{"id":87,"date":"2023-05-07T08:01:14","date_gmt":"2023-05-07T08:01:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tdi_33_54d"},"modified":"2024-09-07T07:41:31","modified_gmt":"2024-09-07T07:41:31","slug":"artists-used-deepfake-tech-to-tell-alternate-moon-landing-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/moviescriticsweb.com\/index.php\/artists-used-deepfake-tech-to-tell-alternate-moon-landing-history.html","title":{"rendered":"A Countdown of the 10 Best Movie Characters Portrayed as Nerds"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ever want to know what it takes to be in an elite club crawling with some of the cinema\u2019s most awkward movie characters and their nerdy tendencies? Well in Top 10 Movie Nerds<\/strong> we will take a look at some of film\u2019s geekiest go-getters who were either pushed around in defeat or ended up getting the last laugh with an unexpected achievement or a combination of both instances. Sure, there are perhaps tons of other nerdy selections that one can add to the mix and if so then fine . . . go ahead and knock yourself out in doing so. Just be sure to tell me who I\u2019ve missed and why . . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Top 10 Movie Nerds<\/strong> (in ALPHABETICAL order according to film title) are as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#10 \u201cBACK TO THE FUTURE\u201d (1985) FEATURING GEORGE MCFLY<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
<\/a>Actor Crispin Glover, the off-kilter performer who became America\u2019s favorite nerdy patriarch in the mid 80\u2019s box office sci-fi hit \u201cBack to the Future,\u201d reportedly has never come to grips with his pushover papa George McFly role that has made him a movie nerd icon for the ages. However, for movie audiences, then and now, the goofy and whiny demeanor of traveling hero Marty McFly\u2019s (multi-Emmy winner Michael J. Fox) doofus daddy was a winning yet sympathetic fatherly figurehead who was not only at the mercy of bombastic bullies such as badass Biff Howard Tannen (Thomas F. Wilson) but also a doormat for the game of life in general. Nevertheless, even the George McFlys of the world deserve to catch a break and deliver the comeuppance to their oppressors at some point. And for that we embrace the character George McFly with giddy enthusiasm.<\/td><\/tr>
#9 \u201cELECTION\u201d (1999) FEATURING TRACY FLICK<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
<\/a>Some may not see Reese Witherspoon\u2019s biting portrayal of high school overachiever Tracy Enid Flick from filmmaker Alexander Payne\u2019s smartly written 1999 comedy \u201cElection\u201d as a member of the nerd brigade necessarily. After all Tracy was ambitious, conscientious, focused, determined and intelligent. But she was also opportunistic, sneaky, slightly vindictive and annoying \u2014 a side to her that government teacher Jim McAllister (Matthew Broderick) noticed and decided to serve some comical just deserts. In any event, Tracy was the high-achieving nerd that rubbed her fellow classmates the wrong way as her over-reaching expectations and academic arrogance made her nothing more than a spoiled brat with garrulous grand-standing in the classroom. Whether she\u2019s considered an applauded nerd, scheming scholastic superstar or grating-on-the-nerves go-getter, cinema\u2019s Tracy Flick is one of the most celebrated polarizing high schoolers to grace the big screen in modern movies.<\/td><\/tr>
#8 \u201cTHE INCREDIBLE MR. LIMPET\u201d (1964) FEATURING HENRY LIMPET<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
<\/a>Multi-Emmy Award winner Don Knotts, who famously became a TV icon courtesy of his classic characterization of fidgety Deputy Barney Fife on \u201cThe Andy Griffith Show,\u201d cut his teeth perfecting the overwhelmed wiry nerd in a string of now nostalgic slapstick comedies such as delightful ditties: \u201cThe Ghost and Mr. Chicken,\u201d \u201cThe Reluctant Astronaut,\u201d \u201cThe Shakiest Gun in the West\u201d and of course \u201cThe Incredible Mr. Limpet.\u201d In fact, Knotts\u2019 Henry Limpet was an endearing nerd that taught us all a lesson in life \u2014 that dreams in wanting to be somebody more than you are can happen no matter how the odds are stacked up against you. The whimsical and silly-minded film introduced us to Henry (Knotts), a meek-minded bookkeeper whose strong affinity for the Navy is shattered when he is determined physically unfit to join the service he cherishes so dearly. Nevertheless, a freakish event while falling in the water transforms the nerdy bookkeeper into a fish \u2014 something that rejuvenates his sense of purpose and spirit. Now as a fish Mr. Henry Limpet can assist the Navy on its mission to locate and disarm Nazi U-boats. Indeed, \u201cThe Incredible Mr. Limpet\u201d is a babyboomer\u2019s childhood fantasy worth a reminiscing dip in the deep end of swimming pool memories.<\/td><\/tr>
