Short Circuit (1986)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

John Badham

Writers:

S.S. Wilson (written by) &
Brent Maddock (written by)

Release Date:

9 May 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Something wonderful has happened... Number Five is alive!

Plot:

Number 5 of a group of experimental robots in a lab is electrocuted, suddenly becomes intelligent, and escapes.

Plot Keywords:

Robot | Lightning | Military | Reference To John Wayne | Indian

Awards:

1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Ally Sheedy	...	Stephanie Speck
Steve Guttenberg	...	Newton Crosby
Fisher Stevens	...	Ben Jabituya
Austin Pendleton	...	Howard Marner
G.W. Bailey	...	Skroeder
Brian McNamara	...	Frank
Tim Blaney	...	Number 5 (voice)
Marvin J. McIntyre	...	Duke
John Garber	...	Otis
Penny Santon	...	Mrs. Cepeda
Vernon Weddle	...	General Washburne
Barbara Tarbuck	...	Senator Mills
Tom Lawrence	...	Howard Marner's Aide
Fred Slyter	...	Norman
Billy Ray Sharkey	...	Zack
Robert Krantz	...	Reporter
Jan Speck	...	Reporter
Marguerite Happy	...	Barmaid
Howard Krick	...	Farmer
Marjorie Card Hughes	...	Farmer's Wife
Herb Smith	...	Gate Guard
Jack Thompson	...	Party Guest
William Striglos	...	Party Guest
Mary Reckley	...	Party Guest
Lisa McLean	...	Party Guest
Eleanor C. Heutschy	...	Party Guest

Directed by
John Badham

Writing credits
S.S. Wilson		(written by) &
Brent Maddock		(written by)

Produced by
Gregg Champion	....	producer
Mark Damon	....	executive producer
David Foster	....	producer
Gary Foster	....	associate producer
Dana Satler Hankins	....	associate producer
John W. Hyde	....	executive producer
Dennis E. Jones	....	co-producer (as Dennis Jones)
Lawrence Turman	....	producer

Original Music by
David Shire

Cinematography by
Nick McLean

Film Editing by
Frank Morriss

Casting by
Jane Feinberg
Mike Fenton
Judy Taylor

Production Design by
Dianne Wager

Art Direction by
Dianne Wager

Set Decoration by
Garrett Lewis

Makeup Department
Damon Grill	....	hair stylist
Tom Lucas	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Steve Perry	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gregg Champion	....	second unit director
Bryan Denegal	....	second assistant director
Jerry Ziesmer	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Gregg H. Bilson	....	property master
Stan Cockerell	....	assistant property master
Michael Dunn	....	assistant property master
Joseph C. Fama	....	construction foreman
Jack Johnson	....	illustrator
Martin A. Kline	....	storyboard artist
Michael Muscarella	....	construction coordinator
Tom Southwell	....	production illustrator
Donald B. Woodruff	....	assistant art director
Mark Woods	....	lead man

Sound Department
Wayne Artman	....	sound re-recording mixer
Tom Beckert	....	sound re-recording mixer
Milton C. Burrow	....	supervising sound editor
Richard Burrow	....	sound editor
Scott Burrow	....	sound editor
Willie D. Burton	....	sound mixer
Tom E. Dahl	....	sound re-recording mixer
Robert W. Harris	....	utility sound
David M. Horton	....	sound editor (as D. Michael Horton)
Marvin E. Lewis	....	boom operator
Kelly L. Manger	....	assistant sound editor
William L. Manger	....	supervising sound editor
Richard Oswald	....	sound editor
Frank Serafine	....	sound designer
John Roesch	....	foley artist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Eric Allard	....	robotics special effects supervisor
Tony Allard	....	cost controller: Robotics Shop (as George 'Tony' Allard)
Philip Bartko	....	robotics leadman
Gary D. Bierend	....	special robotics technician
Mike Edmonson	....	special effects foreman
Scott Forbes	....	special effects foreman
Chuck Gaspar	....	special effects coordinator
Jeff Jarvis	....	special effects supervisor
Larry Keys	....	special electrical effects (as Larry 'Big Mo' Keys)
Mark Noel	....	special effects
Tom Pahk	....	special effects foreman
Christopher S. Ross	....	robotic special effects: design interpretation (as Chris Ross)
Mark Yuricich	....	special robotics technician
Gary Zink	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
James Balsam	....	motion control camera operator
Chris Casady	....	special visual effects
Dennis Dorney	....	special visual effects
Michael Ferriter	....	special visual effects
Rocco Gioffre	....	matte artist
Rocco Gioffre	....	special visual effects
Robert Hall	....	special visual effects
Philip Harrison	....	visual consultant
Nina Salerno	....	special visual effects
Keith Shartle	....	special visual effects
Hoyt Yeatman	....	special visual effects

Stunts
Christine Anne Baur	....	stunts
Brad Bovee	....	stunts
Danny Costa	....	stunts
Vince Deadrick Sr.	....	stunts
Bob Drake	....	stunts
James W. Gavin	....	stunt pilot
Clifford Happy	....	stunts
Marguerite Happy	....	stunts
Bob Harris	....	stunts (as Robert W. Harris)
Eddie Hice	....	stunts (as Ed Hice)
Freddie Hice	....	stunts
Loren Janes	....	stunts
Robert Jauregui	....	stunts
Tony Jefferson	....	stunts
Sasha Jenson	....	stunts
Ben Scott	....	stunts
John-Clay Scott	....	stunts
Walter Scott	....	stunt coordinator
Walter Scott	....	stunts
R.L. Tolbert	....	stunts
Ted White	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Stephen E. Bridge	....	camera operator
Colin J. Campbell	....	gaffer
Michael A. Chavez	....	first assistant camera
Richmond G. Cogswell	....	video assist operator
Dick Colean	....	camera operator: second unit
John J. Connor	....	director of photography: second unit
Donald L. Hartley	....	dolly grip
George Llerena	....	second assistant camera
Johnny London Jr.	....	grip
Thomas May Jr.	....	second grip
Bruce McBroom	....	still photographer
Ken Nishino	....	first assistant camera: second unit
Michael D. O'Shea	....	camera operator
Bill Roe	....	first assistant camera
Bill Rustic	....	grip
Robert Samuels	....	second assistant camera: second unit
Joseph Staton	....	second assistant camera
Michael 'Dutch' Van Woert	....	best boy
Bill Young	....	key grip (as William C. Young)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Barry Francis Delaney	....	costumer: men
Mary E. Vogt	....	costumer: women

