Movie Details
| Title: | Real Genius | |
| Director: | Martha Coolidge | |
| Year: | 1985 | |
| Genre: | College | |
| Times Seen: | 1 | |
| Last Seen: | 11.17.25 |
Other Movies Seen By This Director (1)
- Valley Girl
| Date Viewed | Venue | Note |
| 11.17.25 | Internet | This Screening is part of event: DVRfest 2025 And here we are. The final day. This one's weird because Molly comes home today and most of the movies I watched this week were after 8pm so I don't know how many I can fit in. At least one, maybe two, probably not three. I'll leave all the pondering for the end though. For now, let's get another film off the hard drive. I've seen this multiple times but I guess not in the last 20 years. This movie came up, along with Top Secret and many others, when Val Kilmer died. Everyone else in the DnD group seemed to like and remember it more than me so I thought I'd give it another viewing. This was pretty good! I remember thinking as a kid it should've been more fun and outlandish like movies like Ski Patrol or One Crazy Summer . More pranks and sticking it to the dean. But aside from the ice scene and the indoor beach scene there's not much 80s wackiness, or rather, it's a nerdier smarter brand of wacky that I think I was a little young to appreciate when it came out. Watching it now, I appreciate that a little more attention was paid to logic and reality vs. those other movies. I also remember really actively disliking the character of Mitch and the actor who portrayed him. This time around I wasn't bothered by either so I don't know what was going on there. He's the prototypical Mitch upon which all other Mitches are based. He's certainly not as punchable as William Atherton. That guy made a whole career playing unlikeable guys. He might be one of the most famous punchable faces in Hollywood? I mean, for his performances, not his personal life I don't know anything about his personal life I'm sure he's a nice guy at least I hope he's a nice guy but I don't know either way so step off. I also noticed a nice cameo from Stacy Peralta as the astronaut space gun pilot pitch video which opens the movie. Because the credits are ordered by screen appearance he's actually got top billing so it's not exactly a secret, but I didn't know who Stacy Peralta was back then and I do now. I also saw Valley Girl herself there for a glorified cameo. Gotta love Martha Coolidge reusing the actors she liked. And also the movie ends with a contemporary, unironic use of Tears for Fears' Everybody Wants to Rule the World, which I found surprising and refreshing. It's a good song. Ok... running out of steam with these notes now. Let's fit one or two more and call it. |
