How hard would it be to 'fix' Logan's Run? (1 Viewer)

[Mark_TS]

Ah, yes....I can remember its premier on NBC some years ago. It was showing simultaniously on CBC, Vancouver. Since we had cable, i watched both, switching back and forth. Besides fewer commercials on CBC,
NBC went and removed the already chaste nude swimming scene. Even more time for commercials! CBC let it stay.
USA!

They must have given LB Abbott, in his last job, a very small SPFX budget- normally his work for 20th-Fox was quite good, but the opening looked like a 12x12 tabletop model.....

 

[Paul Linfesty]

LOGAN's RUN suffered the unusual fate of being badly outdated in less than a year of release, thank's to the 1977 release of STAR WARS. LOGAN's RUN was, of course, a studio film in the sense of the kind of production it was, and it showed. But it was still a lot of fun. I think the current DVD captures the look of the original release. And they kept the directional dialog of the original as well.

 

[Paul Bond]

About four years after the film was made, I went to work at a place whose building had been used for one of the shots of people running out of exploding buildings at the end.

The guys I worked with had offices overlooking the shooting and said that it was fun watching them work. The best story was the paper mache/foam building parts they would drop as the people were running. During one shot, this one guy gets hit on the head by what would be a several hundred pound chunk of concrete and just keeps running. They couldn't hear through the windows, but it was obvious that the director was chewing him a new one for not 'dieing' when he got hit.

 

[Lyle_JP]

I'm talking about the ones on the exterior shots, the random beeping and booping

Blasphemy! That's part of Jerry Goldsmith's score! It's even present on the soundtrack CD. It's actually one of my favorite filmscores for being so dynamic. Through the first half of the film the score is cold, impersonal, technical. Then, the minute they escape the ice cave and the sun hits them for the first time, suddenly the score becomes fully orchestral, romantic, human, and grand. It stays that way the rest of the film.

-Lyle J.P.

 

[Jim Peavy]

Absolutely! I saw this when I was about 12 and thought they looked cheesy even at that undiscriminating age. They indeed must not have given Abbott much $$.

 

[Aaron Cohen]

Alright, I'm dying to know what the ice cavern sequence entails. My local stores are all sold out of this dvd and I really want to buy it as I have never seen it but the ice cavern sequence has really intrigued me after hearing all this talk about it.

So, what's in it?

 

[Peter Mazur]

Amen to that brother. It is a imperfect movie made by silly imperfect humans. That is the charm of it.

I actually think the Matte paintings and interior city model shots hold up pretty well. And the score is probably my favorite ever. I absolutely love everything about this film. I just wish they would re-visit it as a Special Edition.

 

[RobertR]

What has George Lucas done?!?


Leave this film alone. Please.

Exactly. It's cheesy because it was MADE that way. If it looks cheesier to you because of George "I want to tinker with my one cash cow till I croak" Lucas' digital fingerpainting, that's your problem.

 

[RobertR]

Blasphemy! That's part of Jerry Goldsmith's score! It's even present on the soundtrack CD. It's actually one of my favorite filmscores for being so dynamic.

(Laughing at the irony of Jeff wanting to "improve" on 70s cheese).

 

[Jeff Ulmer]

Alright, I'm dying to know what the ice cavern sequence entails.

Let's see, bear skin and bare skin.
Some of Jenny's finest moments.

 

[Mark Tay]

It would be great to see Logan's Run issued as a Special Edition. The original director's cut ran 2hr 15mins, and contained additional sex, violence, and important plot details. All of which were cut (the released print is 2hrs even) by MGM at the last moment due to fear of an R rating. Some sneak preview audiences did get to see the full film and one such person even made an off-line audio recording. You can hear it at:
http://www.snowcrest.net/fox/loganmovie/index.htm
(scroll down till you see "Logan's Run Uncut")

 

[Jeff Ulmer]

I agree that a restored version is very much needed, with the original cut reinstated. I highly doubt that the original footage doesn't exist somewhere.

I can't access any of the MPEGs on your site though.

 

[Mark Tay]

Jeff, correct url's for the MPEG's-

A portion of the deleted opening scene;
http://www.nemsworld.com/logan/opening.mpg

A portion of the yellows running into Logan & Francis
http://www.nemsworld.com/logan/yellows.mpg

 

[Jeff Ulmer]

Great, that works. Your title page also is named Lognas Run...

Cool site.

 

[Michael St. Clair]

I first read the book when I was eleven years old and absolutely loved it. Probably not appropriate reading material for a pre-teen, but that's another story.

I've never been able to stomach sitting through an entire viewing of the movie. It falls that short.

The book is deserving of another film remake.

 

[Larry Talbot]

"What has George Lucas done?!?

Leave this film alone. Please."


You said it. Die CGI, die!

 

[Dave Mack]

I wouldn't mind a new transfer with NO EE.... It's pretty heavy throughout!

D

 

[Seth Paxton]

I think the film is great, though I haven't read the material so I might be judging as much on the story presented as the film. I would say that Logan's Run has a strong enough story to warrant a retelling with a new film, but of course I would want it done with a serious attitude and care (true for any film though).

The themes and scenes are really powerful, and while we are at it a new version of Rollerball and Soylent Green could be good...well, too late on Rollerball. I love all those good 70's SF films, the ones with very creative stories behind them. I agree the FX look remains part of the charm, and to be honest as long as the story comes across well I can easily overlook the fakeness of it. The city overview does show us the layout and give us the tone of the place, and that is all such a shot is supposed to do (well, some awe and wonder might be added with new FX).


Anyway, I'm not against seeing someone take a run at "improving" those scenes, as long as the original footage was still deemed the "real" footage.

Heck, I didn't mind the Star Wars SEs till I found out that they were now the official versions. That's where you cross the line, when you rewrite history. Revisiting your own work is fine as long as you keep in mind that what was originally put out WAS and IS the real film.



PS - I sure hope that I, Robot project goes well.

 

[DeeF]

George Lucas has at least 3 "cash cows," Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Industrial Light and Magic.

 

[DaViD Boulet]

Would love an SE with the full-length deleted scenes back in!!!

Leave all the filming aspects unmodified...NO digital clean-up of special effects!!!