Editorial Department
Andy Greenberg	....	apprentice editor
Kevin Stitt	....	assistant film editor
David Tweet	....	apprentice film editor

Music Department
Marcella Detroit	....	composer: song "Come And Follow Me" (as Marcy Levy)
Jack Hayes	....	orchestrator
Joel McNeely	....	orchestrator
David Tweet	....	assistant music editor
Dan Wallin	....	score mixer
Stan Witt	....	music editor

Other crew
Eric Allard	....	robots engineer
Tim Blaney	....	puppeteer
Wayne Fitzgerald	....	title designer
Jan Garner	....	production accountant
Mary Cay Hollander	....	production coordinator
Mark Indig	....	location manager
Robert Jason	....	special electrical effects (as Bob Jason)
Syd Mead	....	consultant
Syd Mead	....	robots designer
Walter Nichols	....	special electrical effects
David Oliver	....	title designer
H. Bud Otto	....	script supervisor
Rico Topazio	....	puppeteer
Tony Urbano	....	animatronic performance supervisor
Tony Urbano	....	puppeteer
Karl A. Wickman	....	helicopter pilot
Pat Brymer	....	puppeteer: robots (uncredited)

Production Companies

• David Foster Productions
• PSO

Distributors

• TriStar Pictures (1986) (USA) (TV)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1988) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Aquarius TV (2005) (Greece) (DVD)
• CBS/Fox Video (1987) (Belgium) (video)
• CBS/Fox Video (1986) (UK) (VHS)
• CBS/Fox (USA) (laserdisc)
• Cinema Club (2004) (UK) (DVD)
• Dutch FilmWorks (DFW) (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Encore (UK) (laserdisc)
• Fox Video (video)
• Image Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• Manga Films (2005) (Spain) (DVD)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (19??) (Netherlands) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Dream Quest Images

Other Companies

• For Stars Catering  catering
• Varèse Sarabande  score album released by (limited edition)
• Video Image  display graphics
• Video Image  video displays

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Chile:TE | Finland:S | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:6

Filming Locations:

Astoria, Oregon, USA

Company:

David Foster Productions

Trivia:

In this film and Short Circuit 2 (1988), Johnny 5's voice is provided by puppeteer Tim Blaney. This casting decision was made due to the director's belief that real-time interaction with the robot prop would make the interaction seem more natural on-screen than if they edited Johnny's voice in during post-production.

Goofs:

Continuity: The bullet hole in Number 5's chest disappears in the van.

Quotes:

General Washburne: The only way to secure the peace, Senator, as I'm sure you know, is to be prepared. See, we can parachute these robot guys behind enemy lines. They hide out till the first strike blows over. Then each one is able to just carry a 25-megaton bomb right up the middle of Main Street Moscow - like the mailman bringing bad news. We call it Operation 'Gotcha LAST!'
Senator Mills: That's what you call 'ENSURING PEACE'?
General Washburne: Oh, yeah. Just as you say: 'Ensuring peace'.

Movie Connections:

Remade as Short Circuit (2010)

Soundtrack:

Who's Johnny

I Heart Number Five.

Short Circuit is an off-the-wall comedy about a series of robots made of the military. They sort of resemble Conky from the old Pee Wee's Play House series. One of the robots, 'Number Five', escapes and finds sanctuary in the home of Stephanie Speck (Allly Sheedy), a nice lady with a soft spot for runaways.

Speck becomes good friends with 'Number Five' who begins to take on a lot of human characteristics, transcending the static life of a robot or the hostile life of a military weapon, which is what the robots were designed for.

Speck learns that Number Five's owners are looking for him, but she knows that the military would only destroy Number Five or terminate the emotional drive that he has developed. Number Five's designer, Newton Crosby (Guttenberg) and his silly assistant Ben Jabituya (Stevens), have yet to appreciate what Number Five has achieved, as a shell of wires and controls able to take on human qualities, but, soon, they too will join Speck in the quest to save 'Number Five.'

Some of it is kind of reminscint of other 80s sci-fi movies like 'Batteries Not Included' and 'E.T.'

There's two issues at work in this movie. The first, and obvious one being about the development of human emotion and would it be possible for anything to gain an understanding and appreciation for it? And the second being the ethics of military useage. Plus, it's your standard 80s love and friendship story. Because of the story and the sharp wit comedy and sarcasm, it's makes for good comedy. I haven't seen the sequel in a long time, but I do remember enjoying it almost as much as the first. I think that's because 'Number Five' is such a funny, loveable robot.

If you like the theme of this movie, I recommend seeing the hilarious comedy, 'Making Mr. Right,' which is about a robot designed for space exploration rather than military use. But, the robot begins to take on human emotions while the owner becomes increasingly more like a robot. (It's from Susan Siedleman, the director of 'Desperately Seeking Susan.')