Last January, Michael J. Foxreceived a presidential medal of freedom in recognition of his Parkinson’s advocacy work from outgoing president Joe Biden. In USA Today, he wrote about how the incoming Trump administration could help find a cure for the disease he was diagnosed with in 1991 at age 29. They’d be wise to take the actor turned advocate seriously: His Michael J. Fox Foundation has funded more than $2.5 billion in Parkinson’s research over the last 25 years, raising more than $100 million in research annually. “Our foundation directs more money towards Parkinson’s research than the federal government,” Fox tells Vanity Fair. When asked for an update on working with President Donald Trump a year later, Fox retorts, “He’s busy with Greenland. More pressing concerns, I guess.”
If all goes to plan, Fox says he’ll soon meet with US Department of Health and Human Services head Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “I’m going to Washington next month and hopefully talk to Kennedy and find out what the government’s game plan is on addressing brain research in general and taking a more serious approach to some of these things that are soluble,” he says. “It’s just a weird disease. We always say genetics loads a gun and environment pulls the trigger. We’re trying to figure out what’s biological and what’s chemical.”
In season three of Shrinking (which premieres on January 28), coping with a Parkinson’s diagnosis fuels Fox’s storyline opposite Harrison Ford, who plays a therapist living with the degenerative brain disease. At this point in the conversation, a stoic, but engaged, Ford interjects: “Michael raises more money for and has done more Parkinson’s research than almost anybody in the world.”
Ford in season three of Shrinking.Kevin Estrada/Apple TV
Fox in season three of Shrinking.Courtesy of Apple
“It’s a credit to our great people,” Fox replies. “It’s frustrating to know we’re putting everything we can into it, and it would be nice to have the government behind us, but it seems that they’re involved in other things that have less impact on peoples’ lives.”
In 2004, Fox and Ford were photographed shaking hands at a charity event where Nancy Reagan advocated for stem cell research in finding a cure for illnesses like Alzheimer’s, which afflicted her husband, Ronald. “I’m sure I was very excited to see Harrison,” says Fox, glancing across the Zoom screen at a smiling Ford. “And Nancy Reagan—she was a force.” The former first lady was one of few conservatives at the time to publicly support embryonic stem cell research, which Republican lawmakers are still fighting to restrict at the federal level. Fox supports stem cell research in finding a cure for Parkinson’s disease. “For someone like Mrs. Reagan to step outside of political or ideological groupings and just speak to what she believes…is tremendously valuable,” he told reporters at the 2004 event.
Fox poses alongside Ford and his wife Calista Flockhart at a 2004 charity event honoring former First Lady Nancy Reagan, who advocated for stem cell research in the study of diseases like Parkinson’s.Vince Bucci/Getty Images
After playing the conservative son of former-hippie parents on Family Ties, then a know-it-all political strategist on Spin City, Fox returns to his TV roots in Shrinking, which last year earned Ford the first Emmy nomination of his career. Given Fox’s longtime friendship with series creator Bill Lawrence, whom he previously worked with on Spin City, the invite felt overdue. “It was a short and profane conversation,” Fox recalls. “I said, ‘You’re doing a fucking show about Parkinson’s with Harrison fucking Ford, and you don’t call me?’” Ford tilts his head back with a chuckle.
“Well, I’m calling you now,” Lawrence said, to which Fox replied, “‘No, I’m calling you.” It was a fitting moment, as Lawrence has “a history of pulling me back out of retirement,” Fox says. “I did Scrubs [which Lawrence created] in the early ’00s after I’d retired from Spin City, and so I knew he’d make it happen. He always was a talented kid. Talented kid.” Fox shakes his head, “He’s what, 60 years old?” (Lawrence is 57; Fox is 64.)
Although nearly two decades younger than a now 83-year-old Ford, both men, and their characters on Shrinking, grapple with their mortality. “We’re on the same shitty train to sucksville,” Fox’s character, Jerry, says to Ford’s character, Paul, as both men await Parkinson’s treatment. Later in the season, the curmudgeonly Paul finds renewed zest for his profession—and strategies for living with his diagnosis—when he provides therapy to other people with Parkinson’s disease, including Gerry. “The thing about therapy is it’s a talking cure, but there’s no talking cure for Parkinson’s, so those two worlds have always had an uneasy relationship,” Fox explains. “I couldn’t have gotten through Parkinson’s without therapy, but you find yourself educating the therapist as much as they’re educating you. You have to paint a picture of the ground you’re living on. And it’s very hard to explain to people.”
Paramount and Constantin Films’ romance-drama Regretting You — the second Colleen Hoover book adaptation to hit the big screen after It Ends With Us — is proclaiming itself the victor of this year’s Halloween box office contest.
According to Sunday estimates from David Ellison’s new regime, Regretting You placed No. 1 with $8.1 million from 3,245 cinemas in its sophomore outing.
Or did it? Universal is likewise estimating a first-place finish for Blumhouse’s Black Phone 2 with $8 million from 3,425 cinemas. Most rival studios also show the horror sequel, now in its third weekend, coming in ahead of Regretting You).
But Paramount has good reason to be bullish. Last weekend, Regretting You did switch positions with Black Phone and place No. 2 when final numbers came in, with Regretting You beating the Blumhouse pic by a safe margin. Monday will determine the correct order of the Oct. 31-Nov. 2 frame and whether Paramount was being too aggressive in the hunt for a good headline.
