Hello this is Jake Winters for Eye on the Triangle this is Snowverated and this week I will be taking a look at Weird Science.

Weird Science first premiered in 1985 and I am now taking a look at the movie from the perspective of an 18 year old college student in 2016. The eighties has a distinct feeling when it comes to movies as many of us know. They are campy and they always had the perfect ending. I enjoy these movies. Sometimes they can be hard to watch because of how corny they can be but really they always try to leave you feeling good. This movie is no exception to any of these stereotypes and I would say it is one of the most eighties movies that I have ever seen.

To sum up the story for those who have not seen the film it goes like this. Two teenage boys tired of being losers decide to make a perfect girl and the adventure goes from there. There is really no rhyme or reason for anything that happens in the movie other than just two kids were hanging out. The story follows the two as they attempt to find girlfriends and truly this is an eighties coming of age story. They beat their bullies and come out on top. If you feel like I spoiled the movie for you there I am not sure what you were expecting from a movie like this. One of the great things about the story was its imagination. The title of the film doesn’t exactly do it justice when it comes to the weird things that happen throughout. The cast and crew of this film must have had a great time filming and making this movie because there was so much opportunity to do out of the ordinary things. They turned a whole seen blue, sent a living room out of a fireplace, and put a missile in the middle of the house. These situations really gave the movie a feel as if it had truly been created by a fifteen year old in the mid-eighties.

The imagination of the film created some unique challenges for set producers and costume designers. One of my favorite things about movies from the eighties is all of the practical effects that had to be put into place. Some great examples of movies that do this well are labyrinth, which I recommend checking out as well (this is a side note but this movie features David Bowie who sadly passed this week and if you want to watch something to remember bowie this is a great option), Star wars (which I was happy to see they kept many practical effects in the new film the force awakens. They could have made Chewie or any of the other aliens CGI but instead opted for the practical option which was great to see. These are some great examples of practical special effects which if you are wondering refers to a special effect created without CGI. Weird science is no exception to this era of great practical effects. Some of them actual had me wondering how they were able to do them which makes them so great. And of course they added an abomination into the film that is so particular to the eighties. I love that the costumes are physical and really they are works of art. The costumes from this era always have such a standout and unique style. There is some very early CGI used in the movie which is sometimes hard not to laugh at and I feel it was implemented into the film correctly. They made the effects part of the story but they were not ever present and annoying. Just the touch of lightning bolts and electricity for a thematic effect was a great way to add in an effect Weird Science.

One thing I will mention about the actual filming of the movie was the lighting they used. Lighting seemed to play a pretty important role in setting the tone of a scene and I really liked this touch. One thing in particular I noticed was the use of showers to create a colored lighting effect. In most scenes where there are showers, which is a surprising amount, there is a light inside it creating a glowing effect. Each color pertaining to the individual mood of a scene. My favorite use of this bathroom/shower lighting was in an explosion out of a bathroom. They blew up a door with a red light behind it and the effect is really amazing.

I can definitely say that I enjoyed this movie. It was everything I expected from this genre and era and it is unique and fun to watch. I felt engaged in the tale of these two kids, and I really felt happy for them in their ups and down for them when they failed. The acting was exaggerated and really not great but somehow it fit the film well and even with the poor acting I was still able to relate to the characters.

I hate to give movies numbers but lately as I look back at my reviews I have noticed that I usually say a I enjoyed the movie and maybe give a few reasons as to why. This doesn’t really give an accurate representation of how I felt the film was comparatively speaking. So I am going to give this film a 7.8/10. I am also going to go back through my movies I have previously reviewed(which if you would like can be listened to on Eye on the triangles blog) and give them ratings as well.

• Koyaanisqatsi- very abstract but awesome 8.5/10
• A pidgeon sat on a branch reflecting on existence(which is now on Netflix)- Very strange 6.5/10
• Catch Me daddy- Thrilling and unique but it lacked something extremely engaging 6/10
• Amadeus- a good dramatization of history with a little too much drama at parts 7/10
• Brief Interviews with hideous men- hard to put into a few words what I felt here(listen to the review!) 5.5/10
• This is not a film- Eye opening but incredibly boring but rightfully so documentary 5/10
• Turbo Kid- Tried to bring back a style somewhat successfully but it came across overplayed 6/10
• Hidden- one of the only scary movies I have ever like 8/10
• Cop Car- Engaging enough to watch but not overly unique or exciting 6/10
• Bronson- Jumbled mess that may have been on purpose but it is hard to tell 3/10
• They Live- Cult classic that I would recommend 7.5/10
• Planes trains and Automobiles- Good family movie nothing really special 6.5/10
• In bruges- amazing modern Tradgedy 9/10

So that updates all of the movies I have reviewed so far. You can rent this Weird science on most any streaming service and it is a great throwback. Feel free to send any suggestions or comments to the email address public affairs at W-K-N-C DOT ORG I am always glad to hear feedback and opinions. Thank you for tuning into Snowverated, This is Jake Winters for Eye on the Triangle have a good night.