*batteries not included (1987)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Matthew Robbins

Writers:

Mick Garris (story)
Brad Bird (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

18 December 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Family | Fantasy | Sci-Fi | Comedy

Tagline:

Five ordinary people needed a miracle. Then one night, Faye Riley left the window open.

Plot:

Apartment block tenants seek the aid of alien mechanical life-forms to save their building from demolition.

Plot Keywords:

Apartment | Conflict | Memory Loss | Baseball Bat | Skyscraper

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Hume Cronyn	...	Frank Riley, Owner Riley's Cafe
Jessica Tandy	...	Faye Riley
Frank McRae	...	Harry Noble
Elizabeth Peña	...	Marisa Esteval
Michael Carmine	...	Carlos
Dennis Boutsikaris	...	Mason Baylor
Tom Aldredge	...	Sid Hogenson
Jane Hoffman	...	Muriel Hogenson
John DiSanti	...	Gus
John Pankow	...	Kovacs
MacIntyre Dixon	...	DeWitt
Michael Greene	...	Lacey, Real Estate Developer
Doris Belack	...	Mrs. Thompson
Wendy Schaal	...	Pamela
José Angel Santana	...	Goon #1 (as José Santana)
James LeGros	...	Goon #2
Ronald L. Schwary	...	Louie (as Ronald Schwary)
Susan Shoffner	...	Receptionist
Shelly Kurtz	...	Policeman at Hospital
Joe Hamer	...	Policeman at Building (as Joseph Hamer)
H. Clay Dear	...	Policeman #2 at Building
Howard Renensland	...	Reporter #1
Judy Grafe	...	Reporter #2
Alice Beardsley	...	Nurse
Dick Martinsen	...	Fireman
Charles Raymond	...	Hector, Father of Marisa's child
Riki Colon	...	Band Member #1
Jon Imparato	...	Band Member #2
David Vasquez	...	Band Member #3
John Arceri	...	Chauffeur
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Luis Guzmán	...	Bystander (uncredited)

Directed by
Matthew Robbins

Writing credits
Mick Garris		(story)
Brad Bird		(screenplay) &
Matthew Robbins		(screenplay) and
Brent Maddock		(screenplay) &
S.S. Wilson		(screenplay)

Produced by
Kathleen Kennedy	....	executive producer
Frank Marshall	....	executive producer
Gerald R. Molen	....	associate producer
Ronald L. Schwary	....	producer
Steven Spielberg	....	executive producer

Original Music by
James Horner

Cinematography by
John McPherson		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Cynthia Scheider

Casting by
Penny Perry

Production Design by
Ted Haworth

Art Direction by
Angelo P. Graham

Set Decoration by
George R. Nelson

Costume Design by
Aggie Guerard Rodgers

Makeup Department
Susan Carol Schwary	....	hair stylist (as Susan Carol)
Susan Germaine	....	key hair stylist
Tony Lloyd	....	makeup artist
Rick Sharp	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Joe Johnston	....	production manager
Ted Kurdyla	....	unit manager
Gerald R. Molen	....	unit production manager
Arthur F. Repola	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sally Andrews	....	DGA trainee: second unit
Bruce Cohen	....	second assistant director
Jann Dutmer	....	first assistant director: second unit
Lewis Gould	....	first assistant director: second unit
Jerry Grandey	....	first assistant director
Joe Johnston	....	second unit director
Ken Ornstein	....	second assistant director
Steve Wertimer	....	second assistant director: second unit

