Logan's Run [WS/P&S]

Director: Michael Anderson Michael Anderson

Overview

One of the last pre-Star Wars science-fiction extravaganzas (based on a novel by William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson) takes the famed '60s maxim about not trusting anyone over thirty one step further. Set in the 23rd century, Logan's Run wakes place in a world of peace and immediate pleasure, where nobody grows old. After the age of 30, people go in for "renewal" -- meaning they are killed (although the government hides this from the population). But in this utopian paradise, some people still want to live past thirty. Known as "runners," these people are unhappy being "renew" and try to flee to a place called "Sanctuary." Secret police, called "sandmen," are employed to hunt down runners for renewal. One particular sandman, Logan Five (Michael York), is assigned to discover the truth behind Sanctuary. To do this, his life-clock is accelerated and he poses as a runner. When he suspects that renewal is more about death than life, he joins up with Jessica 6 (Jenny Agutter), a member of the underground movement, and the two flee the city hoping to find Sanctuary.

Product Details

Release Date:	12/18/2007
UPC:	0012569799486
Original Release:	1976
Rating:	PG
Source:	STUDIO DISTRIBUTION SERVS LLC
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Letterbox, Full Frame]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:58:00
Sales rank:	1,842

Special Features

Commentary by Michael York, director Michael Anderson and costume designer Bill Thomas; Vintage featurette - A Look Into the 23rd Century; Theatrical trailer

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Michael York	Logan
Jenny Agutter	Jessica
Richard Jordan	Francis
Farrah Fawcett-Majors	Holly
Roscoe Lee Browne	Box
Peter Ustinov	Old Man
Michael Anderson Jr.	Doc
Gary Morgan	Billy
Denny Arnold	Runner
Glenn Wilder	Runner
Lara Lindsay	Runner
Camilla Carr	Sanctuary Woman
Greg Michaels	Ambush Man
Roger Borden	Daniel
Michelle Stacy	Mary Two
Ann Ford	Woman on Last Day
Laura Hippe	New-You Shop Customer
Michael Anderson	Doc
Randolph Roberts	Sanctuary Man
Bob Neill	First Sanctuary Man
David Westberg	Sandman
Greg Lewis	Cub
Laurence Rosenthal	Composer
Jerry Goldsmith	Composer

Technical Credits

David Zelag Goodman

David Zelag Goodman	Screenwriter
Saul David	Producer
Bill Couch	Stunts
Glenn Wilder	Stunts
Glen Robinson	Special Effects
Frank Van Der Veer	Special Effects
Matthew Yuricich	Special Effects
L.B. Abbott	Special Effects
Michael Anderson Jr.	Director
Jerry Jost	Sound/Sound Designer
Harry Tetrick	Sound/Sound Designer
William McCaughey	Sound/Sound Designer
Aaron Rochin	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

Taking its basic premise and characters' names but little substance from the 1967 novel by William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson, Logan's Run appeared in the mid-'70s, after the grim sci-fi explorations of Stanley Kubrick, but before the populist success of George Lucas. Falling artistically as well as chronologically between those two directors' works, the film explores interesting sociological issues with more slickness than depth. As with many science fiction films, too much effort is spent explicating the scenario and too little is spent truly exploring the issues of morality and mortality inherent within. Brooding blond hunk Michael York plays the morally ambiguous protagonist with scowling proficiency, but fellow marquee name Farrah Fawcett manages to cram more wretched acting and non sequiter facial expressions into a brief cameo than most actresses could fit into a leading role. The action sequences involving York's and Jenny Agutter's characters as they flee the city prove gripping and well-directed even though the final act collapses under the weight of its own silliness. Still, the what-if premise of Logan's Run proved resonant enough that it spawned a short-lived TV series the following year. Stylish production design offsets special effects so dated that you can practically smell the mothballs when the film receives contemporary screenings. Compare this with David Cronenberg's contemporaneous Shivers for a more nuanced extrapolation of '70s decadence.