John Hughes left quite an impact on pop culture having only directed eight films before his passing. The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off were all hits and are now classics that even have managed to make their way into the newer generation’s interest. Funnily enough, Weird Science isn’t as often thrown into the discussion when talking about Hughes work in casual conversation. It should be. Of the ‘Brat Pack, it was Anthony Michael Hall’s shot at a larger role in movies of the 80s and he, along with Ilan Mitchell-Smith and Kelly LeBrock, make Weird Science worthy of more mentions.
Hall and Mitchell-Smith are nerd best friends Gary and Wyatt. Gary and Wyatt are freshmen geeks who have no hope or chance of dating a girl. They belong to the socially awkward group of kids that everyone has encountered growing up, and many of whom are reading this WERE those kids. With no chance of being accepted in school or being noticed by the opposite sex, the two decide to do the impossible: create their own woman through a computer program. Their version of a Frankenstein monster is that of Lisa, who is beautiful, intelligent, and equipped with power that allows her to bend reality to her will. Everything, it seems, has gone terribly wrong or, maybe… terribly right.
Anthony Michael Hall is a comedic alpha in Weird Science.
Like most John Hughes’ films, there’s crass language, innuendos, sexual implication, sexism, and raunchy comedy from every direction. If one can remember they’re watching a film from the 1980s, this shouldn’t be an issue. Full disclosure: it’s a man’s fantasy. Hughes’ concept about having a gorgeous woman to do with whatever one pleases is still, admittedly, something most men would probably kill for. Sure the FX are dated, and the makeup jobs are indicative of old school Hollywood, but apart from that it has everything his other movies ever had – laughs, lessons, and decent plot structuring at the very least. Anthony Michael Hall is a comedic alpha in Weird Science. There’s a joy in watching how much he’s grown at this point from having already participated in Sixteen Candles and The Breakfast Club. His wit, charm, and willingness to make an absolute fool of himself is ever prevailing in his third collaboration with Hughes. Kelly LeBrock is to the day, every man’s dream. Aside from how breathtakingly beautiful she was to look at, she’s just as comically locked in as everyone else. Bill Paxton is even worth a watch as Wyatt’s evil big brother Chet.
It’s a throwback film that has everything anyone could want or expect from the time period. The 1980s is almost a genre all its own. Weird Science fits smack dab into the middle of it, setting a standard for comedies of that decade that Hughes would continue on into the 90s. Fortunately there’s not a need for a time machine as long as one has an Amazon Prime Video account. Otherwise, there’s no shame in spending the money to own this classic.
