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 | Weird Science (1985) |
| Summary | Two dorky teens build the perfect woman. |
| Genre | Comedy |
| Direction | John Hughes |
| Downey Factor | Low, but it is a supporting (and speaking!) role. |
| Character | Ian, a stereotypical teen bully. |
| Looks | Not overly impressive, unless you liked him when he was younger. |
| Performance | Best you can expect given narrowness of the role. |
| Dies, Gay or Villain | No, no, yes |
| Other Actors | Anthony Michael Hall, Kelly LeBrock |
| Connection | Anthony Michael Hall in Hail Caesar and Johnny Be Good. |
| RDJ Says | For the Weird Science audition, John Hughes, who was supposed to be real hip at that moment, said, "So you want to run the scene with the guy before you do it?" I said, "No." Went in. Read the scene. I rocked. And John Hughes is like "Hey – I found another one." ... I defecated in [Kelly LeBrock's] trailer, much to the chagrin of Bill Paxton and Robert Rusler. It was a real bad scene. Joel Silver freaked. I never admitted it. Joel said, "Downey, did you do it?" and I said I wish I had. Because I'd been threatening everyone that if they didn't treat me right, I was going to take a dump in their trailer, or that I'd go take a shit in Joel's office, on his desk or something. |
| Lit Reference | Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley In the press kit, the filmmakers refer to Frankenstein as inspiration for the plot of this movie. |
| Release | August 1985 |
| Availability | A staple at any good video store. Released on DVD in Region 1 and 4. |
| Foreign Titles | Argentina: Ciencia Loca (Crazy Science) Brazil: Mulher Nota Mil (A Woman Rated 1000) Denmark: Tast Mig, Jeg Er Din (Key Me, I'm Yours) France: Une créature de rêve (A Creature of Dream) Germany: L.I.S.A. - Der Helle Wahnsinn (L.I.S.A. The Bright Insanity) Germany: Cooler Zauber mit Lisa (Cooler Charm with Lisa) Italy: La Donna Esplosiva (The Explosive Woman) Poland: Dziewczyna z Komputera (Computer Maiden) Russia: Strange Science (English translation) Spain: La mujer explosiva (The Explosive Woman) Sweden: Drömtjejen (Dream Girl) |
| Rotten Tomatoes | 50% Fresh | 20 Reviews |
| Critical View | Chris Barsanti, filmcritic.com: Like something dug out of the back of John Hughes’s closet, among all the back issues of Amazing Tales, Playboy, and Mad – adolescent fantasy writ large and kind of creepy. Weird doesn't even really begin to describe this spotty misfire. |
| 2 Reasons to See It | 1. After all these years, John Hughes' indulgent fantasy is still an effective 90 minute distraction from a boring suburban life. 2. They wear bras on their heads. |
| Overall | Classic 80s teen flick is entertaining, but not worth seeing strictly for Downey. |
| If You Liked It | You might also like A Scanner Darkly (2006), Back to School (1986), AquaNet |
| Photos |