i remebering seeing this movie when i was a kid i thought it was a horror movie but its Science Fiction god i used to hate this movie its boring but some parts were really cool but anways its about Faced with not graduating unless he completes his science project, a high school gear-head sneaks into a nearby Air Force base, looking for some gizmo he can pass off as his own invention. What he finds is an alien energy device that rips holes in both time and space, infesting the school with everything from dinosaurs to the Viet Cong. Writer-director Jonathan Betuel tries to mine some of the same veins as Weird Science and Real Genius (all three films were released in 1985) but with less success--mostly due to a slapdash script. The film veers from being The Breakfast Club to WarGames to Rambo, leaping over plot holes all the way. As the hero, John Stockwell is too low-key for his own good, but Danielle Von Zerneck is appealing as his emerging love interest, and Fisher Stevens and Raphael Sbarge do their best to inject some life into the material. Dennis Hopper (as a hippie-dippie science teacher) chews the scenary with gusto--and at one point shows up wearing the costume he wore in Easy Rider. so if you havent seen it then you may not want to
This was a favorite of mine from my childhood, but it had been a long time since I'd seen it. From what I remembered of it, it seemed that it was a fairly well made film, and that it would manage to hold up over 20 years later. And it did, surprisingly well in fact, even much of the special effects, because they didn't try to get too fancy with them, sticking to the basics; including a cool stop-motion dinosaur. (See below) None of the 80's fashions or dialogue is too obnoxious, nothing so distracting that it'll pull you out of the film. I think this film would still work for a kids. It's a fun, whimsical ride.
Mike Harlan is a decent kid, a bit obsessed with cars, in fact it's the only thing he cares about, but he has a good heart. When his science teacher, played by Dennis Hopper in full-on psychedelic mode, asks him to turn in anything for his science project so he can graduate, Mike wants to do it right and go big. So he breaks into the military junkyard that's outside of town, he kills two birds with one stone, by inviting along the nerdy, but cute Ellie, who sort of blackmailed him into a date. While sneaking around the dilapidated war planes, he accidentally falls into a bunker, where he comes across some crazy looking machine; that is originally from a spacecraft from Area 51, but he doesn't know that. On the drive home, we see a sneak peak of the machine's powers, when it drains the battery from Mike's precious car.
While showing it to his buddy Vince, played by the very funny Fisher Stevens, before class, they plug it into the wall and unknowingly jump a few hours into the future. When they show it to their science teacher, even stranger things happen, like Dennis Hopper getting sucked inside to another time. After that, they decide to leave it alone, but when it gets left on by the geeky Sherman, who's jealous of Mike and Ellie's new relationship, all hell breaks loose. And it's up to Mike, Vince and Sherman to travel through all of Earth's history contained within their high school, to save Ellie who's trapped inside. They battle through everything from dinosaurs to futuristic mutants wielding laser guns. It came out in 1985, the same year as another teenager travels through time to chaotic and comic results film, Back to the Future, that completely blew up the box office, and made My Science Project, an afterthought. Which is unfortunate, it is a well made, light hearted romp, with some funny performances; Fisher Stevens gets in some great one-liners as the Brooklyn transplant Vince. John Stockwell is fairly bland in the lead role of Mike, he doesn't offer up much, but doesn't take anything off the plate either. I think that most that have seen this film, enjoy it; but I don't think it's that widely known either, it deserves to be remembered.
This movie is my childhood favorite. It requires heavy suspension of disbelief. However, once you just go with it, the movie is brilliantly simple and entertaining. Who doesn't love seeing movies that use 80's lingo?
Michale and Ellie break into a military junkyard to find a science project for Michaels class at the last minute, and discover a strange glowing orb which asorbs electricity. The orb begins to mix past, present and future, it up to Michael and Ellie to stop the orb and save mankind. Scl-Fi Comedy. Good movie.
Talk about an obscure 80's movie, but i had a vhs of it growing up and watched it till it broke. i thought it was cool. "when you're cool, the sun shine on you 24 hours a day!"
If you never saw this front film, give him a test more, John Stockwell massively seems delicious leading its red soft GTO. Give him a test, it is a good time.
Motorhead with bookworm-nice change. Its dated now of course but I Loved this as a teen. Still nostalgic about it. Thought it was a cool concept as a whole.
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