Generally in such situations, a studio in Universal’s position would call the contest a tie, but in this case, no one complained, considering overall ticket sales for the weekend came in at $49.8 million — the worst showing of the year to date.
But that’s not the most frightening fact — it was the lowest-grossing Halloween weekend in 31 years, according to Comscore. This excludes 2020, when the COVID-19 crisis forced theater closures for months.
The last time Halloween weekend revenue came in lower was in 1993, when combined ticket sales reached $49.2 million, and that’s not adjusted for inflation, according to Comscore chief box office analyst Paul Dergarabedian.
“While this was a truly scary weekend for the industry, a confluence of factors created an imperfect marketplace storm wherein Halloween festivities along with one of the biggest sporting events on the planet [the World Series] dominated the zeitgeist over the weekend and thus had the effect of taking the spotlight off the movie theater experience,” says Dergarabedian, adding studios and cinemas should be commended for doing what they could up the holes.
This year’s Halloween weekend meltdown — which follows the worst October in 27 years — is due to the lack of a big commercial title on the marquee, such as 2024’s Venom: The Last Dance. This year, exhibitors had to rely on an eclectic batch of holdovers; rereleases, including Back to the Future; and the expansion of Focus Features’ awards darling and specialty offering Bugonia.
Halloween is alway a tough holiday for Hollywood and cinema owners, especially when the actual day falls on a Friday, as it did this year. Regretting You took a major hit that day since its target audience — younger females — were otherwise occupied. On Saturday, sales spiked 200 percent.
Domestically, Regretting You has earned $27.5 million in its first 10 days. Overseas, it earned another $8.2 million from 56 markets for a foreign tally of $23.3 million and $50.8 million globally.
Black Phone 2, a major win for Blumhouse, sailed past the $104 million mark over the weekend after finishing Sunday with a domestic tally of $61.5 million and $43.3 million internationally, including a weekend haul of $7.3 million.
As expected, the acclaimed Japanese manga picChainsaw Man – the Movie: Reze Arc fell off steeply in its second weekend of play at the domestic box office, declining 67 percent to $6 million for a 10-day domestic tally of $30.8 and a dazzling $139 million globally. Sony’s Crunchyroll division is handling Chainsaw Manin the U.S. and a number of foreign markets, excluding Japan. Its share of the total gross is $87.4 million.
Bugonia, from Focus Features, placed No. 4 with $4.8 million as it expanded into 2,043 theaters after first launching earlier this month in select theaters. That is the widest break ever for a film directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, whose credits include Poor Things and The Favourite. Emma Stone (Poor Things) and Jesse Plemons lead the high-profile cast. Overseas, the specialty film earned $4.4 million from 47 markets for a foreign total of $5.3 million and $11.1 million globally.
Disney provided a moment of levity when reporting grosses for the 40th anniversary rerelease of Back to the Future, saying it earned $4.7 million from 2,290 theaters in its “2,105th” week for a cume of $221.7 million (that isn’t adjusted for inflation). The classic pic placed an impressive No. 5 domestically and even beat Bruce Springsteen biographical drama and awards hopeful Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere.
Also from Disney, Deliver Me had to settle for No. 6 after falling off a steep 57 percent to $3.8 million from 3,460 theaters for a domestic total of $16.3 million. Overseas, it took in another $4 million from 40 material markets for a foreign tally of $14.3 million and $30.6 million globally. The filmmakers and Disney are hopeful the pic will have staying power because of its subject matter, originality and solid audience scores.
In addition to Back to the Future and perennial Halloween favorite Rocky Picture Horror Show, other rereleases included screenings of all five Twilight movies timed to the 20th anniversary of Stephenie Meyer’s seminal first novel in the romance-vampire series. Fathom and Lionsgate partnered in bringing the movie adaptation of the books back to the big screen for five days, beginning Oct. 29 and concluding Nov. 2. Roughly 1,500 theaters participated and played a different film each night. Ticket sales through Sunday are an estimated $3.5 million, including $1.5 million for the Oct. 29 showing of the first film. (Because of the way it rolled out, the rerelease did not make the weekend top 10 chart).
Paul Thomas Anderson‘s awards frontrunner and Leonardo DiCaprio starrer One Battle After Another, however, did remain in the top 10 chart in North America in its sixth outing, earning $1.2 million from 954 runs for a domestic total of $67.8 million. And defying the naysayers, it is approaching the $200 million mark globally after finishing Sunday with a foreign share of $123 million. It is far and away the filmmaker’s top-grossing film; his previous best was 2007’s There Will Be Blood ($77.2 million), unadjusted. And 2024’s Licorice Pizza, topped at at $37 million, which was considered a success for an indie title. (Granted, One Battle sports a far bigger budget but nevertheless is hanging in there, unlike a number of awards players.)
Elsewhere, another special event pic trying to fill the gap mentioned by Dergarabedian was Depeche Mode: M, a concert pic from Sony Music Vision and Trafalgar that grossed $1.1 million domestically and $4.7 million overseas for a total of $5.7 million from more than 2,600 cinemas across 70 countries after opening midweek (Imax screens ponied up 29 percent of all ticket sales). Conceived and directed by Mexican filmmaker Fernando Frías, the concert pic celebrates the band’s global influence while also delving into the profound connection between death, music, mortality and Mexican tradition the band captured during their 2023 Memento Mori tour.