#7 \u201cLITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS\u201d (1986) FEATURING SEYMOUR KRELBORN<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
<\/a>Okay folks, there is no slight intended in omitting the original 1960 release of \u201cLittle Shop of Horrors\u201d directed by sexploitation gore-meister Roger Corman. However, movie audiences will probably recall more readily Frank Oz\u2019s 1986 remake featuring the well-known former \u201cSCTV\u201d cast member, the nebbish Rick Moranis in the role of clumsy florist Seymour Krelborn whose friendship with a blood-thirsty, man-eating giant plant (voiced by the late legendary Four Tops\u2019 lead singer Levi Stubbs) and nervous affection for co-worker Audrey Fulquad (Ellen Greene) at their flower shop workplace ended up in comedic chaos. Naturally, there is no bias towards Jonathan Haze\u2019s Seymour in Corman\u2019s version of the movie, but Moranis has made an art out portraying nerdy souls in fare such as \u201cGhostbusters,\u201d \u201cHoney, I Shrunk the Kids,\u201d \u201cParenthood\u201d and \u201cLittle Giants\u201d just to name a few. Thus, common sense dictates that Moranis\u2019 Seymour gets the head up in recognition as being the put-upon plant-boy with the winning nerdish touch.<\/td><\/tr>
#6 \u201cNAPOLEON DYNAMITE\u201d (2004) FEATURING NAPOLEON DYNAMITE<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
<\/a>Writer-director Jared Hess and his lead Jon Heder collaborated to bring another heralded nerdy high schooler to the forefront in the Idaho-based coming-of-age comedy \u201cNapoleon Dynamite.\u201d Devoutly droll, off-kilter and surprisingly observational, Heder\u2019s Napoleon represented every underdog in the school system dealing with their unique form of alienation both in the classroom and at home. The usual obstacles applied in Napoleon\u2019s warped world of wackiness \u2014 eccentric family members, a stubborn pet llama, school bullies and the popular clique circles. However, Napoleon\u2019s route to coolness entails the mission to get his new best friend in transfer student Pedro (Efren Ramirez) elected student body president over challenger Summer Wheatley (Haylie Duff), the mean-spirited \u201cit\u201d girl that runs the roost. Ironically, \u201cNapoleon Dynamite\u201d made it hip to be a nonsensical nerd in shaking up the high school hierarchy in the mid 2000\u2019s. And remember above all else . . . Vote for Pedro!<\/td><\/tr>
#5 \u201cTHE NUTTY PROFESSOR\u201d (1963) FEATURING PROFESSOR JULIUS KELP<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
<\/a>Many consider writer-director-star Jerry Lewis\u2019 \u201cThe Nutty Professor\u201d his ultimate masterpiece among the conveyor belt of silly 60\u2019s comedies he cranked out in the aftermath of his publicized professional split with former comedy partner Dean Martin. Lewis played nerdy Professor Julius Kelp who longs for a romantic relationship with one of his curvaceous college students, the pretty and perky Stella Purdy (Stella Stevens). Thus, Professor Kelp\u2019s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde-type experimentation in the lab results in his transformation to swinger Buddy Love, a handsome, but relentlessly boorish brute whose obnoxiousness and self-serving sense of importance left much to be desired. Julius Kelp was a beeker-pushing nerd, but he was also inherently sweet and considerate . . . an alternative to the polished but poison-tongued Buddy Love. The lesson was reinforced in \u201cThe Nutty Professor\u201d that being your true self is the only way one can discover one\u2019s true identity and heart. In the end, Kelp embraced his nerdy truth and got the trophy girl in the process. We all should be so lucky, right?<\/td><\/tr>
#4 \u201cPEE-WEE\u2019S BIG ADVENTURE\u201d (1985) FEATURING PEE-WEE HERMAN<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
<\/a>Long before comedian Paul Reubens became damaged goods following a 1991 arrest for indecent exposure in a Florida adult movie theater, his worldwide fame as kiddie pioneer goofball Pee-Wee Herman was the rage on both daytime children\u2019s television and later in the movies. The bow-tied, squeaky-voiced simpleton had made his mark in pop culture with his TV\/stage events that included the eighties\u2019 explosion of exposure with off-balanced fare such as \u201cThe Pee-Wee Herman Show\u201d and later CBS children\u2019s programming of \u201cPee-wee\u2019s Playhouse.\u201d Soon, Reubens\u2019 immense popularity highlighted by Pee-Wee Herman-oriented toy merchandising and the works would later welcome his infectious and insane presence on the big screen in \u201cPee-Wee\u2019s Big Adventure\u201d \u2014 an unlikely comedy of goofiness that magically appealed to both adults and youngsters alike. Regardless of the personal controversies that dogged Reubens the man, it appears that Reubens the artist left an indelible imprint on the generations of children and grown-ups that grew up in the Pee-Wee Herman universe of child-like ribaldry.<\/td><\/tr>
