OMG: ‘Back to the Future’ super fan has watched trilogy almost 1,300 times

As movie boffins go, Matthew Harrison is the “Emmett Brown” of the hit trilogy “Back to the Future”. Harrison has watched the time-travelling antics of Marty McFly and Doc almost 1,300 times. The 27-year-old film student from Portsmouth, England, spent so much time viewing the three movies it adds up to an whopping 102 days sat down in front of a screen to watch them. His favourite movie of the trilogy is the second film “Back to the Future Part II”, having viewed it a staggering 600 times. “I’m not at all bored, every time I watch it I see it from a different perspective,” Harrison told Metro.

Why?

– My two older brothers first showed me the film when I was a lot younger, along with a lot of other classic 80s cinema like “The Goonies”, “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” and so on. My love for the film started there and snowballed.

But why do you love it, so much so that it merits over a 1,000 views?

– “Back to the Future” has a little something for everyone, something I feel that’s lacking in today’s filmmaking. It has elements of drama, comedy, romance, sci-fi – no matter who you are, there’s something for you.

What’s your favorite movie out of the trilogy?

– “Back to the Future Part II”. I like the futuristic aspect and the ideas the filmmakers had of what the future would be like, with all these out-there technological concepts and inventions.

Are you not bored of watching the movie so many times?

Not at all, every time I watch it I see it from a different perspective. Whether I’m watching it as a fan or watching from the aspect of a filmmaker. There’s always something new I discover about the films.

You have a tattoo of Marty McFly, right?

– I have all sorts of tattoos, from film, TV to music. They’re a culmination of all the things I love or have had an impact in my life and a “Back to the Future” one was just an obvious choice.

You’re a TV and film production student. What do your university professors say about the film?

– My lecturers love the passion I have for films and filmmaking. One of our most recent projects was to recreate a scene from a film of our choice, to see if we could recreate the technical aspects. We chose “Back to the Future” and we filmed it as a shot-for-shot remake and even had the 25th Anniversary DeLorean from the movie. We got the highest grade in the class.

What other benefits does watching the trilogy give, if any?

– Watching “Back to the Future” and being so involved with it has given me a lot of opportunities. I help run a group called The Hill Valley Preservation Society, the group consisting of fans from all around the UK who get together to raise money for The Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. We have a “Back to the Future” prop and costume display that we take to events up and down the country including museums, comic-cons, film screenings and more. We have props that were made for the film itself, replicas, reproductions and vintage items from the 50s & 80s. Its a really positive thing to be able to raise money for the charity and help fight such a devastating disease.

What will you do in the future related to the film?

– We’re holding an event in London in October. We’re recreating the ‘Enchantment Under The Sea’ Dance from the first film and we’re having live bands/DJs and movie-themed cocktails. The DeLorean will be there and many other surprises, all to raise money for The Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.