Movies Under the Microscope: Real Genius

Movies Under the Microscope continues at the Natural History Museum with Real Genius (1985), the comedy about a crew of teen physics whizzes who build a high-powered laser for the government, then figure out what it's really meant for.

Doors open at 6 p.m. for a lobby party with a live all-vinyl '80s DJ set, a pop-up of items from NHM's History collection, and vintage and comics pop-ups from Fanbase Press, 1984 Vintage, and I & S Vintage and Collectables.

After the screening, a panel digs into the science behind the laughs: UCLA physics professor Dr. David Saltzberg (science consultant on The Big Bang Theory and Oppenheimer), Futurama and Rick and Morty writer Cody Ziglar, pop culture educator Jason Patrick Galit, and NHM history collections manager Beth Werling, moderated by NHM's Joel Quizon.

📅 Dates & Times

Thursday, October 22, 2026

Doors and lobby activities: 6:00 p.m.

Film: 7:30 p.m.

Ends: 10:00 p.m.

📍 Venue

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

NHM Commons Theater

900 Exposition Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90007

👨🏻‍👩🏻‍👦🏻‍👦🏻 Age Requirement

No age limit is posted. Real Genius is rated PG.

🎟️ Tickets/Price

$25 general admission; $20 for NHM members.

Get tickets for Movies Under the Microscope: Real Genius

🍔 Food

NHM Commons Cafe, run by South LA Cafe, is open until 7:30 p.m.

🚙 Parking

Free parking in the NHM Car Park is included for ticket holders.

🌐 Website Link

Natural History Museum: Movies Under the Microscope: Real Genius

🧭 Directions

Click on the “Google” map for directions.

📢 Disclaimer

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