IMDb > Real Genius (1985)
Real Genius
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Real Genius (1985) More at IMDbPro »

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Real Genius (1985) -- Sinematurk - Trailer (Flash)
Real Genius (1985) -- MyMovieScripts.com - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
6.8/10   11,591 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 8% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Martha Coolidge
Writers:
Neal Israel (screenplay)
Neal Israel (story)
more
Contact:
View company contact information for Real Genius on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
7 August 1985 (USA) more
Genre:
Comedy | Romance | Sci-Fi more
Tagline:
Who ELSE can turn lasers into light shows, aircraft into armchairs, and high-tech into hijinks? more
Plot:
Teenage geniuses deal with their abilities while developing a laser. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
2 wins & 2 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(8 articles)
Villains We Love: William Atherton
 (From Cinematical. 28 October 2009, 11:33 AM, PDT)

10 Great Films You Didn’t Know Were Directed By Women
 (From FilmSchoolRejects. 8 October 2009, 3:17 PM, PDT)

User Comments:
Jiffy Pop more (114 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Runtime:
108 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Metrocolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
When Hollyfeld sends in a large number of entries to the Frito-Lay contest, he is mirroring the actions of Caltech students Steve Klein, Dave Novikoff and Barry Megdal, who, in 1974, used a similar strategy to win a McDonald's sweepstakes. Their entries came to roughly 1/5th of the total entries and won them a station wagon, $3,000 and $1,500 in food gift certificates. more
Goofs:
Incorrectly regarded as goofs: When Jordan brings Chris and Mitch the fake IDs to get into the military base she first gives the wrong one to each of them, then switches as Chris Knight (Val Kilmer) is looking at his he flips it over to another picture of him, but the name on the top is that of Mitch Taylor (Gabriel Jarret). Jordan gave them the wrong badges because she accidentally mixed up which picture went on which badge. more
Quotes:
Bodie: Well, I guess it goes from God, to Jerry to you to the cleaners. Right, Kent? more
Movie Connections:
References "The Mighty Mouse Playhouse" (1955) more
Soundtrack:
You Took Advantage of Me more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
7 out of 7 people found the following comment useful.
Jiffy Pop, 28 November 2005
7/10
Author: aimless-46 from Kentucky

The imagination and quality of Hollywood movies in the early and mid 80's had regressed back to the pre "Bonnie and Clyde" days (the early and mid-60's being the worst ever period of American movie-making).

Fortunately there were a few gems like "Real Genius" to sustain audiences. Any film that features a memorable moment like Deborah Foreman's articulation of her standards for a male companion, a memorable character like Michelle Meyrink's hyper-kinetic Jordon, and the memorable sight of a house exploding from the force of a giant Jiffy Pop container can never be forgotten.

And who doesn't feel good just watching the neighborhood kids play in a mountain of popcorn to the sound of Tears For Fears' "Everybody Wants To Rule The World".

Although "Real Genius" has not totally escaped the ravages of the past 20 years, it has held up reasonably well. Now it can even be appreciated as a sort of time capsule, demonstrating rather strikingly the complete computerization of the applied sciences that has occurred during the relatively short time period since its 1985 release. Other than Kent's incidental use of an early computer in his dorm room and a mostly decorative monitor in the lab, these now essential machines are absent from this techno film. Amazing!

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

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