A fitting start to what will hopefully long tradition -the “Number One” montage from Real Genius.
A classic “gettin’ down to work” montage with great personal significance, this is the point in the film where the Pacific Tech nerds dedicate themselves to spiting their Asshole Professor (played as always by William Atherton), who also happens to be quietly selling their work to the USG for space-based Death Ray programs.
In addition to the overall techie vibe, the anti-militaristic stance, and the underrated comedic stylings of Val Kilmer, this film is one of my favorites because it showed me at a critical age that being a smart kid doesn’t doom you to a life of relentless studying and sexual frustration. It was the first voice in my life that said you can use your intelligence the way you see fit - you are not obligated to use it to satisfy your parents, some educational institution, a corporation, a government, etc. Be smart, be creative, be yourself.
Just ALWAYS check the optics.
