Weird Science (film)

Infobox Film
name = Weird Science(science fiction)


caption = Theatrical release poster
director = John Hughes
producer = Joel Silver
writer = John Hughes
starring = Anthony Michael Hall
Kelly LeBrock
Ilan Mitchell-Smith
Bill Paxton
cinematography = Matthew F. Leonetti
editing = Chris Lebenzon
Mark Warner
music = Ira Newborn
Jimmy Iovine
distributor = Universal Pictures
released = August 2, 1985
runtime = 94 min.
country = USA
language = English
amg_id = 1:53789
imdb_id = 0090305

"Weird Science" (1985) is a 1980s teen film written and directed by John Hughes and starring Anthony Michael Hall, Kelly LeBrock and Ilan Mitchell-Smith. The film's producer Joel Silver acquired film rights to the pre-Comics Code Authority 1950s EC Comics magazine "Weird Science", from which the plot is developed as an expansion and modernization of the basic premise in Al Feldstein's story "Made of the Future" in the fifth issue. The title song was written and performed by the American New Wave band Oingo Boingo.

Plot

Two teenage nerds, Gary Wallace (Anthony Michael Hall) and Wyatt Donnelly (Ilan Mitchell-Smith), unpopular and unable to meet girls on their own, use Wyatt's computer to design the perfect woman. They feed various data (images mostly) into the 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 kind-hearted "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.

The movie ends with a group of high school boys in gym class, talking and joking around as two somewhat nerdy boys, similar to how Gary and Wyatt were at the beginning are given the spotlight. Their gym instructor appears and turns out to be none other than Lisa herself. As the boys look on in stunned silence, the two aforementioned ones in particular, Lisa orders them to "drop and give me twenty". The boys all slap themselves on the head and collapse unconscious to the floor. Lisa smiles at the camera and winks.

Cast

* Anthony Michael Hall as Gary Wallace
* Ilan Mitchell-Smith as Wyatt Donnelly
* Kelly LeBrock as Lisa
* Bill Paxton as Chet Donnelly
* Suzanne Snyder as Deb
* Judie Aronson as Hilly
* Robert Downey, Jr. as Ian
* Robert Rusler as Max
* Vernon Wells as Lord General
* Britt Leach as Al Wallace, Gary's dad
* Barbara Lang as Lucy Wallace, Gary's mom
* Ivor Barry as Henry Donnelly, Wyatt and Chet's grandfather
* Ann Coyle as Carmen Donnelly, Wyatt and Chet's grandmother
* Michael Berryman as Mutant Biker
* Suzy J. Kellems as Gymnast
* James Bredberg as Gymnast/Texas Syndicate Leader

Trivia

* 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. [ [http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,1101830131,00.html TIME Magazine Cover: Pershing II Missile - Jan. 31, 1983 - Missiles - Nuclear Weapons - Cold War - Weapons - Military ] ]
* 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.

Reception

The movie is rated at 53% on the movie review website Rotten Tomatoes. Despite mixed reviews, the film has become a cult classic and is one of the most well-known films of the John Hughes high school in the 80s genre.

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.

Soundtrack

1 "WEIRD SCIENCE"Performed by Oingo BoingoProduced by Danny Elfman and Steve Bartek

2 "TURN IT ON"Performed by Kim WildeProduced by Jimmy Iovine

3 "DEEP IN THE JUNGLE"Performed by Wall of VoodooProduced by Richard MazdaCourtesy of I.R.S. Records

4 "TUBULAR BELLS"Performed by Mike OldfieldCourtesy of Virgin Records, Ltd.

5 "TESLA GIRLS"Performed by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (as OMD)Courtesy of Virgin Records, Ltd. / A&M Records

6 "PRIVATE JOY"Performed by CheyneProduced by Greg Phillinganes and Jimmy IovineVocals produced by Louil Silas Jr.

7 "WANTED MAN"Performed by RattCourtesy of Atlantic Recording Corp.By Arrangement with Warner Special Products

8 "DON'T WORRY BABY"Performed by Los LobosCourtesy of Slash Records / Warner Bros. Records Inc.By Arrangement with Warner Special Products

9 "FOREVER"Performed by TaxiCourtesy of MCA Records, Inc.

10 "METHOD TO MY MADNESS"Performed by The Lords of the New Church (as Lords of the New Church)Courtesy of I.R.S. Records

11 "EIGHTIES"Performed by Killing JokeCourtesy of E.G. Records Ltd.

12 "WHY DON'T PRETTY GIRLS LOOK AT ME"Performed by Wild Man From WongaCourtesy of MCA Records, Inc.

13 "NERVOUS AND SHAKEY"Performed by The Del FuegosCourtesy of Slash Records

14 "THE CIRCLE"Performed by Max CarlProduced by Peter HaukeCourtesy of MCA Records, Inc.

15 "TENDERNESS"By Roger Charlery, David Wakeling & Michael BillinghamPerformed by General PublicCourtesy of I.R.S. Records / Virgin Records, Ltd.

16 "DO NOT DISTURB (KNOCK KNOCK)"Performed by The Broken HomesProduced by Michael Frondelli with The Broken Homes

17 "OH, PRETTY WOMAN"Written by Roy Orbison, Bill DeesPerformed by Van Halen(Original Theatrical & Restored DVD Versions)

Gallery

References

External links

* [http://www.highschoolmovies.com/ The Weird Science DVD Official Universal Studios Site]
* [http://www.fast-rewind.com/weirdscience.htm Weird Science at the 80s Movie Gateway]
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