Customer Reviews

Weird Science [VHS]

5 star:		(78)
4 star:		(30)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This DVD tries to suck the buyer in by telling him/her that this DVD contains music from the original score...which it might have, but along with that there comes the added bonus of missing lines that made the movie a classic...for instance the "If there's one thing I know its female stats..." line is completely gone. There are others but I don't have enough room to put them here. Not since the latest Animal House with the missing "Have you seen my rolling papers?" line has a DVD release been so disappointing. While these things may not matter to the majority of you viewers, it will to some of you so you have been warned.

Another John Hughe's classic. It falls into the same DVD treatment as 'Sixteen Candles' though. It was released poorly on DVD, and is no longer in production. But hold on, there's rumours that this and 'Breakfast Club' and '16 Candles' will get the DVD treatment they deserve in time for their 20th Anniversary! Weird Science, although silly at times, is a must-have 80's classic with some VERY entertaining scenes. Wait for the next DVD release, please don't pay high amounts for the used early DVD copy!

Finally, the big boys in hollywood have been decent enough to grace us with a re-release of one of the great teen flick's of the 80's. Starring a young and accomplised Anthony michael Hall (The Breakfast Club) and a host of other 80's stars, the story follows two 15 year old teens who decide to make a virtual woman on their computer. However, things become more then just virtual as the woman they created becomes more then just a dream, and infact, real!

If your a fan of director John Hughes, then this is a DVD you simply have to own. It'll go nicely with other classics like "The Breakfast Club", "Sixteen Candles", "Pretty In Pink" and many more.

Oh, one more thing...I'm glad its being re-relesed for 2 reasons. 1) my VHS copy is almost worn out. 2) I wont have to pay for a over priced second hand copy.

Bad news for John Hughes fans, those waiting for feature-laden new special editions of his holy trinity - Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club and Weird Science - will undoubtedly be disappointed by the upcoming reissues. Although all feature newly remastered 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfers and Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 surround tracks, there are no extras included at all aside from trailers, and Sixteen Candles doesn't even get that. While retail is a low $$$$$$ apiece, after all the wait and endless postponements, such bare-bones reissues are just another thumb-in-the-eye to the consumer. There are different versions of both films from TV and video, there have to be deleted scenes and outtakes, not to mention the fact that commentary from Hughes, or any of the films stars should be easy to get. This is the cd scam all over again - don't wait for a third, or fourth version of the films to come out - make them do it right the first time!!!

Gary (Anthony Michael Hall) and Wyatt (Ilan Mitchell-Smith) are two nerdy high school guys with fantasies of popularity and dreams of acceptance. While the reality factor goes right out the window as the movie progresses, I think the core theme of the movie is something a lot of people could relate to, the feelings of alienation at that awkward age, where even minor differences seem so large and significant, and the wanting to fit in, to be accepted.

In a twist on the classic Frankenstein story, Gary and Wyatt start out by trying to create a virtual woman on Wyatt's super computer, but then they push the envelope and venture into the great unknown when they end up creating a flesh and blood woman. Their hair-brained scheme succeeds beyond their wildest dreams whne the beautiful Lisa (Kelly LeBrock) appears. Only problem is Lisa becomes more than they bargained for, giving them what they wanted, and then some.

There are so many great lines in this movie, and the casting of all the characters is right on the nose. Could you imagine anyone else playing Chet, Wyatt's overbearing, controlling, mean spirited brother than Bill Paxton after watching this movie?

The once fantasy, now reality, begins to develop complications, as boys must contend with not only their fledgling popularity, but also how to explain the existence of Lisa. Matters aren't helped any as Lisa decides to throw a gigantic party for the boys (Wyatt's parents are out of town). Between their fear of Chet, a surprise visit from Wyatt's grandparents, and the arrival of a gang of mutant party crashers, the boys certainly have their hands full. Will Gary and Wyatt get what they want? Do they even know what they want?

While more based in fantasy than Sixteen Candles or The Breakfast Club, the John Hughes' touch is evident in his choice of non-mainstream music, direction, dialogue, and the underlying themes of teenage angst and rebellion. There have been some reviewers commenting on how the movie may have been cropped, but I honestly didn't notice. A big deal was made about how the original theatrical soundtrack was put back into the movie, but I had only really seen this in the theaters, so I am unaware of how previous releases were presented. What was noticeable was the lack of any real extras, like commentaries, production notes, interviews, or other related materials. While it's understandable that some movies get a barebones DVD release, I would have thought this movie would have warranted more than it got.