Art Department
John Bell	....	storyboard artist
Paul J. Campanella	....	stand-by painter
Ed Larkin	....	construction grip
David Lowery	....	storyboard artist
Larry McGuire	....	lead man
Ralph McQuarrie	....	conceptual artist
James J. Murakami	....	assistant art director (as Jim Murakami)
Bruno Robotti	....	charge scenic artist
Paul Rylander	....	assistant property master
Ken Scaife	....	general foreman
Robert Scaife	....	construction coordinator
Alex Scutti Jr.	....	plasterer
Terry Shugrue	....	second assistant property master
Edward Swanson	....	chief carpenter
John Villarino	....	general foreman
Steven Westlund	....	property master
Clyde Zimmerman	....	paint foreman
Joseph Alfieri	....	carpenter (uncredited)
Andrew Probert	....	concept/storyboard artist (uncredited)
Drew Struzan	....	poster artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
Gene S. Cantamessa	....	sound mixer
Steve Cantamessa	....	boom operator
Michael C. Casper	....	sound re-recording mixer
Kim Costalupes	....	assistant sound effects editor
Doreen A. Dixon	....	supervising adr editor
Mark Gordon	....	sound editor
Mark Jennings	....	cable person
William L. Manger	....	sound editor
Tom C. McCarthy	....	spaceship sounds
Tom C. McCarthy	....	supervising sound editor
Bob Minkler	....	sound re-recording mixer
Michael P. Redbourn	....	sound editor
Louis Rivera	....	assistant sound effects editor
Tanya Sharp David	....	adr mixer
Ian Underwood	....	spaceship sounds
Bill Varney	....	supervising re-recording mixer
Don S. Walden	....	sound editor
Burton Weinstein	....	spaceship sounds
Paul J. Zydel	....	adr mixer
James Ashwill	....	foley mixer (uncredited)
Jeffrey Kaplan	....	sound recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Connie Brink	....	special effects
Danny Lester	....	special effects
Harold McConnell Jr.	....	special effects
Ken Pepiot	....	special effects supervisor
Al Wininger	....	special effects
Bill Traynor	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Dave Allen	....	visual effects: rod puppet/stop motion supervisor: ILM
Craig Barron	....	matte photography supervisor
Patricia Blau	....	special visual effects
Patricia Blau	....	visual effects manager
Marty Brenneis	....	model maker
Wade Childress	....	matte photography
Donald Clark	....	optical camera operator
Robert Cooper	....	chief puppeteer (as Bob Cooper)
Robert Cooper	....	special visual effects (as Bob Cooper)
Dick Dova	....	stage technician
John Ellis	....	optical supervisor
John Ellis	....	special visual effects
Chrissie England	....	production supervisor: ILM
Chrissie England	....	special visual effects
Nicholas J. Esposto	....	model maker
Christopher Evans	....	matte painting supervisor
Ellen Ferguson	....	rotoscope artist
Warren Franklin	....	general manager: ILM
Warren Franklin	....	special visual effects
Joe Fulmer	....	head stage technician
Michael Gleason	....	special visual effects (as Mike Gleason)
Michael Gleason	....	visual effects editor (as Mike Gleason)
Ralph Gordon	....	optical line-up
Caroleen Green	....	matte artist
Joanne Hafner	....	rotoscope artist
James Hagedorn	....	optical camera operator
Sandy Houston	....	roto artist
Tony Hudson	....	puppeteer: ILM
Peg Hunter	....	optical line-up
Gregory Jein	....	model construction
Steven Kosakura	....	motion control camera operator
Tad Krzanowski	....	model mechanical supervisor
Tad Krzanowski	....	special visual effects
Jack Mongovan	....	rotoscope artist
Rodney Morgan	....	model maker
Charlie Mullen	....	animation camera operator
Charlie Mullen	....	special visual effects
Bruce Nicholson	....	visual effects supervisor
Jeff Olson	....	model maker
Lorne Peterson	....	model shop supervisor
Lorne Peterson	....	special visual effects
Mark Setrakian	....	model maker
Tom St. Amand	....	go-motion animator
Peter Stolz	....	stage technician
Marc Thorpe	....	model maker
Bruce Vecchitto	....	optical line-up
Jeffrey Wilkins	....	model maker
Dave Allen	....	chief puppeteer (uncredited)
Peter Daulton	....	visual effects cameraman (uncredited)
Timothy Eaton	....	assistant visual effects editor (uncredited)
Steve Gawley	....	model maker (uncredited)
Ian Hiebert	....	visual effects production assistant (uncredited)
Jay Riddle	....	motion control operator (uncredited)
Thomas Rosseter	....	motion control camera assistant (uncredited)

Stunts
Denise Amirante	....	stunts
Kenny Bates	....	stunts (as Ken Bates)
Jerry Brutsche	....	stunts
Harold Burns	....	stunts
Dick Hancock	....	stunts
Steve Kelso	....	stunts
Thomas Rosales Jr.	....	stunt coordinator
Thomas Rosales Jr.	....	stunts
Tom Sierchio	....	stunts
Alex Stevens	....	stunts
Gerard G. Williams	....	stunts (as Gerard Williams)

Camera and Electrical Department
Stewart Barbee	....	camera operator
Ron Batzdorff	....	still photographer
Terry Chostner	....	camera operator
Peter Daulton	....	camera operator
Don Duffield	....	key grip
Selwyn Eddy	....	camera operator
Ray Gilberti	....	assistant camera
Louis Goldman	....	still photographer
Bob Griffith	....	best boy
David Hanks	....	assistant camera (as Dave Hanks)
Connie Holt	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Ted Holt	....	gaffer
Craig Hosoda	....	assistant camera
Billy Kerwick	....	grip
Richard C. Kratina	....	director of photography: second unit
Norman G. Langley	....	camera operator (as Norm Langley)
David Lindeman	....	second assistant camera: second unit
Gary Muller	....	co-first assistant camera
Hank Muller	....	first assistant camera
Reggie Newkirk	....	first assistant camera
Peter Norman	....	camera operator
Michael Orefice	....	rigging gaffer
Richard Quinlan	....	chief lighting technician
Ed Quinn	....	key grip
Martin Rosenberg	....	assistant camera
Pat Sweeney	....	camera operator
Mike Tapp	....	dolly grip
Mitchell Block	....	second assistant camera (uncredited)
Raymond Fortune	....	electrician (uncredited)
Randy Jonsson	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Thomas Landi	....	electrician (uncredited)
Jim Shelton	....	grip: second unit, Los Angeles (uncredited)

