The Wacky World of Weird Science

In the iconic party scene of John Hughes’ cult classic, Weird Science, things go haywire faster than you can say “computer-generated woman!” In this mad cap adventure, our geeky heroes, Gary (Anthony Michael Hall) and Wyatt (Ilan Mitchell-Smith), find themselves in a pickle after their brilliant idea to create a beautiful, wish-granting lady, played by Kelly LeBrock, goes a bit… awry.

The Chaotic Party Unfolds

As if conjuring a stunning woman wasn’t enough, chaos ensues when Wyatt’s grandparents freeze in time, a gang of mutant bikers crashes the bash, and their unsuspecting crushes get taken hostage! Things take an even crazier turn when Gary and Wyatt, in a fit of desperation to impress their bullies, decide to cook up another lady.

A Scientific Slip-Up

Donning bras on their heads (because that’s totally normal, right?), they fire up their experiment. But oops! They forgot a crucial step: no doll hookup for the electrodes! Instead of the intended lady, they summon a real-life nuclear missile, which promptly smashes its way through the house from bottom to top! Talk about an explosive party foul!

Oh No, A Fart!

The set for Weird Science wasn’t some flimsy construction; it was a meticulously designed structure at Universal that could split in two. So, when it was time to film the big missile shot, you can imagine the growing panic when the whole scene almost got derailed by a fart.

Robert Rusler, who played one of the bullies, shared a hilarious behind-the-scenes story about the calamity. Just as the cameras were rolling, Anthony Michael Hall let rip with a silent-but-deadly fart. Talk about a multi-hundred-thousand-dollar moment turned into a comedic disaster!

Turning Farts Into Gold

With money and time running out, director John Hughes and crew did some quick thinking and found a clever workaround. They shot the scene in reverse to make it work. So if you ever rewatch that scene and feel something’s a little off, now you know why!

After saving the day, it was nearly time to wrap up the whirlwind production. Hughes was busy finishing up The Breakfast Club, and on the last day of filming, Rusler had to audition for A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy’s Revenge. Thankfully, his co-star, Robert Downey Jr., gave him a ride to the audition, and guess what? He landed the part!

Crazy Times on Set

Downey Jr. and Rusler certainly made their own brand of chaos during the Weird Science shoot, joking about pulling pranks on their fellow castmates. In a hilarious confession, Downey Jr. shared that he once did something quite… untoward in an actress’ trailer just to prove how outrageous he was!

When the producer, Joel Silver, lined everyone up to find out who the prankster was, Downey Jr. played innocent. But hey, we all know the truth has a funny way of coming out eventually!