The Movie: Back to the Future Part II (1989)

With guest Rob MacDougall (Twitter & website) from podcast Hold My Order, Terrible Dresser (website, Twitter, and Facebook).

For all of its memorable gadgets, Back to the Future Part II’s future is bleak, pessimistic, and familiar. Even more familiar is the sight of a megalomaniac throwing around his abusive power from his golden tower. We looked at how Back to the Future Part II not only predicted Trump’s presidency but also made us forget that we could do any better.

Listen Here:

Further Reading, Viewing, and Links:

• Episode #55 of I Was There Too – “Back to the Future Trilogy with Tom Wilson”
• Episode #56 of I Was There Too – “More Back to the Future Trilogy with Jeffrey Weismann”
• Tom Wilson’s song about being asked the same questions over and over again about what it’s like to be in the Back to the Future franchise

• a podcast from Innovation Hub with author Cory Doctorow called “A Hopeful Look at the Apocalypse
• a 2012 piece from The Baffler looking at the economic and social factors that have led to our stagnant pessimism when it comes to the future – “Of Flying Cars and the Declining Rate of Profit” by David Graeber
• a recent ThinkProgress piece detailing how crumbling institutions and a fear of death allowed for Trump to take power – “Donald Trump is an ambassador from the abyss” by Ned Resnikoff

 

Other Episodes Referenced:

• Episode #45 – Adventures in Babysitting w/ Deanne Kondrat
• Bonus Episode – Heathers w/ Deanne Kondrat, Ian Badger, and Vanessa Brown
• Episode #59 – Pee-wee’s Big Holiday w/ Caroline Diezyn and Rob MacDougall
• Episode #71 – Star Wars: The Force Awakens w/ Chris de Hoog, Edward Platero, and Jason R. Gray
• Episode #73 – The Crucible w/ Caroline Diezyn

Other Movies, Series, and Books mentioned:

• Back to the Future (Watch on Netflix, buy the trilogy on Amazon)
• Back to the Future Part II (Watch on Netflix)
• Back to the Future Part III (Watch on Netflix)
• The Crucible (Watch on Netflix, buy on Amazon)
• Freaks & Geeks (Watch on Netflix, buy on Amazon)
• GLOW (Watch on Netflix)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (buy on Amazon)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (buy on Amazon)
• The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 (Watch on Netflix, buy on Amazon)
• The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 (Watch on Netflix, buy on Amazon)
• RuPaul’s Drag Race (Watch on Netflix)
• Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Watch on Netflix, buy on Amazon)
• The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 (Watch on Netflix, buy on Amazon with Part 2)
• The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2
• Twin Peaks (buy the “Entire Mystery” collection on Amazon)
• WKRP In Cincinnati (buy the Complete Series on Amazon)

 

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Dylan Clark-Moore is a podcast creator and blogger at NetFlakes. You can find him on Letterboxd and Twitter.

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