Animation Department
Timothy Björklund	....	animator (as Tim Berglund)
John Hays	....	animator
Nick Stern	....	animator
Wes Takahashi	....	animator
Sean Turner	....	animator

Casting Department
Mickie McGowan	....	voice casting
Mae Williams	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Thomas Costich	....	costume supervisor
Sue Moore	....	costumer: women
Laurie Riley	....	costumer: men
Sydney Urshan	....	wardrobe consultant (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Elizabeth Canney	....	first assistant editor
Patrick Crane	....	apprentice editor
Phil Downey	....	color timer
Robert Yamamoto	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Else Blangsted	....	supervising music editor
James Flamberg	....	music editor
Billy May	....	orchestrator
Greig McRitchie	....	orchestrator
Shawn Murphy	....	score mixer
Ellen Segal	....	assistant music editor
James Horner	....	conductor (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Bill Gray	....	transportation coordinator
Tom Marshall	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Kate Barker	....	assistant: Ms. Kennedy
Dennis T. Benatar	....	production assistant
Nicholas Bernstein	....	production assistant (as Nick Bernstein)
Salvatore Carino	....	production assistant
Michael Crane	....	lab consultant
Kathleen Gallagher	....	assistant production accountant
Robert Garcia Jr.	....	production assistant
Iris Hedrick	....	assistant production accountant
Cynthia Henrich-Woodbyrne	....	production assistant
Paul Huston	....	additional spaceship designer
Katie Jewitt-Spillman	....	production assistant
Harriette Kanew	....	production coordinator
Joe Litto	....	production assistant
John A. Machione	....	assistant auditor
Judith Marlin	....	assistant: Mr. Robbins
Ralph McQuarrie	....	spaceship designer
David Clayton Miller	....	production assistant (as D. Clayton Miller)
Leanne Moore	....	production accountant
Julie Moskowitz	....	assistant: Mr. Spielberg
Brian Pulido	....	production assistant
Bonne Radford	....	production controller (as Bonnie Radford)
Mary T. Radford	....	assistant: Mr. Marshall
Lata Ryan	....	production coordinator
Christine A. Sacani	....	production assistant
Marshall Schlom	....	script supervisor
Brian Steward	....	production associate
Heidi Strom	....	script supervisor: second unit
Diana Tinkley	....	assistant: Mr. Schwary
Carole Wattles	....	assistant production accountant
Nancy Willen	....	unit publicist
Linn Zuckerman	....	craft service
Evelyn Fitzgerald	....	production assistant: New York (uncredited)
Thalia Harithas	....	location assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures (presents)
• Amblin Entertainment

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1987) (USA) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (2009) (Argentina) (DVD)
• CIC Video (19??) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• CIC Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1988) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1992) (USA) (VHS)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Industrial Light & Magic (ILM)

Other Companies

• Deborah Brown & Associates  casting: New York
• Joy Todd Casting  extras casting
• MCA Records  soundtrack
• Pacific Title  titles and opticals
• Sunrise Films  negative cutting
• TAJ Soundworks  foley

Also Known As:

8. kadun ihme (Finland) [fi]
Bez baterii nie dziala (Poland) [pl]
Csoda a 8. utcában (Elem nélkül nem megy) (Hungary) (TV title) [hu]
Das Wunder in der 8. Straße (West Germany) [de]
Milagro en la calle 8 (Argentina) (dubbed version) [es]
Miracle sur la 8ème rue (France) [fr]
Miracolo sull'8a strada (Italy) [it]
Mirakel på åttonde gatan (Finland: Swedish title) [sv]
Miraklet på 8:e gatan (Sweden) [sv]
Nuestros maravillosos aliados (Spain) [es]
O Milagre Veio do Espaço (Brazil) [pt]
O Milagre da Rua 8 (Portugal) [pt]
Piles non comprises (Canada: French title) (TV title) [fr]
Rozladowane baterie (Poland) [pl]
To thavma tis 8is leoforou (Greece) [el]

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:PG | USA:PG (Certificate #28866) | Argentina:Atp | Finland:K-10/7 | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:6 | Singapore:PG | Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

East Village, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Originally intended to be a story featured in the TV series "Amazing Stories" (1985). Steven Spielberg liked the idea so much he decided to make it a theatrical release.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the two machines first appear in the Riley apartment, the toaster is plugged into different sockets. In the first shot, it's in the bottom socket. In the second, the top socket.

Quotes:

Faye Riley: Bobby!
Carlos: Hey, Lady, my name's not Bobby!
Faye Riley: Well excuse me! Robert. Um...
Carlos: Shut up!
Mason: Hey!
Carlos: Okay, I saw downstairs. Who's been cleaning up after me?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Muppet Babies: Muppets Not Included (#5.1)" (1988)

Good, escapist fun

This is a fun movie if you're not looking for heavy philosophy and just want some bubblegum for the eyes. Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy are brilliant - he as the husband who's watching his wife's mind deteriorate, she as the "living in the past" wife. My favourite part is when Carlos walks into the hut on top of the building. The expression on his face when he comes out is priceless.