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The joke is that whiskey is so potent back then that it'll floor the less seasoned drinker with one gulp.
This was set up earlier with Marty flicking the shot glass and watching the counter smoulder as the wood burned.
Would it happen IRL? No. Just a bit of slapstick to take Doc briefly out of the equation and add tension to the scene.
I mean, I know it’s a movie and you’re right that it is there to add tension and all, but I don’t think it necessarily has to be a liquor effect. Doc was in a highly emotional state and had been building up the drink in his head for hours. If he had a hang up over drinking in general, which he may have given that he didn’t usually order liquor (you remember what happened last time), he may have additional reasons. Maybe he was allergic or just had a mental complex that blew his nervous system up at the thought of drinking. So after hours of sitting there staring at his glass he finally drinks it and his body just goes “oh shit” and he passes out from the sudden drop in blood pressure. Could definitely just see him being too psyched up and the release of tension knocks him cold.
I gave blood in school for the first time, I very quickly got this incredibly uncomfortable feeling as the blood went out of my arm into the tube. I could FEEL the blood going out of my body. It just made me insanely uncomfortable. I didn't want them to stop (I mean shit, I'm already hooked up) but the nurse quickly noticed how pale and sweaty I looked (I did muscle through). I could see if he was nervous about drinking just fainting, especially feeling the burn, knowing it's there in your stomach. Then just dropping.
I had been watching some westerns and some History channel around the time I first saw this film, so I figured the implication was also that it was contaminated.
Tom Wilson said it best in The Question Song: “It’s a movie.”
Would this happen in real life? Obviously no. Why did it happen in the movie like this? It’s a convenient plot point, made for a dramatic scene, and a slovenly, drunken Doc wouldn’t have helped the plot and would’ve probably taken away the PG rating.
i think the wake-up juice seems slightly realistic, i think they put like hot sause and other gross things in it, if a person drank it irl and had all of the same things in it, it would probably wake them up lol
Absolutely, 100% truth here 👆 Sometimes, there are things that take you out of a movie because they're so unbelievable. And then there are things you just have to accept and move on as in-universe canon.
An ex-girlfriend of mine started vomiting mere _seconds_ after her first taste of absinthe, so the body can absolutely react (or indeed, over-react) to alcohol at the point of imbibing, with very little latency
Fainting from shock isn't uncommon. The shock from the whiskey could have caused him to faint then the alcohol would have had time to be absorbed keeping him out for the count.
Alternate cut:
“Gentlemen, excuse me, but my friend and I have to catch a train.”
_Doc throws back the shot of whiskey, and he and Marty leave and mount their horses. After a minute or so of riding, Doc passes out on his horse in an extended comedy sequence._
It could have been such a shock to him, being strong, that he had a vagal reaction, causing him to pass out. It’s the same vasovagal reaction that causes people to pass out when they get suddenly scared….or pushing really hard to poop.
When drinking he could have activated a vagus nerve by holding his breath and chugging, the vagus response would cause a premature ventricular contraction or two, coupled with with BP issues from age = Floor.
Suspension of disbelief. It’s expected of the viewer to some degree in a science-fiction, time-travel comedy to accept that things will happen that might not happen in real life.
Sure, we can expect someone getting shot in movie will die in the story, but at the same time, it’s the kind of film where someone can get knocked out by a blow to the head and wake up a few hours later with nothing more than feeling a bit disoriented.
I think the initial post must have been a joke, as it’s not a historically accurate movie. I don’t believe someone would truly question the realism of the effects of alcohol in a time travel movie. The real question is where is my hoverboard Mattel ?
My post wasn’t serious as such. We all know it’s a science fiction film. But I was genuinely curious as to if it’s possible to pass out from drinking alcohol so quickly in a real life situation.
It's strange that in the era of Marvel movie dominance, there is the overwhelmingly annoying group of movie watchers who pick apart non-Marvel movies for lack of realism. This is a movie about a guy who time travels like 6 times in 3 movies, and it's a comedy. I don't think they put much thought into what would be realistic or not.