Nov. 2, 12 p.m.: Updated with revised estimates. Nov.2, 4:15 p.m.: Updated with additional foreign estimates.
I thought it was broken. As Back to the Future started in 4DX last night, nothing was happening. We were all just sitting there, watching the movie. No movement, no flashes, no water, just stillness and silence. Marty McFly then arrived at Doc Brown’s lab, hooked into his amplifier, and when he hit that high note, we all got rocked in our chairs right on cue. It was then I knew, “Oh. This is going to be really great.”
This weekend, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of one of the best films ever made, Universal has re-released Back to the Future in theaters. It’s playing in multiple premium formats such as Dolby, IMAX, and D-Box, but I sought out the 4DX version. The reason is that I’ve seen the film in a theater before. Even IMAX, as awesome as it is, is just that, but bigger and louder. What I had never done, though, was watch the whole movie like a theme park ride and, having seen Back to the Future probably 100 times, that felt like the right way to see it again.
For those who may not be aware, 4DX is a system that basically turns the whole theater into a physical experience. The seats move, poke you in the back, and spray water at you. There are smoke effects, strobe lights, smells, you name it. It’s not for everyone (one couple got up and walked out during the trailers last night) and, if done poorly, can be a truly unpleasant experience. But, when it’s done right, it’s really, really fun. And after seeing what Universal did in 4DX for its 50th anniversary re-release of Jaws a few months back, I knew the powers that be would not disappoint.
That belief was confirmed with the restraint in the film’s opening. Like the movie, the 4DX waited until just the right moment to surprise you with the big explosion Marty experiences. It added to the film. Made you feel like you were in it with him. And things continued from there with glorious results.
I won’t, and probably couldn’t, run down everything that the 4DX did through Back to the Future, but I’ll give a few examples. Obviously, when Marty is on his skateboard, you slowly rock around in the seat. You dance along to musical sequences. When the DeLorean skids out in the parking lot, the seat kind of mimics a twist or turn. Lights at the top of the theater flash brightly when the Flux Capacitor kicks in. And smoke puffs up from the front when the time machine crashes.
But it’s never too much. When the movie is quiet, the 4DX is quiet. And that’s why it’s such a blast. I’ve seen 4DX movies that never stop moving. Every time a character takes a step, you move. Your seat rumbles every time you’re in a car. That’s not how the format is best used. It’s best used in more carefully thought-out amounts and, ideally, with something you have already seen. In fact, I don’t think I’d ever want to see a movie I’ve never seen before in this format first. It’s much better suited to classics like this, providing a new experience you can’t get at home.
There’s more. You get a jolt when Lorraine touches “Calvin’s” leg. When Biff and his goons crashed into the manure truck, I was expecting some kind of smell, but that didn’t happen. Or did it? Maybe I was just projecting, but there was definitely a tiny twinge of something in the air. Nothing too powerful, thankfully, but just… something. One of my favorite subtle moments, though, took place near the end of the film as Marty is in the car with Lorraine outside the dance. He sees her start to smoke and does a spit take. At this point, things have been relatively quiet for a few minutes (as you’d imagine with two characters sitting in a car), but when he spits, the seat in front of you hits you with a little mist. I loved that.
And while there are all manner of cool, little moments like that, when Back to the Future “really cooks,” it really cooks. This is especially true in those DeLorean chase sequences where you move and shake like you’re trying to hit 88 miles per hour with Doc and Marty. The lights flash, smoke swirls, and the crowd in my theater laughed and cheered the effects, leaving everyone with a big smile on their faces.
Again, 4DX isn’t for everyone. If you get motion sickness or have problems with flashing lights, do not do this. But if you are someone who loves a good theme park ride, has seen Back to the Future a million times, and is looking for something a little new, I can’t recommend the 4DX experience enough. It finds a perfect, additive balance that beautifully complements the magic that Robert Zemeckis, Bob Gale, and the team created back in good ol’ 1985.
To get tickets to see the Back to the Future re-release, visit this link. But remember, 4DX is only available in select locations, so be sure to check which format you are buying. A full list of 4DX theaters can be found here.
It’s been 40 years since the release of Back to the Future, and somehow, people still resonate with the themes the film touched on.
Reflecting on the lasting impact of the film, stars Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd recently revealed why they believe the movie continues to connect with audiences after four decades.
“We live in a bully culture right now. We have bullies everywhere — you don’t need me to point the finger at who, but there are all these bullies,” Fox said in an interview with Empire. “In this movie, Biff is a bully. Time is a bully.”
Fox continued, “For me personally, Parkinson’s is a bully. And it’s all about how you stand up to them and the resolve that you take into the fight with them. It’s about your resilience and your courage.”
The actor noted that “there’s a lot to that right now,” adding, “I think a lot of people are responding to the movie because it strikes chords they wouldn’t otherwise recognise.”
Lloyd, who played Doc Brown in the trilogy of films, said, “It continues to amaze me how deeply the Back To The Future films affected young people. It still comes up all the time.”
Back to the Future was released on July 3, 1985. The film, directed by Robert Zemeckis, is set in 1985 and follows Fox’s Marty McFly as a teenager who is accidentally sent back to 1955, where he inadvertently prevents his future parents from falling in love, which threatens his own existence.
