8mm Forum: Logan's Run

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Posted by James N. Savage 3 (Member # 83) on March 29, 2007, 07:37 PM:

It just suddenly occurred to me that this title had not been reviewed yet. This, one of the GREATEST of the MGM 400 foot digests!

Back in the late 70's, when MGM unleashed thier first 12 digests, I was mortified when I discovered that there were no horror movies in the line-up! Me, being 15 years old and all. I was in the camera store, looking at those new "fancy" boxes, thinking, "I've just got to get something, I love those fancy boxes". I saw "Logan's Run" on the shelf. The box was VERY cool, using the original artwork from the movie poster (unlike most of the other MGM titles). It was Sci-Fi, so that was close enough to horror, so I bought it (even though I hadnt seen the movie before). I spooled it up, ran it for the first time, with some of my school friends over. This digest instantly became my favorite! And my teen friend's favorite too.

It had-

-Action
-Nudity
-Violence
-Nudity
-Farrah Faucette
-Did I say Nudity???

We were 15 years old, for crying out loud!

LOGAN'S RUN
400 foot; 18 minutes.

After the MGM lion, movie starts with some wierd electric sound effects, followed by some very solice music, as the viewer gets an outside view of a futuristic city, closed off from the world. In this future world, everybody must be "renewed" (killed) on thier 30th birthday. The action starts right away, as we see people on some sort of carosel type of thing. They float into the air, and are zapped by lazers, causing them to explode. One of the victims tries to run away, but is pursued by "sandmen" Logan and Francis, which are like future-cops. They shoot the 'runner', and he melts like acid.

Logan is then given an assignment to go under-cover as a runner, escape the city, and find the "Sanctuary", where people try to live outside in a real world, past 30.

Logan soon comes to realize that his government is corrupt, and decides to escape, with the help of Jessica (played by a very beautiful Jenny Agutter). His (ex)partner discovers his plan and tries to kill them both. The chase is on. They make it out of the city, pusued by Francis, who Logan fights to the death. Logan and Jessica return to the city, try to convince the leaders of the error of thier ways, to no avail. Logan destroys the master computer, and after a bunch of explosions, the evil-doers are destroyed, the walls are open, and the people are free to live a real life.

The last shot in the digest is perfect- Logan holds Jessica close, they smile as the people escape, the picture freezes, and we see the explosions of the evil machinery in the back drop. The music comes to a climax, followed by a huge explosion. "The End".

A PERFECT digest. I completely understood the movie, without ever seeing or reading a synopsis. THATS what a great digest is supposed to do. This 400 footer moves so swiftly, without ever feeling 'choppy'. Lots of dissolves (not excessive), sound mixing, and super-neat editing.

There is a major sub-plot that is completely ommited, when Logan and Jessica meet an old man outside of the city (Peter Ustinof), and eventually bring him to their futuristic world. Everything is cut around this guy, but you never even realize you missed anything. These editors could probably edit Luke Skywalker out of Star Wars without anyone knowing anything [Wink]

.

Anyway, I can't recommend this one enough. The editing is a work of art in itself. Unfortunately, this is another one that I destroyed back in the day, excessive runs, no clean or lube, etc [Frown]

. It does pop up on used lists quite often, but I worry about fading, as these early MGM's were most likely printed on Eastman stock [Embarrassed]

.

P.S.-
Besides whats listed in the above review, you also get the below listed scenes in the digest-

-Lazer surgery scene with Farrah Faucette [Smile]

.
-The ice cave scene, with the killer robot (he looks like a silly 50's B movie style robot, but yet is still frightening).
-The nude scene (O.K.- its done very tastefuly [Roll Eyes]

).
-The apocolyptic scenes of Washington D.C. (my home [Wink]

).

Hope I covered everything. Thanks for reading.

If anyone has the full length scope feature of this on super 8, please add a review onto this thread.

James.

Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on March 30, 2007, 03:21 AM:

James
I agree, it was very well edited I particulary liked the part in the ice cave, both picture and sound was very good I sold my copy many years ago, wonder if the colour is still OK,"Logan's Run" would have made a good 2/400footer in Scope .

Graham.

Posted by Lars Pettersson (Member # 762) on March 30, 2007, 05:15 AM:

James!

