Weird Science (1985)

Two nerdish boys attempt to create the perfect woman, but she turns out to be more than that.

Director:

John Hughes

Writer:

John Hughes

Stars:

Anthony Michael Hall, Kelly LeBrock, Ilan Mitchell-Smith

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Anthony Michael Hall	...	Gary Wallace
Kelly LeBrock	...	Lisa
Ilan Mitchell-Smith	...	Wyatt Donnelly
Bill Paxton	...	Chet Donnelly
Suzanne Snyder	...	Deb
Judie Aronson	...	Hilly
Robert Downey Jr.	...	Ian (as Robert Downey)
Robert Rusler	...	Max
Vernon Wells	...	Lord General
Britt Leach	...	Al Wallace
Barbara Lang	...	Lucy Wallace
Michael Berryman	...	Mutant Biker
Ivor Barry	...	Henry Donnelly
Ann Coyle	...	Carmen Donnelly (as Anne Bernadette Coyle)
Suzy J. Kellems	...	Gymnast

Storyline

Two unpopular teenagers, Gary and Wyatt, fail at all attempts to be accepted by their peers. Their desperation to be liked leads them to "create" a woman via their computer. Their living and breathing creation is a gorgeous woman, Lisa, whose purpose is to boost their confidence level by putting them into situations which require Gary and Wyatt to act like men. On their road to becoming accepted, they encounter many hilarious obstacles, which gives the movie an overall sense of silliness.

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Plot Keywords:

perfect woman | teenager | computer | dream girl | baseball bat | 

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Taglines:

If you can't get a date, make one!

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Genres:

Comedy | Fantasy | Romance

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 August 1985 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ciencia loca

Filming Locations:

Black Lagoon, Backlot, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Box Office

Gross:

$16,300,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film is titled after the anthology comic book series, published in the 1950s by the legendary William M. Gaines and his company EC Comics, which also published Tales from the Crypt and Mad Magazine. The plot of the film is loosely based on the story "Made of the Future" by Al Feldstein, from the fifth issue. Producer Joel Silver had acquired all EC film rights in the early 1980s.

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Goofs

Just before the Icee is dropped onto Gary and Wyatt, you see they only have a "large" cup. Yet when the Icee pours onto them, the amount is much more than the cup would have held.

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Quotes

Lisa: I can be a real serious bitch if I don't get what I want.

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Connections

Edited into Weird Science: She's Alive (1994)

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Soundtracks

"THE MAGIC FLUTE - OVERTURE"
(uncredited)
by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

User Reviews

Bill Paxton is unleashed to audiences

I'm not sure how many people really read these reviews in IMDb but if there are people out there like me that enjoy this forum quite a bit, then they will know that I have loved Bill Paxton's work forever. I can tell you he was in Stripes and he was one of the punks in Terminator and he even had a small role in Commando. His three best films in my opinion are True Lies, Aliens and his classic turn as Chet in Weird Science. Anyone that has seen this film will tell you that they loved it when Chet comes home to find it snowing in his room. Or how fun it was to watch him torture Wyatt by extorting money from him. "For Christ sakes Wyatt will you cover yourself! " Bill Paxton may be best known for his work in James Cameron films but it is John Hughes that we have to thank for unleashing him onto audiences with this amazing turn as Chet Donnelly. He is the meanest, nastiest older brother and yet he is screamingly funny. Bill Paxton had a cameo in a film called The Last Supper years later and his character really could have been a grown up Chet. But it is here that we get to laugh at some of Paxton's best work. Weird Science is one hell of a funny film and John Hughes is responsible for that, but if Chet wasn't played by Bill Paxton then it just wouldn't have been the same.

As the film goes, it is quite good. I don't believe it is Hughes' best, that honour, in my opinion, goes to The Breakfast Club, but it is very very entertaining. And as one reviewer said before me, you had to have grown up in the 80's to really appreciate this film. And underneath all of what this film is about, it is still just a film about the insecurities of being a teen, getting the girl and living happily ever after. I think Hughes may have been writing the script for Sixteen Candles, stopped in the middle of it and then took acid with Chevy Chase or John Candy and then came up with this idea because some of the situations really are right out of nowhere.

Take for example the actual creation of Lisa. The two geeks hook up a doll to the game of Operation?? and then with bras around their heads, they connect the computer and then lightning and winds invade their room and then Kelly LeBrock walks out of their closet. Acid for sure.

Then there is the scene with Vernon Wells and his biker buddies. A highschool house party and then a bunch of guys on motorcycles straight out of Mad Max breaks into the house and starts to terrorize the kids. Acid trip for sure.

Acid aside, Weird Science is a trip through time. If you were born in the 70's and went to highschool in the 80's like I did, then you are probably familiar with the name John Hughes, and if you are then you are probably a fan of most of his work. Along with Ferris, Sixteen Candles, Breakfast Club and some of his adult films like Planes Trains... She's Having a Baby and even Vacation, Weird Science is a film that should be seen again. It is 15 years old and perhaps people can say it is dated some, but to me it is a throwback to what films were like in the 80's. This film is fun, hysterical and enjoyable. And it has Bill Paxton in one of the funniest roles in any career. This is a fun film and if you haven't seen this in quite some time, then maybe you should.

8 out of 10