"Here's a movie that has all the elements of a standard nerd comedy: Pranks? Yes. Shenanigans? You betcha. A crusty-dean type? The best ever. It also features mild semi-nudity, montage sequences set to forgotten (though winning) songs by obscure '80s pop outfits [...], and comeuppances galore. But while Real Genius more or less follows the formula, the film gets plenty of separation in its particulars. Its tone is overwhelmingly sweet and whimsical: The nerds are out for revenge only when provoked, and they always exact it with something silly and light-hearted. Mostly, though, they're trying to break out of their intellectual cocoons and bring some balance and fun to their lives. That doesn't mean abandoning nerd life for jock life--quite the contrary, the film has more respect for applied braininess than any other in the genre--but figuring out how to let a little spontaneity and chaos into a routine as orderly as a pocket protector.
Real Genius is an old favorite movie that I enjoy showing to young nerds.