Did you know that actor Michael J. Fox, unforgettable Marty McFly from the “Back to the Future” saga, had filmed almost 30 years ago under the direction of Woody Allen?
Michael J. Fox has acted in front of the cameras of great filmmakers throughout his career. There was Robert Zemeckis for the Back to the Future saga, Brian De Palma for Outrages, Peter Jackson for Ghosts Against Ghosts and Tim Burton for Mars Attacks! But did you know that the one who greatly regrets having said no to a cult film had also shot for Woody Allen?
In 1994, then aged 33, Michael J. Fox, who recently gave his opinion on a possible reboot of Back to the Future, played one of the main roles in the TV movie China Nights (Don’t Drink the Water in original version). Written and directed by Woody Allen the same year as Gunshots on Broadway, this burlesque comedy plunges the viewer into the middle of the Cold War.
The story of Chinese Nights follows the adventures of Walter (Allen himself) and his family, who are spending vacation in an Eastern European country. Accused of espionage for taking photos, they find refuge at the American embassy where they meet a particularly incompetent diplomat. And it is Michael J. Fox who lends his features to this character who is quickly overtaken by events!
The TV movie China Nights is the adaptation of the first play written by Woody Allen for Broadway, in 1966. After a cinematographic version released three years later, led by Jackie Gleason, which did not bring him satisfaction, the New- Yorkais decided to adapt his creation himself a quarter of a century later, but for television.
If you want to see Michael J. Fox in an offbeat Woody Allen comedy, China Nights is the place to turn. We take this opportunity to recommend the very touching documentary dedicated to the American actor, entitled Still: the life of Michael J. Fox and available on the Apple TV+ platform.
The trailer for the documentary “Still – The Life of Michael J. Fox”: