# Real Genius (1985) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [June 29, 2023, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-genius-1985/986270 "2023-06-29T03:28:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2023, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-genius-1985/986270/41 "2023-06-29T19:32:33Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > But - and I am only saying this because I care - there are a lot of decaffeinated brands on the market today that are just as tasty as the real thing. Best line in the movie. At least, the one I use the most. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2023, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-genius-1985/986270/42 "2023-06-29T19:34:42Z")
My favorite was always, “I was thinking of the immortal words of Socrates, who said… ‘I drank what?’” ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2023, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-genius-1985/986270/43 "2023-06-29T19:35:24Z")
I use that one a lot too. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2023, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-genius-1985/986270/44 "2023-06-29T19:45:39Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > Laszlo was also married to Tanya in _The White Lotus._ He looked really different. He was also _Napoleon Dynamite_’s Uncle Rico ---
**Author:** ![veryfrank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/87869e/32.png) [@veryfrank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/veryfrank)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2023, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-genius-1985/986270/45 "2023-06-29T20:18:57Z")
1985 was one of those weird confluences of movies of the same ilk all getting a near-simultaenous release. But while we only got two asteroid movies and two animated bug movies in 1998, 1985 gave us _Weird Science_, _Real Genius_ and also _My Science Project_ (arguably _Back to the Future_ could come under this umbrella as well). _Real Genius_ was obviously the cream of that crop, but I liked _My Science Project_ a lot as well…gotta love any high school that has textbooks descibing how time warps work, and Dennis Hopper as a science teacher. _Weird Science_, despite the always-genius Bill Paxton getting turned into a (literal) big pile of shit, was…not great. Problematic even by 1985 standards. Yes, Michelle Meyrink, but also that bizarre coveyor belt roller coaster to Lazlo’s lair, hidden behind the dorm wall (the plot logic is baffling…who built it and how did they keep it a secret?), and magnificent use of “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” under the closing credits. Jeez, I need to find the movie and watch it again… ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2023, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-genius-1985/986270/46 "2023-06-29T20:25:13Z")
> [@veryfrank](#): > > but also that bizarre coveyor belt roller coaster to Lazlo’s lair, hidden behind the dorm wall (the plot logic is baffling…who built it and how did they keep it a secret?) Their version was obviously over the top, but I think it was basically a reference to MIT’s steam tunnels, which were a subject of urban exploration before it was cool. Sort of a form of [hacking](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roof_and_tunnel_hacking) from a nerd’s perspective. I’m sure many of them thought it would be cool to build a train system or something else in these tunnels. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2023, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-genius-1985/986270/47 "2023-06-29T20:26:37Z")
Though I’m not sure why a college in Southern California would even have steam tunnels. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2023, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-genius-1985/986270/48 "2023-06-29T20:28:38Z")
Probably actually a reference to CalTech’s steam tunnels rather than MITs. We also had them at Rice in Houston. And yes you do need steam even in Southern California or in Texas. Though mostly they are regular utility tunnels (water, electricity, network), and they aren’t formally called ‘steam’ tunnels. Wherever there are interconnected bits that grant access to unusual places, smart students will find a way to gain access and explore. What else are they going to do? Study? Of course, for reasons of liability and safety, most universities have now heavily restricted access. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2023, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-genius-1985/986270/49 "2023-06-29T20:39:01Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > CalTech’s steam tunnels Pacific Tech was obviously a stand-in for CalTech, but I always got the impression that the culture in the movie was something of a blend between CalTech and MIT. I guess CalTech has steam tunnels too, but I think MIT’s were always more famous (and probably more comprehensive). ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2023, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-genius-1985/986270/50 "2023-06-29T20:43:14Z")
Probably just CalTech. Several CalTech folks were involved behind the scenes. The thing is - MIT isn’t unique for having smart students or steam tunnels. If you get a bunch of smart kids together and they get bored or need a break from the academic pressure, they’re going to do a lot of the same (often stupid but also often hilarious) things. We had them at Rice, as well. And I may or may not have pulled similar pranks in my day (and some may have actually involved a quantity of liquid N2 surreptitiously obtained). ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2023, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-genius-1985/986270/51 "2023-06-29T20:54:15Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > or need a break from the academic pressure, …and that leads me to my favorite scene, in the montage of everyone cramming for exams. One guy stands up, freaks out, and runs from the room … and then someone else who was sitting on the floor just takes his spot at the table, and everyone just keeps studying. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/wNFMPhKIZXg/hqdefault.jpg "Real Genius. studying too much, goes crazy") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNFMPhKIZXg) ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2023, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-genius-1985/986270/52 "2023-06-29T20:57:50Z")
