The story of the first Back to the future The movie is relatively easy to follow, with Marty McFly accidentally traveling back in time from 1985 to 1955 and almost preventing his own birth. As the franchise continued with two more movies, the Back to the future Timelines grew more elaborate, involving time travel into the future and the past. Of course, for a movie series about time travel, Back to the future References pop culture moments from the past throughout all three movies, in the form of music, objects in the background, and comments from Marty.
Many of the references in Back to the future They’re still recognizable (and hilarious) today, like when Marty scares the younger version of his father, describing himself as “Darth Vader from the planet Vulcan“In a Star Wars / Star Trek Mashup. However, some of the more outdated references in Back to the future Will now be missed entirely by 99% of people watching. One of these is a question that Marty begins to ask Doc Brown when he first tests the DeLorean: “Is this a Devo suit?“Doc cuts him off, and the question is never answered.
“Is that a Devo suit?” What Marty’s line in Back to the Future actually means
Famous rockstars made cameos in Back to the Future (though Devo didn’t)
Doc Brown cut off the end of the question, telling Marty, “Never mind that now.“Devo is an American new wave band that became popular throughout the 1980s, following the success of their song “Whip It.” Devo’s outfits were usually inspired by science fiction, the band’s music was experimental for the time , and even its name is a play on the idea of ”de-evolution,” As the band felt that society was de-evolving. Devo often wore brightly colored hazmat suits on stageAnd as Doc Brown is wearing a hazmat suit while testing the DeLorean, Marty’s question references the gang.
Music is a central theme throughout Back to the futureAnd while Devo did not appear in the movie franchise, other musicians made cameo appearances. Singer Huey Lewis, from the 1980s rock band Huey Lewis and the News wrote Back to the future‘s theme song, and Huey Lewis appears in a cameo as a high-music-hitting talent show judge. Eddie Van Halen is referred to when Marty plays his father a tape called “Edward Van Halen.” Even bearded rockers ZZ Top appear as a country and western band in Back to the Future III.
The Devo reference feels obscure today, but it makes sense for Marty in the future
Back to the Future’s Chuck Barry reference stands up today
Devo, although extremely popular throughout the 1980s and into the ’90s, is no more popular in mainstream pop culture than ZZ Top or Van Halen. Fewer people know what Devo is, and even fewer know what the band wore, so the reference would likely be lost on generations who didn’t grow up with Back to the future. however, Marty is a musician, and it makes sense that he references bands that were popular at the timeEven if he is not a fan of Devo himself. This is possible because the movie makes it very clear that Marty prefers rock music, as Marty copies several famous guitarists in Back to the futures Dance scene.