Weird Science

Details

Gary Wallace and Wyatt Donnelly are not exactly the most popular guys in high school. In fact they have just been beaten up at the homecoming party. With Wyatt's parents away for the weekend Gary stays over and the pair settle down to watch the late-night movie Frankenstein. That is when Gary has a brilliant idea: why not create the perfect woman using Wyatt's computer?

Not physically of course - that would be far too weird - but by programming the computer to generate their ideal girl. They could ask her questions, place her in fantasy situations and maybe even play a game of chess or two. Perfectly normal teenage behaviour, obviously.

Unfortunately the computer itself does not quite have enough processing power to cope with such an ambitious task. So the pair decide to go online and hack into a powerful government supercomputer. With a little lightning, a lot of questionable science and the traditional ceremonial bras on their heads, the program is launched.

The results are far more successful than either of them could ever have imagined. The computer suddenly springs to life, strange things begin happening around the house and before long a beautiful and mysterious woman appears in Wyatt's bedroom. Gary and Wyatt have managed to create their very own dream woman - and Lisa has a whole range of unusual talents that might just help the two geeks become the popular guys they have always wanted to be.

Picture & Sound

Although this is a rather dated film, the picture quality is surprisingly good. The print appears to have been cleaned up nicely and shows very few problems with grain, dust specks or other age-related issues. Colours remain reasonably vibrant and there is a good level of detail throughout. The transfer avoids most artifacting and outlining issues, although the contrast can occasionally appear a little strong. Nevertheless, for a film approaching twenty years old Universal have done a commendable job.

This DVD re-release boasts remastered DTS and Dolby Digital soundtracks - a significant improvement over the original Dolby Stereo presentation. Anyone who grew up during the eighties will certainly remember the film's soundtrack, and particularly the memorable theme music. Whether you laugh, cringe or start singing along will largely depend on your tolerance for 1980s nostalgia.

Of course there is more to the audio than just the music. While the remastering has improved the overall experience, the dialogue occasionally struggles to cut through when the other channels become busy. The rear channels are used effectively during the lightning and explosion effects, adding a sense of energy to the scenes. There has never been a better opportunity to hear Kelly LeBrock's plummy - and occasionally rather grating - British accent in both Dolby Digital and DTS.

Menu & Extras

After the High School Reunion Collection trailer the main menu appears, accompanied by the film's theme music and a small amount of animation. The sub-menus are static and silent but fade in and out nicely, and the menu backgrounds at least show a bit of effort.

Extras are rather limited, consisting mainly of a low quality Theatrical Trailer and a menu recommending other DVD titles. It is a shame that a film like this did not receive a commentary track or retrospective featurette. Considering that director John Hughes was responsible for some of the most beloved films of the 1980s, it would have been fascinating to hear his thoughts on the production.

Overall

With titles in the High School Reunion Collection clearly aimed at viewers now well into their thirties, Universal are banking heavily on nostalgia. I must admit that I fell for it myself, even selling my old VHS copy to upgrade. From the studio's perspective it is easy money - dust off an old favourite, give it a modest clean-up and let the memories do the rest.

Extras or not, films like Weird Science are difficult to resist revisiting. You can reminisce about the outrageous fashions, laugh at the gloriously outdated technology (is that really a Commodore 64?), and cringe slightly at the music you once thought was brilliant (Oingo Boingo who?). But despite all that, the film remains an entertaining slice of eighties comedy that is impossible not to enjoy. Now where did I put that Chaka Khan CD?

Special features

• Theatrical Trailer
• Recommendations