Logan's Run (1976)

An idyllic sci-fi future has one major drawback: life must end at the age of 30.

Director:

Michael Anderson

Writers:

David Zelag Goodman (screenplay by), William F. Nolan (based on the novel "Logan's Run")

Stars:

Michael York, Jenny Agutter, Richard Jordan

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 7 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michael York	...	Logan
Richard Jordan	...	Francis
Jenny Agutter	...	Jessica
Roscoe Lee Browne	...	Box
Farrah Fawcett	...	Holly (as Farrah Fawcett-Majors)
Michael Anderson Jr.	...	Doc
Peter Ustinov	...	Old Man
Randolph Roberts	...	2nd Sanctuary Man
Lara Lindsay	...	The Woman Runner
Gary Morgan	...	Billy
Michelle Stacy	...	Mary 2
Laura Hippe	...	Woman Customer
David Westberg	...	Sandman
Camilla Carr	...	Sanctuary Woman
Greg Lewis	...	Cub (as Gregg Lewis)

Storyline

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 30, it is terminated in a quasi-religious ceremony known as Carousel. Some, known as runners, do try to escape their fate when the time comes and it's the job of Sandmen to track them down and kill them. Logan 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, he is ordered to become a runner himself and infiltrate a community outside the dome known as Sanctuary and to destroy it. Pursued by his friend Francis, also a Sandman, Logan and Jessica find their way to the outside. There they discover a beautiful, virtually uninhabited world. Logan realizes that he must return to the dome to tell them what ...

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Plot Keywords:

biosphere | dystopia | nursery | ageism | ankh | 

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Taglines:

Welcome to the 23rd century. A perfect world of total pleasure. ...there's just one catch.

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Genres:

Action | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 June 1976 (USA)

Also Known As:

Flucht ins 23. Jahrhundert

Filming Locations:

Dallas Market Center: World Trade Center: Hall of Nations, 2050 N Stemmons Fwy, Dallas, Texas, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$9,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$25,000,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

119 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Dolby (35 mm prints) (as Dolby System Noise Reduction-High Fidelity) 4-Track Stereo

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the original novel, the colors of the Life Clock change every 7 years: yellow (birth-6), blue (7-13), red (14-20), then red and black on Lastday, finally turning black at 21. In the novel, characters can only live to 21. According to the audio commentary, the movie changed it to 30 because it was not realistic to have a cast with all of the characters under 21.

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Goofs

When the Doc switches off the healing function and the lasers begin cutting Logan for the first time, it is clear that the sparks are a superimposed visual effect - they are cut off for the whole upper part of the frame.

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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]
[...]

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Connections

Featured in Nightmare Theatre's Late Night Chill-o-Rama Horror Show Vol. 1 (1996)

User Reviews

A science fiction film that gives the genre a run for its money

Beyond the entrapment of lavish special effects (for which "Logan's Run" won an Oscar anyway), few science fiction films actually present a good story, much less one that makes you think and/or presents new ideas. "Logan's Run" is one of those few.

Before "Stars Wars" enraptured audiences with its stunning special effects and created a precedent for a string of similarly effects-laden knock-offs and genre wanna-be's (mirroring what "The War of the Worlds" had done for audiences in the 50's), true science fiction films such as "Logan's Run" were giving us stories simply complimented by special effects, not about them. I say "true" because "Star Wars" is of the fantasy genre; it is not a science fiction story, though it does share some common elements.

"Logan's Run" presents us with a vivid, somewhat horrifying vision of a possible future. It doesn't take place "a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away." It happens on earth in a believable time frame. It doesn't ask us to greatly suspend disbelief by accepting alien races and magic powers. Instead, it presents us with a chilling fast forward of our own technology, attitudes, and policies. Concerning the latter, the film includes an almost creepy euthanasia undertone to it.

Though, in all honesty, I care more about and become more closely associated with the characters in "Star Wars," the disassociation I feel for LR's characters somewhat aids the lack of individuality that the story tries to convey. The actors, however, give great performances.

Beautiful cinematography and settings greatly compliment the film's mood and timeframe, from the sterile domed city to the decimated Washington D.C., which still provides one of (if not) the best visuals of a post-apocalyptic world that I've ever seen. It's right there with "The Planet of the Apes'" Statue of Liberty.

Another thing that SW does well is disassociate itself from the decade in which it was created. You have to overlook this aspect in LR because like so many films of the 70's, it carries its decade's time stamp.

Though minor, another thing I, in particular, enjoy about LR are the weapons. Unlike every other weapon in and out of science fiction history, LR's "blasters" do not actually shoot anything. There is simply an explosion at their designated target. It may be campy (or corny), but it's definitely different and a fine example of real, working props.

Another interesting note: the film varies greatly from the original novel, but most people agree that the film is much better. I tend to agree with them.

For me, in terms of science fiction, "Logan's Run" takes its place among such decade-defining films as "The War of the Worlds" (50's) and "The Planet of the Apes" (60's) and among such thought-provoking science fiction as "Soylent Green" and "Gattaca."

Ask yourself this: what or where is "sanctuary?" Isn't that what we're all looking for? Answer both, and you'll have the film's theme.