Logan's Run (film)

Logan's Run

poster for US theatrical release
Directed by Michael Anderson
Produced by Saul David
Screenplay by David Zelag Goodman
Based on Logan's Run 
by William F. Nolan and
George Clayton Johnson
Starring Michael York
Jenny Agutter
Richard Jordan
Roscoe Lee Browne
Farrah Fawcett
Peter Ustinov
Music by Jerry Goldsmith
Cinematography Ernest Laszlo
Edited by Bob Wyman
Production
company
Distributed by United Artists
Release dates
  • June 23, 1976
Running time
 119 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $9 million[1]
Box office $25,000,000[2]

Logan's Run is a 1976 American science fiction film directed by Michael Anderson and starring Michael York, Jenny Agutter, Richard Jordan, Roscoe Lee Browne, Farrah Fawcett and Peter Ustinov.[3] The screenplay by David Zelag Goodman is based on Logan's Run by William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson. It depicts a dystopian future society in which population and the consumption of resources are managed and maintained in equilibrium by the simple expedient of killing everyone who reaches the age of thirty, preventing overpopulation. The story follows the actions of Logan 5, a "Sandman", as he runs from society's lethal demand.[4][5]

The film was nominated for two Academy Awards and won a Special Academy Award for its visual effects, and won six Saturn Awards including Best Science Fiction Film.[6]

The film was shot primarily in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex—including locations such as the Fort Worth Water Gardens and the Dallas Market Center—between June and September 1975.[7] The film only uses the basic premise from the novel, that everyone must die at a set age and Logan runs with Jessica as his companion, while being chased by Francis. The motivations of the characters are quite different in the film. It was the first film to use Dolby Stereo on 70 mm prints.[8]

In 1977, a short-lived TV series aired, though only 14 episodes were produced. Since 1994, there have been several unsuccessful efforts to remake Logan's Run.

Plot

In the year 2274, the remnants of human civilization live in a sealed domed city, a utopia run by a computer that takes care of all aspects of their life, including reproduction. The citizens live a hedonistic life but understand that in order to maintain the city, every resident when they reach the age of 30 must undergo the ritual of "Carrousel" [sic].[9] There, they are vaporized and ostensibly "Renewed." To track this, they are implanted at birth with a "life-clock" crystal in the palm of their hand that changes colors as they approach their "Last Day."

Most residents accept this promise of rebirth, but those who do not are known as Runners, and Sandmen are assigned to pursue and terminate them.

Michael York as Logan 5, with blinking red life-clock in his palm.

Logan 5 and Francis 7 are partner Sandmen. After terminating a Runner, Logan finds an ankh among his possessions. Later, he meets Jessica 6, a girl also wearing an ankh pendant. Logan takes the ankh to the computer, where he is told it is a symbol for a secret group who helps the Runners find "Sanctuary". The computer instructs Logan to find Sanctuary and destroy it. It then changes the color of his Life-clock to flashing red, four years early. In order to escape Carrousel, Logan is now forced to become a Runner.

Logan regroups with Jessica and explains his situation. Together, they meet with the underground group that leads them to the periphery of the city. Logan finds the ankh symbol unlocks an exit from the city. They come out into a frozen cave, with Francis following closely behind. In the cave, they meet Box, a robot designed to capture food for the city from the outside. Box also captures escaped Runners and freezes them like artwork. Before he can freeze them, Logan and Jessica escape from the robot, causing the cave to collapse on Box.

Once outside, Logan and Jessica notice that their Lifeclocks are dead. They discover that the wilderness has overrun the remains of human civilization. They explore a city, which was once Washington D.C.. In the ruins of the United States Senate chamber, they discover an elderly man. His appearance is a shock to them since neither has ever seen anyone over the age of 30. The old man explains what happened to humanity outside of the city and the fugitives realize Sanctuary is a myth. However, Francis has followed them and he and Logan fight. Logan fatally wounds Francis and as he dies, he sees that Logan's life-clock is now clear, believing Logan has Renewed.

Logan and Jessica convince the old man to return to the city with them. Leaving the man outside, the two enter and try to convince everyone that Carrousel is a lie and not necessary. The two are captured by other Sandmen and taken to the computer. The computer interrogates Logan and asks if he completed his mission but Logan insists "there is no Sanctuary". This answer is not accepted by the computer, even after scanning Logan's mind, and the computer overloads, causing the city's systems to fail and release the exterior seals. Logan and Jessica regroup with the old man as the citizens flee the ruined city. There when the citizens are all released outside they see the old man, who is the first human they see far older than 30, proving that they can live their lives much longer, bringing them freedom.

