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[Preview] Image Comics to Release Jesse Lonergan’s Sci-Fi Graphic Novel PLANET PARADISE

by Jason Bennett
written by Jason Bennett

HEDRA MASTERMIND BRINGS READERS JAW-DROPPING
GRAPHIC NOVEL PLANET PARADISE THIS NOVEMBER

On the heels of Jesse Lonergan’s bestselling one-shot story Hedra, which sold out instantly and sent the industry atwitter with praise, comes a new offering from Lonergan in forthcoming original graphic novel Planet Paradise. The science fiction story will showcase more of Lonergan’s groundbreaking talents and is set to hit shelves from Image Comics this November.

In Planet Paradise, to survive after crash landing on an alien planet, a vacationer must battle against a hostile environment, killer lizards, corporate bureaucracy, and the pessimism of her sole companion, the drug-addled captain of the ship.

“Planet Paradise has elements of the visual experimentation that was such a big part of Hedra, but because of the longer form, I was able to have more twists in the story and give more depth to the characters,” said Lonergan.

PREVIEW PAGES

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Planet Paradise (ISBN: 9781534316980, Diamond Code AUG200053) will be available on Wednesday, November 11 and in bookstores on Tuesday, November 17. It can be pre-ordered at your local comic book shop or independent bookstore via Bookshop or IndieBound, or it can be pre-ordered on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, and Indigo.

Planet Paradise will also be available for purchase across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, comiXology, and Google Play.

Publisher – Image Comics

Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of bestselling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has six individuals on the Board of Directors: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri, Jim Valentino, and Eric Stephenson. It consists of five major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline Comics, Skybound Entertainment, and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, fantasy, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com.

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In Theaters 12.20.19
Movies / TV

[Movie News] In Theaters This Week – December 20, 2019

by Tori Ann
written by Tori Ann

There’s less than a week before Christmas, so there are quite a few high-profile films in case you’re looking for something to do over the holiday weekend. The musical Cats gets a new silver screen premiere, the women of Fox News take on a toxic workplace, and the Skywalker saga of Star Wars comes to an end.

Bombshell (R)

A group of women decide to take on Fox News head Roger Ailes and the toxic atmosphere he presided over at the network.

Directed by Jay Roach

Starring: Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, Margot Robbie, John Lithgow, Allison Janney

Release date: December 20

Cats (PG)

A tribe of cats called the Jellicles must decide yearly which one will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and come back to a new Jellicle life.

Directed by Tom Hooper

Starring: Taylor Swift, Francesca Hayward, Idris Elba, Judi Dench, Ian McKellen

Release date: December 20

Dabangg 3

Third installment of the Dabangg film series.

Directed by Prabhu Deva

Starring: Salman Khan, Warina Hussain, Sonakshi Sinha, Sudeep, Prabhu Deva

Release date: December 20

Gorillaz: Reject False Icons

Focused on the life of the band and their collaborators over the 3 vital years in which they developed critically acclaimed albums, ‘Humanz’ and ‘The Now Now’, and undertook their most ambitious world tour to date.

Directed by Denholm Hewlett

Starring: Seye Adelekan, Damon Albarn, George Benson, Jehnny Beth, Yasiin Bey

Release date: December 16

Only Cloud Knows

The film revolves around a Chinese man who returns to New Zealand following the death of his wife and begins to discover that she harbored a number of secrets.

Directed by Xiaogang Feng

Starring: Xuan Huang, Caiyu Yang, Lydia Peckham, Fan Xu

Release date: December 20

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (PG-13)

The surviving Resistance faces the First Order once more in the final chapter of the Skywalker saga.

Directed by J.J. Abrams

Starring: Daisy Ridley, Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Carrie Fisher, Keri Russell

Release date: December 20

What new movies will you be seeing this weekend?

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ConventionsShopping

[Convention News] Her Universe Collection “Sisters of the Force” to Debut at Star Wars Celebration Chicago

by Tori Ann
written by Tori Ann

We are only a week away from the start of Star Wars Celebration, and still exclusives are being announced. Star Wars merchandise will overtake McCormick Place in Chicago, and a new clothing line from fandom wear company Her Universe will be joining in on the fun.

The line, called “Sisters of the Force,” is something founder Ashley Eckstein has been wanting to do since the company was founded nine years ago.

