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The Rewatchables ·

Weird Science

year 1985decade 80sdirector John Hughesgenre Science fictiongenre Comedygenre Fantasy
host Bill Simmonshost Kyle Brandtproducer Craig Horlbeck
All 17 categories

The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award · 1:10:46

The theme song is the best 1980s movie theme

Bill Simmons: The Weird Science theme is proposed as the best 1980s movie theme song.

Kyle Brandt: Lisa is criticized as a condescending and inconsistent mentor despite having been created by the boys.

The Coach Finstock Award for Best Life Lesson · 1:39:31

“We can deal with shame

Bill Simmons: The warning that death matters more than embarrassment is selected as the life lesson.

The film

Weird Science (1985)

Directed by John Hughes · Science fiction

94 minutes

IMDb Find on JustWatch Find on Rotten Tomatoes
Cast

Selected cast credits · Film reference

Anthony Michael Hall Gary Wallace
Ilan Mitchell-Smith Wyatt Donnelly
Bill Paxton Chet Donnelly
Vernon Wells Lord General (a character reflecting his Mad Max 2 role)
Britt Leach Al Wallace
Barbara Lang Lucy Wallace
Michael Berryman mutant biker

Everything from the episode

In the order the hosts got to it. Open a row for the discussion.

31:00

Most Rewatchable Scene

Split: Chet trying to make drunk Gary vomit; Gary’s father

Split: Chet trying to make drunk Gary vomit; Gary’s father

In the discussion (18)
Approx. transcript time · 00:31:00Read transcript
  • The opening gym credits, pantsing, cheer, and theme song are nominated. — Bill Simmons
  • The gym sequence prompts memories of changing and showering during the school day. — Kyle Brandt
  • Gary and Wyatt using the computer to create Lisa is nominated, with the special effects praised as the point when the movie escalates. — Bill Simmons
  • The computer sequence prompts memories of sleepover rewatches and the scarcity of adult imagery before the internet. — Kyle Brandt
  • The bar scene and Gary’s Richard Pryor-style performance are nominated, while the hosts acknowledge that such an impersonation would be rejected today. — Bill Simmons
  • Chet trying to make drunk Gary vomit at the top of the stairs is nominated for both Paxton and Hall. — Bill Simmons
  • The hosts imagine Chet joining The Real World and The Challenge, complete with rivalries and a later media career. — Kyle Brandt
  • The mall drink spill followed by Lisa confronting the bullies is nominated. — Bill Simmons
  • A participant recalls repeatedly declining The Challenge because its environment no longer appealed to him. — Kyle Brandt
  • Lisa meeting Gary’s parents, announcing the party, embarrassing Gary, and erasing his father’s memory is nominated. — Bill Simmons
  • A joking Hall of Fame compares sexually preoccupied movie characters and debates excluding incarcerated characters. — Kyle Brandt
  • The failed second attempt to create a woman is nominated. — Bill Simmons
  • Chet confronting the party in the blue kitchen is nominated. — Bill Simmons
  • The grandparents in the closet are nominated as a joke that remains funny. — Bill Simmons
  • The goodbye to the girls and Chet becoming a toad are nominated as satisfying ending beats. — Bill Simmons
  • The party at maximum chaos is an alternate final choice. — Kyle Brandt
  • Chet confronting drunk Gary at the top of the stairs is the explicit most-rewatchable selection. — Bill Simmons
  • One participant says his personal choice is still Gary’s dad. — Bill Simmons
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49:54

What’s Aged the Best?

The practical effects, parents-away trope, and the lesson about being liked for oneself

The practical effects, parents-away trope, and the lesson about being liked for oneself

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 00:49:54Read transcript
  • The practical effects, including the chimney and moving house, are praised as effective for 1985. — Bill Simmons
  • The parents-away-for-the-week teen-movie premise is praised. — Bill Simmons
  • The film’s lesson that people should like the boys for themselves rather than their possessions is praised. — Bill Simmons
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1:03:17

What’s Aged the Worst?

The uncomfortable kisses and other dated elements

The uncomfortable kisses and other dated elements

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:03:17Read transcript
  • The film’s uncomfortable kisses are discussed as dated. — Kyle Brandt
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1:10:46

The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

The theme song is the best 1980s movie theme; Lisa is a poor mentor

The theme song is the best 1980s movie theme; Lisa is a poor mentor

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:10:46Read transcript
  • The Weird Science theme is proposed as the best 1980s movie theme song. — Bill Simmons
  • Lisa is criticized as a condescending and inconsistent mentor despite having been created by the boys. — Kyle Brandt
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1:15:58

Casting What-Ifs

Casting alternatives and Anthony Michael Hall’s choice of this film over European Vacation are discussed.

