Weird Science (film)

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This article is about the film. For the TV show based on the film, see Weird Science (TV series). For other uses, see Weird Science.
Weird Science(science fiction)

Theatrical release poster
Directed by John Hughes
Produced by Joel Silver
Written by John Hughes
Starring Anthony Michael Hall
Kelly LeBrock
Ilan Mitchell-Smith
Bill Paxton
Music by Ira Newborn
Jimmy Iovine
Cinematography Matthew F. Leonetti
Editing by Chris Lebenzon
Mark Warner
Distributed by Universal Pictures
Release date(s) August 2, 1985
Running time 94 min.
Country Flag of the United States United States
Language English
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile

Weird Science (1985) is a popular 1980s teen film written and directed by John Hughes and starring Kelly LeBrock.

The title song was written and performed by American New Wave stalwarts Oingo Boingo.

The title "Weird Science" was taken from the famous pre-Comics Code 1950s EC Comics magazine Weird Science.

Contents

[edit] Plot

Two teenage nerds, Gary (Anthony Michael Hall) and Wyatt (Ilan Mitchell-Smith), unpopular and unable to meet girls on their own, use a computer to design the perfect woman. They feed various data (images mostly) into Wyatt's computer. Lacking sufficient processing power, they hack into a US Government mainframe and use its power to create a computer simulation of "the perfect woman" in order to place her in "real life sexual situations" and see how she reacts. A bizarre electrical storm (à la Frankenstein, their inspiration) follows, and they find themselves unable to shut the computer off.

Mysteriously, the result is "Lisa" (Kelly LeBrock), a real-life woman (who emerges from a red fog in the bathroom). She is a sexed-up but deeply caring "80's babe" with Einstein's IQ, David Lee Roth's attitude and inexplicable supernatural powers. Self-aware from the moment of her creation, Lisa sets about revealing their inner coolness, transforming Gary and Wyatt from nerds into men through a series of wacky and bizarre adventures. Using her magic powers, she takes them to a Blues Club, confronts Wyatt's domineering older brother Chet (Bill Paxton), and throws a giant party at Wyatt's upscale home. In the end, the boys get no sex from their mentor, but are seemingly on the path to a relationship with two cute girls their own age.

[edit] Cast

[edit] Trivia

 Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines.
The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.
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Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2008)
  • Anthony Michael Hall makes a reference to a girlfriend from Canada. His character "Brian" from The Breakfast Club (1985) also makes a reference to a fictional girlfriend from Canada.
  • The Time Magazine from which Gary and Wyatt accidentally create a nuclear missile is the January 31, 1983 issue.[1]
  • Shermer, the fictional town in which many of John Hughes' movies are set, is derived from the name of a village (Shermerville) outside Chicago, Illinois. Northbrook, an affluent suburb, is the community used to represent Shermer in Hughes' films. Shermer Road can be found there.
  • During the computer scene, when the two are gaining access to a better computer, a reference to The Twilight Zone is made; the show's intro is shown as computer generated images.
  • Chet references The Terminator with the line "I'll be back." while searching for Wyatt. Bill Paxton appeared in the Terminator as well as starring in Aliens with Michael Biehn who starred in The Terminator.

[edit] Reception

The movie is rated at 53% on the movie review website Rotten Tomatoes, whereas the other aforementioned Hughes films have a combined average rating of almost 91%.

[edit] TV series

Main article: Weird Science (TV series)

A television show based on the film debuted in 1994 and ran for 88 episodes. Following the same basic plot as the movie it starred Vanessa Angel as Lisa, Michael Manasseri as Wyatt, John Mallory Asher as Gary, and Lee Tergesen as Chet.

[edit] Gallery

West view of the Long Beach, California home used in Weird Science as the fictional, upscale Donnelly family home and the location of the Gary-Wyatt party. The Weird Science house also appeared in the 2001 comedy film Not Another Teen Movie in the 2001 drama/psychological thriller/science fiction film Donnie Darko.

Northwest view of the Weird Science house

West view 1 of the Weird Science house

West view 2 of the Weird Science house

[edit] References

  1. ^ TIME Magazine Cover: Pershing II Missile - Jan. 31, 1983 - Missiles - Nuclear Weapons - Cold War - Weapons - Military

[edit] External links

v • d • e
American films of the 1980s
1980 · 1981 · 1982 · 1983 · 1984 · 1985 · 1986 · 1987 · 1988 · 1989
v • d • e
John Hughes
As Director and Writer
Sixteen Candles (1984)  · The Breakfast Club (1985)  · Weird Science (1985)  · Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)  · Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987)  · She's Having a Baby (1988)  · Uncle Buck (1989)  · Curly Sue (1991)
As Writer Only
National Lampoon's Class Reunion (1982)  · Mr. Mom (1983)  · National Lampoon's Vacation (1983)  · Nate and Hayes (1983)  · Pretty in Pink (1986)  · Some Kind of Wonderful (1987)  · The Great Outdoors (1988)  · Christmas Vacation (1989)  · Home Alone (1990)  · Career Opportunituies (1991)  · Dutch (1991)  · Beethoven (1992)  · Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)  · Dennis the Menace (1993)  · Baby's Day Out (1994)  · Miracle on 34th Street (1994)  · 101 Dalmatians (1996)  · Flubber (1997)  · Home Alone 3 (1997)  · Reach the Rock (1998)  · Just Visiting (2001)  · Maid in Manhattan (2002)