Cast
  • Ashley Cox as "the timid girl"
  • Lara Lindsay as "the woman runner" and voice of the City computer (uncredited)[10]
  • Gary Morgan as Billy
  • Michelle Stacy as Mary 2
  • Laura Hippe as "the Woman Customer"
  • David Westberg as "the Sandman"
  • Camilla Carr as "the Sanctuary Woman"
  • Gregg Lewis as "a Cub"

Production

Music

The score was composed and conducted by Jerry Goldsmith, with orchestrations by Arthur Morton. The score "adheres to two distinct sound palettes: strings, keyboards and abstract electronics only for cues inside the City and full orchestra for outside."[11]

The first release of portions of the score was on MGM Records on LP, in 1976.[12] The complete expanded and newly remixed score was issued on CD in January, 2002 by Film Score Monthly.[12]

Casting

Michael York, Jenny Agutter and William Devane were originally cast in the lead roles. Devane bowed out when Alfred Hitchcock requested him to replace actor Roy Thinnes in Family Plot. Richard Jordan stepped in for Devane and was best known for his performance in Rooster Cogburn and the TV mini-series Captains and the Kings. York had previously appeared in Cabaret, Murder on the Orient Express and The Three Musketeers while Agutter was best known for The Railway Children (1970) and Walkabout (1971) .[13]

Locations

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios in Culver City and locations in California and Texas:

Texas

California

Post-production

The film was previewed for test audiences prior to its release. A few sequences were edited out or shortened as a result. These included a longer sequence in the ice cave where Box asked Logan and Jessica to pose for his ice sculpture. This was cut partially due to extensive nudity so that the film could receive a PG rating and partially due to the length of the scene. Several other scenes were removed, including a sequence where Francis hunts down a runner by himself at the beginning of the film. Other sequences were trimmed. These scenes survive in the shooting script but the footage itself appears lost.[13]

Reception

Roger Ebert gave the film a three-star rating, calling the film a "vast, silly extravaganza", with a plot that's a "cross between Arthur C. Clarke's The City and the Stars and elements of Planet of the Apes," but "that delivers a certain amount of fun."[1]

The New York Times was less positive:[16]

Just why and for what particular purpose Logan makes his run is anything but clear after you've sat through nearly two hours of this stuff. Logan's Run is less interested in logic than in gadgets and spectacle, but these are sometimes jazzily effective and even poetic. Had more attention been paid to the screenplay, the movie might have been a stunner.

Awards and honors

The film won a Special Academy Award and was nominated for two more, Best Cinematography and Best Art Direction-Set Decoration.[6]

Logan's Run was very popular at the Saturn Awards, winning the six awards it was nominated for: Best Science Fiction Film, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Costume, Best Make-up and Best Set Decoration. It was also nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, the older award for science-fiction and fantasy films, and for the Nebula Award for Best Script. For the film, Anderson was nominated for the Golden Prize at the 10th Moscow International Film Festival.[17]

Comic book

References

Notes
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 June 1976 Review of Logan's Run by Roger Ebert
  2. ↑ "Logan's Run, Box Office Information". The Numbers. Retrieved January 23, 2012.
  3. ↑ http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?FID=132234
  4. ↑ Muhlbauer, Peter Josef (February 8, 2006). "Chapter 8: Frontiers and dystopias: libertarian ideology in science fiction". In Plehwe, Dieter; Walpen, Bernhard; Neunhoffer, Gisela. Neoliberal Hegemony: A Global Critique. Routledge. p. 165. ISBN 978-0415460033.
  5. ↑ Erbland, Kate (August 15, 2014). "The Complete List: Everything You Will Find in a Dystopian Movie". Vanity Fair. Conde Nast. Retrieved February 22, 2015.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "NY Times: Logan's Run". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-12-30.
  7. ↑ http://www.snowcrest.net/fox/logan/location/index.htm Logan's Run filming locations
  8. ↑ "1976". In70mm.com. 2010-08-30. Retrieved 2010-10-13.
  9. ↑ Hinant, Cindy (2012). "Grids Next Door". Gnome. 1 Winter (1): 48–53. Utopias require its participants to give something up in order to create harmony and uniformity ... in Logan’s Run they gave up old age...
  10. ↑ Director's commentary on the Blu-ray
  11. ↑ Bond, Jeff; Lukas Kendall (2002). Jerry Goldsmith. "Logan's Run". Film Score Monthly (CD insert notes) (Culver City, California, U.S.A.) 5 (2): 5.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Logan’s Run (1976 Feature Film)". Film Score Monthly. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Bond, Jeff and Kendell, Lukes sleeve notes for Film Score Monthly CD release "Logan's Run, 2002
  14. ↑ This location was also used in Harem Girl (1952), Soylent Green (1973) and The China Syndrome (1979)
  15. ↑ http://www.britannia.org/Film/filmdetails/00000750|Britannia Film Archives
  16. ↑ Logan's Run, a Science-Fiction Fantasy, a June 1976 review from The New York Times
  17. ↑ "10th Moscow International Film Festival (1977)". MIFF. Retrieved 2013-01-09.

External links