If you grew up in the mid-80s, you likely have a hazy, neon-tinted memory of a movie where three kids build a spaceship out of an old Tilt-A-Whirl car and a washing machine door. That movie is (1985), and while it didn't conquer the box office like Back to the Future , it has earned a permanent place in the hearts of sci-fi fans as one of the era's most charming and eccentric cult classics. A Galactic Debut for Future Stars

plays Wolfgang Muller, the neighborhood science prodigy. Interestingly, Phoenix was cast against type; he originally auditioned for the "tough kid" role but was so good he was given the part of the nerdy genius.

The Cult of Explorers (1985): Why Joe Dante’s "Unfinished" Masterpiece Still Matters

stars as Ben Crandall, a dreamer obsessed with 1950s B-movies.

rounds out the trio as Darren Woods, the practical-minded friend who provides the muscle and the junkyard parts needed to build their ship, the Thunder Road . The "Unfinished" Third Act Explorers (1985) - IMDb