Short Circuit (1986 film) nicely acted". The "Sun-Sentinel" gave a good review, saying, "Number Five is the real star of this energetic film. Sheedy, Guttenberg and company are just supporting players." Roger Ebert of the "Chicago Sun-Times" rated it 1.5 out of 4 four stars and called it "too cute for its own good". "Short Circuit" debuted at No. 1 in the US box office. It grossed a total of $40,697,761, ranking it 21st for 1986 in the United States; it performed slightly better than other 1986 hits like "Pretty in Pink", "The Fly", "Three Amigos", "Little Shop Of Horrors" and "About Last Night".
Pet Shop of Horrors differ for each animal sold (although each animal's contract includes not showing it to anyone), and breaking this contract usually results in dire (and sometimes disturbing) consequences for the buyer, for which the pet shop claims no liability. Individual chapters of "Pet Shop of Horrors" are often based on these consequences, and are each written as a stand-alone story, usually introducing one or more new characters in each chapter. With the exception of the main characters and their families, it is rare for a character to carry over to a later chapter, providing the series with a very episodic nature.