The Hill’s Ultimate Back To The Future Quiz:

The length of this quiz is aimed at 4 teams – if playing with three teams then miss out every fourth question, if playing with two teams, then miss out every third and fourth question, but keep in the 'For All Teams' questions.  It's quite a long quiz, so you may want to trim it to a length that suits.

We played this as each team takes a turn to be asked a question, then we played a ‘For All Teams’ question, which are highlighted in bold.  These are either role play or ‘watch a clip’ questions based on the DVD trilogy boxset (so this requires practice on the part of the quiz master.  There is also a question that requires pictures of Biff to be handed out.)  At the end, there is a quick fire round.

While the questions require a good knowledge of Back To The Future trilogy, the ‘For All Teams’ questions can mostly be answered by someone who hasn’t seen the films, and the final round is just about generic time travellers.

I have blocked out the answers so you can play this quiz here - to read them, just highlight them.  If you want to print this quiz, then copy and paste it into Word and remove formatting, then the answers won't be blocked out.

1. Who wrote Back To The Future?

ü  Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale.

2. When they were trying to get a studio to sign Back To The Future, why did Disney turn it down?

ü  A mother falling in love with her son was too risqué.

3. At the start of Back To The Future, what is the first sound we hear?

ü  Ticking clock.

4. How slow are Doc’s clocks?

ü  Twenty Five minutes.

5. FOR ALL TEAMS.  Sing the song the Pinheads play at their audition. 

ü  The Power of Love.  Best performance wins.

6. How much electricity does the flux capacitor need to time travel?

ü  1.21 gigawatts.

7. What is Doc’s dog in the 80s called?

ü  Einstein.

8. What is Doc’s dog in the 50s called?

ü  Copernicus.

9. What doesn’t Mr Strickland like?

ü  Slackers.

10. FOR ALL TEAMS.  Watch this three minute clip and answer the questions. 

Back To The Future DVD.  Chpt 6.  27.22 – 30.26. (the time travel scene)

ü  What words are written beneath the readout OCT 26 1985?

                                                              i.      Present Time. 

ü  What colour is the Libyan’s van?

                                                              i.      Blue and white.

ü  What shop is in the background during the chase? 

                                                              i.      JC Penney. 

ü  What does Marty hit when he arrives in 1955? 

                                                              i.      A scarecrow. 

11. Other than the clock tower, a certain building is a central point of all versions of Hill Valley.  In 2015, it is called the Café 80s.  What is it called in 1885?

ü  The Palace Saloon

12. Other than the clock tower, a certain building is a central point of all versions of Hill Valley.  In 2015, it is called the Café 80s.  What is it called in 1950s?

ü  Lou’s Café.

13. FOR ALL TEAMS.  Sing the song Marty performs at the Enchantment Under The Sea dance. 

ü  Johnny B Goode.  Best performance wins.

14. Other than the clock tower, a certain building is a central point of all versions of Hill Valley.  In 2015, it is called the Café 80s.  What is it called in the 80s?

ü  Lou’s Aerobic Fitness Center.

15. Other than the clock tower, a certain building is a central point of all versions of Hill Valley.  In 2015, it is called the Café 80s.  What is it in the Biffhorrific 80s?

ü  A Toxic Waste Reclamation Plant.

16. FOR ALL TEAMS.  Watch this three minute clip and answer the questions.

Back To The Future DVD.  Chpt 13.  1.01.42 – 1.04.48.  (the skateboard chase scene)

ü  What song is playing in the café? 

                                                              i.      The Wallflower (Roll With Me Henry) by Etta James. 

ü  Who does George ask for his chocolate milk? 

                                                              i.      Lou. 

ü  What colour is Lorraine’s shake? 

                                                              i.      Pink. 

ü  What colour hat is the lady Marty knocks over wearing? 

                                                              i.      Red and black. 

ü  What colour is the interior of Biff’s car? 

                                                              i.      Red. 

17. Marty’s parents met when George fell out of a tree and Lorraine’s father hit him with his car.  Why was George in the tree?

