An apocalyptic wasteland ruled by savage bands of outlaws or a horny computer dork’s bedroom — which is more terrifying? Turns out the two have more in common than you may think.

When most reflect on the 1985 comedy Weird Science, the first image that comes to mind is Kelly LeBrock emerging from cyberspace in her underwear. Following that comes the music of Oingo Boingo. Afterward, it may become a blur for those who have not seen it in a while. (If you decide to rewatch, skip over Anthony Michael Hall’s bluesman bit!)

If you recall, the end of Weird Science, ostensibly a cautionary tale about objectifying women, concludes with an increasing amount of lunacy involving atomic missiles, localized indoor snow showers, frozen-in-time grandparents, and Bill Paxton transformed into an enormous toad-like creature. (It has been reported that John Hughes banged out the script in just two days.)

Amid all that mayhem in the final party sequence is a marauding gang of bikers who look as if they were plucked directly from the Wasteland. This is no coincidence because one of the performers who shows up in the nice suburban home is indeed Vernon Wells, who was one of the ferocious villains from the second Mad Max movie, The Road Warrior.

Wells is even sporting the same makeup that his character Wez wears when he was battling Mel Gibson.

The Australian performer had a number of television credits before he appeared in George Miller’s apocalyptic sequel. His small role in Weird Science was his first Hollywood gig, but not his last. The film was produced by Joel Silver, whose next project was the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie Commando. Wells made a good enough impression that he landed a spot in that one, too. (As it happens, Silver would later team up with Mad Max himself to make the Lethal Weapon series.)

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But that’s not the only connection between the two movies!

If you recall, the two dweebs played by Hall and Ilan Mitchell-Smith are harassed by two bullies. One is played by Robert Rusler and the other by future Oscar winner Robert Downey Jr.

When they first spy LeBrock’s Lisa at the mall (the Northbrook Court Mall in Illinois, to be specific), they race to go talk to her, to the tune of Van Halen’s cover of “Pretty Woman.” Rusler introduces Downey with a “That’s Ian” and Downey introduces Rusler by saying, “And that’s Max. We call him Mad Max.”

LeBrock is not impressed. Then the two dorks pick her up in a Porsche and race off. Movies!

Here is a scene from The Road Warrior, an incredibly influential moment that basically inspired everything we associate with the WWE.