“Sisters of the Force, to me, represents women in Star Wars,” Eckstein recently told StarWars.com. “Whether it’s the characters, whether it’s the fans, whether it’s the women who work on Star Wars, there are all of these strong women who bring Star Wars to life. And while my dream with Her Universe, from day one, has been to spread the message that Star Wars is for everyone, I wanted to shine the spotlight on the women of Star Wars with this collection.”

The capsule collection includes shirts, hoodies, pullovers, jackets, dresses, and even capes that pay tribute to some of the fiercest women from a galaxy far, far away. Unisex designs are also featured, so there are plenty of items for every fan to enjoy.

Women from all iterations of Star Wars media are included: Hera and Sabine Wren from Star Wars: Rebels, Asoka Tano from The Clone Wars, Padme Amidala from Episode II, as well as Rose Tico, Rey, Admiral Holdo, and General Leia from The Last Jedi. Eckstein, herself, admitted that there simply are too many women in the Star Wars universe to provide individual tributes to all of them, so Eckstein had her friend and artist Ashley Taylor design a shirt to include many more. The result was inspired by a star map and shows 27 characters celebrated as constellations across the galaxy.

Here is the rest of the collection, which will make its debut at Star Wars Celebration. For those of you that will not be in attendance, it will also be available for sale online starting April 11th on the Her Universe website.

Source: StarWars.com

Star Wars Celebration will take place at McCormick Place in Chicago Illinois from April 11-15.

 

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ConventionsMovies / TV

[Convention] C2E2 2019: Doctor Who’s David Tennant & Matt Smith to Touch Down in Chicago

by Joshua Winchester
written by Joshua Winchester

While there may not be any clear signs of spring weather on the way, it is still a great time to get excited about things to come.

Specifically, C2E2. The hype for this year’s convention is huge and thus far, everything posted on the website and social media promises nothing short of a spectacular gathering of nerdy people, pop culture figures, and vendors.

Doctor Who

For every person that loves sci-fi, adventure and excitement, that means at some point in their lives they have seen or heard of the great BBC program Doctor Who. This is a show that can trace its fan-base back literally generations. Back to a point when TV was still coming into its own, and ideas/genres for programs that are commonplace today, were new and being tested out. It has stood the test of time, changing tastes and other numerous factors.

The 21st century runs of the show have consistently delivered a rush of stories of epic proportions. With special effects that provide chills and thrills galore. But what keeps bringing people back to this show isn’t just the scripts or effects, but the actors who take up the role of the Doctor.

That is why it is exciting that C2E2 has brought in not one, but two Doctors this year…David Tennant and Matt Smith.

Both are brilliant performers in their own right, with a variety of projects in both cinema and television under their belts. Yet it is each one’s respective times as the Doctor that will forever propel them forward into legend.

David and Matt will be attending the convention on Saturday and Sunday (March 23rd– March 24th). You can still secure your photo ops & autographs for David Tennant or photo ops & autographs for Matt Smith, and there’s also team-up photo ops with both Doctors at once!.

Don’t pass up the chance to meet two fabulous fellows who have delighted audiences for years as the Doctor. Grab that sonic screwdriver, fire up the TARDIS, and hang on to your fezzes. It’s time to head out on an adventure and make a fandom dream come true. Allons-y!

C2E2

 

 

 

 

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Pop Cult News

[Video] Darth Vader Fan Film Delves Into The Past

by Tori Ann
written by Tori Ann

In Episodes I-III (aka ‘the prequels’) of Star Wars, we learn that the villain we knew as Darth Vader started out as Jedi trying to protect the woman he loved, only to be lured to the Dark Side.

A new fan film called VADER EPISODE 1: Shards of the Past shows us Darth Vader only a few months after the events of Revenge of the Sith and the execution of Order 66, which saw the eradication of the Jedi at the hands of Chancellor Palpatine, Anakin Skywalker, and the Clone Troopers.

Vader secretly harbors a great deal of anger towards Palpatine for the death of Padme Amidala, and for what he feels were false promises. The short film opens with a shocking scene of Vader attacking Palpatine and his guards in an attempt to kill him. Palpatine taunts him with a vision of his late wife, saying that because of his feelings for her, Vader is too weak to actually kill him.

We learn that this only takes place in Vader’s mind while he sits in his restorative/meditation chamber, but the anger Vader feels is still very real. Palpatine can sense it in him when he is summoned to the Emperor. The Emperor sends Vader on a mission to Naboo, the home planet of both Padme and Palpatine, where a surviving Jedi now hides.

