Real Genius (1985)
Directed By Martha Coolidge
This is one movie that people just have to see before they die. I have seen this flick at least over a hundred times on cable and VHS and so on. But the funny thing is, I've never owned it. I first saw this movie way back in 1986 I would say; of course on the lovely HBO of the 80's. It is one of my favorite movies and has some of the best one liners around.
The movie is Revenge of the Super Nerds; with no nudity. The film is about a school for the very gifted students of the world. They are wicked smart.
It was directed by Martha Coolidge, of Valley Girl fame, and stars a very young Val Kilmer, starring in his second movie following the very underrated Top Secret. Gabriel Jarret plays the very female looking Mitch and Michelle Meyrink, from Revenge of the Nerds, plays Jordan; Mitch's love interest. Rounding out the cast is William Atherton as, you guessed it the bad guy, Jerry Hathaway and some actor playing Kent the asshole on campus.
Kilmer stars as Chris Knight, you know the guy: he is smart but he is a slacker with the heart of gold. Jarret plays Mitch, he is fifteen in this movie...okay, as the other super smart kid but kind of an stuck up girl. No really Mr Jarret looks very girly in this movie, just saying. These two "genius" are brought together to help get a laser up and running for what they think is the school for fun. Mr Hathaway has the kids making a laser for the army to kill people. Play the evil sounding music please. If they don't finish this laser Knight will not graduate. Oh no what will ever happen?
Living at this school is Kent played by no one at all. Kent is the side kick to Mr Hathaway and kisses his ass the whole movie. Kent is a dick people plain and simple. It is up to Knight to torture the hell out of him at all cost. Some of the best scenes are build around this premise.
This movie is very Animal House in nature, but no nudity, because they play pranks with the jerks of the school. The bad guy is very clueless throughout the movie even though they are all beyond smart. Mitch gets picked on till he learns the only way to get over it is to fight back.
Real Genius gets real serious near the end when the boys find out the real plan for the laser. As usual I won't ruin it for those few who have never seen it. But I hope they get even with him. Just have a BIG bowl of popcorn and watch.
I just want to add that William Atherton plays the best dicks around. He was Walter Peck in Ghostbusters and the asshole reporter in Die Hard and Die Hard 2: Die Harder. Sometimes being typecast is a very good thing. If they make Ghostbusters 3 they really need to bring him back. I'm just saying.
This movie is very 80's. The music is everywhere the characters are very 80's, the main girl is a cute nerd.
So everyone should watch this movie just once. At least to see the guy that lives in the closet. So check it out for the first time or watch it again like me. Till the next forgotten classic....
Good my popcorn is ready...man there's a lot.
9/10
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