Following the success of the original film, the sequel Back to the Future Part II was released in 1989, and a third film, Back to the Future Part III, was released in 1990.
It’s been 40 years since a souped up DeLorean first stole our hearts.
Since then, generations of movie fans have followed Marty McFly, his folks George and Lorraine, and inventor Doc Brown on their adventures “Back to the Future.”
The film, which tells the story of a 1980s teen who accidentally hops in a time machine and zooms back to 1955, first premiered in summer 1985. It opened alongside titles like “The Goonies,” “St. Elmo’s Fire” and “Rambo First Blood Part 2.”
Back then, Charlotteans got an early preview at Park Terrace Theater before it went to wider distribution around the country a few days later. And it played at local movie houses that for longtime Charlotteans are only memories now, like Park 51 Cinema, Town Cinema 6 and Eastland Mall.
The Charlotte Observer archives
Now, 40 years later, a special anniversary edition of the timeless (yes!) Robert Zemeckis film will be back in theaters, including IMAX screens for the first time. The official release date is Oct. 31, but according to Fandango, you can catch it in local theaters beginning Oct. 30.
If you’d like to try a little time travel yourself, October is also the perfect month to give it a go!
Celebrate Back to the Future Day
In the original film, Marty travels back in time on Oct. 26, 1985. And in “Back to the Future II” (released in 1989), he heads to the then future, arriving on Oct. 21, 2015. The latter date is now celebrated annually as Back to the Future Day.
In honor of these many milestones, CharlotteFive has two fun “Back to the Future”-inspired itineraries for you to try: a 1950s and 1980s version.
Choose your own adventure with recommendations for food, fun and after-dark inspirations. Many of the activities are family friendly, if you want to bring the kids along, too.
It’s up to you whether you stick with one era, or mix and match between the decades — just like Marty does in the film.
Rental offers Back to the Future-styled time machine replicas for events around the country. Courtesy of Delorean Rental
Need a time machine?
You can rent one from Delorean Rental, LLC. Prices vary depending on length of rental and event location, but they typically go for $350-$450 per hour, according to owner/operator Jason Alspaugh.
And if you want to dress for the occasion (think ‘50s style poodle skirts, saddle shoes and letter jackets or ‘80s-era neon, acid washed jeans and oversized graphic tees), check out these CharlotteFive recs for vintage clothes shops.
Now, buckle up …
Delorean Rental offers Back to the Future-styled time machine replicas for events around the country. Jason Alspaugh Courtesy of Delorean Rental
A swell day in the 1950s
Classic food
In “Back to the Future,” Marty steps into Lou’s Cafe, where he accidentally runs into his high-school aged dad and town bully, Biff Tannen. These Charlotte restaurants can offer a similar blast from the past.
For your own (hopefully bully-free) 1950s-style meal, check out Park Road Soda Shoppe for everything from biscuits and burgers to ice cream sodas and cherry pie. The restaurant first opened in 1999, but its original location is located at the Park Road Shopping Center, Charlotte’s first open-air shopping complex. When it opened in 1956, the shopping center was the largest of its kind between Washington, DC, and Atlanta.
Enjoy a retro 1950s dining experience at Park Road Soda Shoppe. Liz Rothaus Bertrand CharlotteFive
In Davidson, The Soda Shop, located on Main Street near Davidson College, is a real blast from the past. The restaurant first opened in 1951. It’s got checkered floors, an old-fashioned soda counter and original booths. Vintage photos decorate the walls and the extensive menu covers breakfast, lunch and dinner classics, from eggs Benedict and patty melts to floats and ice cream sundaes.
Inside The Soda Shop in Davidson. Alex Cason CharlotteFive
For curbside service, check out South 21 Drive In on Independence Boulevard. It’s been in operation since 1955 and has been featured on two different Food Network series. The spot’s best known dish is the Super Boy, a double-burger with mustard, onions, lettuce and tomatoes. But you can find everything from BBQ and fried fish sandwiches to onion rings and cherry nut sundaes.
South 21 employees carry food trays out to benches and car windows. Alex Cason CharlotteFive
‘50s-style fun and entertainment
In “Back to the Future,” Lorraine and George McFly finally get together (and save future Marty) on the dance floor at Hill Valley High’s Enchantment Under the Sea dance.
Check out these Charlotte spots if you’d like to get out there yourself and try some social dancing.
If you want to focus exclusively on swing dance styles like Lindy Hop and Jitterbug (older dance styles that inspired ‘50s moves), check out Gottaswing Charlotte’s $5 Friday Swing Dances or Charlotte Swing Dance’s upcoming 1940s-era dance with a live band on Nov. 8 in a hangar at the Monroe Executive Airport in conjunction with the Warbirds Over Monroe air show.
Bowling was huge in the 1950s. According to Smithsonian magazine, at least 20,000 new lanes opened up around the country between 1945 and 1957 to meet the growing demand. In Charlotte, you can find one of the oldest surviving bowling lanes on Montford Drive. Originally opened as Park Lanes Bowling in 1960 and known by several other names since, it’s now Lucky Strike South Charlotte.
Bowling was all the rage across the U.S. during the 1950s. Liz Rothaus Bertrand CharlotteFive
The action doesn’t stop after dark
Charlotte used to be home to multiple drive-in movie theaters, including the Queen Drive-In and Viking and numerous movie spots that have since disappeared.