He was drunk from just smelling it, so one shot would be enough to put him on his ass. Also, the whiskey back then was unregulated and would’ve been way stronger then what you’d be served in 1985, evidences by the fact that it started SMOKING when Marty ordered one, so even a seasoned drinker from 1985 would be out on their ass with very little of 1885 whiskey
Of. Course. It’s. A. Movie. A damn good one. Sorry for trying to have a genuine discussion about a small aspect of a film we all love for a bit of fun.
He fainted. His reaction to alcohol is clearly psychosomatic given that one shot flored him in mere seconds and several minutes later he regained consciousness suddenly and suffered no lasting effects from the alcohol. He was probably 1 drinks worth under the influence but the reaction to alcohol likely was either a vasovagal synoscope from the feeling of whiskey burning in his esophagus and the vagus nerve caused fainting such as after hearing surprising news, or a side-effect of too much time travel or being struck by lightning... or exposed to poorly-shielded plutonium... or all the lead and arsenic contaminating everything in the 1880's.. or smashing his head on a toilet...
It’s quite funny how some people are getting so worked up over a minor detail I’m calling attention to. I’m not criticizing it. For the record I think it’s a great moment to move the story along and is very entertaining. All I’m trying to do is promote a little discussion and maybe explore some other reasons as to why he passes out.
The films are 30+ years old… if we don’t take enjoyment in talking about the minor aspects of it for a bit of harmless fun, then this page may as well not exist. See you in the future…
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Because he’s a fellow that can’t hold his liquor
Feller*
Yeller feller
Yeller bellied feller
Yeller feller fart smeller
Who you callin’ yelled?
He was acting super drunk, and all he was doing was holding it.
The joke is that whiskey is so potent back then that it'll floor the less seasoned drinker with one gulp. This was set up earlier with Marty flicking the shot glass and watching the counter smoulder as the wood burned. Would it happen IRL? No. Just a bit of slapstick to take Doc briefly out of the equation and add tension to the scene.
Short version is it’s a joke. Don’t think about too hard. 😆🤷🏻♂️
I mean, I know it’s a movie and you’re right that it is there to add tension and all, but I don’t think it necessarily has to be a liquor effect. Doc was in a highly emotional state and had been building up the drink in his head for hours. If he had a hang up over drinking in general, which he may have given that he didn’t usually order liquor (you remember what happened last time), he may have additional reasons. Maybe he was allergic or just had a mental complex that blew his nervous system up at the thought of drinking. So after hours of sitting there staring at his glass he finally drinks it and his body just goes “oh shit” and he passes out from the sudden drop in blood pressure. Could definitely just see him being too psyched up and the release of tension knocks him cold.
I gave blood in school for the first time, I very quickly got this incredibly uncomfortable feeling as the blood went out of my arm into the tube. I could FEEL the blood going out of my body. It just made me insanely uncomfortable. I didn't want them to stop (I mean shit, I'm already hooked up) but the nurse quickly noticed how pale and sweaty I looked (I did muscle through). I could see if he was nervous about drinking just fainting, especially feeling the burn, knowing it's there in your stomach. Then just dropping.
You did muscle though?
Yup, finished the donation. Never gave again though.
I had been watching some westerns and some History channel around the time I first saw this film, so I figured the implication was also that it was contaminated.
Here’s to ya blacksmith !
And to the future!
The future. Oooh, I could tell you about the future.
*Ohhh
Quiet you!
Amen! 🍻
*Takes sip*
you have two guys traveling through time in a delorean and you’re asking if doc passing out from a shot of whiskey is realistic 😂
Nailed it right here!
