Logan's Run (1976)
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In a future where life is strictly regulated by a timer, a man tasked with enforcing the law must decide whether to uphold the system or join a rebellion.
The story
In the year 2274, human civilization survives in a high-tech city where residents live hedonistic lives but are forced into a ritualistic death at age 30 to maintain ecological balance. The population is monitored by 'Sandmen' who hunt 'Runners'—those who attempt to escape the city's rules. The story follows Logan 5, a Sandman who discovers a mysterious symbol and begins to question the system. When he meets Jessica, a woman seeking a legendary 'Sanctuary,' the two must navigate the dangers of the city and the wasteland beyond to find a truth that could change the fate of their society.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In the year 2274, humanity lives in a dome-enclosed city where a computer-run utopia maintains balance by requiring citizens to enter the 'Carrousel'—a ritualistic death—at age 30. Logan 5, a Sandman tasked with hunting 'Runners,' finds a mysterious ankh symbol and meets Jessica, a woman seeking a mythical 'Sanctuary.' After a series of events, including a confrontation with his fellow Sandman Francis and a journey through a wasteland that was once Washington, D.C., Logan and Jessica discover that Sanctuary is a myth intended to provide hope. They return to the city to tell the people they can live past 30. After the computer is destroyed and the facility is destroyed, the people are forced to confront the reality of their existence outside the dome.
- First release year
- 1976
- Runtime (minutes)
- 118
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Michael Anderson
- Writers
- David Zelag Goodman · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Michael York · Logan 5; Jenny Agutter · Jessica 6; Richard Jordan · Francis 7; Roscoe Lee Browne · Box; Farrah Fawcett-Majors; Peter Ustinov · the last man alive in Washington, D.C.
- Genres
- science fiction; action
- Themes
- utopian and dystopian; hedonism; youth worship; government-sponsored euthanasia; individualism
- Tone and mood
- hedonistic; adventure
- Setting
- A futuristic dome-enclosed city in the year 2274 and the abandoned ruins of Washington, D.C.
- Premise and plot tags
- dystopia; post-apocalyptic; time-sensitive
- Source material / true-story basis
- novel by William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson
- Franchise connections
- television series
- Content notes
- nudity
- Reception
- The film received a generally mixed response, with some critics praising its visual appeal and others criticizing its script and pacing.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 58% · scale: percentage · review count: 36; Metacritic · score: 53% · scale: percentage · review count: 9
- Awards and nominations
- Special Academy Award · visual effects · win; Saturn Award · Best Science Fiction Film · win
- Production trivia
- The film was the first to use Dolby Stereo on 70 mm prints.; The film's production was noted for being the most expensive MGM film made in ten years.; The film's score was released on LP in 1976 and a remixed version in 2002.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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