SHORT CIRCUIT

US, 1986, 96 minutes, Colour.
Steve Guttenberg, Ally Sheedy, Fisher Stevens, G.W. Bailey, Austin Pendleton.
Directed by John Badham.

Short Circuit is a pleasing comedy about technology and warfare. It was directed by John Badham who directed War Games and Blue Thunder (as well as Saturday Night Fever which is humorously used during the film).

The film focuses on robot weapons and their potential military use. But it is a film about a runaway robot who comes to life. The film, to that extent, is very reminiscent of E.T. The delight is in watching the machine copy human behaviour (even to John Travolta's Saturday Night Fever disco (dancing). Number Five, the name of the robot, is able to absorb a great deal of input, has all the television cliches as well as the words and styles of so many movies (including George Raft id Scarface and John Wayne). Much humour is made of the Three Stooges as well.

The human interest is provided by Ally Sheedy who is charming with the robot. Steve Gutenberg is the scientist. There is humorous support from Fisher Stevens who was very funny as The Jewel of the Nile, as well as Austin Pendleton doing his harassed role, familiar from What's Up Doc?

The film will delight young audiences for its story - but it has underlying anti-militaristic themes.

1. An enjoyable comedy? Science fiction?- American war fable?

2. The films of John Badham, his interest in militaristic themes and technology?

3. The film's reliance on cinema tradition: the robots (echoes of Forbidden Planet)? Comparisons with other films? Television and commercials? The Three Stooges (and the three robots imitating then)? George Raft in Scarface, John Wayne, Saturday Night Fever?

4: Panavision photography, Oregon and its beauty? Nova and its technological developments? Stephanie's old house? The blend of the modern and the old? Musical score? Songs? Final title song?

5. The background of technology, inventions, law and military development, nuclear power, weapons? Robots and their role in warfare? Control? Destructive power? The contrast with the delight of the robot alive and warmongering?

6. Robots and science, computers, programmes, weaponry? Possibilities? The robot in the human image? Number Five mistaken for an alien? The capacity for input - books, television, imitating experience? The robot's growing and learning, alive, spontaneous emotion? The parallel between humans and God - creating, their creations wanting freedom, have to be permitted their freedom? The film and its focus on the value of life?

7. Number Five and its structure, appearance? Its malfunctioning (what was its proper function?)? On the loose, the escape, on the vehicle, parachuting, the encounter with Stephanie, her treating Number Five as an alien, the desire for input, the books, the television, building up a personality? Messing up the house? The attack, the escape? The return to Stephanie, the disco dancing, making breakfast? Frank's attack and Number Five dismantling the car? Learning about dismantling, being dead? The pursuit, Number Five driving (and the crashes)? Seeking out Newton and wanting to learn? The jokes about Number Five's emotions, the Rorschach Blot? Foiling the other robots, turning them into the Three Stooges? The final attack, making a counterfeit robot? Accompanying Stephanie and Newton at the end? The satire on humanity - humans making technology in their own image of likeness? Technological and media likeness? Or humans' robotic behaviour?

8. Stephanie and her truck, the range of her pets, her old house, turning Frank out, meeting Number Five and thinking him an alien, welcoming him to the world providing input, the messing up of the house, the manic driving? Liking him,? Her antagonism towards Nova? The TV interview? The phone calls? Her losing Number Five and his returning, the domestic scenes, the disco dancing? Frank and his greediness, Number Five beating him? her dislike for Newton? The cafe, feeling tricked? The escape, the right on the mountain? The siege and her grief over Number Five's dismantling? Delight in his reappearance?

9. Newton and his five years of research, isolated from the world, friendship with Ben, masterminding the robots, avoiding the press, the chase, the clash with Howard, with Scroter and the military types? Clashing with Stephanie? Disbelieving Number Five's coming alive? Foiling Howard? The cafe discussion, Scroter's attack? The night on the mountain and his talk with Number Five? The siege? The possibility of a new life in Montana? The critique of the scientist and the technologist?

10. Ben and his American background, his patter, sex preoccupation, mixing up English phrases?

11. Howard as the scientist-turned-executive, his desperation, double deals?

12. Scroter and the gung-ho military types, destroying and 'just doing their job'?

13. Themes of war, weaponry? The film as anti-warmongering?

14. The theme as a delightful comedy? Enjoyable story? Contemporary fable?