weird science Tagged Articles at Cinematical

I began writing this article within minutes of hearing the news that John Hughes passed away unexpectedly this afternoon, and I'm still reeling a bit, more than I had anticipated. Like most movie fans of my generation, I first heard of him in the summer of 1983, when two movies he'd written, Mr. Mom and National Lampoon's Vacation, were released within a week of each other. I saw both, smiling at Mr. Mom and laughing hard throughout Vacation. The following year, Sixteen Candles, his directorial debut, hit theaters, and he was off to the races.

Hughes was a prolific writer and a busy producer throughout the 80s and 90s, leaving his personal stamp on dozens of projects, not to mention the eight films that he personally directed. He mined his suburban Midwestern teenage territory thoroughly, leaving no awkward, class-conscious, embarrassing, financially slighted, pretty in pink, uncomfortable stone unturned. He left behind so many memorable movie moments that it would be a foolhardy project for me to try and list them all, but here are seven of his greatest, listed chronologically.

1. National Lampoon's Vacation
Hughes expanded his own short story into an epic road trip, as the Griswold family heads west from Chicago on a "quest for fun" to Walley World. Along the way, they endure annoying relatives, smelly Aunt Edna, and a dog that becomes a drag. Oh, and Dad tries skinny dipping with a supermodel. The clip that seems most emblematic of their travails comes late in the picture, as Mom and the kids start complaining again, until Dad finally loses it. Hughes was an expert at using the "f-word" (and other profanity) to great comedic effect. [Watch clip after the jump.]

Up there you have uber geeks Anthony Michael Hall and Ilan Mitchell-Smith (who is now, believe it or not, a professor) trying to make the perfect woman in Weird Science. They give their perfect woman a handful of boob (because the rest would be a waste), and a mixture of Albert Einstein and Diamond Dave to fill her brain. (What could be more well-rounded?!) The result -- out pops Kelly LeBrock.

Now, in a podcast with SciFi Wire about artificial intelligence, geek hero Joss Whedon discusses his dislike for the film: "I hate Weird Science not a little. I find it offensive, the boy fantasy of building a girl. Obviously, we were doing the nasty version of it [in Buffy the Vampire Slayer], because I find it grotesque."

But what do you think?

An added bonus for Whedon fans: He's working on a film script with Drew Goddard -- that writer from Buffy who recently penned Cloverfield.

Way before American Pie came along and re-defined the teenage sex comedy, there was a little film from 1982 called The Last American Virgin. When I ask people whether or not they've ever seen this flick, nine out of ten times the answer is no. However, in my mind, The Last American Virgin has every right to stand alongside beloved cheesy 80's classics like Weird Science, The Breakfast Club, Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Pretty in Pink. Why? Well, it's just that awesome. Oh, and it has an unbelievable soundtrack. Yay Journey!

When we examine the majority of teenage comedies from the 80's, themes of virginity and pregnancy are everywhere. Heck, these were big topics back then -- young girls getting knocked up, forced to find a way to pay for an abortion. And, on the flip side, virginity was being used as a major character flaw. Instead of rooting for our hero to save the day, all we wanted him to do was get laid. Today, your standard teenage sex comedy tends to stay away from any kind of heavy dramatic element like pregnancy and abortion, choosing to focus more on elaborate set pieces and raunchy jokes to carry a film.