Weird Science is a 1985 American science fiction comedy film written and directed by John Hughes, produced by Joel Silver, and starring Anthony Michael Hall, Ilan Mitchell-Smith, Kelly Le Brock, Robert Downey Jr. and Bill Paxton. The title song was performed by Oingo Boingo.
The movie is about two teenage nerds who use computer science to literally create the perfect woman as their own personal project. Of course, everything goes wrong when she turns out to be more than they bargained for.
Weird Science is one of those classic 1980s movies that has stood the test of time. It’s a true cult classic with a dedicated following.
If you’re a fan of Weird Science, here are 15 things you might not know about the movie:
1. John Hughes wrote the script in just six days.
2. The original title of the movie was “Make Me Over”.
3. Kelly Le Brock’s character was based on a real person. Hughes saw a picture of her in a magazine and thought she was beautiful.
4. The film was shot in just six weeks.
5. The scene where Gary and Wyatt are chased by the police was actually filmed without permission. The police were called and the crew had to stop shooting.
6. ILM, the company that did the visual effects for Star Wars, also did the effects for Weird Science.
7. Robert Downey Jr.’s character, Chet, was based on a bully from John Hughes’ own high school days.
8. Bill Paxton’s character, Hugh, is named after director John Hughes.
9. The pool scene was filmed in an actual public pool. The crew had to pay to use it after hours.
10. Kelly Le Brock was only 19 when she made the film.
11. Robert Downey Jr.’s salary for the film was just $40,000.
12. Anthony Michael Hall’s mother makes a cameo appearance in the movie as one of the chaperones at the dance.
13. There are two versions of the movie: the original theatrical release and a longer “special edition” that was released on home video.
14. The movie was nominated for two Academy Awards: Best Original Song (“Weird Science”) and Best Visual Effects.
15. John Hughes later said that Weird Science was his favorite of all the movies he directed.