In 1987, Richard Bates watched “Short Circuit” for the premiere of “A Thousand Times.” Now he owns the house and rents it out as an Airbnb property. #k5evening
ASTORIA, Ore. — In 1987 when Richard Bates was a six-year-old child with a face full of freckles, he saw for the first time a film that would have earth-shattering consequences. Her name is “short circuit.”
“My sister and I must have watched it a thousand times,” Bates said.
“Short Circuit” is about an experimental military robot who is humanized by a stroke of lightning and takes refuge with an animal caretaker played by Ally Sheedy.
Bates was immediately smitten.
But with his house in Astoria, Oregon.
“It was larger than life but still accessible because it wasn’t a big mansion or anything like that,” Bates said. “And I just remember saying, ‘I like this house, mom. “”
Five times Bates visited the “Short Circuit” house. Then in 2019, after years of working for the railroad, he bought it. He fixed it, repainted the Victorian farmhouse to match its appearance in the film, even added a spiral staircase to the deck overlooking the Astoria-Megler Bridge.
“There are days when I go out for coffee on the deck and live on a set from my childhood,” Bates said. “It’s surreal. It’s amazing.”
So amazing, Bates went out of his way to share the “Short Circuit” home. It is available for rent on Airbnb and comes with its share of surprises. Like a display case full of movie memorabilia, including a miniature version of Johnny 5 that says things like “Hey laser lips, your momma was a snowblower.”
“This is a 1/6 scale movie replica made by Titan Rossmy friend in Australia,” Bates said. “He graciously donated this to me.”
There are Short Circuit sunglasses, local press clippings about the making of the film, and even tickets to a royal screening in London.
“In the presence of Princess Diana and Charles on January 15, 1987,” Bates added.
Upstairs you’ll find his collection of “GI Joe”, “Star Wars” and “He Man” action figures.
“I feel like aging is the art of retaining your youth,” Bates said.
So far, “Short Circuit” fans have made up about half of its Airbnb guests.
It doesn’t surprise McAndrew Burns of the Oregon Film Museumwho says that every year thousands of nostalgic moviegoers flock to Astoria.
“We caught lightning in the bottle in the 80s where we only have a lot of iconic 80s movies that were shot here in Astoria and Clatsop County,” Burns said. “‘Free Willy’, ‘Kindergarten Cop’, ‘The Goonies’, ‘Short Circuit’. You can come to Astoria and walk right into those movies.”
Short circuit brought joy to the childhood of Richard Bates. Why would anyone ever want to grow up and leave that behind?
“It sounds corny, but I feel like this house gave me life,” Bates said. “It was like lightning for me. Is that cool?”
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