They had such high hopes for October 21, 2015.
Back in 1989, the makers of Back to the Future sent its lead cast Marty (Michael J. Fox) and Doc (Christopher Lloyd) hurtling into the future, and they landed on October 21, 2015 in a world filled with hoverboards, flying cars and shoelaces that tied themselves.
But we can’t say we completed disappointed 1989.
Here’s a lowdown of what we have managed to invent and push into the mainstream:
1- We got drones.
In Back to the Future, everyone’s got a drone buzzing over their head. In 2015, we have drones taking pictures of us at shaadis, delivering our Amazon goodies, and picking up our laundry, if you believe this Time report.
2- Video calling: Been there, done that… since 2003
Old Marty gets fired on a video call in the film
Back to the Future imagines that we’d be video conferencing on 60” screens, but since the invention of Skype and its many successors, we’ve been waving ‘Hi!’ on our computer screens and cell phones.
3- Video glasses are also a thing, thanks to Google
Video glasses was the Gameboy for *Back to the Future* 2015 kids
Video glasses was the Gameboy for Back to the Future 2015 kids. Marty and Jennifer’s kids studiously ignored their family, and chatted on the phone and watched TV on their video glasses instead.
Google may no longer be selling Google Glass, but you can still buy a pair on eBay and watch videos, record images, and search the internet.
4- 3D movies are so common, we’re bored of them!
The Jaws hologram gave Marty quite the scare in the movie
While we haven’t had the pleasure to see 19 installments of the Jaws series (maybe that’s a good thing), there’s never a time when there’s no 3D movies screening in the cinemas.
5- Pepsi Perfect exists… for a day!
Pepsi created a replica (right) of the Pepsi Perfect shown in Back to the Future
Never one to miss out on a marketing stunt, Pepsi is selling limited edition bottles of Pepsi Perfect, the vitamin-infused soda of choice in Back to the Future. And fans are getting them cheap! The bottles, which were sold in the film for 50 bucks, cost only $20.15 as a nod to the year 2015.
PS: Although not as ubiquitous a sight as the makers of Back to the Future would have liked to believe, hoverboards exist (they’re just not very good), as do flying cars and Nike had plans to roll out a self-lacing version of Air Mags this month. So we’re not that far behind!