The video description reads:

Anakin Skywalker is DEAD. For eight months, the mysterious Darth Vader has enforced the Emperor’s commands. Fighting between the loss of Padme, and the new cursed life he now leads, Vader must do what must be done when a surviving Jedi Master from Order 66 has lured him to the home planet of his late Wife’s tomb… THIS VIDEO IS NOT MONETIZED (no ads) IN ACCORDANCE TO LUCASFILM’S RULES TO ME. NO MONIES OR PROFIT CAN/WILL BE MADE FROM THIS VIDEO. Funded by Star Wars Theory alone. This project is single handedly the most amazing thing I’ve ever been part of. Without Danny Ramirez’s guidance and help, this never would have taken off the ground, let alone…gotten to where it is today. I owe him a lot. He is da coooolest. I thank every single one of you for watching my videos and supporting my channel. I will do my best to excel your expectations for years to come and provide entertainment you deserve. I thank you for everything, and I hope to one day make episode 2 a reality. In the mean time, all I ask, is for you to share this video, and hit like to spread to word. I couldn’t have done this without the talented people behind it. You know who you are (that long credits list). I love you all. And to the fans, meeting hundreds of you at the free premiere in LA was surreal. I will post everything soon from the event. You’ve changed my life forever, and I hope to bring you this first episode (and many more I hope!) as a gratitude and gift for what you deserve. I am eternally grateful. ENJOY AND MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU, ALWAYS!!!!

What do you think of this Darth Vader fan film? Would you be interested in seeing more?

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A Klingon christmas
FantasyPop Cult News

[Theater Review] Boldly Going: E.D.G.E. of Orion Theater’s Production of Klingon Christmas Carol

by Joshua Winchester
written by Joshua Winchester

PopCultHQ recently viewed a performance of E.D.G.E. of Orion Theater’s staging of “A Klingon Christmas Carol“. Be sure to check out E.D.G.E. of Orion Theater’s website and catch a performance of “A Klingon Christmas Carol” before it closes on December 16th.

Here’s PopCultHQ’s spoiler-free review of…

PopCultHQ’s Theatrical Review:

A Klingon Christmas Carol

A Klingon Christmas Carol is the classic Dickens tale of Christmas, redemption and hope. It is the first play of its kind performed in Klingon, a language taken from the Star Trek franchise. The tale is both familiar and different, as names, settings, social customs and the like, are all changed to fit within the paradigm of Klingon culture.

Staging/Sets

These sets, while seemingly simple, add a great deal of depth and volume once the play begins. Walls decorated with Klingon symbols and several of their weapons remain constant throughout the first and second acts. Several boxes of varying shape provide functionality for various scenes, as both tables, a bed and seats. The lighting for the play provides excellent mood, whether it is a fully lit stage to encapsulate the whole scene, or a dramatic moment of dimming lights that ends in a single spot, surrounded by total darkness.

This adds so much to this amazing story. Instead of Victorian London, audiences are whisked across the galaxy to the Klingon home-world, during the Feast of the Long Night, a time of celebration and feasting that ends with combat games to challenge the honor and glory of different Klingon houses.

Taking Charles Dickens story, and not only reconstructing the story to fit an entirely different fictional place and culture is an impressive undertaking. Even more impressive is the cast itself, a wonderful group of performers who spend the entire play speaking their lines in Klingon, a language that is both rough and guttural, not unlike German.

left to right Kent Joseph as marlI and Tony Bunnel as Squja’

Cast

Never let it be said, that the cast doesn’t rise to the occasion when a new challenge presented itself for a play. Before sitting down to enjoy the show, this reviewer along with other members of the press had a chance to do a Q and A with the director, John Teske. John was very upfront about the difficulties that came with doing this show, particularly for the cast. At one point he stated “In directing, I had a group of experienced actors who were experiencing things they’d never touched before.”

Those new experiences included learning a script that would be spoken in a fictional language, getting to learn stage combat with Klingon weaponry, as well as mannerisms in addition to taking each role and making it their own. Part of this introduction to the Klingon culture included spending two weeks learning the dialogue with the help of an instructor from the Klingon Language Institute, in addition to fight training.

All together, the cast did a phenomenal job, every single one of them. Anybody who either loves ‘Star Trek’ or ‘A Christmas Carol’ will get so much out of this play, especially because audiences will see first hand how much effort and work these players put into not only learning the dialect, but in bringing the characters to life, even on a whole different world.