You can enjoy a retro film experience at Belmont Drive-In. First opened in 1946, it operated until 2014 and then reopened in 2023. The children of one of the previous owners now operate it. Films start right after sundown and admission is charged by the car. It’s a cash-only business, so keep that in mind both for entry and concessions purchases.
In this 2000 photo, movie goers watch the first of three movies starts at the Belmont Drive-in. DIEDRA LAIRD Charlotte Observer file
You can also catch movies at the recently restored and reopened Carolina Theatre in Uptown Charlotte, including vintage classics, like the 1954 horror film “Creature from the Black Lagoon” on Oct. 28. The theater first opened in 1927.
Attendees gather in the lobby of the Carolina Theatre. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
For a sweet end to your 1950s adventure, make a stop at Dairy Queen on Wilkinson Boulevard. The iconic shop, which originally opened in 1947, was recently sold to new owners. It continues to operate daily.
The Dairy Queen in west Charlotte off Wilkinson Boulevard. Hannah Lang hlang@charlotteobserver.com
Nothing says 1980s like pizza (even if it only comes to cinematic glory in “Back to the Future II” with dehydrated Pizza Hut pies). You can still find old-school classic Pizza Huts in the Charlotte area in Monroe and Albemarle, where the restaurants feature the distinctive red-tiered roof, vintage red checker tablecloths and red vinyl booths. Many other former Pizza Huts around the city have since been converted into other eateries.
A Pizza Hut in Monroe is still decorated with its original aesthetic, offering a retro feel. Kayleigh Ruller CharlotteFive
Another option for pizza aficionados is House of Pizza on Central Avenue, a family-run business which has been serving up Greek and Italian cuisine since 1979.
House of Pizza on Central Avenue. Alex Cason CharlotteFive
‘80s-style fun and entertainment
The scene where ‘80s teen Marty McFly borrows a scooter from a bewildered ‘50s kid and breaks off the handles to make a skateboard is one of the film’s most iconic moments. According to CitySkateProject.com, the 1980s were a golden age for skateboarding, when board technology improved and the sport peaked in popularity. It was also the moment the first vertical skateparks were installed.
In Charlotte, skaters today can practice their ollies, kickflips and other moves at Renaissance Park Skate Park. Another local destination, Grayson SkatePark at the Naomi Drenan Recreation Center has been undergoing improvements and is slated to reopen sometime this fall.
Hunter Grimm attempts an aerial skateboard trick while jumping over two skateboards at Grayson SkatePark in 2015. T. Ortega Gaines Charlotte Observer file
Taking the skating theme further, the 1980s were a moment when rollerskating rinks around the country were also among the most popular destinations for kids and teens. (I can vouch for this as an ‘80s kid. I remember attending many birthday parties and end-of-school celebrations at my hometown rink in Greeley, Colorado!) You can capture that same 1980s feeling when you visit one of the remaining Kate’s Skating Rinks locations in Indian Trail and Gastonia.
Kate’s Skating Rink offers special events for families and adults at its two locations. Courtesy of Kate’s Skating Rinks
In 1985, there were about five Kate’s rinks spread between Charlotte and Gastonia, according to Billy Thompson, grandson of the original owners, who now runs the business.
For a retro feel, he recommends checking out the 18+ Friday evening Freestyle Shuffle Skate Night in Gastonia, where many old school roller skating tunes from the ‘80s, ‘90s and 2000s get played. You can also take your “Back to the Future” experience a step further with the special Sip & SK8 event planned for Oct. 31, where there’s a prize for best dressed costume.
You can relive the 1980s at Kate’s Skating Rink in Indian Trail or Gastonia. Courtesy of Kate’s Skating Rinks
Super Abari Game Bar in Belmont is totally tubular with arcade games including Donkey Kong, Burgertime, Centipede, Pac-Man and Frogger and retro-themed pinball machines like Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark. It’s normally a 21+ establishment, but on Saturdays and Sundays from 12-6 p.m., it’s open to all ages (with an accompanying parent or guardian). This Halloween, the spot is also hosting Monster Bash 2025 for grown-ups with drink specials and a costume contest.
Super Abari Game Bar has 35 pinball machines, 55 arcade games, 12 beer taps and more at the new Belmont Charlotte location. Alex Cason CharlotteFive
After dark, there’s more to do
Charlotte in the ‘80s is often described as a sleepy town, but there were at least a dozen discos/nightclubs in operation during that decade including popular spots like Pterodactyl, 13∙13 and Park Elevator.
Now, you can find a 1980s vibe at the newly opened Retro Bar. The spot, decked out with neon lights, a disco ball, giant murals and video screens, plays music from the ‘80s-2000s. Between its two floors, you can find space to dance or just hang out with retro cocktails from the bar.
Modern, pop-art style artwork, like this piece, adorn the walls at Retro. The decor blends iconic imagery with a contemporary edge to fit the bar’s theme. Bradley Havens @haven_visuals
If a night at home is more your style, you can go totally ‘80s by renting a video from VisArt Video, Charlotte’s only nonprofit shop dedicated to video rentals. Compare that to 1985, when there were 18 video rental businesses listed in the Charlotte Yellow Pages. (Shout out to the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library’s Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room for tracking that info down!)
