Weird Science (film)

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Weird Science
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	United States
Language	English

Weird Science is a 1985 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 American New Wave band Oingo Boingo.

[edit] Plot

Two teenage nerds in Shermer, Illinois, 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. Lacking enough computing 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 confident guys 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

• 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
• John Kapelos as Dino
• Jill Whitlow as Susan, the Perfume Salesgirl
• Wallace Langham as Art (billed as "Wally Ward")
• Renee Props as a member of The Weenies
• Kym Malin as Girl Playing Piano

[edit] Reception

The movie is rated at 53 percent on the movie review website Rotten Tomatoes^[1]. 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.

[edit] 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] Soundtrack

1. "Weird Science" – Oingo Boingo
2. "Turn It On" – Kim Wilde
3. "Deep in the Jungle" – Wall of Voodoo
4. "Tubular Bells" – Mike Oldfield
5. "Tesla Girls" – Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
6. "Private Joy" – Cheyne
7. "Wanted Man" – Ratt
8. "Don't Worry Baby" – Los Lobos
9. "Forever" – Taxxi
10. "Method to My Madness" – The Lords of the New Church
11. "Eighties" – Killing Joke
12. "Why Don't Pretty Girls Look at Me" – Wild Man from Wonga
13. "Nervous and Shakey" – The Del Fuegos
14. "The Circle" – Max Carl
15. "Tenderness" – General Public
16. "Do Not Disturb (Knock Knock)" – The Broken Homes
17. "Oh, Pretty Woman" – Van Halen

[edit] Filming locations

The boys live in Highland Park, Illinois. The mall scene in Weird Science took place at Northbrook Court on Northbrook, Illinois. It has since been heavily modified.

The exterior high school used was New Trier Township High School in Winnetka, Illinois.

The car chase scene at the end of the movie takes place on St. John's Ave. in Highland Park. When they turn the corner, they are on Central Ave. in Highland Park.

The house from the movie was also used in Donnie Darko and Not Another Teen Movie. It is located at 4252 Country club drive Long Beach, California.

[edit] Gallery

West view of the Long Beach, California (4252 Country Club Drive, Long Beach CA) 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, and 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

[edit] External links

• The Weird Science DVD Official Universal Studios Site
• Weird Science at the 80s Movie Gateway
• Weird Science at the Internet Movie Database
• Weird Science at Allmovie