ü  He’s a Peeping Tom.

18. On what day did Doc invent time travel (the day Marty travels to)?

ü  Saturday Nov 5 1955.

19. How did Doc invent time travel?

ü  He was standing on his toilet hanging a clock, the porcelain was wet, he fell, hit his head on sink and had a vision of the flux capacitor which is what makes time travel possible.

20. In the future, what does Marty do that ruins his life?

ü  To prove he isn’t chicken, he races Needles and crashes into a Rolls Royce.  He breaks his hand, the owner presses charges, he gives up on music, Jennifer marries him because she feels sorry for him.

21. FOR ALL TEAMS.  Put these pictures of Tannen in chronological order.  Ancestors first, descendants last and only include the Tannens from the timeline in place at the end of the trilogy. (You should have seven pictures – Buford, 50s Biff, original 80s Biff, Biffhorrific Biff, Auto Dealing Biff, Old Biff and Griff)

ü  Buford, 50s Biff, Auto Dealing Biff, Old Biff, Griff

22. What is Doc allergic to?

ü  All synthetics.

23. What is Hill Valley’s slogan?

ü  A Nice Place To Live.

24. FOR ALL TEAMS.  Watch this three minute clip and answer the questions.

Back To The Future Part II DVD.  Chpt 5.  17.01 – 20.11 (hoverboard chase scene)

ü  Who is on the TV that Griff hits? 

                                                              i.      Ronald Reagan. 

ü  What song is playing in the café? 

                                                              i.      Beat It by Michael Jackson. 

ü  What colour is the skirt of the little girl with the hoverboard? 

                                                              i.      Green. 

ü  What does one of Griff’s lackeys call Marty? 

                                                              i.      Bojo. 

ü  What’s Griff’s hoverboard called? 

                                                              i.      Pitbull.

25. What does Lorraine think Marty is called in 1955?

ü  Calvin Klein.

26. What pseudonym does Marty go by in 1885?

ü  Clint Eastwood.

27. Finish this Biff-ism: Why don’t you make like a tree and...

ü  Get outta here.

28. Finish this Biff-ism: That’s about as funny as a screen door…

ü  On a battleship.

29. FOR ALL TEAMS.  In Part III, Buford makes Marty dance by shooting at his feet.  Please perform Marty's dance.

ü  the Moonwalk.  Best performance wins.


30. Who does Marty claim to be and from what planet when he convinces George to ask out Lorraine?

ü  Darth Vader, I am an extra terrestrial from the planet Vulcan.

31. Who does the singer Marvin Berry phone while Marty is playing guitar at the dance?

ü  Chuck Berry.

32. FOR ALL TEAMS.  Watch this three minute clip and answer the questions.

Back To The Future Part II DVD.  Chpt 12.  56.08 – 58.50 (confrontation with Biff scene)

ü  What colour are the flowers behind Marty in Biff’s room? 

                                                              i.      Purple.  (arguably pink! Avoid this question)

ü  What does Marty put in his pocket? 

                                                              i.      A matchbook. 

ü  How many times does Biff fire his gun? 

                                                              i.      Five.

ü  What is Biff’s handrail decorated with? 

                                                              i.      Naked ladies. 

ü  What does the neon sign on the roof say? 

                                                              i.      Biff’s. 

ü  Two McFlys with the same gun is? 

                                                              i.      Poetic justice.

33. Finish this Buford-ism: I’ll hunt you and shoot you down like…

ü  A duck.

34. What is Doc’s favourite historical era?

ü  The Old West.

35. Who is Doc’s favourite author?

ü  Jules Verne.

36. In Part II, when Marty burns the almanac and repairs the timeline, the matches he took from Biff change from Biff’s Pleasure Paradise to what?

ü  Biff’s Auto Dealing.

37. FOR ALL TEAMS.  Watch this three minute clip and answer the questions.

Back To The Future Part III DVD. Chpt 15.  1.22.33 – 1.25.15 (the showdown scene)

ü  Which actor is playing two roles in this scene? 