You can find 1980s hit films like “Steel Magnolias” and “Dirty Dancing” among VisArt Video’s more than 65,000 films. Liz Rothaus Bertrand CharlotteFive
VisArt has more than 65,000 VHS and DVDs in its collection and claims the title of the largest film inventory library on the East Coast. And, of course, it has the “Back to the Future” series as part of that archive. For just $5, you can get a lifetime membership that will grant you access to video rentals. Or you can opt for a sustaining membership that includes free coffee and unlimited rentals (two at a time). For October, it’s available for a $20/monthly recurring fee instead of the usual $25 rate. And if you don’t have a DVD player, you can rent one of those, too.
In addition to its extensive video collection, you can find retro merch at VisArt Video. Liz Rothaus Bertrand CharlotteFive
If you’d like to hang out around other retro film buffs, check out the VisArt Cafe with an outdoor patio (including a retro Ms. Pac-Man arcade game) or come for one of the many events hosted at the store. 1980s fans may want to check out a “Dungeons and Dragons” play event or the 1980s Horror Film class, exploring anti-capitalist themes in several films, offered Saturday afternoons during October.
VisArt Video hosts numerous special events. In October, that includes a weekly class on ‘80s Horror Films. Liz Rothaus Bertrand CharlotteFive
For the perfect end to a 1980s day, stop by a TCBY. Although the brand didn’t come to Charlotte until 2010, TCBY launched its first shop in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1981, as people looked for healthy alternatives to ice cream. According to FrozenDessertSupplies.com, by 1984, there were more than 100 frozen yogurt chains running across the U.S.
We’d love to see pics of your time travelling adventures! Send your photos back to the future to charlottefive@charlottefive.com.
You know it’s got to be a classic when LEGO turns a movie into a toy. The 1985 hit film, “Back to the Future,” returns to Charlotte theaters on Oct. 30 to celebrate its 40th anniversary. Liz Rothaus Bertrand CharlotteFive
Liz Rothaus Bertrand is an award-winning writer based in Charlotte, NC. She writes frequently about the arts, food, travel, education and social justice. You can find her on Instagram @tournesol74.
Michael J. Fox reveals in his new memoir, “Future Boy,” that he wrote a letter to Eric Stoltz asking to finally meet 40 years after Fox replaced Stoltz as Marty McFly in the blockbuster “Back to the Future.” As the infamous story goes, Stoltz was already in production for six weeks on the Robert Zemeckis-directed blockbuster when the decision was made to boot him and recast the lead role with the director’s first choice, Fox, who had been blocked from the film due to his commitment to the NBC sitcom “Family Ties.”
“Eric has maintained his silence on the subject for 40 years, so I was prepared for the likelihood that he’d prefer to keep it that way,” Fox writes in the memoir (via Entertainment Weekly), noting the two had never come face to face to discuss the casting swap. Fox wrote to him: “If your answer is ‘piss off and leave me alone’… That works, too.”
Stoltz responded with a “beautifully written reply” that “began, ‘Piss off and leave me alone!’ Thankfully, this was followed by ‘I jest…’ Eric was thoughtful about my outreach, and although he respectfully declined to participate in the book, he seemed open to the idea of getting together.”
When Fox and Stoltz finally found themselves together in the same room, the actors “immediately fell into an easy dialogue about our careers, families, and yes, our own trips through the space-time continuum,” Fox writes. “[Stoltz entered] with a smile, and we quickly acknowledged that neither of us had an issue with the other. What transpired on ‘Back to the Future’ had not made us enemies or fated rivals; we were just two dedicated actors who had poured equal amounts of energy into the same role. The rest had nothing to do with us. As it turned out, we had much more in common than our spin as Marty.”
“In the months since meeting, Eric and I have maintained a friendly correspondence – volleys back and forth between like-minded actors and dads, offering up recent movies we’ve loved, the latest adventures with our kids and an occasional detour into politics,” Fox adds. “His emails are reliably witty and always fun to read [and] a reminder that some of the best parts of our future can come from the past.”
Replacing Stoltz as Marty McFly in “Back to the Future” changed the course of Fox’s career, as he made the jump from sitcom star to blockbuster actor. The movie grossed $381.1 million worldwide in 1985 to become the year’s highest-grossing movie and spawned a franchise that led to 1989’s “Back to the Future Part II” and 1990’s “Back to the Future Part III,” both of which Fox headlined.
In his memoir, Fox writes that “Family Ties” creator Gary David Goldberg “removed me from consideration” to play Marty McFly when Zemeckis and producer Steven Spielberg wanted to originally cast him. The film “had already shot for over a month” and the dailies with Stoltz front and center “were disappointing” to the creative team.
“Eric was an immensely talented actor, but the creative team felt that he just wasn’t the right fit for Marty McFly,” Fox notes.
Fox’s memoir, “Future Boy,” is now available for purchase.
Forty years after its release, Back to the Future‘s pop-culture presence is as strong as ever thanks to theme parks, the tie-in musical, a missing-guitar mystery, and simply the enduring love for the movie itself. Starting October 31, fans can revisit the Robert Zemeckis-directed, Steven Spielberg-produced time-travel classic on the big screen. And we do mean big: this re-release is targeting premium, large-scale formats, including Dolby Cinema, 4DX, and D-Box—as well as IMAX.
