IT IS THE FUTURE.

[zustifer]

Runaway (1984), Michael Crichton. August 16, 8pm. View count: One.

Well! This is a winner. Tom Selleck and his moustache are a cop specializing in shooting the hell out of rogue robots, which are called 'runaways' for no good reason. They usually have claws. It's the 80s, and nothing makes much sense (least of all the technology), but Gene Simmons is the bad guy, and Kirstie Alley is the, uh, Kirstie Alley.
It's pretty amazing if you're in the right frame of mind, don't mind taking in some serious cliches, and are okay with the fact that Westworld is a lot better, really.

Also Watched a lot of Dragnet episodes I got for 99c at a Cracker Barrel. You know what? That shit is dark. Threatened, molested, and dead kids. Con men who prey on the recently bereaved. Downtrodden old filmmakers who just want the glory days of studio westerns back, but instead peddle dirty magazines to junior high schoolers. Long, unflinching shots of grieving parents. And Joe Friday gutshoots a guy who's a chronic escapee from prison. I think he's an android who has a perfectly binary view of humanity.

Comments

[mmcirvin.livejournal.com]

On the early Dragnets you never knew if Friday was going to be going after murderers or loiterers in any given week, which was kind of cool, and of course he pursued them both with equal intensity. In the late Sixties version you got the sense that Jack Webb was just befuddled at the way the world had turned out and wanted to burn it down.

[sanspoof.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the ones I have are really early. Friday clearly only has room for 'good for society' and 'bad for society' in his moral system. It's engaging.

[xjuggernaughtx.livejournal.com]

Man, I wish I could get things at a Cracker Barrel. I love that place!

[sanspoof.livejournal.com]

I think this one was in Wisconsin, so don't feel bad.
Also the cover's totally misleading, in that it shows Bill Gannon, who is not in a single episode, so Cracker Barrel's QA is maybe not the best.

[ex-agentcoo.livejournal.com]

Runaway is totally one of those gems I found watching Sunday television as a kid. Love that movie. Love that mustache.

And gun with reasonably interesting yet absolutely ridiculous ammo, as I recall.

And acid!

[madeofmeat.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the bit on Dragnet. I'll have to check that out. I never would have thought it. I don't think I've ever watched more than five minutes of an episode.

[(Anonymous)]

Holy CATS I love Dragnet. Jack Webb was the BOSS. And it stays good, too. Child Pornography, Acid Parties... THAT was some fuckin' Crime Drama TV. =D

Also, if you can ever find any episodes of the remake starring Ed O'Niell as Friday, I recommend it. I've only seen bits and pieces, but he seems to have done a really competant job.

As for Selleck: Hard not to recommend! He's the Burt Reynolds of the Eighties!

-343

[vespizzari.livejournal.com]

That's the movie with the acid injecting spider bots right? I remember seeing that on HBO at night when I was like 11 or 12. The ammo is like, body heat signature activated or some such? Awesome. I'm so going to add that to netflix...

[graydon.livejournal.com]

AAH terrifying spider-bots!