Runaway

Runaway is a 1984 science fiction thriller written and directed by Michael Crichton (the author of Jurassic Park). Set in the near future where robots are a part of everyday life, Tom Selleck stars as a Detroit police sergeant who is part of a special unit that handles robots that go against their programming and threaten the population. The film, which also stars Gene Simmons and Kirstie Alley, was a box office disappointment, but is notable for its predictions of how a police department would operate in the future.
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== Dr. Charles Luther's "smart" missile gun ==
The missile-firing pistol used by Dr. Charles Luther (Gene Simmons) in the movie was probably designed by the prop department.
Though the model info is unknown, the base of the gun is clearly a 1911 style frame, probably provided by Detonics. Interestingly, the publicity materials for the film (especially in the theatrical poster) showed Tom Selleck holding the gun though he never uses it in the movie. The story alludes to one of the scientists working with Luther being an expert in propulsion & perhaps the supplier of the gun & its ammo. The runaway squad's chief tech officer (Stan Shaw) later calls the mini-rockets "smart bullets."
 
The projectiles are all electronic "heat seeking missiles" with a back half made up of solid propellant, making use of valves for directional control. They are able to be programmed to "go after" a specific person using a person's unique heat pattern as a signature.
== Detonics SpeedMaster ==
The Detonics SpeedMaster is used as the service handgun of Sgt. Jack R. Ramsay (Tom Selleck) and Officer Karen Thompson (Cynthia Rhodes). The SpeedMaster is a custom Detonics 1911 model featuring a compact CombatMaster slide, the longer grip frame of a ScoreMaster, a 6" barrel, and a barrel weight. The pistol was specifically built by the Detonics company for Tom Selleck for use in the film, as Selleck was friends with the owner of Detonics.
Selleck's screen-used gun later became a part of the inventory of Stembridge Gun Rentals, and would later appear in Terminator 2: Judgment Day used by Linda Hamilton.
== Detonics CombatMaster ==
In the third act of the film, while trying to protect Jackie Rogers from Luther both officers use compact Detonics CombatMasters as sidearms.
== Smith & Wesson Model 36 ==
Johnson (Chris Mulkey) uses what is likely to be a Smith & Wesson Model 36 chief's special, but it is never shown well enough to be sure. Johnson uses it to fire at Ramsay after he kicks in the hotel room door, thinking it's Luther come to kill him.
== Smith & Wesson Model 19 ==
The 2.5"-barrel Smith & Wesson Model 19 is used by a robot (!)
== Laser Gun ==
In one of the films more tense scenes, Ramsay uses a laser gun with a battery pack on his belt to stop a murderous runaway inside a suburban home. It should be noted that Tom Selleck's character only fires this weapon in the film. He never fires his main sidearm, or his compact backup.
==Custom Police Belt==
Today it is very common to see officers carrying semi-automatic handguns, but in 1983 (when the film was shot) most police agencies issued revolvers. These custom belt rigs were way ahead of their time.
==Surveillance Drone==
A small surveillance drone is seen being used.
Category:Movie
Category:Crime
Category:Science-Fiction
Category:Thriller
Category:Michael Crichton