Alex Dematralis, Elise Soeder as Narrator, Kent Joseph, Liam Walsh as timHom, Mandi Corrao, and Tony Bunnel as Squja’

PopCultHQ’s Overall Assessment

As the Christmas season is well under way, many great Christmas traditions, particularly when it comes to media and culture, are in full swing. While this may be a different sort of Christmas play to take in during the holiday season, it is also immensely enjoyable and fun to watch. To all who are fans of theater, Star Trek or Charles Dickens, please make a point to see ‘A Klingon Christmas Carol this year’. It is a treat that one should not miss out on.

PopCultHQ’s Rating:

5 out of 5 Stars

EDGE of Orion PRESENTS

A KLINGON CHRISTMAS CAROL

WRITTEN BY CHRISTOPHER KIDDER-MOSTROM & SASHA WARREN

At The Edge Theater, NOV 29-DEC 16

Performance Schedule:

11/29, 11/30, 12/1, 12/6, 12/7 , 12/8, 12/13, 12/14, 12/15, 12/16 – 8:00pm

12/2, 12/8, 12/9,12/15, 12/16 – 3:00pm

SEE BELOW FOR BONUS SHOW MIRTH!

A Klingon Christmas Carol is the first play to be performed entirely in Klingon, a constructed language first appearing in the television series Star Trek. The play is based on the Charles Dickens novella, A Christmas Carol. A Klingon Christmas Carol is the Charles Dickens classic tale of ghosts and redemption, adapted to reflect the Klingon values of courage and honor, and then translated into Klingon, performed with English supertitles.

Written by: Christopher Kidder-Mostrom & Sasha Warren

Translation by:
Laura Thurston
Bill Hedrick
Christopher Kidder-Mostrom
Chris Lipscombe

CAST LIST:

Bonus Show Mirth!

Klingon Koncerts!

December 15th from 6 pm to 7 pm we are pounding the table with happiness to announce 5 Year Mission! Five Year Mission is the collaboration of five Star Trek fans who endeavor to write and record a song for each of the episodes of the original Star Trek series from the 1960s.  They played at the Adler and at all the cons you love, and on this very special day, this power pop band brings a 1 hour set with blistering music and a great love for the fandom! Purchase tickets here: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3821279

More about the band here: http://fiveyearmission.net/

December 16th we wrap our series with the Queen of Qapla’ herself THE KLINGON POP WARRIOR will be seizing the stage for a one hour set that will rock the Empire! in a 1-hour concert  6-7 pm you will feel like you are at Quarks on a Friday night! https://www.klingonpopwarrior.com/

Purchase tickets here: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3821977

These concerts are $15 on individually, but you’ll get 50% off when you buy a ticket to see the show. The coupon will be emailed to you when you buy your ticket online and can be applied when you order your ticket!

To take advantage of all the Kaos, buy your tickets early and get your Klingon Kringle on!

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Mortal Engines
Movies / TVNovels/Books

[Movie News] ‘Mortal Engines’ Promises an Action-Packed Steampunk Adventure

by April Carvelli
written by April Carvelli

Mortal Engines is an upcoming movie (December 14) I haven’t heard much about, but I’ve been watching it. I think it is going to be an orgasmic explosion of fantastic special effects. I only hope they do justice to the storyline and the movie does well in the theaters. It stars names such as Hugo Weaving, Robert Sheehan, and Stephen Lang; not all of them are big names, but most of them are faces you’d recognize.

Mortal Engines is a post-apocalyptic steampunk adventure film directed by Christian Rivers and with the screenplay written by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens and Peter Jackson. It is based on the novel of the same name by Philip Reeve.

Cities have become mobile battle fortresses, each fighting to survive in a world of depleted resources.

“Hundreds of years after civilization was destroyed by a cataclysmic event, a mysterious young woman, Hester Shaw (Hera Hilmar), emerges as the only one who can stop London — now a giant, predator city on wheels — from devouring everything in its path. Feral, and fiercely driven by the memory of her mother, Hester joins forces with Tom Natsworthy (Robert Sheehan), an outcast from London, along with Anna Fang (Jihae), a dangerous outlaw with a bounty on her head. Mortal Engines is the startling, new epic adventure directed by Oscar®-winning visual-effects artist Christian Rivers (King Kong). Joining Rivers are The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogies three-time Academy Award®-winning filmmakers Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, who have penned the screenplay. Visual effects are created by a Weta Digital team led by Ken McGaugh, Kevin Smith, Luke Millar and Dennis Yoo. The Universal and MRC adaptation is from the award-winning book series by Philip Reeve, published in 2001 by Scholastic. On board as producers are Zane Weiner (The Hobbit trilogy), Amanda Walker (The Hobbit trilogy) and Deborah Forte (Goosebumps), as well as Walsh and Jackson. Ken Kamins (The Hobbit trilogy) joins Boyens as executive producer. Universal will distribute the film worldwide. www.mortalengines.com”

Okay, I admit the official IMDB write up, is rather boring and dry, making people more likely to avoid the film.

