It's 2274, and on the surface, it all seems to be an idyllic society. Living in a city within an enclosed dome, there is little or no work for humans to perform, and inhabitants are free to pursue all of the pleasures of life. There is one catch however: your life is limited and when you reach thirty, it is terminated in a quasi-religious ceremony known as "carrousel". Some, known as "runners", try to escape their fate when the time comes, and it's the job of Sandmen to track them down and kill them. Logan (Michael York) is such a man, and with several years before his own termination date, thinks nothing of the job he does. Soon after meeting a young woman, Jessica-6 (Jenny Agutter), he is ordered to become a runner and infiltrate a community outside the dome known as "Sanctuary" and to destroy it. Pursued by his friend Francis (Richard Jordan), also a Sandman, Logan and Jessica find their way to the outside. There, they discover a beautiful, virtually uninhabited world. Logan ...Written by
garykmcd
The cats in the Old Man's (Peter Ustinov's) scene lived on the set. To ease the boredom, Ustinov made cat drawings for Jenny Agutter. One was called "Cat-tastrophe" and featured a squished cat. Another was of a zombie feline, titled "Cat-atonic." See more »
Goofs
When stripping down in Box's cave Logan leaves his pants on. Subsequently he is bare legged. See more »
Quotes
[first lines]
Logan:
[tapping on a glass window of maternity room]
Wake up.
Francis:
Logan, you are here. I couldn't believe it when they told me. What are you doing?
Logan:
[indicates baby]
Logan 6. Well it's not everyday that they authorize a new sandman. I tell you Francis,
[indicating baby]
Logan:
that's him.
Francis:
Well maybe, maybe not. What does it matter? Anyway, he isn't yours anymore.
Logan:
[continues tapping lightly on the glass]
Francis:
All right, you want me to wake him?
[bangs loudly on the glass with his baton]
[...] See more »
Alternate Versions
A bootleg audio recording exists of the May 1976 sneak preview in San Diego, suggesting that the preview cut ran approximately 130 minutes. In addition to the inclusion of the scene after the titles where Francis kills a runner who falls into a pool to applause from onlookers, it includes:
A longer exchange in the Nursery.
A longer Carousel sequence, with no overdubbed computer voice announcing Last Day.
Slightly longer scenes between Logan and Jessica, including one where Jessica asks if Logan thinks "flame-out" is the ultimate kill. Another cut bit includes Logan explaining the danger of cubs "flying on Muscle," an unauthorized drug that "speeds up the reflexes" but is "no good for anyone over 13; shake you and me to pieces."
A brief snip where Francis hears Logan's page to Cathedral and announces he will go to help him.
A longer introduction to Holly, who announces that she is "Holly 13" and that "in ancient times, my number was unlucky."
A longer Sex Shop sequence.
There is a reference in Box's dialogue to the ice sculpture existing in the preview print because he says "What a pair! I'd like to sculpt you...Let me sculpt you and I'll show you where the others have gone...over there, arms 'round each other...nude, of course..." The dialogue between Logan and Jessica as they pose also sheds light on the plot hole of why Logan signaled the Sandmen to the Runners' hideout. Logan admits that he tried to send her back because he was going to return to the city all along. "That was the plan. I'd been ordered to find out where the Runners had gone and destroy it. That's why I brought in the Sandmen that killed them." He expresses remorse and confusion at his change of heart.
Michael Anderson's 'Logan's Run' is a fun little futuristic sci-fi, set in a 23rd century post-apocalyptic society, where overpopulation has been controlled by disposing of citizens as soon as they reach thirty years of age.
Michael York ('Cabaret', 1972) is Logan 5, a "Sandman" who is responsible for tracking down and "terminating" Runners - people who attempt to flee from death once their thirty years are up. In order for Logan to infiltrate the underground Runner refuge known as Sanctuary, the society's mother computer, unbeknown to all others, advances Logan's life-clock, and so Logan suddenly becomes a Runner himself.
Jenny Agutter portrays Jessica 6, the young woman who decides to accompany Logan, whilst Richard Jordan ('The Hunt For Red October,' 1990) is Francis 7, the former Sandman friend of Logan, who must now track him down and "terminate" him.
The special effects, one year before George Lucas' 'Star Wars' was to grace our screens, are excellently done, though some of the model-work of the Dome City is a bit transparent. As a sci-fi film, it is crucial that 'Logan's Run' is not taken too seriously. Though a few of the scenes could be described as a bit cheesy, it is a lot of good fun. Peter Ustinov's ("Quo Vadis", 1951) small but very important appearance later in the film was a pleasure to watch.
Also, I can't be the only person to have noticed some very large similarities between 'Logan's Run' and Michael Bay's 2005 film 'The Island.' Whether any such inspiration has been acknowledged by the makers of the latter I cannot say, though it does help with my recommendations. If you enjoyed 'The Island,' then there's a pretty good chance you'll enjoy this one, as well!
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Michael Anderson's 'Logan's Run' is a fun little futuristic sci-fi, set in a 23rd century post-apocalyptic society, where overpopulation has been controlled by disposing of citizens as soon as they reach thirty years of age.
Michael York ('Cabaret', 1972) is Logan 5, a "Sandman" who is responsible for tracking down and "terminating" Runners - people who attempt to flee from death once their thirty years are up. In order for Logan to infiltrate the underground Runner refuge known as Sanctuary, the society's mother computer, unbeknown to all others, advances Logan's life-clock, and so Logan suddenly becomes a Runner himself.
Jenny Agutter portrays Jessica 6, the young woman who decides to accompany Logan, whilst Richard Jordan ('The Hunt For Red October,' 1990) is Francis 7, the former Sandman friend of Logan, who must now track him down and "terminate" him.
The special effects, one year before George Lucas' 'Star Wars' was to grace our screens, are excellently done, though some of the model-work of the Dome City is a bit transparent. As a sci-fi film, it is crucial that 'Logan's Run' is not taken too seriously. Though a few of the scenes could be described as a bit cheesy, it is a lot of good fun. Peter Ustinov's ("Quo Vadis", 1951) small but very important appearance later in the film was a pleasure to watch.
Also, I can't be the only person to have noticed some very large similarities between 'Logan's Run' and Michael Bay's 2005 film 'The Island.' Whether any such inspiration has been acknowledged by the makers of the latter I cannot say, though it does help with my recommendations. If you enjoyed 'The Island,' then there's a pretty good chance you'll enjoy this one, as well!