Arrow Video are releasing two classics from the much loved and sadly missed director John Hughes in July, Sixteen Candles and Weird Science.
If you can’t get a date… make one! After proving himself the king of heartfelt teen flicks with Sixteen Candles and The Breakfast Club, writer-director John Hughes infused the genre with a hefty dose of whacked-out sci-fi comedy in Weird Science, a film where every teenage boy’s wildest fantasies come to life.
Perennially picked-on high school nerds Gary (Anthony Michael Hall – Sixteen Candles) and Wyatt (Ilan Mitchell-Smith) are sick of their status at the bottom of the social food chain. Using Wyatt’s computer, the two hatch a plan to create their dream woman – and following a massive power surge, that woman unexpectedly appears in the form of Lisa (Kelly LeBrock). Gorgeous, intelligent, and blessed with limitless magic powers, Lisa makes the boys’ dreams come true… but what about Wyatt’s gun-toting psycho older brother Chet (Bill Paxton), and the two bullies (Robert Downey Jr and Vamp’s Robert Rusler) determined to put them back in their place?
Inspired by EC Comics and boosted by a killer soundtrack (including the classic title theme by Oingo Boingo), Weird Science has never looked better than in this new special edition, including an exclusive extended version of the film featuring deleted scenes never released on home video before.
Blu-ray Special Edition contents:
- New restoration by Arrow Films from a 4K scan of the original negative
- High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation of the original Theatrical Version of the film (94 mins), plus seamlessly-branched exclusive Extended Version (97 mins), featuring two additional scenes newly remastered in high-definition
- Original lossless stereo audio, plus 5.1 DTS-HD MA surround option (theatrical version only)
- Original English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Edited-for-TV version of the film (SD only, 95 mins), plus comparison featurette highlighting the alternate dubs and takes
- Option to watch additional scenes from the Extended Version separately
- Newly-filmed interview with special makeup creator Craig Reardon
- Newly-filmed interview with composer Ira Newborn
- Newly-filmed interview with supporting actor John Kapelos
- All-new interview with casting director Jackie Burch
- It’s Alive: Resurrecting Weird Science, an archive documentary featuring interviews with cast, crew and admirers, including star Anthony Michael Hall
- Theatrical trailers and TV spots
- Image gallery
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Tracie Ching
- FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Amanda Reyes
In his debut film as writer-director, John Hughes immediately cemented himself as the king of teen cinema with Sixteen Candles, and in the process also introduced one of the most iconic faces of ‘80s Americana: Molly Ringwald.
For high schooler Samantha Baker (Molly Ringwald), her 16th birthday might be the worst day of her life. Her entire family has forgotten about it due to her older sister’s impending wedding; her biggest crush, high school hunk Jake Ryan (Michael Schoeffling) has discovered an embarrassing “sex quiz” filled out by Sam in which she details how she is saving herself for him; and to make matters worse, she is hounded by a relentless nerd (Anthony Michael Hall) who won’t take no for an answer. But Sam’s sweet sixteen isn’t over yet, and before the end of the night, all her birthday wishes could still come true…
Taking the rude and crude humour of the teen sex comedies that came before it and placing it within the intimately portrayed perspective of a girl’s mid-teenage-life crisis, Sixteen Candles is a bombshell of 80’s pop culture that continues to be debated and beloved over three decades after its release.
Blu-ray Special Edition contents:
- New restoration by Arrow Films from a 4K scan of the original negative
- High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation of the Theatrical Version of the film (92 mins), plus Blu-Ray world premiere Extended Version (94 mins), featuring the additional “cafeteria” scene newly remastered in high-definition
- Original lossless mono audio, plus 5.1 DTS-HD MA surround option
- Original English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Alternate “home video” soundtrack prepared for VHS and laserdisc releases
- Option to watch additional scene from the Extended Version separately
- Newly-filmed conversation between actors Gedde Watanabe and Deborah Pollack
- All-new audio interview with casting director Jackie Burch
- Newly-filmed interview with composer Ira Newborn
- Newly-filmed interview with supporting actor John Kapelos
- Newly-filmed interview with camera operator Gary Kibbe
- Newly-filmed interview with filmmaker Adam Rifkin, who shadowed John Hughes while working as an extra on set
- All-new video essay written and narrated by writer Soraya Roberts, looking at the film from a contemporary feminist perspective
- Celebrating Sixteen Candles, an archive documentary featuring interviews with cast, crew and admirers, including stars Anthony Michael Hall, Paul Dooley, Haviland Morris and Gedde Watanabe, among others
- Theatrical trailer
- Image gallery
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sara Deck
- FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collectors’ booklet featuring new writing on the film by Nikki Baughan and Bryan Reesman
