Short Circuit (1986)
Summary
Hosts Mike Schulte, Sean Pryor, and AJ Vance revisit the 1987 film Short Circuit from the actual Astoria, Oregon house where it was shot. They discuss the movie’s production history, including the practical effects and the controversial casting of Fisher Stevens, before diving into a scene-by-scene analysis. The episode also features a live audience in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, for an upcoming Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift review.
Topics discussed
Intro and Cedar Rapids live show announcement
Introduction to the Short Circuit filming location
Nostalgia ratings and first viewing memories
Fun facts: casting, design, and production history
Casting details for Steve Guttenberg and Ally Sheedy
Fisher Stevens' role and the voice of Johnny Five
Reviewing critical reception and audience scores
Movie premise and military satire themes
Discussion on the impracticality of the robot design
Sponsor segments: Quince, Rocket Money, and Ethos
Scene analysis: The robot's escape and first interactions
Discussion on the portrayal of the Asian sidekick
Johnny Five's learning process and toddler-like behavior
Comparing Johnny Five to other robot characters
The 'Yes, No, No, Yeah' conversation and driving scenes
Military pursuit and the 'kill it' debate
Johnny Five's discovery of music and human emotion
Ally Sheedy's performance and the robot's tangible feel
Bloopers, behind-the-scenes stories, and AI parallels
The climax: Defeating the other robots
The ending: Survival and the name Johnny Five
Character analysis: Steve Guttenberg and Fisher Stevens
Connection to Terminator and filming location nostalgia
Final modern-day ratings and score calculation
Outro and final thoughts on the movie
Sponsor segments: Quince, Rocket Money, and Ethos
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