What would a site called Back to the Movies be without the odd nod to the inspiration behind the name? The beloved Back to the Future.
As a movie prop collector I’ve always wanted to own a screen-used Almanac from the film but I always seem to either miss them or watch as the prices go above and beyond anything I’d ever want to pay for an original screen-used prop.
So I did the next best thing and hunted down a replica.
I’m not a huge fan of replica props but I can understand the appeal and the collectability of items from the films we all know and love without shelling out some of the extortionate prices of original pieces.
With this replica however I am intending to get it signed by none other than Tom Wilson (Biff from Back to the Future) at this years Showmasters and a replica would be the best choice for an autographed piece as signing a screen-used item almost hurts me inside.
Ruining the aesthetic of the piece and destroying it’s used condition with a big modern swirly signature on it’s front, back or sides.
I ended up getting a nice cheap Almanac from Ebay from a store called TheMoviePropShop and here’s what I ended up with.
Now I know there are forums online of people so dedicated to getting each dimension, colour, shape, font, material perfect for each replica piece but I’m not that guy.
If it looks even similar to the original prop or as long as it makes me feel somewhat attached to the film I know and love then that’s all I need and whilst this cheap replica may not be perfect I was happy with the book, the replica receipt, absolutely everything apart from the blast from the past bag.
The Almanac even included real sports statistics for the right time periods including the UCLA Vs Washington football score that is used in the movie to prove to young Biff that the Almanac is indeed the real deal.
For some reason the bag that was included looked so cheap and so unlike the original that I had to order a more screen-accurate bag just to put my mind at rest, which scared me a little as usually I wouldn’t care if the bag was bright red, blue, orange or whatever as long as the Almanac looked even slightly like the original.
Am I being converted?
Are hours of watching Adam Savage prop building on Tested slowly transforming me into an obsessive replica guy?
No, people scream who are reading this and are slowly dissecting every aspect of why my Almanac isn’t accurate.
For a cheap and cheerful item that will shoot up in value the second a sharpie autograph pen touches it I was happy with the purchase and wanted to share with you this little pick-up.
It’s not perfect but usually movie props never are, cobbled together from odd materials, unaligned craftings and all sorts of fast turnaround bits and bobs, but GREAT SCOTT does it look good in my Back to the Future cabinet.
