POP CULT CORNER: POP CULT CORNER RETRO MOVIE OF THE WEEK: MY SCIENCE PROJECT (1985)

In the early 1980's, the pride and joy of our family at that time was our first ever video player. THE BETA MAX. It was huge monstrosity of a machine, metallic grey and kinda bulky. The videotapes themselves were also kinda huge, like the size of Oxford dictionaries (not an exaggeration!!). Overall, it was a decent machine that livened our otherwise boring television viewing. (where I'm from, back in those days, we only had two t.v. channels to choose from.......right).

The megabeast that was THE BETAMAX!

Anyways, one time, my older brother used a video gift voucher he had won at a local school fair to rent out some vids later that day. Some of the titles he got out were POLICE STORY 1, 2&3, THE ICE PIRATES, GHOSTBUSTERS, THE AMYTIVILLE HORROR ( for my sis who was a horror film nut) EMMENUALE's EXOTIC AFRICAN JOURNEY (for mum and dad during those.."intimate mummy and daddy alone time moments'', but I wont go there, hehe), as well as some other forgettable titles that I honestly, can't recall.

In my view, one of Jackie's greatest action flicks of all time among his countless others.

But, among that pile of Betta Max video goodness was one movie that for me, holds a special place in this guy's blood soaked, fatty deposited, cholesterol clogged arteries of a heart. A film that for me, epitomised 1980's science-fiction comedy genre films when they were all the rage at that time (remember REAL GENIUS, WEIRD SCIENCE, and that other movie, you know, the one with a certain nuclear powered, time travelling supe-uped Delorean."1.21 gigawatts??..yeah, that one). I'm talking about the POP CULT CORNER RETRO MOVIE OF THE WEEK....MY SCIENCE PROJECT...

Released in 1985 by TOUCHSTONE PICTURES, its your typical 1980's high school based sci-fy comedy. The film centres around a threesome of teenagers (There's Mike Harlan, the handsome school rebel/teen misfit who LOVES anything to do with fast cars. Vince Lattelo, the school clown and all round jackass played perfectly by actor FISHER STEVENS and Ellie Sawyer, the quiet, nerdy shy girl who has a secret crush on Mike). One night, the group hang out at a spooky abandoned military storage facility and stumble upon this weird flashy techno gizmo contraption among the other abandoned junk. Needless to say, Mike takes a liking to it and decides to take it back to school and clean it up a bit as he wants to add it to his car he's working on in the school auto shop (Kinda make it a hood ornament). Later though, strange and unexplainable things begin to take place all over school that somehow involve this gizmo dohickey thing, like weird and suddent power surges, mysterious objects materializing out of thin air...

''One of these things is not like the other...one of these things just doesnt belong"..

When they take it to there science teacher, Bob Roberts, to scope it out (played perfectly by scene stealing DENNIS HOOPER R.I.P dude)well, the results are both hilarious and kind scary (at least that's what I thought at the time and I was only 5yrs old. My older brother, though just pissed himself laughing!!).

Now, I'm not going to spoil the rest of the movie for you, but the last 15-20 mins of the movie are kinda cool and is a full on special effects bonanza. So, if your lucky to get the chance to watch it, you'll have great fun, like I did watching this underrated family friendly sy-fy romp. What also makes the movie extra cool is the OWESUME 80s'synth pop soundtrack and the impressive surround sound to boost . So a word of advice, Check your brain at the front door, grab your self your favorite snacks, take the phone of the hook, let that cellphone call go to voicemail and gather together the whole family for this. You'll enjoy it :) In the mean time, to wet your curious appetite, here is the movie's promotional poster.