According to a Universal press release, “This marks the first time Back to the Future will be presented on the world’s largest screens, offering fans the opportunity to experience the film’s scope and spectacle in the most immersive formats yet.” It’s an occasion so monumental, the studio released a special 40th anniversary trailer:
The limited theatrical engagement kicks off October 31; you can already buy tickets for a theater near you here. For IMAX screenings, check out details here.
In addition, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment is rolling out some lavish anniversary releases, arriving October 14 (ahead of October 21, aka Back to the Future Day for those familiar with certain key details in Back to the Future Part II).
The crown jewel is the Back to the Future Trilogy 40th Anniversary Limited Edition Gift Set; in that, you get “all three films in 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital, packaged with a collectible Flux Capacitor SteelBook, an exclusive Gibson Mini Guitar replica, an OUTATIME metal license plate, a Back to the Future: A Visual History booklet, and an assortment of replica items from the Universal archives.”
If the $150 gift set is too rich for your blood, you can also pick up individual Steelbooks for the three films or a set with the whole trilogy in 4K, Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and digital. These items are all up for pre-order now and you can learn more here.
From Marty McFly and Doc Brown to Mrs. Peacock and Col. Mustard, the Durham Performing Arts Center’s 2024-25 Truist Broadway season features some new takes on iconic characters.
“Back to the Future: The Musical,” “Clue” and “The Wiz” are all coming to Durham, along with the Tony Award-winning “Shucked” and “Some Like it Hot.” DPAC announced the new line up Saturday.
Here is a look at the schedule, according to the news release.
▪ “Clue,” Sept. 3-8. Based on the classic board game and 1985 movie, the comedy dives into murder and blackmail as it explores whether it was Mrs. Peacock in the study with the knife or Col. Mustard in the library with the wrench.
▪ “& Juliet,” Oct. 1-6. Written by one of the writers from the Emmy-winning series “Schitt’s Creek,” the new musical and romantic comedy explores what would happen if Juliet didn’t kill herself after finding Romeo dead.
▪ “A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical,” Jan. 7-12, 2025. Created in collaboration with Neil Diamond, the musical tells the true story of how Diamond went from a kid in Brooklyn to an American rock icon.
▪ “Shucked,” March 4-9, 2025. A Tony Award-winning musical comedy that involves corn and the “battle for the heart and soul of a small town,” according to the musical’s website.
▪ “Kimberly Akimbo,” April 29-May 4, 2025. The new musical comedy is about a 16-year-old determined to find happiness while facing multiple challenges. It has won five Tony Awards, including Best Musical.
▪ “Back to the Future: The Musical.” May 20-25, 2025. Creators of the “Back to the Future” movies bring Marty McFly and Doc Brown’s epic, 1985 science-fiction adventure to the stage.
▪ “Some Like it Hot,” June 17-22, 2025. Winner of four Tony Awards, the musical follows two musicians forced to flee Prohibition-era Chicago after witnessing a mob hit.
▪ “The Wiz,” Aug. 5-10, 2025. The musical returns to the stage in the first Broadway tour in 40 years with a new adaptation on the soulful twist on “The Wizard of Oz.”
How to get DPAC tickets
DPAC is currently only selling season tickets for the 2024-25 season, the release states. Tickets to individual shows go on sale later in the season.
DPAC, which seats about 2,700, is owned by the city of Durham but managed by Nederlander and Professional Facilities management.
As far as gimmicky horror movies go, there’s been no shortage since Scream reanimated the genre in 1996. And, in the decades since its initial release, Kevin Williamson effectively gave permission to writers everywhere to be as meta as possible with horror (/comedy horror). Which is why we now have shows such as The Other Black Girl literally calling out in the dialogue how it’s just like the premise of Get Out (and yes, it pretty much is). In Totally Killer, our sort-of final girl, Jamie Hughes (Kiernan Shipka), also has no trouble calling out the cinematic similarities of the plot she’s living through. Specifically, its similarities to Back to the Future and the aforementioned Scream. Mainly the former because Jamie accidentally ends up traveling back to the 80s (October 27, 1987, to be exact) after her best friend, Amelia (Kelcey Mawema), invents a time machine based on her mother Lauren’s (Kimberly Huie) abandoned scrawlings from a high school notebook.
The apparatus used? A photobooth at the abandoned Vernon carnival grounds where the high school science fair is going to be held. When Jamie approaches the desolate, creepy place (called Billy’s Boardwalk) to find Amelia, she can’t help but ask why the principal would want to hold the fair here. Amelia responds matter-of-factly, “Principal Summers got it for free. You know, to help bring people back in. This used to be the place to hang in Vernon, but now it’s just another stop on the murder tour.” And, speaking of the murder tour, it’s a real thing that’s actually run by Chris Dubusage (Jonathan Potts), the self-styled “expert” on the Sweet Sixteen murders that happened in 1987 (basically, he’s sort of the Gale Weathers [Courteney Cox] of the movie). The murders that have made Jamie’s mom, Pam (Julie Bowen), hyper-paranoid and very helicopter parent-y (that’s right, she deliberately smacks of Sidney Prescott [Neve Campbell]). Which is why, when Jamie says she wants to go to a concert with Amelia on Halloween and Pam proceeds to get all protective and foreboding about it, Jamie snaps back, “So I can’t go to a concert because your friends were murdered thirty-five years ago?” Jamie keeps up the harshness by adding, “I sort of wish you guys would just get over it.”
