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Real Genius is a 1985 satirical comedy film starring Val Kilmer and Gabriel Jarret. The film is set...

Real Genius is a 1985 satirical comedy film starring Val Kilmer and Gabriel Jarret. The film is set on the campus of "Pacific Tech", a fictitious technical university in the US based on Caltech, although some elements of the plot and campus refer to events at Carnegie Mellon University. Chris Knight (Kilmer), is a genius in his senior year working on a chemical laser. He came to the university as a somber, assiduous student but mellowed over time after deciding that there is more to life than just work. Mitch Taylor (Jarret) is a new student on campus who is paired up with Knight to work on the laser. Mitch is much like Knight used to be, and has trouble settling in. Eventually, Knight teaches Mitch how to enjoy himself and live on campus without "burning out". The film begins with a video presentation of a space-based laser weapon that incinerates a man on the ground with pinpoint accuracy. The CIA has contracted with Professor Jerry Hathaway (Atherton) to develop this secret weapon with his team of brilliant students at the elite university Pacific Tech. When the Agency demands a more powerful laser, Hathaway recruits 15-year-old high-school science prodigy Mitch Taylor (Jarret)