'Never Seen It' - Episode 24 - 'Short Circuit' cashes in on 'E.T.' fad

Ahh, you gotta love a derivative 1980s movie -- from Raiders of the Lost Ark to Top Gun, every major hit from the decade usually spawned its fair share of imitators, and 1986's robot feature Short Circuit clearly owes a debt to the 1982 blockbuster E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.

Still, the movie was a hit in its own right so perhaps its worth cherishing. My wife, Elizabeth Rosado, and I have never seen it -- for whatever reason this film was not in the regular VHS rotation in our households, but I was intrigued, since it is so of its era, and is exemplary of peak Steve Guttenberg, whatever that means.

In the podcast below Liz and I try to understand his appeal, and what the virtues are, if any, of this 30-year-old kids movie. Click on the YouTube link to hear our hopefully lively commentary:


PREVIOUS 'NEVER SEEN IT' EPISODES:

Episode 1: Some King of Wonderful
Episode 2: XXX
Episode 3: Varsity Blues
Episode 4: Xanadu
Episode 5: An Affair to Remember
Episode 6: Blue Steel
Episode 7: Spy Kids
Episode 8: The Frisco Kid
Episode 9: Rising Sun
Episode 10: The Conjuring 2
Episode 11: Zootopia
Episode 12: Fear
Episode 13: The Cell
Episode 14: Nocturnal Animals
Episode 15: Kindergarten Cop
Episode 16: Clash of the Titans
Episode 17: Silence
Episode 18: King Kong (1976)
Episode 19: The NeverEnding Story
Episode 20: Striptease
Episode 21: The Craft
Episode 22: The Purge
Episode 23: Hostel

Stay tuned for more!