That was a fun review! Good read! [Big Grin]

By the way, I understand this theatrical feature was a major dissapointment for MGM back then, they´d really put a lot of time and cash into it and hoped it would do better at the box-office. I hope the digest sold well! [Wink]

Cheers
Lars

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on March 30, 2007, 10:35 AM:

I have this feature on 4X600ft. scope, and the colour is truly stunning! Incredibly sharp image. I forget the name of the dude but this fellow put out a good number of features, (which Derann later took over his releases when he decided to pull out of Super 8), including Poltergeist Scope ect. The sound is perfecto!

By the way, Derann has a copy of this feature scope, on thier used lists, (unless it has been sold by now, but I think I saw it on thier lists a day or two ago)

Posted by Paul Spinks (Member # 573) on March 30, 2007, 01:45 PM:

Hi Osi,
that will be one of the excellent Kempski prints from Germany. They were 1st class prints, on low fade pre-stripe stock. Beautiful.

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on March 30, 2007, 02:22 PM:

Your right, Kempski. The neat thing is that though these are early 80's, I really think that they set the bar for mainstream super 8 collecting, Derann notwithstanding. The only thing that nears this quality were the optical sound super 8 releases, as they have a truly pin-sharp focus, (at least, 90 percent of the time).

Were the Kempski prints originally marketed in stereo? I've noted that both my Poltergeist AND my Logans Run are in stereo.

Posted by Jean-Marc Toussaint (Member # 270) on March 31, 2007, 01:31 AM:

James, great review. I'm not a fan of the original film but I'm definitely going to search for the digest now.

Posted by Barry Attwood (Member # 100) on April 03, 2007, 05:12 AM:

Do you know there is talk going around Hollywood of a remake of this film, but they will have to top the casting of the lovely Jenny Aggutter at her sexiest best.

Posted by James N. Savage 3 (Member # 83) on April 03, 2007, 06:12 AM:

In watching Logan's Run in this day, I find that the movie has actually aged well. The style of the movie reminds me of the great U.F.O. episodes from the early 70's, with lots of colorful sets, and beautiful women. But not the "James Bond" type of women, but a more subtle beauty.

If this is remade, I hope it is thoughtfully done, and not just rushed out, relying on popular celebrity stars to 'sell' the movie, only to be dissapointing at the box office.

James.

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on April 03, 2007, 06:44 PM:

I enjoy the film immensely, but it has aged, not too badly, but still aged.

1. The multi-colored look of the costumes. It reminds me of the original Star Trek series, with all those set colors for different ranks. It was definitely a hold-over from the sixties, where color was still new, and so they'd have over-done color.

2. Special effects. Just think, STAR WARS came out just one year later, and it's like night and day. Take "BOXX" the robot/android (?), who is obviously a man in a box. Soem special effects are adequete and even quite good. the worst part, I thought, was the "City of Tommorow", which is an ob-
-vious minature. Even when it first came out, I was very un-
-impressed.

But as a scope feature on Super 8, I think it actually plays better than on DVD

Posted by Jordan J. Bolinger (Member # 3560) on June 12, 2013, 10:33 PM:

LOVE THIS DIGEST! The 18 minute 400ft/Color/Sound digest is so well edited! It is runs at a faster pace than the actual feature length movie.

Posted by Laksmi Breathwaite (Member # 2320) on June 13, 2013, 12:43 AM:

Hey Osi you want to sell your print??Here are a few screen shots from my 400 reel digest, nice review James .Jenny Agutter at her sexiest best wow what a understatement. [Smile]

This is the picture you uploaded:

[ June 15, 2013, 12:54 AM: Message edited by: Laksmi Breathwaite ]

Posted by Hugh Thompson Scott (Member # 2922) on June 13, 2013, 03:55 AM:

I've yet to see any recent Hollywood remakes that were actually
worth doing.I won't even go into Jack Black's "Gullivers Travels".
"Logan's Run" was a misfire,but enjoyable nontheless, and it
spawned a TV series.The MGM digest was a model of editing but
the quality was sadly lacking, as were quite a few of their digests.
Kempski's prints were very good,but also way dearer than Derann's at the time.Animex from Dr Van Tetering were also in the top range, and preserving original screen ratios.How did
"Planet of the Apes" get missed by all these Distributors?
I was running "Supergirl" to check it out before sale, and the
quality of this film is stunning,fine grain and very natural colour
a very good ad for super 8.

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