But, obviously, there are many things that both Pam and Jamie’s dad, Blake (Lochlyn Munro), haven’t gotten over since 1987. For Blake, it’s an ongoing contempt for Chris Dubusage and his exploitative ways. For Pam, it isn’t just that her friends were murdered, but also a high-key obsession with Molly Ringwald—hence, dressing as Claire Standish from The Breakfast Club for Halloween. This is no coincidence, as Jamie soon finds out. For her mom’s friend group in high school is referred to as “the Mollys” because they all like to dress in different iterations of her movie characters. This being somewhat ironic considering that Ringwald never played a “popular girl” (save for Claire), favoring instead the underdog characters from the “wrong side of the tracks” (this phrase being literal in Pretty in Pink). Perhaps it was ultimately a sign of Pam’s humanity beneath all the mean girl bravado, what with her role as the leader of the group dictating that Heather (Anna Diaz), Tiffany (Liana Liberato) and Marisa (Stephi Chin-Salvo) should also dress like the “ain’t she sweet” teen queen of the 80s (even though Tiffany is the only redhead). But before unearthing any of that humanity, Jamie is shocked to find out the kind of person her mother was as a teenager after her unexpected bout with time travel. The one caused by being chased into the photo booth by the revived killer (who has already stabbed Jamie’s mom by this point).
When the killer accidentally stabs at the glass plate where the date is displayed, it manages to create the extra metal conduction Amelia was missing to make the time machine work. So it is that Jamie returns to October 27, 1987 (consider it her version of Marty McFly’s November 5, 1955), the date preset by Amelia, who wanted to help Jamie catch the killer from the start so that her mother won’t be murdered in the present. On the other side of time, Jamie is relieved to have evaded the killer, but that relief is gone the instant she realizes (to the initially faint tune of Bananarama’s “Venus”) that she is very much back in 1987.
And, of course, that makes things rife for comedy…which happens to be director Nahnatchka Khan’s specialty (lest anyone forget, she wrote and directed Don’t Trust the B- – – – in Apartment 23…where, incidentally, Kiernan Shipka cameo’d as herself in an episode). Tackling the script by David Matalon, Sasha Perl-Raver and Jen D’Angelo, Khan visually plays up the shock on Jamie’s part. Not just at having time traveled, but how “problematic” things are in 1987, including the sight of a man wearing an “FBI (Federal Booby Inspector)” shirt at the carnival. When Jamie chastises him for wearing it, his girlfriend notes, “I like your shirt.” Just another indication that the collective mind hadn’t yet been reprogrammed to understand the insidious presence of misogyny in every facet of culture.
Jamie is further appalled when, after asking a woman with two kids what year it is, she offers to give her a ride back to school…where she’s supposed to be at this time of day. Jamie replies, “I can’t get in a car with you, you’re a total stranger. You could be a serial killer.” The woman laughs and says, “Would a serial killer wear Gloria Vanderbilt?” Thus, Jamie rides in the smoke-filled station wagon (another amplification of how different things were back then because a mother was willing to freely suffocate her children with secondhand smoke) to the school. Where she’s met with even more anathema interactions that don’t jibe with her Gen Z perspective. Starting with her sighting of the Vernon “mascot” on the side of the school: a “Red Devil” a.k.a. Native American. She remarks to herself, “And there’s the racism. Knew that was coming.” But with the bad, Jamie takes the good—for instance, a total lack of concern with security on the part of the admin lady she approaches at the front desk with a fake story about being an exchange student from Prince Edward Island. When the woman cuts her off and asks her what grade she’s in so she can give her a catch-all schedule, Jamie asks incredulously, “You don’t need to verify anything?” The woman scoffs, “What is this, Fort Knox?”
Later on, when Jamie needs to figure out what class Amelia’s mom is in, she also approaches the admin lady with the same view she would in the present, figuring that such information can’t be given out because it’s private. But no, the admin lady readily tells her that Lauren is in Earth Science and gets back to reading her romance novel. In disbelief, Jamie notes to herself, “Flying on a plane right now must be insane.”
It is the “insanity” of the 80s overall that Khan and the writers highlight as much as an appreciation for Halloween, Back to the Future and Scream. However, even more significant than that is the racial element that eventually makes itself known by the time the killer is revealed. For the culprit behind the three murders (Pam’s murder thirty-five years later serves as the additional plot twist) turns out to be a person of color whose girlfriend died as a direct result of the Mollys’ bullying. Save for Pam, who wasn’t there on the night in question, and therefore wasn’t targeted by the murderer in 1987.
That the killer chooses to dress in a quintessential 80s douchebag mask (one that’s kind of reminiscent of a Donald Trump face) is also telling of “the other” during that decade trying especially hard to fit in with the rest of the white mold held up as an “exemplar” of “how to be.” Not to mention how telling it is that Marisa and Heather so gladly go along with emulating Ringwald because that’s what the white leader of their clique wants to do.
What’s more, the fact that the killer was constantly bullied and ostracized himself heightens the message that things weren’t really “better” “back in the day.” They were simply more convenient for the white majority that didn’t have to “watch itself” as much as it does now (that it’s becoming a minority).
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