Continuity mistake: After Marty is looking in awe at the 1950's records store, his hair swaps from messy to brushed backwards right when he walks backwards on the grass.
Continuity mistake: After Doc Brown sends Einstein one minute into the future, the rest of the scene until he returns is played out in real time. There are no scene cuts, and any camera angle changes are accompanies by continuous audio which negates any possibility that time has been stretched or compressed. However, it takes Einstein 1 minute 21 seconds to return.
Visible crew/equipment: A boom mic reflection is visible on the vent window of Doc's van when Marty asks him if the plutonium was ripped off. (00:26:35)
Continuity mistake: Whilst George McFly is pegging out the laundry, Marty is explaining his plan as to how he can make Lorraine fall in love with him. At the start of the scene, both of Marty's breast pocket flaps are untucked. After putting the bag down, one tucks itself in, then they return to normal when Marty says "let's go over the plan again". (01:09:55)
Audio problem: When Marty is playing the intro to "Johnny B. Goode" you can hear some cymbals in the background. But you can see behind him that the drummer isn't hitting any. (01:27:30)
Other mistake: When young George and Marty are in the backyard talking about what will happen at the dance, young George hangs up clothes to let them dry, but if you look closely the clothes are actually already dry.
Continuity mistake: As the Delorean accelerates towards Doc and Marty in the car park, in a shot from the car's perspective they're a few feet apart, then we cut to a close up, and they're right next to each other. (00:21:45)
Continuity mistake: While Marty is admiring the new truck, Jennifer walks onscreen. Once the angle changes, Marty's left arm is resting on an entirely different part of the door. (01:49:50)
Continuity mistake: When Biff and gang are chasing Marty on the skateboard, they eventually crash into the rear of a manure-hauling dump truck. When the car swerves left in an attempt to miss it, it will obviously pull somewhat to the left. In the shot just before impact, you can see that just the rear half of the car should impact the truck, but in the next shot the car rests perfectly centered behind the dumps open load. (01:07:25)
Character mistake: Before playing Johnny B Goode Marty says it's a blues riff in B, but then plays the song in B-flat.
Continuity mistake: In the whole where When Biff is chasing Marty (on the 'skateboard') around the Town Square, the sun changes at every shot.
Continuity mistake: When Doc finds Marty's letter in his pocket, the big hook fastened to the DeLorean's passenger side is seen facing the sky. Pretty soon Marty slides across the hood and into the DeLorean, but now at this point it's facing the ground instead. (01:33:35 - 01:35:50)
Continuity mistake: When the McFlys are together in their kitchen, Lorraine asks everyone to drop Uncle Joey a line. At this point George lowers his left hand and seemingly reaches for silverware on the table. But between shots, he lifts his hand back to its original position all of a sudden. (00:15:00)
Continuity mistake: Before Lorraine brings Joey's cake, George leaves a bunch of crumbs on the table and starts to watch TV and do some numbers. After the cake lands on the table, the place is spotless.
Continuity mistake: When Doc syncs his stopwatch and the dog's, he holds them away from their bodies. A frame later his hands are close to his chest and there's dog hair all around.
Continuity mistake: After Joey's cake lands on the table, George puts his arm to the right of the cereal package. A frame later it's on the left side and holding a pencil.
Continuity mistake: After escaping from the Peabodys, Marty stops the car in the middle of the road and exits with his hair all messed up. A frame later it's brushed. (00:33:57)
Continuity mistake: When Marty gets hit by the car and wakes up in Lorraine's bedroom. She constantly calls him Calvin. Marty says "Calvin, why do you keep calling me Calvin"? When he says this he puts his arm on his lap. In the next shot behind him when Lorraine replies, his hand/arm is by his side. (00:43:40)
Continuity mistake: When George is in the school cafeteria talking to Marty about science fiction stories, he holds the notepad differently with each changing shot. (00:58:55)
Continuity mistake: While Marty's 1950s family is having dinner, the milk bottle's level is one mark below the red printed label. A second later it's 5 centimeters above the red mark.
Answer: It's a way of saying "scram" or "get lost." But Biff is so dim, he doesn't realize he's saying it wrong; the expression is "make like a tree and leaf", with the joke being that "leaf" is meant to sound like "leave."
Cubs Fan ★