Comments on: Honey, recommend me some weird science movies back from the eighties

Question: Honey, recommend me some weird science movies back from the eighties

soundofsuburbia — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 06:27:50 -0800

Do you know of any movies with improbable technology as a plot device?

I really enjoy movies like Explorers, Weird Science, Back To The Future, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids and Innerspace. Their common ground is - of course - that they're all from the eighties and that they've all got improbable technology as a major plot device. Can you recommend any similar flicks, preferably made in the eighties? I'd really appreciate that.

And, yes, I've read this question, but I think mine is different enough to be warranted.

By: cellphone

cellphone — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 06:29:05 -0800

2001.

By: soundofsuburbia

soundofsuburbia — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 06:35:57 -0800

Oops, should've probably added that I'm not looking for science fiction, the films should take place in the eighties as well. Therefore I suppose Back To The Future is pretty borderline (as well as the Bill & Ted movies, come to think of it).

By: jozxyqk

jozxyqk — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 06:36:25 -0800

SpaceCamp had that improbably-smart robot who wanted to send his friend into space.

By: flashboy

flashboy — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 06:39:59 -0800

To pick the obvious first - Short Circuit definitely goes with those movies.

By: adamrice

adamrice — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 06:40:21 -0800

Most James Bond movies. They may not all necessarily involve technology as a plot device, but many do. Diamonds are Forever, for example, has a killer laser satellite as the focal threat. Moonraker, same idea. Improbable gadgets at least play some part, as with the disappearing car in Die Another Day.

I just saw Live Free or Die Hard, and while the technology was supposed to be real-world, what they were doing with it was unrealistic. Is that the same category?

By: puritycontrol

puritycontrol — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 06:45:07 -0800

In Real Genius, the students exact their revenge by using a giant weapons-grade laser to pop a giant Jiffy-Pop the size of a house.

By: Verdandi

Verdandi — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 06:47:57 -0800

Ghostbusters? Come on, proton packs!

By: lampoil

lampoil — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 06:48:20 -0800

Do you know Flight of the Navigator? It is science fiction, (in that much of the improbable science is from aliens, if I remember correctly), but it does take place firmly in the 1980s on earth. And NASA, like, experiments on his brain, which makes me think you might like it.

Also, Short Circuit and its sequel, of course. Robot learns to love. Soooooo 80s.

By: Ness

Ness — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 06:49:28 -0800

Wierd Science

There were a raft of body swop films in teh 80's too but I'm having trouble thinking of one that was technology based rather than 'ooo spooky artifact'.

By: Afroblanco

Afroblanco — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 06:49:56 -0800

Explorers, Weird Science, Back To The Future, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids and Innerspace.

...

should've probably added that I'm not looking for science fiction

You do realize that all the movies you listed could be considered sci-fi?

By: GuyZero

GuyZero — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 06:50:33 -0800

There was that TV show "The Greatest American Hero".

By: Ness

Ness — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 06:51:40 -0800

Oh wait, you already said Weird Science, I am daft, ignore me.

By: chocolatetiara

chocolatetiara — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 06:53:22 -0800

Improbable technology as a plot device? Let's start with Frankenstein.

By: TommyH

TommyH — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 06:56:04 -0800

Try My Science Project as well - not quite as popular as many of the ones already mentioned, but I seem to remember it was a fun movie.

By: banannafish

banannafish — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 06:58:06 -0800

My Science Project
Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989 is still the 80's)
The Philadelphia Experiment
Flight of the Navigator

By: beaucoupkevin

beaucoupkevin — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 07:01:47 -0800

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across The Eighth Dimension wouldn't exist if the titular hero hadn't decided to use the oscillation overthruster to drive his car through a mountain, causing the Red Lectroids to notice the device and proceed to attempt to steal it in order to wage war against the Black Lectroids.

By: Martin E.

Martin E. — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 07:05:56 -0800

All those movies--and what you're asking for--still fit one or more definitions of science fiction.

Wargames

Brainstorm

Videodrome, perhaps?

By: methylsalicylate

methylsalicylate — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 07:06:27 -0800

In Real Genius, the students exact their revenge by using a giant weapons-grade laser to pop a giant Jiffy-Pop the size of a house.

The film doesn't rely on improbable technology, it relies on outdated technology (cutting edge circa 1930, apparently). Don't go and see it with a laser spectroscopist, is all I'm sayin'!

By: oxford blue

oxford blue — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 07:09:43 -0800

Would the term 'Deus Ex Machina' apply to these sort of movies? If so, we could add a few Star Trek movies that seem to apply.

By: buriednexttoyou

buriednexttoyou — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 07:10:31 -0800

Tron

By: Martin E.

