Back to the Future in Concert

I think it is common knowledge by now that I am a huge fan of Utah Symphony's Films in Concert series!  I am pretty sure that I have been to all of them starting with the very first one, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, and last night I went to the latest, Back to the Future.  It has been a really long time since I watched this movie and I had forgotten how funny it is (I laughed out loud at Huey Lewis as a judge for the Battle of the Bands).  I was also surprised by how well it holds up after more than thirty years since its release!  Needless to say, I had a great time seeing it again on the big screen while the orchestra played the score by Alan Silvestri live.  Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) meets his eccentric friend Emmett "Doc" Brown (Christopher Lloyd) to test his latest invention, a time machine made out of a DeLorean powered by plutonium.  When they are surprised by Libyan terrorists, who are not happy about having their plutonium stolen, Marty flees in the DeLorean and travels back to 1955.  He eventually finds Doc but he also inadvertently disrupts the meeting between his parents, Lorraine (Lea Thompson) and George (Crispin Glover), which puts his own existence in jeopardy.  Will he get his parents back together?  Will Doc be able to get him back to the future?  Silvestri's score adds so much excitement to the movie and I especially enjoyed the themes played when Marty is being chased by the Libyans before he travels to 1955 and when he is chased by Biff (Thomas F. Wilson) through the town square on an improvised skateboard.  The score also creates an almost unbearable feeling of tension and suspense (especially with all of the brass) when Marty and Doc face obstacle after obstacle as they try to harness the lightning from a storm to power the DeLorean and it is surprisingly poignant when Marty is reunited with Doc in 1985.  Another fun element to these concerts is the audience participation, which is encouraged.  There was lots of cheering and applause, especially when George punches Biff and when he kisses Lorraine at the Enchantment Under the Sea dance!  Seeing a film in concert is such a fun and immersive experience so I highly recommend getting a ticket for Back to the Future tonight or for one of the other films in concert later this season (go here for information and tickets).