July 24, 2009

SCI FI ASSASSIN: LOGAN'S RUN

SCI FI ASSASSIN: LOGAN'S RUN
In this Cold War-influenced classic,
Logan's Run is a cautionary tale about a post-nuclear society that copes with overpopulation by killing off its citizens at age 30 (the novel and 2010 re-make set expiration around 21). Humanity has been confined for generations in a shopping mall-like dome, allowing for some very cool futuristic set design by Dale Hennesy (In Like Flint, Fantastic Voyage, Dirty Harry) and Set Decorator Robert De Vestel (Batman, Green Hornet, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea). Spy Vibers will recognize a 70s slant on a number of elements we've explored here in 1960s design, including globe lamps and monitors and Kubrick-style white, minimal rooms. With its famous electronic score by Jeremy Goldsmith, its revealing (!) unisex wear and jumpsuit uniforms by Bill Thomas (The Black Hole), the tone of the future, like THX 1138 by Lucas and Fahrenheit 451 by Truffaut, is quite lulled into submission by consumerism and pleasure (in this case- sensual pleasure). At age 30, everyone enters a Colosseum-like chamber where they float up into an electric field that vaporizes them. To desire life and to run from this ritual is deemed deviant by society and punishable by death. Logan, the main character of the film, is indeed an assassin- a member of a sanctioned death squad that hunts down 'runners' and executes them with laser blasters. Logan is sent undercover on a mission to join the runners and expose what the government fears is an underground railroad to freedom in a place whispered about in dark alleys called Sanctuary. So begins Logan's Quest that brings him, and his community, toward self-awareness and survival. The film was released in 1976, just prior to Star Wars, and remains a stylish and evocative experience. Logan's Run will be released on Blu-ray on November 3rd and will include commentary by director Michael Anderson, star Michael York, and costume designer Bill Thomas. Additional cast includes Jenny Agutter, Farrah Fawcett, and Peter Ustinov. Movie trailer and score/photo video on the Spy Vibe website. We'll let the lovely Agutter guide us on a tour of the sets and costumes:

6 comments:

  1. Jenny Agutter had a later espionage career on BBC's Spooks. Very urban and gritty and good.

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  2. I've never seen Spooks- I'll have to check it out :) The only other thing I remember Agutter in is American Werewolf in London.

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  3. While I LOVE Farrah, I don't think she has a verry large roll (when I close my eyes I can see her, but I don't remember how much screen time she gets).

    Love this movie (the show wasn't half bad either)...

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  4. I re-watched it earlier this year and Farrah had more screen time than I had remembered, though still not a huge role- her hair is huge :)

    iTunes had the TV show available at some point, perhaps they still do. Deepdiscount.com lists a box set of the TV show (currently out of stock).

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  5. You forgot to mention the comic book that comes out this Fall. http://www.williamfnolan.com

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  6. Cool! I hadn't seen that. Here is a link to the publisher's site:

    http://www.bluewaterprod.com/news/Logan_Run.php

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