The summer of 1985 was a pretty magical time to be a young person obsessed with cinema. Month after month, there were movies released that would end up sticking with audiences to this very day. During this period of time, you had films such as The Goonies, Back to the Future and Teen Wolf making people flock to the box office. There was even a one-week period where three movies debuted with the common theme of teenagers using science to get both in and out of trouble. Weird Science and Real Genius are considered favorites among even the most casual of cinephiles, but can you confidently say that you have even heard of My Science Project? This comedy from director Jonathan R. Betuel was the last of these three to be released, and it was by far the least successful both financially and critically. Yet, there are some ardent fans who keep the memory of this forgotten gem alive enough to earn it a label as a cult favorite. Functioning as some amalgam of Back to the Future and Ghostbusters, the film brings a fair amount of sci-fi fun to the screen to earn a place as a late-night nostalgia trip. With Kino Classics bringing it back in the spotlight, we wanted to take a closer look to see if it should be better known.
Every story needs an unexpected hero, and the person up to the task in this particular story is high school senior Michael Harlan (John Stockwell, Christine). Michael is not a bad kid, but school does not interest him much outside of auto shop class – his love of muscle cars is a defining character trait. He does have a fairly favorable reputation around school among the cool kids, which makes him a person of interest to the bookish Ellie Sawyer (Danielle von Zerneck, La Bamba) who only wants to not be nominated as “most likely to become a spinster.” Michael agrees to help Ellie out by going out on what may or may not be called a date, but is mostly just an excursion to find something that could be useful in his science project final. Thankfully for the plot of the film, Michael happens to break into the abandoned government facility that functions as the repository for a crashed UFO from the 1950s. Despite Ellie’s protest the trespassing and salvaging, Michael finds a glowing orb that catches his eye. As we know from every movie ever, you should not really mess around technology of unknown origins.
If Michael is our stoic hero-type that is meant to eventually save the day, there has to be the larger-than-life friend who provides comic relief. Character-actor extraordinaire Fisher Stevens (Short Circuit) is more than up to the task as Michael’s best friend Vince Latello, the epitome of wise-cracking sidekick that annoys as much as he delights. Stevens makes a lot of big choices with this character, but he remains entertaining even when certain choices are misguided. The two unlock the powers of the orb at school, which puts the campus and the town at large in the middle of some time-warping shenanigans which finds people and objects coming and going from the past with increasingly dire consequences. Despite a limited budget, the special effects that the movie employs are effective for what they need to do, especially in a fun sequence involving a prehistoric visitor. The movie does not break any new ground in terms of plot, but it executed capably enough to deem it entertaining, if not an all-time classic. With a little bit tighter direction, the film could have possibly been elevated to such a distinction.
If the film is missing any single key ingredient, it would have to be the lack of a more compelling leading man. John Stockwell is doing a fine job, but he is not doing anything special to stand out, such as a Michael J. Fox or even an Anthony Michael Hall. The best that can be said is that he gets the job done without much of a fuss. The other performers seem to be putting more energy into their performance, such as the aforementioned Stevens or Danielle von Zerneck. Ellie could have been a character that was truly a throwaway role, but von Zerneck brings a real sweetness and intellectual sincerity that makes you fall in love with her. The script thankfully does not invoke the old trope of “remove her glasses = instant hottie” that can be so reductive. For an 80s female co-star, she is given a fair amount to do. Another brief secret weapon is the appearance of Dennis Hopper as the crazy ex-hippie science teacher who finds himself on the wrong side of the orb. My Science Project did not make a huge cultural impact when it was released, but judging it on its own today allows one to see it as the enjoyable, harmless 80s comedy movie that you just want to experience sometimes.
Video Quality
My Science Project comes to Blu-Ray from Kino Classics with a digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.35:1 that appears to be derived from an older master that is in really good shape. The presentation is pretty excellent throughout most of the runtime with image stability and delineation being top notch. Instances of print damage are nearly nonexistent, and overall clarity and detail is stunning. This transfer maintains the natural film grain of the presentation with only minor instances of it seeming a bit clumpy. The picture can run a bit soft in long shots, but colors are well saturated in a visually splendid way. Skin tones are natural and consistent with subtle facial features easily noticeable in closeup. Black levels hold up well with very little in the way of crush. This presentation is quite impressive, and by all accounts a big improvement from the previous Mill Creek Entertainment release.
Audio Quality
This new Blu-Ray comes with a lossless DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix that captures the intention of the film really well. The dialogue holds up wonderfully, coming through clearly without being stepped on by the music or sound effects. The environmental effects are delineated nicely from the humming of the orb to the chattering in bustling classrooms. The track avoids any instances of age related wear and tear or distortion. This is a film that utilizes music really well, and it is presented with great clarity. The songs maintain a pleasing fidelity as they fill up the room. This is a track that represents the film in a loving manner. Optional English subtitles are provided on this disc.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Critics Mike McPadden and Kat Ellinger provide an entertaining and informative track in which they discuss their relationship to the film, its reputation following its theatrical run, the visual aesthetic of the film and much more. These two are a wealth of information and are worth checking out for those who love the film.
- Interview with Co-Star Fisher Stevens: A newly-filmed seven-minute interview with Stevens in which he discusses his journey to the film, memories of working with his co-stars including the late Dennis Hopper, the film’s reception upon its release and many more interesting anecdotes. If there could only be one newly-filmed discussion from this film, you would want it to be with Stevens.
- Trailers: There is a three-minute trailer included for My Science Project. There are also trailers for Spaced Invaders, My Boyfriend’s Back, Date With An Angel, The Manhattan Project and Losin’ It.
Final Thoughts
My Science Project does not stand shoulder to shoulder with certain classic films from the same era in cinematic history, but it is a really enjoyable ride that offers up 80s goodness. The film has a solid supporting cast, some hearty laughs and some commendable special effects for the time period. Kino Classics has delivered a Blu-Ray with a pretty great A/V presentation and a couple of interesting special features. If you have a soft spot for this one, this disc is the way to go without question. Recommended
My Science Project is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