Casting alternatives and Anthony Michael Hall’s choice of this film over European Vacation are discussed.

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:15:58Read transcript
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1:17:33

The Joey Pants “That Guy” Award

John Kapelos

John Kapelos

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:17:33Read transcript
  • The actor who plays the Breakfast Club custodian wins, with Gary’s father also considered. — Kyle Brandt
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1:19:00

The Dion Waiters Award for Best Heat Check Performance

Gary’s father

Gary’s father

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:19:00Read transcript
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1:19:44

Recasting Couch

The director/cast recasting block discusses comic-performance alternatives.

The director/cast recasting block discusses comic-performance alternatives.

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:19:44Read transcript
  • The director-and-cast recasting block considers performers who could handle the movie’s broad comedy. — Bill Simmons
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1:21:44

Apex Mountain

Anthony Michael Hall and turning a person into a toad: yes

Anthony Michael Hall and turning a person into a toad: yes

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:21:44Read transcript
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1:25:06

Cruise or Hanks?

An early-career Cruise version of Wyatt is considered.

An early-career Cruise version of Wyatt is considered.

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:25:06Read transcript
  • An early-1980s Cruise is considered for Wyatt. — Kyle Brandt
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1:29:10

Picking Nits

The shared bathroom, twin beds, mansion geography, and Illinois real estate

The shared bathroom, twin beds, mansion geography, and Illinois real estate

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:29:10Read transcript
  • One friend taking a shit while the other remains in the bathroom is called implausible and unpleasant. — Kyle Brandt
  • The two twin beds in Wyatt’s room are questioned. — Bill Simmons
  • The extraordinary size and quality of the North Shore suburban houses are questioned as a recurring 1980s-movie fantasy. — Bill Simmons
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1:34:10

Just One Oscar

Oingo Boingo or Danny Elfman (tentative)

Oingo Boingo or Danny Elfman (tentative)

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:34:10Read transcript
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1:34:26

Probably Unanswerable Questions

The group asks whether either boy had sex with Lisa, what her new life entails, and why the late chase exists.

The group asks whether either boy had sex with Lisa, what her new life entails, and why the late chase exists.

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:34:26Read transcript
  • Whether Gary or Wyatt had sex with Lisa is asked; the evidence is judged to indicate neither did. — Bill Simmons
  • Lisa’s housing, credentials, first gym class, dating life, and basic bodily needs after becoming a teacher are questioned. — Bill Simmons
  • The late police-and-train chase is questioned as padding added to reach feature length. — Kyle Brandt
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1:38:06

What Piece of Memorabilia Would You Want From This Movie?

LeBrock’s jacket, the Playboy trunk, and the defaced family portrait

LeBrock’s jacket, the Playboy trunk, and the defaced family portrait

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:38:06Read transcript
  • Kelly LeBrock’s sleeveless jacket is considered, with its reported pawn-shop sale noted. — Kyle Brandt
  • Wyatt’s trunk filled with magazines is selected. — Bill Simmons
  • The family portrait defaced with Hitler mustaches is selected. — Bill Simmons
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1:39:31

The Coach Finstock Award for Best Life Lesson

“We can deal with shame; death is a much bigger issue”

“We can deal with shame; death is a much bigger issue”

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:39:31Read transcript
  • The warning that death matters more than embarrassment is selected as the life lesson. — Bill Simmons
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1:39:52

Best Double Feature

Mannequin and The Breakfast Club

Mannequin and The Breakfast Club

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:39:52Read transcript
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1:40:09

Who Won the Movie?

Anthony Michael Hall and Kelly LeBrock

Anthony Michael Hall and Kelly LeBrock

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:40:09Read transcript
Podcast choices
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More from the conversation

The opening review context praises Kelly LeBrock while limiting the movie’s appeal to teenage boys.
Approx. transcript time · 00:01:49Read transcript
The film is placed among unusually deranged 1985 teen movies and compared closely with Superbad.
Approx. transcript time · 00:04:05Read transcript
The computer premise is discussed as an early hacker and AI fantasy, including comparisons with WarGames, Siri, Alexa, and Her.
Approx. transcript time · 00:09:55Read transcript
John Hughes’s extraordinary 1983–1990 run and his definition of geeks versus nerds frame the film’s authorship.
Approx. transcript time · 00:15:28Read transcript
The closing reaction treats the film as an unusually dense, wholesome, and bizarre 1980s artifact.
Approx. transcript time · 01:41:26Read transcript