“A mysterious young woman named Hester Shaw joins forces with Anna Fang, a dangerous outlaw with a bounty on her head, and Tom Natsworthy, an outcast from London, to lead a rebellion against a giant predator city on wheels.”

Sit back and watch the trailer, then see what you think.

 

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Doctor Who
Movies / TV

[TV News] ‘Doctor Who’ Showrunner Says These Characters Won’t Be Returning

by Tori Ann
written by Tori Ann

Doctor Who

It has been stated before that the newest season of Doctor Who is all about the new and bring a sense of refreshment to the long-running series. Not only is there a new Doctor and new companions, but much of the creative team behind it is new to the show.

Showrunner Chris Chibnall has promised lots of new places, characters, and times to be visited, but he also wants to keep things simple. In an interview with the Times Magazine, he stated that many of the characters we have come to know in recent years will not be appearing. Characters like the Paternoster Gang (Madame Vastra, Jenny, and Stex), River Song, and Missy (the most recent incarnation of longtime adversary the Master) will not be appearing, as well as villains such as the Cybermen, Daleks, and the Weeping Angels.

Chibnall is sending a clear message that he wants the new season to be a clean slate for the show. Not only will it serve as a bit of a reset for longtime fans, but it makes for an easy jumping-on point for new fans. “I want this to be a recruiting year for Doctor Who to bring in that next generation of audiences,” Chibnall explained.

The latest Doctor Who trailer celebrates the fact the fact that so many changes are coming. Not only will the Doctor be female for the first time (played by Jodie Whittaker), but there will now be three companions instead of the traditional one or two. In the short promo, Whittaker’s Doctor stands in a stained-glass ceiling cathedral as all the glass breaks and rains down on her. She cracks a smile and says, “Whoops.”

Season 11 of Doctor Who will premiere Sunday, October 7 on BBC One and BBC America. On September 25 starting at 6am Eastern, BBC America will air every episode of the first 10 seasons.

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Doctor Who
Movies / TV

[TV News] ‘Doctor Who’ Announces Writers and Directors, Wraps Filming

by Tori Ann
written by Tori Ann

Filming has now wrapped on Series 11 of Doctor Who, the first series featuring Jodie Whittaker as the latest incarnation of The Doctor. With Chris Chibnall as the new showrunner, he seems dedicated to having diverse talent both in front of the camera and behind the scenes. Whittaker’s Doctor will have three new companions of differing ages and backgrounds, and BBC has just announced the writers and directors for Series 11 for Doctor Who, nearly all of whom are coming to the show for the very first time.

Chibnall stated:

“We have a team of writers who’ve been working quietly and secretly for a long time now, crafting characters, worlds and stories to excite and move you. A set of directors who stood those scripts up on their feet, bringing those ideas, visuals and emotions into existence with bravura and fun. Hailing from a range of backgrounds, tastes and styles, here’s what unites them: they are awesome people as well as brilliant at their job. (It matters!) They love Doctor Who. And they’ve all worked above and beyond the call of duty in an effort to bring audiences something special, later this year.”

The list of writers includes author Malorie Blackman, Skins writer Ed Hime, playwright and screenwriter Vinay Patel, creator of female prison drama Wentworth Pete McTighe, and screenwriter Joy Wilkinson. The directors include Jamie Childs, who directed Whittaker’s introduction video; veteran television director Sallie Aprahamian; writer and director Jennifer Perrott; and TV and film director Mark Tonderai.

In the past, the show has been criticized for not having a diverse set of voices in the creative team behind it. Patel and Blackman are the first writers of color to write for the show, which is now in its 55th year. The two female writers are also the most the show has ever had. It may seem like a small step, but it is definitely a step in the right direction. The Doctor Who fanbase is one that covers much of the world, and is therefore quite diverse. It seems only right that the creative team behind the show should do its best to reflect that. Many of the new writers and directors also grew up as fans of the show, as well as other sci-fi shows, and are thrilled to be part of telling the adventures of The Doctor.