Could anyone really create a girl on their computer in 1985? Probably not, but that doesn't stop Gary (brat packer Anthony Michael Hall) and Wyatt (Ilan Mitchell Smith) from giving it a shot. Mystical forces soon take over and the two high school losers are left with a beautiful bombshell who is willing to fulfill their every desire. Every boy's dream, right?
Well, not exactly. They are so inexperienced and scared that they don't know what to do with the wild party girl. The movie walks us through their journey from quirky geeks to studs when they finally stand up for themselves.
The two guys have great comic chemistry with Kelly LeBrock, computer babe Lisa and create many laughable encounters with each other and other characters. Bill Paxton, a more serious actor today, is convincing as the rotten Chet. This is the role I will always remember him for, no matter what other movies he goes off to make about ghosts or twisters.
Director/writer John Hughes delivers another timeless gem about teenagers, continuing with the traditions of "The Breakfast Club" and "Sixteen Candles." Here he gets a little sillier, but still remains clever and true-to-life.
DO watch this movie uncut on VHS or DVD if you really want to enjoy it. Cable TV does it absolutely no justice.

This is one of the great 80s flicks, courtesy of the great 80s flicks guy, John Hughes. There are a hundred moments in this movie that flash me back to being an awkward 13 year old dork (as opposed to the awkward 32 year old dork I am now). And so many great lines! "Do you realize it's snowing in my room, godd**it?" Or when Gary opens the bathroom door and the cute girl asks, "What are you guys doing in there?" "Gary was just takin' a s**t!" *flash to a hand slapping Wyatt's face*

And, ya gotta love the bar scene, where a drunk Gary "tells his tale."

Anyway, it's a funny, funny movie, and highly recommended to anyone who loves the John Hughes 80s. An essential!

John Hughes and a likable, enthusiastic cast walk perfectly on a tightrope between funny and silly in this film that is still marketed as "silly teenage fantasy-comedy" but, to its credit, is really much more.

As a former male teenager I can tell you that lots of males spend lots of time thinking about things that:
1. No one else thinks of and,
2. Would NEVER come true

But they think about these things anyway. To some degree the ability to measure how "grown up" a man has become is to discover how much he's given up these immature fantasies. In most men they never go away entirely, although I should say that most of the men I know who are "no fun" are the ones who have completely left behind their silly teenaged self.

Anthony Michael Hall is featured as Gary and Ilan Mitchell-Smith plays Wyatt. (Bill Paxton is a scream as Wyatt's military-academy mental brother Chet.) Gary and Wyatt are geeky early high-school wimps (often featured in Hughes movies, who dream of hot cars, hot babes, popularity and their own place in the spotlight.

In the fantasy world of this movie they use a computer with tons of input and connections to create "Lisa", played by Kelly LeBrock. Lisa is not only willing to shower with Gary and Wyatt (in a very asexual and minimally nude scene), but is essentially a "magic genie", able to grant multiple wishes to Gary and Wyatt. They get hot cars, they throw killer parties, other cute teenaged girls get interested in them. When militaristic Chet finds wild goings-on at the house (while Mom and Dad are conveniently away, of course) he initially blows a gasket. Lisa uses her magic powers over and over. When Grandma and Grandpa come over to visit Lisa "freezes" them like statues and they get stowed in a closet. Chet finds Grandma and Grandpa in that condition and screams at Wyatt "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW DISRESPECTFUL THAT IS?!" Lisa turns Chet into a disgusting blubbery mass with few recognizable features except for the still-intact military crewcut on top of his head. The Chet-mass burps and farts and is generally disgustingly hilarious for the kind of folks who think those kinds of things are hilarious.

This is not a movie for someone looking for a serious movie. Nor is it for someone looking for "realism". It's silly in a very good-hearted way. If you ever wanted to see teenaged boys get their every wish coming true - this if the film you've been waiting for.

I am a big fan of '80s teen comedies. I grew up on movies such as "The Breakfast Club", "Sixteen Candles", "Better Off Dead", and "Weird Science". Those are movies that I can constantly watch and still laugh at the sure silliness of the films. "Weird Science" is a silly premise when Anthony Michael Hall (Gary) and Ilan Mitchell Smith (Wyatt) create their perfect woman Kelly LeBrock (Lisa) with a Barbie doll and a little computer hacking. Gary and Wyatt aren't exactly popular with the girls in school so they decided to create their ideal woman one night when Wyatt's parents leave for the weekend. The results is non-stop chaos and hilarious comedy. In two days, the boys learn to become more confident in themselves and more comfortable in their own skin thanks to Lisa. I can never tire of watching this movie no matter how many times Comedy Central or any other cable network airs this movie. I can still laugh at when Chet (played by the hilarious Bill Paxton) gets turned into a Jabba the Hutt-like creature by Lisa or when the boys take the girls home. For me "Weird Science" is a timeless movie.

I agree with the other reviewer. This is a great movie, but why would anyone pay $[money] for a DVD when most DVDs are selling for around $[money]? For that price it should come with the software that the two geeks used to make the girl! I still give the movie five stars though. Along with Ferris Bueller's Day Off it defines the classic 80's teenage genre. Go rent it for now until the price for the DVD comes down.