Martin E. — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 07:13:31 -0800

The Fly

Altered States revolves around very real, uh, technology with fantastical results.

By: Iosephus

Iosephus — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 07:15:43 -0800

I swear in the early 90s I saw this one movie dealing with a young woman getting her brain moved to a new body (donor is brain dead as a rock) after an accident that pretty much cut her in half. Can't find anything about it on Google or IMDb, darn it. Probably an obscure telefilm, no recognizable actors, genre would be "medical drama" if that makes sense? Anyone?

By: damn dirty ape

damn dirty ape — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 07:16:00 -0800

Alien Nation.

Star Wars 2 and 3

Battle Beyond the Stars

Bladerunner

Aliens

Brazil

ET

The Terminator

Tron

My Science Project

Dune

Dreamscape?

Starman

D.A.R.Y.L.

Batteries Not Included

The Abyss (80s?)

Enemy Mine

By: Martin E.

Martin E. — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 07:18:07 -0800

Not what Iosephus was probably thinking of, but it reminds me...The Man with Two Brains

By: Gungho

Gungho — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 07:21:46 -0800

ReAnimator, and perhaps a number of the Living Dead movies.

By: Iosephus

Iosephus — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 07:24:16 -0800

All right, found it!

Who is Julia?

By: JaredSeth

JaredSeth — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 07:35:24 -0800

Not from the 80s, but Fantastic Voyage.

By: JaredSeth

JaredSeth — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 07:37:21 -0800

Although that would be science fiction too.

By: soundofsuburbia

soundofsuburbia — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 07:49:47 -0800

Afroblanco: Yes, I know. I used the term "science fiction" to mean "set in the future" and I do realize that was wrong of me. Sorry.

Great answers so far! Keep 'em coming, if you will!

By: Iosephus

Iosephus — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 07:58:00 -0800

I just recalled another telefilm from that time (boy did I use to spend too much time in front of the cable TV or what): Chiller, about cryogenically frozen guy brought back to life. More of a thriller thing than medical drama, though.

By: solid-one-love

solid-one-love — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 08:34:46 -0800

"The Core". They even went so far as to build their vehicle out of unobtanium.

By: hydrophonic

hydrophonic — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 08:51:16 -0800

Creator

By: Cool Papa Bell

Cool Papa Bell — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 09:04:00 -0800

The Manhattan Project -- Kid builds nuclear weapon from spare parts, and heists nuclear material from government lab with homebrew tools. Has a great ending where they're defusing the bomb.

Space Camp -- Kids get impromptu ride into orbit thanks to a robot named Jinx.

By: damn dirty ape

damn dirty ape — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 09:05:56 -0800

Almost forgot:

C.H.O.M.P.S.

By: ORthey

ORthey — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 09:06:42 -0800

Well, Deja Vu isn't from the 80s, but man does it use improbable technology as a major device!

By: Mapes

Mapes — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 09:12:08 -0800

Flatliners (1990)

By: kirkaracha

kirkaracha — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 09:48:58 -0800

You could exclude Diamonds are Forever, Moonraker, and Die Another Day because they weren't made or set in the 1980s (and they're all sucky, sucky movies, even for James Bond movies).

For made-in-the-'80s James Bond with improbable technology, 1985's A View to a Kill (one of the all-time worst James Bond movies, but at least it's from the '80s) has Christopher Walken and Grace Jones trying to set off a nuclear explosion that will cause an earthquake that will destroy Silicon Valley.

The Man with Two Brains

Are you suggesting that screw-top brain surgery is improbable?

By: Pollomacho

Pollomacho — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 10:15:25 -0800

The Nude Bomb

By: Pantengliopoli

Pantengliopoli — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 10:26:39 -0800

Didn't see The Last Starfighter on there... A video game used by an alien race to recruit fighter pilots is pretty improbable.

Or is it?

On preview -- hmmm, pretty sci-fi. Sorry!

By: Martin E.

Martin E. — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 10:33:34 -0800

Are you suggesting that screw-top brain surgery is improbable?

Well, it was pretty improbable in the 80's--though I understand medical science has come a long way since then.

oh, and The Incredible Shrinking Woman (1981)

By: soundofsuburbia

soundofsuburbia — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 09:08:14 -0800

Thanks you all for great suggestions! I've added a lot of these to my Lovefilm queue (ie the closest thing to Netflix here in Sweden) and I'll get to the "best answer" part as soon as I've seen them!

And now I've got movies to last me all through the autumn! Much appreciated!

By: LordSludge

LordSludge — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 11:01:10 -0800

Recent, '06 movie: The Prestige

(I've said too much!!)