The Task: Watch and write about every movie on my shelf, in order (Blu-rays are sorted after DVDs), by June 10, 2015. Remaining movies: 163 Days to go: 157
Movie #220: Real Genius
I watched Real Genius so many times in my ‘tween and teen years, I came to associate that Tri-Star Pegasus with the film itself. Any time I saw it galloping toward and over that giant T, I expected it to be followed by a snappy, jazzy version of “You Took Advantage of Me” and some space lasering of a bald guy in a rattan chair. It’s frequently a disappointment when it isn’t.
Real Genius is a goofy college comedy, but it’s a goofy college comedy about smart kids. About brilliant kids. It’s specifically about a kid named Mitch (Gabriel Jarret), accepted into Pacific Tech at the tender age of fifteen to work on a five megawatt laser project, under the mentorship of senior and uber-genius Chris Knight (Val Kilmer) on the top academic team led by professor Dr. Jerry Hathaway (William Atherton). Of course, anyone who’s ever watched a movie made in the ’80s should know that if William Atherton is involved, his character is up to no good. And that’s the case here, as he wants this laser for the military in order to vaporize enemy targets. Fun!
Despite the heavy-sounding, Cold War-appropriate conflict, however, Real Genius is an irreverent, whimsical comedy. Mitch has a hard time adjusting, a hard time fitting in, and a really hard time relating to Chris — once a young prodigy much like Mitch, now unwilling to take much of anything seriously. Chris reels him in, of course, with the help of the truly delightful hyperkinetic — and crushworthy — Jordan (Michelle Meyrink) and an epiphany garnered courtesy of basement recluse Lazlo Hollyfeld (Jon Gries).
There are also hijinks writ large and small, from ice in the hallways to a house exploding with popcorn, plus a bunch of opportunities to torment rival Kent (Robert Prescott) with all manner of pranks, and vice versa. More than that, though, the entire film is sprinkled with quippy, quotable dialogue full of wit and charm (I reenact the cha-cha scene in my head all the time). And a fair amount of bunny slippers, too.
Lazlo is the best, of course, not only because he appears to live in a closet, but because he rigs a machine to hand-write millions of entries into a contest sponsored by Frito-Lay. Now there’s a guy I’d like to get to know. No wonder Sherry Nugil (Patti D’Arbanville) was looking for him for ten years.
“So, you’ll … hammer later.”
Viable Option 