                                                              i.      Michael J Fox. 

ü  The clock tower is chiming, what time is it? 

                                                              i.      Eight.

ü  What film is Marty homaging? 

                                                              i.      For A Fistful Of Dollars. 

ü  How many times does Marty punch Buford?

                                                              i.      Four.

ü  What is carved at the top of the tombstone? 

                                                              i.      Here lies.

38. In Part II, when Marty burns the almanac and repairs the timeline, the newspaper changes from 'George McFly Murdered' to what?

ü  George McFly Honored.

39. In Part II, when Marty burns the almanac and repairs the timeline, the newspaper changes from 'Emmett Brown Committed' to what?

ü  Emmett Brown Commended.

40. How is Doc killed in 1885?

ü  Shot in the back by Buford Tannen over a matter of 80 dollars.

41. Buford Tannen’s nickname is Mad Dog because he has a short temper and what else?

ü  A tendency to drool.

42. What does Marty’s great grandfather do when they meet?

ü  Pees on him.

43. Shonash Ravine is changed to Clayton Ravine after the teacher Clara Clayton falls over the cliff.  But Doc messes up the timeline by saving Clara’s life, so what is the ravine called when Marty returns to the 80s? 

ü  Eastwood Ravine.

44. How does time machine get destroyed?

ü  It’s hit by train.

45. What are Doc’s sons called?

ü  Jules and Verne.

46. When Doc demonstrates the time circuits to Marty, to show how you can travel to any day in history, name one of the events he suggests visiting before he enters the date he invented time travel? 

ü  The signing of the Declaration of Independence or the birth of Christ.

47. What two sport items/toys does Marty inadvertently invent?

ü  The skateboard and the frisbee.

48. FOR ALL TEAMS.  What Happens Next?  I’ll play an outtake and you tell me what’s about to happen?  (This is using the outtakes on the DVD – the quiz master will have to be pretty quick on the pause for these.  Practise first - press play all and check the time counter and the image on screen just before the 'incident' to see when to pause.  When playing the quiz, press play all, then each time you pause the teams will have to guess what is about to happen/go wrong) (next time I locate the DVDs (I've just moved) I will see if I can add a bit more detail to when to hit pause!)

ü  Comes in with Roger Rabbit.

ü  Michael J Fox squashed by horse.

ü  Tap dance.

ü  Indian falls off horse.

BONUS Time Traveller Trivia Quickfire Round.  You don’t need to be a Back To The Future buff for this round. This is about all sorts of time travellers in TV and film.

I’ll say a catchphrase.  You say the Time Traveller who says it.

49. Geronimo. 

ü  The Doctor.

50. Great Scott. 

ü  Doc Brown.

51. I’ll be back. 

ü  The Terminator.

52. Oh boy. 

ü  Sam Beckett.

53. This is heavy. 

ü  Marty McFly.

54. Yatah.

ü  Hiro Nakamora.

55. In Groundhog Day, what song does Phil wake up to every morning?

ü  I got you babe.

56. In the 1960 film The Time Machine, what is the name of the Eloi woman that George saves from drowning?

ü  Weena.

57. In which time travel film is the villain an evil bowler hat?

ü  Meet The Robinsons.

58. Which crew travel back to the 20^th century to save the whales?

ü  The crew of the Enterprise (Star Trek).

59. Which superhero turns back time by flying really fast around the world?

ü  Superman.

60. Which time traveller punches William Shakespeare for the suffering he is going to cause to every schoolboy and schoolgirl for the next four hundred years?

ü  Blackadder.

61. Who uses a poorly repaired toaster to time travel?

ü  Homer Simpson.

62. Which time travellers are responsible for the disappearance of the crew on the Marie Celeste?

ü  The Daleks.

63. What crime was time traveller Gary Sparrow committing?

ü  He was a bigamist.

64. In Heroes, what message does Hiro travel into the past to give to Peter Petrelli?

ü  Save the cheerleader.