Weird Science 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		3.5

Weird Science 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman August 17, 2023

Note: Arrow is revisiting Weird Science with a new 4K UHD release of the film. I reviewed Arrow's 1080 release a few years ago, and this review repeats part of that review, as appropriate.

Don’t go looking for much in the way of logic in Weird Science, John Hughes’ 1985 opus about two unrepentant nerds named Gary Wallace (Anthony Michael Hall) and Wyatt Donnelly (Ilan Mitchell-Smith) who manage to create the woman of their dreams courtesy of what looks like their Radio Shack computer (replete with 5 ½ inch floppy disc drive). It’s a patently ridiculous premise, but for those who are willing to go with it, Weird Science provides quite a few laughs along the way, and it’s one of the prime examples, along with The Woman in Red, of why Kelly LeBrock, who portrays the computer generated woman named Lisa, was considered one of the most iconic beauties of the 1980s.

Weird Science has had a number of previous releases on Blu-ray courtesy of its parent studio Universal, and I refer you to my colleague Brian Orndorf’s Weird Science Blu-ray review of one of those prior Universal releases for a plot summary and also as a resource to compare screenshots. I will point out that Brian is a considerably bigger fan of the film than I am, and so my overall score reflects my somewhat lesser opinion of the film.

Weird Science 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Note: Screenshots are sourced from Arrow's 1080 presentation of the film. Per Arrow's standard operating procedure, this release does not include a 1080 disc.

Weird Science is presented in 4K UHD courtesy of Arrow Video with an HEVC / H.265 encoded 2160p transfer in 1.85:1. Arrow's insert booklet contains the following information (just slightly revised from the verbiage included with the 1080 release) on the restoration:

Weird Science has been exclusively restored by Arrow FIlms and is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 with 5.1 and stereo 2.0 audio.

The original 35mm camera negative was scanned in 4K resolution on at Company 3, Burbank. The unique sections unique to the extended version of the film were sourced from 35mm intermediary film materials. Both the Theatrical and Extended Cut versions of Weird Science were restored in 4K resolution and graded in HDR10 and Dolby Vision at Dragon DI, Wales. The stereo and 5.1 mixes were remastered at Pinewood Studios.

All materials for this restoration were made available by NBC Universal.

This 4K UHD presentation may be a case of "glass half full" vs. "glass half empty", depending on your point of view. As my Weird Science Blu-ray review mentioned, one of the chief assets of Arrow's remastered version was that it noticeably improved organic textures from the filtered Universal release, but as I've tended to experience with many 4K UHD releases of shot on film productions, I'm not sure that the increased resolution of this format really is a "friend" to pleasing visuals, as the grain field here is at times absolutely mottled and chunky looking, especially in (for example) the opening sequence, which is notably "dupey" looking courtesy of being part of the optically printed credits sequence, but also later throughout the presentation during any number of other opticals. That may be the "glass half empty" part, but the "glass half full" offers assets including a noticeably more vivid palette courtesy of HDR and/or Dolby Vision, to the point that some of the brighter primaries in particular look incredibly well suffused. Detail levels enjoy a marginal but I'd argue not substantial uptick, an uptick that, like the grain, can be subject to ebbs and flows as opticals intrude.

Weird Science 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Arrow offers either a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 or 2.0 track on the Theatrical Version and a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track on the Extended Version. Fans of Oingo Boingo's wacky title song will probably want to opt for the surround mix just for that, but the surround mix also provides a glut of nicely immersive sound effects throughout, especially in a number of what amount to set pieces, namely the "creation" of Lisa, the "appearance" of a missile somewhat later, and then the "return" to normalcy late in the film. Other score elements provide a nice surround listening experience as well. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. While the stereo versions don't have quite the low end energy of the surround, they're mixed exceptionally well, with smart prioritization and excellent fidelity.

Weird Science 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Theatrical (UHD; 1:34:00) and Extended (UHD; 1:36:38) Versions of the film are accessible under the Play Menu.


• Edited for TV Version (HD; 1.33:1; 1:34:06)


• Split Screen Comparison (HD; 18:16) is found under the Edited for TV Version menu and has side by side comparisons of how the censors attempted to deal with various issues.


• Additional Scenes (HD; 2:45) offers the snippets from the Extended Version that aren't in the Theatrical Cut.


• Casting Weird Science with Jackie Burch (HD; 6:03) is a newly done interview with the film's casting director.


• Dino the Greek with John Kapelos (HD; 6:55) is a new interview with the actor.


• Chet Happens with Craig Reardon (HD; 19:38) is a fun interview with the film's makeup effects creator.


• Fantasy and Microchips with Chris Lebenzon (HD; 10:46) features the film's editor.


• Ira Newborn Makes the Score (HD; 13:43) features the film's composer.


• It's Alive! Resurrecting Weird Science (HD*; 16:41) is an archival featurette produced for the film's DVD release in 2008.


• Theatrical Teaser (HD; 2:37)


• Theatrical Trailer (HD; 1:34)


• TV Spots (HD; 1:01)


• Radio Spots (4:50)


• Image Galleries

  Shooting Script

  
  

  Production Stills

  
  

  Poster and Video Art

*720

Arrow has also provided a nicely appointed insert booklet, with two really fun essays, "Electric Venus; or, How I Learned to Stop Caring and Love Weird Science" by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, and "Pictures from a Magazine: Reflecting on E.C. Comics' Influence on Weird Science" by Amanda Reyes. The booklet also includes stills and technical information. The keepcase also encloses a folded mini poster, and packaging features a slipcover.

Weird Science 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

John Hughes is often associated with teen focused films, but many of them like Sixteen Candles and Pretty in Pink (still evidently kind of strangely still missing in high definition) tended to focus on females. Weird Science is positively dripping in teenage testosterone (sorry for any unwanted mental images), and it provides some raunch along with sweeter, more sentimental, laughs. The film ultimately is a bit of a shaggy dog story, but it's kind of interesting how it in a very real way tends to foster male empowerment (something Lisa herself addresses overtly late in the film). Performances are goofily enjoyable and some of the special effects, while probably dated to modern day eyes, are rather charming. This new Arrow release markedly improves the technical merits of the older Universal releases, and per Arrow's usual way of doing things, they've also assembled some fun supplements. If you already have Arrow's 1080 release, your reaction to this 4K UHD version will probably depend on how much you tend to like the look of at times very grainy shot on film presentations in the increased resolution this format offers, but HDR and/or Dolby Vision really increase the lustrousness of the palette. Audio and supplements are identical to the 1080 release.