LOGAN'S RUN (1976)

Carousel

A definitive sci-fi set

United

Title: Logan's Run
Year: 1976
Director: Michael Anderson
Format: Blu-ray
Label: Warner Bros. Premium Collection

Notes: A cult indulgence and a fine example of the 1970s post-apocalypse science fiction film, a genre I hold in great affection.

Even if you haven't seen LOGAN'S RUN you've probably encountered the concept of Carousel somewhere in subsequent pop culture - a device to 'renew' (murder) citizens who reach the grand old age of 30 and therefore keep the world's population stable.

I've read somewhere that the film is hideously dated but to me the special effects hold up reasonably well although the wires used to hoist the actors in the Carousel sequence do not survive a HD screening very well. The model shots of the city under the domes are obviously models but still reflect their excellent design.

The sets used for the film are fantastic. The computer room where Logan receives his instruction looks like countless science fiction visualisations seen since, including quite a few computer games I remember playing. The factory locations used for the subterranean scenes are a great fit. The biggest weakness is how most of the sets used for the city are blatantly a 1970s shopping mall. I didn't notice/care when I first saw the film in my teens but now it looks a bit silly.

Finally, and it's a small thing, but it does seem a bit odd that a film set in the remnants of the USA should feature two English actors in the lead roles. The result of an English director I suppose.