Fox notes in his new memoir, &34;Future Boy,&34; that the film's diehard fans have raised the specter of the &34;temporal anachronism&34; to him &34;again and again.&34; Michael J. Fox addresses notorious Back to the Future goof that fans still hound him about Fox notes in his new memoir, &34;Future Boy,&34; that the film's diehard fans have raised the specter of the &34;temporal anachronism&34; to him &34;again and again.&34; By Ryan Coleman :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/RyanColemanauthorphoto0081ce8f0254478080f35972c433877b.

Fox notes in his new memoir, "Future Boy," that the film's die-hard fans have raised the specter of the "temporal anachronism" to him "again and again."

Michael J. Fox addresses notorious Back to the Future goof that fans still hound him about

Fox notes in his new memoir, "Future Boy," that the film's die-hard fans have raised the specter of the "temporal anachronism" to him "again and again."

By Ryan Coleman

Ryan Coleman

Ryan Coleman is a news writer for with previous work in MUBI Notebook, Slant, and the LA Review of Books.

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on October 30, 2025 4:45 p.m. ET

Michael J. Fox in 'Back to the Future'. Credit:

Universal Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

- *Back to the Future *star Michael J. Fox writes in his memoir that fans still pester him about one small anachronism in the film.

- The temporal goof concerns the famed Gibson ES-­345 that Fox's character, Marty McFly, plays during the 1955-set school dance scene.

- *Back to the Future *celebrates its 40th anniversary this year with a return to theaters on Nov. 7, and a jam-packed new 4K Steelbook.

For most, time travel movies provide great, escapist fun. For others, they're just minefields of aggravating anachronisms.

In his new memoir about the making of the 1985 sci-fi comedy classic *Back to the Future* — *Future Boy*, released on Tuesday — star Michael J. Fox breaks the narrative at multiple points to sing the praises of the film's enduringly loyal fans. But he's aware that the flip side of close and attentive watching is scrutiny of even the film's most minor mistakes.

Case in point, the iconic scene in which Fox's time-traveling teenager Marty McFly fills in for the injured guitarist in a 1955 prom band and launches into rocking renditions of "Earth Angel" and "Johnny B. Goode," channeling pioneering rock legend Chuck Berry.

"To play 'Johnny B. Goode,' Marty borrowed Marvin Berry's Gibson ES-­345, a guitar first introduced in 1958 -­ three years after the 1955 scene in the movie," Fox explains, calling the goof­ "a temporal inconsistency that guitar aficionados and *Back to the Future* fans have pointed out again and again."

Fox writes, "Granted, this is noteworthy only for the thousands of *Future* heads who clock every detail in the movie and parse every quirk in the timeline continuum."

But staying real, a film like *Back to the Future -* which continues to generate repertory screenings, inspire fan conventions, and sell merchandise like a newly released blockbuster - has a fanbase comprised of more than a few obsessives.

Fox clarifies that where the "Johnny B. Goode" guitar is concerned, "there's no cinematic Easter egg intended here -­ the film's art department simply picked the ES-­345 because it evoked the iconic wine-red axe that Chuck Berry famously duckwalked across stages all over the world."

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Fox is right — guitar heads and *Future *devotees alike have taken note of the production flub, even pointing out that like the ES-345, Berry's "Johnny B. Goode" wouldn't be released until 1958. It would track that Marty knows the tune, coming from 1985, but how would his 1955 backing band know to accompany him on a song that wasn't yet written?

In any case, Fox notes that "both the '55 and '58 versions of the Gibson electric are rare and beautiful instruments; for me, it makes little difference which I played. I've always loved the Gibson E line: big, imposing guitars yet hollow-­bodied and therefore lightweight. Even a little guy like yours truly could sling 'em and fling 'em and still make 'em sing."

Michael J. Fox playing a Gibson ES-345 in 'Back to the Future'.

Universal/Getty

It's an exciting time to be someone who hyperfixates on this particular *Back to the Future *flub.

In June, Gibson announced a global search for the guitar that Marty plays in the film, which Fox notes in *Future Boy*,* *"In the decades since the movie's release, the guitar used in 'Johnny B. Goode' has grown more important for what it isn't than what it is. What it isn't is available—­ which is to say, it's missing."

In its announcement, the instrument-maker explained that "during the making of the sequel to the film, the filmmakers went to look for the guitar, and it was nowhere to be found. Now, music fans worldwide have the chance to help Gibson find the most important guitar in cinema history." Fox and several of his costars, including Lea Thompson and Christopher Lloyd, added their voices to the company's plea, encouraging fans to visit www.losttothefuture.com with any tips.

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.*****

To celebrate this year's 40th anniversary of the film's premiere, *Back to the Future *is returning to theaters on Nov. 7, and the full trilogy is receiving a new 4K Steelbook release loaded with special features.**

Original Article on Source

Source: "EW Movies"

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Source: Movies

Published: November 03, 2025 at 09:38AM on Source: MARIO MAG

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