

I mention it because the film Cadillac Records, starring Beyoncé Knowles, Mos Def and Adrien Brody is currently available on FilmFlex (and premiering on Sky Box Office tomorrow). A fascinating dip into music history, it tells the story of Chess Records, the 1950s and 60s Blues, R&B and Rock n’ Roll record label which launched such major artists as Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry and Etta James. It's a real historical eye opener, and Beyoncé’s turn as Etta James is particularly memorable. Worth seeing.

Back to the Future is showing today at 4.55pm on Five.