Doctor Who will premiere sometime this fall. The premiere will be simulcast on BBCAmerica in the United States and BBC One in the UK.

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Weird Science
HistoryMovies / TV

[Cinema Sunday] “Weird Science” – Science + Hormones = John Hughes Classic

by Joshua Winchester
written by Joshua Winchester

After taking a delightful break last week to honor Kevin Smith’s birthday, it’s back to business and some of the most awesome and outrageous sci-fi movies of the 80’s.

Today, it’s a jump back to 1985, to the mid-road point of the decade. Presented here are the musings on a film that is equal parts comedy and science-fiction, with some of the finest cast and a masterful director behind it all. This will make people laugh and laugh again. This is…Weird Science.

People hear the title and they probably think, “Isn’t that the movie with the two guys and the lady and a really young Robert Downey Jr.?” Well the answer is yes, this is that movie. But it’s so much more than just two high school-age guys who bring a beautiful woman to life. And it is certainly a lot more than just a movie with a very young Robert Downey Jr. in it.

This is one of those movies that may go unnoticed by many, but not this intrepid reviewer. For one thing, it was written and directed by the uncontested king of 80’s teen comedies, John Hughes.

Anthony Michael Hall (left) and John Hughes

John Hughes and his body of work have been covered in the past on this website. So it seemed only fitting to include his teen comedy/sci-fi project as part of this series. As for saying stuff about John Hughes, well, what hasn’t been said? This was a man who did it all; wrote, directed, and conveyed deep and meaningful stories through the use of a focused lens on young people and their daily struggles, sometimes with comedic or serious backdrops. A visionary like this comes around only once in a great while, who takes a specific genre of film, runs with it, and makes it his own.

Anthony Michael Hall (left) and Ilan Mitchell-Smith

Let’s not forget the two intrepid, teenage leading men of the story: Anthony Michael Hall and Ilan Mitchell-Smith. While Ilan is not known aside from his lead in Weird Science, fans of John Hughes will know Anthony right away having starred and co-starred in several other John Hughes projects, including National Lampoon’s Vacation, The Breakfast Club, and Sixteen Candles. Together, this duo make up a hilarious friendship of high-school boys who want to achieve more in life, but lack the self-confidence and surety to make it happen. Enter the crazy idea to make “the perfect dream woman.”

Kelly LeBrock

Kelly LeBrock, known and loved for this and her other big role in The Woman in Red. In more ways then one, Kelly (as Lisa) carries the story even more than Anthony and Ilan. She provides all the great humor moments, fast-paced dialogue, and witty banter that seems to slip by the two youngsters. Created as the “perfect dream woman” with amazing and unexplained powers, Lisa makes it mission to help the boys achieve popularity and even helps them talk to the girls they’ve admired from afar. Like some sort of stylized 80’s fairy godmother, this is a movie and character that will keep being beloved.

Unfortunately, there isn’t any “behind the scenes” videos about the film. However, here are three delightful facts that will titillate and amuse fans.

John Hughes wrote the script in only two days. Two days, taking the name and basic plot from the 1950s comic book Weird Science and the story in issue #5 by Al Feldstein “Made of the Future.”

The boys’ town of Shermer, Illinois, is also the setting of The Breakfast Club. Unfortunately, it doesn’t actually exist, but it’s just another example of how much John Hughes loved the Lincoln State.

Lisa is named after the Apple home computer, the Apple Lisa.

The band Oingo Boingo performed the movie theme song, which was written by the group’s frontman…Danny Elfman. Also, a bonus item. A video (albeit long) of the cast reunion of Weird Science at the 2015 Denver Comic Con. Happy watching everyone!

Unfortunately at the time, critics gave this movie a mixed set of reviews. However, the late great Roger Ebert was more fair in dispensing critical justice as evidenced by the excerpt below.

“Weird Science” combines two great traditions in popular entertainment: Inflamed male teenage fantasies and Frankenstein’s monster. Then it crosses them with a new myth, that of the teenage computer geniuses who lock themselves in their bedrooms, hunch over their computer keyboards and write programs that can change the universe.

August is at its mid-stage and school is starting up soon. That means the kids are going back to school, and college students will be congregating in the halls of academia once more. If you find yourself with some free time during the coming days for a little relaxation and some movie watching, make it a John Hughes kind of day. Make it a Weird Science sort of afternoon.

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