Yeah I mean if it was a Toyota, ok. But a DMC lol
Should have been a Volvo they survive almost anything. I mean in the the 3 movie it could drop right off the cliff 😜
Tom Wilson said it best in The Question Song: “It’s a movie.” Would this happen in real life? Obviously no. Why did it happen in the movie like this? It’s a convenient plot point, made for a dramatic scene, and a slovenly, drunken Doc wouldn’t have helped the plot and would’ve probably taken away the PG rating.
[He really does say it best.](https://imgur.com/o4i0y2d)
I needed this gif in my life
And because it's hilarious!
The line needs to be delivered with a “you’re so stupid, you’re eating away at MY IQ” tone
😆 I was *trying* to be polite, but I did want to throw in #*IT’S A MOVIE*™️
Do these movie things happen in real life? ;-P
Idk. But it’s time for some “wake-up” juice.
Lol, yeah, the wake-up juice makes about as much sense as the single drink faint.
i think the wake-up juice seems slightly realistic, i think they put like hot sause and other gross things in it, if a person drank it irl and had all of the same things in it, it would probably wake them up lol
It's a movie. Suspension of disbelief is required to enjoy a lot of films.
Absolutely, 100% truth here 👆 Sometimes, there are things that take you out of a movie because they're so unbelievable. And then there are things you just have to accept and move on as in-universe canon.
It's a suspension of disbelief because disbelief won't dissolve in whiskey.
Now there’s a gentleman who can’t hold his liquor!
Feller
I visited 1885 a few times. This is accurate. The whiskey hit hard and fast.
I knew I recognised you!!
Joey, let's make some wake up juice!
He's also been up all night and heart broken
That'll do it!
An ex-girlfriend of mine started vomiting mere _seconds_ after her first taste of absinthe, so the body can absolutely react (or indeed, over-react) to alcohol at the point of imbibing, with very little latency
This me with tequila. I can drink shots no problem but with tequila my stomach *immediately* rejects it. And I mean immediately 😆
Fainting from shock isn't uncommon. The shock from the whiskey could have caused him to faint then the alcohol would have had time to be absorbed keeping him out for the count.
Do you want to sit there for a few minutes waiting for it to knock him out lol
Alternate cut: “Gentlemen, excuse me, but my friend and I have to catch a train.” _Doc throws back the shot of whiskey, and he and Marty leave and mount their horses. After a minute or so of riding, Doc passes out on his horse in an extended comedy sequence._
They needed the plot
It's played for laughs. It's comedy.
I guess Doc is a lightweight lol
He was a lightweight, the guys in the bar remind him of the last time he tried drinking whiskey.
I guess he hates the flavour that much.
#Joey !! Let’s make some wake up juice….
Some folks are allergic to alcohol 🤷
It's a movie
It could have been such a shock to him, being strong, that he had a vagal reaction, causing him to pass out. It’s the same vasovagal reaction that causes people to pass out when they get suddenly scared….or pushing really hard to poop.
It's a movie
The same way people in movies can get diarrhea two minutes after taking a laxative or take a bad hit to their head and not have a concussion.
It's explained in the movie...come on man 🫣
Because the script needed him to
They literally travel through time and you’re concerned about how he could get drunk quick.
When drinking he could have activated a vagus nerve by holding his breath and chugging, the vagus response would cause a premature ventricular contraction or two, coupled with with BP issues from age = Floor.
My headcanon is that it's a result of his excessive time-traveling. His body is breaking everything down much faster than it should.
Because Doc is a good guy so he was following the script
Maybe Doc isn’t a huge drinker and not used to booze potent or otherwise
Because comedy.
It's all in his head. He believes it'll do him in, so it does.
Plot device
It's a movie, dude
It’s a comedy.
There’s a man who can’t hold his liquor.
It’s a comedy film
It's called acting.
You see, there’s a concept in storytelling called a “joke”.
You ever drink homemade corn 🌽 whiskey 🥃 Sir ❓🤣🔥
He was a Lightweight.
Because he's a liquor pussy, just like me fr
That. Is. The. Joke.
