Tom Selleck and Gene Simmons starred in Michael Crichton’s 1984 sci-fi thriller, Runaway.

The second wasRunaway, another sci-fi thriller that, in theory, could have been the bigger hit.

It starred Tom Selleck and Kiss member Gene Simmons.

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In the near future or an alternate version of 1984 robots have become ubiquitous.

They serve as butlers in our homes, cooking our meals and babysitting our children.

They help build our skyscrapers and grow our crops.

But having all these robots around comes with its drawbacks: they have a tendency to break down.

Its tedious, unglamorous work, the sci-fi equivalent of bicycle patrol or directing traffic.

A robot rampages through its owners house, killing several members of the same family with a kitchen knife.

Computers have retinal scanners and speech recognition.

Runaways enlivened quite a lot by Gene Simmons.

Ah yes, the robot spiders.

These, without doubt, are the most disturbing gadgets in the whole film.

Luther uses these little critters to remotely assassinate his victims, and theyre like something from a nightmare.

The moments where Luther gets to intimidate people or unleash his killer spiders areRunaways most engrossing.

At the other end of the spectrum we have just about every scene between Ramsay and Thompson.

Many are simply dull and airless; one or two are unintentionally funny.

Ramsay:She died.

Thompson:Oh, Im sorry.

Ramsay:It was a couple of years ago.

But Lois is a big help.

[Takes a nonchalant sip of beer.]

I want you to sit back and take it real easy, Ramsay says, smoothly.

Ooh, Thompson says.

Easy, Ramsay says.

Aah, Thompson says.

Its in scenes like these that it all snaps into focus: Ramsay is the sci-fi genres Ron Burgundy.

Obviously, theres that superbly combed moustache, but he also has his Burgundy-esque eye for the ladies.

Just look at his reaction when Kirstie Alley shows up as a computer company executive.

Shes very attractive, Ramsay purrs.

Later, when Ramsay recognises his affection for Thompson, his romantic question is, Can you cook?

Nevertheless,Runawayis an intriguing if lesser entry in Crichtons string of stories about the dark side of technology.

InRunaway, the threat of technology gone awry hits us where we live.

Oh, and then theres Gene Simmons as the Silicon Valley tech genius gone dangerously toxic.