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By: Jay Dyer
In Part 1, we looked at the odd parallels to the Gremlins universe with Back to the Future, as well as 9/11.  We also saw how Marty’s attempt to overcome the mistakes of his father and initiate an alternate timeline was a result of man’s desire to overcome both the mundane consumerism nightmare that was already developing in the 80s and the limitations of time and space (just as in 2001: A Space Odyssey).  Marty finds the weakness of his parents appalling, initiating a Rube Goldberg series of events that forever alters the destiny of his progeny, leading to an America in which a very negative portrayal of Biff as Donald Trump as President.  The irony, of course, is that Biff only became president due to Marty’s brief temptation to use Doc’s scientific gnosis for monetary gain.
Atomic Boy
However, before we arrive there, we see some bizarre associations marking Marty’s progress in understanding both human psychology and the mysteries.  Marty sees his own lack of confidence and trepidations concerning sexuality and loss of virginity his parents endured.  Marty’s role is almost that of angelic visitor, sent to correct the neuroses of George McFly – and in particular, to grow some damn balls.  George is a science fiction nerd who dreams of writing novels, but has sacrificed these hopes and dreams at the desolate altar of the creepiest omega male.  Using a kind of clever science fiction psy op, Marty appears to George dressed as “Atomic Boy” (the movie playing at the Hill Valley Theater in 1955), pretending to be an alien visitor.
Since this directly mimics the scene in E.T. where astronauts inexplicably appear in Apollo suits to manhandle E.T., we can posit the possibility Spielberg is revealing the entire “alien” phenomena is not what it appears.  Marty, in possession of advanced technology (his Sony Walkman), a cassette tape, and a hairdryer, is able to dupe George into thinking an “alien” has visited (in other words, Marty is able to play on George’s pre-existing willingness to believe in aliens.  And, just as the MJ 12, Roswell nonsense was being popularized in the 50s, Marty likewise demonstrates the alien cover story – a cover story for a black operation intended on promoting the fantasy of extra-biological visitors.

The Enchantment in the Abyss Dance
Time is associated with change, the alteration of form from one state to a new state, in constant progression.  It is thus intimately bound up with spatial relations, which explains the “Flux Capacitor.”  Time, when considered from the causal vantage point is flux, “matter” moving from one state to another.  A capacitor is a passive, two-terminal electrical component that stores electricity in an electrical field.  In Promethean fashion, a capacitor represents man stealing the fire of the gods – electricity or plasma (the fifth element) – and turning that power to his own usage, ultimately to regulate with greater control the flux of passing material reality.  As Marty says to George, “If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything,” perhaps even the mastery of time and space (or so the extreme gnostic supposes).

About the future – having information about the future is dangerous, you can alter the fabric of space and time.  Although I am skeptical that CERN actually does anything related to what the cover story is, considered in relation to the popular notions CERN is purported to be interested in “flux capacitor” type technology.   Regardless, the desire of man in his Promethean drive to master his environment achieved one of its greatest leaps with the invention of the capacitor – to trap and tame Zeus’ very lightning bolts!  This could be the reason for the recurring image of Neptune in the process of the heroes quest.  Note as well that Doc Brown captures the lightning in the legendary fashion of Ben Franklin, as well as having a picture of Franklin above his hearth.
For example, in Dark City Rufus Sewell’s character encounters a Neptune at the darkest moment in the movie theater as he begins to overcome his limitations.  Likewise, Marty encounters Neptune at the Enchantment Under the Sea Dance (The Abyss!), when he is beginning to lose his very being.  Indeed, Venus also appears with Neptune, which is appropriate, given the “magical” act of sex is what brings Marty into being.   If the proper elements are not combined at the right time (Lorraine and Marty, the music, the dance, etc.), Marty will not come to be.  Indeed, Doc himself refers to the Enchantment Dance as a “rhythmic ceremonial ritual…”  Enchantment, indeed!  

Mart McFly – Earth Angel of the New Aeon
The fall into non-being is, of course, the classic Greek notion of what it is to lose one’s place on the Great Totem Pole Chain of Being.  This is also consistent with the later cabalistic notions of time and space and reality, which borrowed many concepts of Neo-platonism, where the God-forms are related to biblical angelology, mathematics and gematria, and the attempt to master these arts to control the environment – the meeting point of science and “magic.”   Indeed, Marty’s first song at the Dance is “Earth Angel” – Marty is the avatar of the “Earth Angel,” (arguably Michael or Satan).  Marty, as angelic emissary of the future aeon, blasts the innocent 50s era teens with the next phase of their social revolution, “rock and roll,” which is heard by the Motown-ish Starlighters.  The Starlighters make a call to Chuck Berry initiating the process of rock music coming to be, with “Johnny B. Good.”    

Like the famous Kubrick imagery, Marty drives toward the film booth to first travel back in time, and later towards Hill Valley’s movie theater when he moves into the future, mirroring part 3, where Marty’s trip to the old west occurs through disappearing into a drive in screen!  In 2001, as Rob Ager has shown, the monolith is a mystical talisman of the future, a representation of the artificial and other-worldly, a means by which mankind can be altered and engineered.  Spielberg continues this Kubrickian theme, where the atomic age of the 50s leads directly to the CERN collider age of our day.   Just as Kubrick films 50 years ago showed us a future through predictive programming, so Spielberg intends to do the same with the sequel, where Marty travels forward in time to our day (2015).  

“In relation to us the eternal God is placed in a position of expectant waiting.  Hence there appears the relation between Himself and time, and from this it can be seen that God holds time bound up with His own eternity.  Eternity accepts time within itself, that is, God accepts the creature, who lives in time, into his eternity although time also represents a spiritual distance between created persons and God.  Eternity is thus as much in time as it is above time.  A distance remains between ourselves and God, but at the same time this distance has its place within the framework of love and hence of God’s eternity.  The distance is time understood both as expectant waiting for an eternity that is directed toward creatures and the hope of the creature directed towards eternity.” -Fr. Dimitru Stanilaoe, The Experience of God, pg 158.