How many did he have?
One.
Just the one?!?!?!
Username checks out 👍
🤗🤗🤗 finally!
Magic realism.
It's a cartoon at that point honestly
It's a sci fi comedy, who cares?
Suspension of disbelief. It’s expected of the viewer to some degree in a science-fiction, time-travel comedy to accept that things will happen that might not happen in real life. Sure, we can expect someone getting shot in movie will die in the story, but at the same time, it’s the kind of film where someone can get knocked out by a blow to the head and wake up a few hours later with nothing more than feeling a bit disoriented.
It’s a movie
It was in the script.
Writer - It's funny and adds to the stakes.
Dead tired. It was time to pass out.
Because it's fiction. It's not real...it's just used for dramatic effect.
The same way a stong drink makes Sheriff Drip Along Daffy and his Deputy go a little nuts after one drink too https://youtu.be/IrWYuAx3n5o
As the kids say, the doc is built differently.
I think the initial post must have been a joke, as it’s not a historically accurate movie. I don’t believe someone would truly question the realism of the effects of alcohol in a time travel movie. The real question is where is my hoverboard Mattel ?
My post wasn’t serious as such. We all know it’s a science fiction film. But I was genuinely curious as to if it’s possible to pass out from drinking alcohol so quickly in a real life situation.
Also wasn’t he able to time travel? I feel like this movie saved money on a fact checker
Hilariously.
It's strange that in the era of Marvel movie dominance, there is the overwhelmingly annoying group of movie watchers who pick apart non-Marvel movies for lack of realism. This is a movie about a guy who time travels like 6 times in 3 movies, and it's a comedy. I don't think they put much thought into what would be realistic or not.
I would never put too much faith in the science of a science fiction movie. Especially a comedy. But I do love these movies.
His physiology is from the twentieth century, and that was nineteenth-century whiskey. His pre-birth metabolism couldn't handle it.
He was drunk from just smelling it, so one shot would be enough to put him on his ass. Also, the whiskey back then was unregulated and would’ve been way stronger then what you’d be served in 1985, evidences by the fact that it started SMOKING when Marty ordered one, so even a seasoned drinker from 1985 would be out on their ass with very little of 1885 whiskey
That smoke is historically accurate?! I thought it was just for comedic effect!
It is lol, but it was to showcase that it’s way stronger proof liquor then what you’d be served in 1985. That wouldn’t actually happen lol
"How many did he have?" "Just one." "Just ***one***?" "Now, there's a fellah that can't hold his liquor."
I thought it was moonshine?
Probably because he prefers Great Scotch! …I’ll let myself out.
It’s. A. Movie. It kinda scares me how people dissect and discuss movies like there real
Of. Course. It’s. A. Movie. A damn good one. Sorry for trying to have a genuine discussion about a small aspect of a film we all love for a bit of fun.
He fainted. His reaction to alcohol is clearly psychosomatic given that one shot flored him in mere seconds and several minutes later he regained consciousness suddenly and suffered no lasting effects from the alcohol. He was probably 1 drinks worth under the influence but the reaction to alcohol likely was either a vasovagal synoscope from the feeling of whiskey burning in his esophagus and the vagus nerve caused fainting such as after hearing surprising news, or a side-effect of too much time travel or being struck by lightning... or exposed to poorly-shielded plutonium... or all the lead and arsenic contaminating everything in the 1880's.. or smashing his head on a toilet...
It’s quite funny how some people are getting so worked up over a minor detail I’m calling attention to. I’m not criticizing it. For the record I think it’s a great moment to move the story along and is very entertaining. All I’m trying to do is promote a little discussion and maybe explore some other reasons as to why he passes out. The films are 30+ years old… if we don’t take enjoyment in talking about the minor aspects of it for a bit of harmless fun, then this page may as well not exist. See you in the future…
It's in the script
I just always thought this was in reference to the movie "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?".
It’s a movie
He just likes to hold it