Box (character)

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Box, is a fictional character from the 1970s film Logan's Run (played by Roscoe Lee Browne). Donning a tribal style facial mask large metal body suit and a harpoon and ice gun, Box became an icon for its time.

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[edit] Box in the film

The protagonist of the film, Logan 5, and his partner, Jessica 6, are "runners" who are trying to escape the city in which they live so that they may find a place called "sanctuary." Much to their dismay, instead of finding an exit to the city, they encounter a character called Box. Box is a large homicidal robotic food storer and processor, who, upon meeting Logan and Jessica, is rather interested in the fact that they are together and decides to make an ice sculpture of the two of them. (This scene was omitted from some versions of the film.) After Logan and Jessica talk to Box for some time they find that he thinks rather highly of himself, saying that he is "more than man, and more than god!"

Logan and Jessica follow Box around as he tours them around his icy palace where he resides, soon enough though, it is found that Box actually has been killing and freezing other 'runners' that have come through, because Box's job was to freeze the food that was sent to him. Box saw Logan and Jessica (and all the runners that preceded them) as more food for him to freeze. After working out that Jessica and Logan were going to be next, Logan breaks out into a fist and gun fight with Box.

The results were in favor of Logan and Jessica as, after Logan misfires and hits the fragile ice ceiling, the icy palace starts to collapse. After Jessica and Logan escape, Box is left trapped in an icy tomb.


[edit] How Box came to be

The creators of the film Logan's Run had few ideas at first on how Box was going to look; however, the idea of how Box looked soon came to fruition over a simple debate. People on-set were complaining about the lack of African-American people in the movie, and ethnics in general, as all the people shown were white people. To solve the dilemma, the makers of the film decided to have a black man (Roscoe Lee Browne) play Box. Since covering Browne's face would defeat the purpose of putting a black man in the film in the first place, the creators decided to give Box a tribal feel and make him look African.

From the detail of Box's face one can see that it is meant to represent an African mask; however, the original plans for his looks had a much more African feel. In the end, the entire idea of putting something African in the film was virtually scrapped.

[edit] Quotes

Box does not have too many lines however, the few things he says are classic quotes which include:

  • "Fish, and plankton, and sea greens, and protein from the sea. It's all here. Ready! Fresh as harvest day!"
  • "More than man, more than god!"
  • "I'm more than machine, or man. More than a fusion of the two. Don't you agree?"

[edit] Miscellanea

  • The character of Box was an insane human in the book on which the film was based; Logan and Jessica become trapped in an Arctic prison colony and need him to escape.
  • Box has received some parody because he has a large 'X' on his chest, and his name is 'Box', after the release of the Xbox, Box has earned the nickname 'XBox' among contemporary fans.[citation needed]

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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