#3 \u201cREVENGE OF THE NERDS\u201d (1984) FEATURING LEWIS SKOLNICK AND GILBERT LOWE<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
<\/a>The duo behind the \u201cRevenge of the Nerds\u201d movie movement are Lewis Skolnick and Gilbert Lowe (Robert Carradine and Anthony Edwards), a couple of buddies that led the pack of outcasts and misfits at fictional Adams College in Jeff Kanew\u2019s collegiate campus comedy. It was tough on the terrorized twosome as they dealt with the pressures put upon them by the likes of handsome hotshot jock Stan Gable (Ted McGinley) and gigantic goon Orge (Donald Gibb) not to mention the college faculty that were not too thrilled with them as well. Still, Lewis and Gilbert led their fellow nerds: Poindexter (Timothy Busfield), Booger (Curtis Armstrong), Lamar (Larry B. Scott), Wormser (Andrew Cassese) and Takashi (Brian Tochi) to not only survive the slings and arrows of their pitbull peers, but to turn the tables and overcome in more ways than one. All nerds unite!<\/td><\/tr>
#2 \u201cSIXTEEN CANDLES\u201d (1984) FEATURING TED<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
<\/a>The trials and tribulations of soon-to-be sweet sixteen Samantha (Molly Ringwald) as she navigates through the growing pains at home and in school are showcased in the late John Hughes teen-angst dramedy \u201cSixteen Candles.\u201d So what is Samantha\u2019s dilemma? Well, she harbors a tremendous crush for the most coveted boy in high school Jake (Michael Schoeffling), but the problem is that Samantha cannot seem to avoid her unwanted admirer in the person of the Geek, aka \u201cFarmer\u201d Ted (Anthony Michael Hall). Totally spastic and bothersome, the Geek is devoted to his elusive love muffin Samantha, but she is not receptive at all to the intrusive nerd-in-heat. In many ways the Geek was very sympathetic and vulnerable as he felt about Samantha the way Samantha viewed her heartthrob Jake. Deep down we all knew that the Geek was the \u201cone\u201d for the disillusioned Samantha although we can certainly understand her reluctance to ignore her klutzy champion for the dreamed of girltoy beefcake she wanted so badly.<\/td><\/tr>
#1 \u201cSUPERMAN\u201d (1978) FEATURING CLARK KENT<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
<\/a>Clearly, Clark Kent is the ultimate king of the nerds . . . or at least this is how the late Christopher Reeve perceived him as when hiding behind this seemingly inept newspaperman to shield his Man of Steel identity to the world he saved on a daily basis. The nerdy Kent (and Superman) held a special affection for fellow reporter \u2014 the feisty feminine firecracker Lois Lane (Margot Kidder) \u2014 but she had her designs only on the Caped Courageous One. Whether it was an exaggerated act by Clark Kent to act so gawky and goofy is a distinct possibility, he nevertheless, always had the last laugh in the long run as his red-and-blue tights with the big \u201cS\u201d on his chest gave him all the street cred he needed.<\/td><\/tr>
HONORABLE MENTION:<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
\u201cFast Times at Ridgemont High\u201d (1982) featuring Mark \u201cRat\u201d Ratner
\u201cFootloose\u201d (1984) featuring Rusty
\u201cGhostbusters\u201d (1984) featuring Dr. Egon Spengler
\u201cLucas\u201d (1986) featuring Lucas<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ever want to know what it takes to be in an elite club crawling with some of the cinema\u2019s most awkward movie characters and their nerdy tendencies? Well in Top 10 Movie Nerds we will take a look at some of film\u2019s geekiest go-getters who were either pushed around in defeat or ended up getting the last […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":133,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-87","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-10-lists"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/moviescriticsweb.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/moviescriticsweb.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/moviescriticsweb.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moviescriticsweb.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moviescriticsweb.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=87"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/moviescriticsweb.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":134,"href":"https:\/\/moviescriticsweb.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87\/revisions\/134"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moviescriticsweb.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/133"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/moviescriticsweb.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=87"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moviescriticsweb.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=87"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moviescriticsweb.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=87"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}