Yeah, that’s only slightly exaggerated for effect. The main plot is really dumb but the student life bits are eerily close to real life. They really make the movie. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2023, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-genius-1985/986270/53 "2023-06-29T21:17:14Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > The thing is - MIT isn’t unique for having smart students or steam tunnels. It’s not that; I mean, I think of CalTech as being _more_ elite than MIT, though maybe that’s my California bias showing. It’s just that, while they certainly exist on California campuses, the tunnels are undoubtedly bigger and more comprehensive in a cold climate. I know they existed at UC Davis too, and people explored them, but there was never the impression of them being some giant underground complex, like something out of Zork. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Knig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@Typo\_Knig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Knig)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2023, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-genius-1985/986270/54 "2023-06-30T02:14:05Z")
I loved the movie! As a fan I wish Michelle Meyrink had a longer movie career, but she’s probably happier out of Hollywood. She’s in another favorite of mine “Nice Girls Don’t Explode”. I was in physics grad school when the movie came out, and I thought it had nice details. For example, Mitch is studying from this book - a real textbook! [https://www.abebooks.com/first-edition/Gravitation-Charles-Misner-Kip-Thorne-John/30840326024/bd](https://www.abebooks.com/first-edition/Gravitation-Charles-Misner-Kip-Thorne-John/30840326024/bd) ---
**Author:** ![zbuzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e19b73/32.png) [@zbuzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zbuzz)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2023, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-genius-1985/986270/55 "2023-06-30T03:21:22Z")
For as long as I can remember, my wifi network has been named “this is it.” ---
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2023, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-genius-1985/986270/56 "2023-06-30T03:45:24Z")
One of my favorite movies. We could probably use Ik and his invention capable of starting another Ice Age. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2023, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-genius-1985/986270/57 "2023-06-30T12:16:11Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > The thing is - MIT isn’t unique for having smart students or steam tunnels. It wasn’t just steam tunnels. Probably because of the Boston winters (and weirdness like the winds around the Green Building), MIT also has lots of interconnected basements, allowing you to go from building to building without going outdoors in totally unrestricted space. It also has lots of above-ground “gerbil tubes” connecting buildings. You can literally walk for miles through the MIT corridor system and steam tunnels without retracing your path (although you’ll cross it several times). The University of Rochester also has such a basement corridor system, but it’s nowhere near as big. But their steam tunnel system is pretty big – you can walk from the U of R campus across to Strong Memorial Hospital and places like Helen Wood Hall through the steam tunnels. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2023, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-genius-1985/986270/58 "2023-06-30T12:52:27Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > (and some may have actually involved a quantity of liquid N2 surreptitiously obtained). Huh. All of the stupid things I’ve done with liquid nitrogen, I my procurement of it was perfectly open and above-board: Me: "I want some liquid nitrogen to do \ Guy in charge of physics department supplies: “Sure, sounds great, is two liters enough?” > [@Typo\_Knig](#): > > I was in physics grad school when the movie came out, and I thought it had nice details. For example, Mitch is studying from this book - a real textbook! [https://www.abebooks.com/first-edition/Gravitation-Charles-Misner-Kip-Thorne-John/30840326024/bd](https://www.abebooks.com/first-edition/Gravitation-Charles-Misner-Kip-Thorne-John/30840326024/bd) Not just a real textbook; it’s THE standard definitive textbook in general relativity, that everyone else, even the other textbooks, all refer to. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2023, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-genius-1985/986270/59 "2023-06-30T13:13:58Z")
I have had the dubious honor of spending several different weeks at the Rochester, MN Mayo Clinic in the winter, where – in the immortal words of the Boomtown Rats – “I rode those tunnels like a six-foot mole.” I think it’s exceedingly cool, if you can get past the oppressive meteorological reason behind it 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2023, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-genius-1985/986270/60 "2023-06-30T13:23:06Z")
> [@DavidNRockies](#): > > I think it’s exceedingly cool, if you can get past… … that even with a wind chill factor, ‘minus zero’ makes no sense. (Less egregious though, than Geordi saying the temperature on a planet is -291°C in a ST:TNG episode.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-genius-1985/986270.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-genius-1985/986270.md?page=4)