If you were a teenager during the 1980s then you were more than likely a fan of writer/director John Hughes. Hughes, who was in his mid-thirties at the time, seemed to understand the youth back then. His films dealt with teenage romance, high school drama, and the need for acceptance by one's peers. Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, etc. were all tackling the anxiety and complex relationship dynamics that tortured teenagers back then.
One of his numerous creations (pun intended), was the story of two geeky kids trying to fit in at school who "accidentally" created a gorgeous, twenty-something, supermodel-like female named Lisa (Kelly LeBrock; The Woman in Red) who did her best to make Gary (Anthony Michael Hall; Halloween Kills) and Wyatt (Ilan Mitchell-Smith; The Chocolate War) come out of their shells. That film, Weird Science, will hit forty years old two years from now but Arrow Video has decided to create a 4K version of the movie that will be available in stores beginning on August 22, 2023.
Interestingly, back in 1985, Hughes managed to assemble a cast of young actors, some of whom went on to become well-known names in Hollywood. From Hall to Bill Paxton (Twister) and Robert Downey, Jr. (Credited as Robert Downey; Iron Man), the film was well cast and the three leading actors had good chemistry, especially because LeBrock was almost ten years older than her male costars at the time.
Generally, Arrow video does a terrific job with these 4K releases and the accompanying materials and I was really looking forward to this movie in particular. However, even though the 2160p resolution is an upgrade, the video quality is hit or miss. There are moments, especially some close-ups of the cast, that are very clear and clean but the majority of the movie is still grainy.
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 fares slightly better than the video quality which is a good thing because the title song by Oingo Boingo deserves to be heard with upgraded quality that is now available. This enhancement also allows various scenes to be richer and more layered than they were in previous releases. For example, the scene where the missile comes through the floor benefits from the upgraded audio.
While the copy that was received for review, unfortunately, did not include the booklet or extras that come in this release, a web search produced a list of the extras. Purportedly the extras are all previously released material and include: Edited-for-TV Version, Split Screen Comparison, Casting Weird Science with Jackie Burch, Dino the Greek with John Kapelos, Chet Happens with Craig Reardon, Fantasy and Microchips with Chris Lebenzon, Ira Newborn Makes the Score, It's Alive! Resurrecting Weird Science, Theatrical Teaser, Theatrical Trailer, TV Spots, Radio Spots, Shooting Script Image Gallery, Production Stills Image Gallery, and Poster & Video Art Image Gallery.
If you are old enough to have seen Weird Science in the movie theater then you will enjoy this latest version and the combo pack. Whether or not you have seen this movie before, you should own it because 1) it's an 80's classic, 2) any kid who is a "nerd" will be able to relate to Wyatt and Gary, and 3) John Hughes spoke to a whole generation and today's youth should study how the world worked before cell phones and Instagram.
With 3-D scanners and incredible advances in technology, we may be a few years away from a real-life Weird Science but for now, you will just have to be satisfied with this 4K release.
Grade: B
