Logan's Run discussion

There has apparently been a remake of the 1976 movie in the works for over a decade with various screenwriters and directors attached to the project. Apparently Ryan Gosling was attached for a while, but has dropped out.

Personally, I'd like to see a film adaptation that was closer to the first filme, and without the 70's esthetics.

Thoughts on what you'd like to see in an adaptation/update?

Everyone involved with a 'remake' should be lined up against a wall and shot. With viciousness and prejudice. Preferably, they ought be tortured beforehand--although I know that is too much to ask.

Do I make my sentiments clear?

I think "Logan's Run" (The Movie) is as it stands near perfection, they did a good job streamlining the story and keeping the overall idea intact.

And in all honesty who could possibly replace Jenny Agutter?

Agutter had me forever after American Werewolf. :) She's a formative figure in my adolescent development....

Normally, I argue that any time film adaptation has changes from the book that's a mistake. After all, the book already has a recipe for success, so when a film makers alter things they are taking success and rolling the dice with it. Changes are really gambling where one has already won. Little things--like Logan 5 rather than Logan 3--aren't a problem, but bigger changes are more of an issue.

However, Logan's Run is a bit of a strange case. The film is better than the book in the minds of a lot of people, and even amongst those who read the book, it doesn't always get "the book is better than the movie" refrain.

That said, I'd like to see something closer to the book. Changes like making Sleep at 30 rather than 21 probably make it easier to find a celeb to cast, but it does make the theme of the book very different. Calling people adults at 13 isn't just a random number. It has a cultural significance.

I think certain things from the movie that were changes from the book really should be dropped. The whole levitating/exploding people seemed really goofy to me now. The costumes, hair and makeup are very, very 70's disco fashion. Special effects? Of course.

Personally, I'd like the scene with the tiger getting the Tangler in the throat back.... However, the number of shots that one could fire with the Gun and the cinematic value of the Homer seem like things that would need to be changed for modern esthetics.

Anything else?

Gary wrote: "Agutter had me forever after American Werewolf. :) She's a formative figure in my adolescent development..."

Yeah, Nurse Alex... one day I have to get injured in Britain. :D

But, yeah, the theme of a society where youth craze and the "trust no one over thirty" motto has run rampant is of more importance in the book, the problem with the novel however is, IMO, that it shows a very episodic nature, as if written as a pulp serial.
We go from chapter to chapter like going from Villain of the week to Villain of the week for a TV-Series.

Gerd wrote: "Yeah, Nurse Alex... one day I have to get injured in Britain. :D"

I'm pretty sure the NHS no longer offers expat American home service. I blame Thatcher.

In any case, I have to agree: the middle act of Logan's Run is VERY episodic. Hmm. A TV series rather than a film? HBO?

Personally, I'd rather see them do a film of the second book than a remake of the original. It would be interesting to see all three books adapted into a television series. The idea of it made me think of the 70's TV show. i'll have to look for those episodes.It would definitely need to be done a lot better than that.

I bought the 70s TV show recently on DVD when it was on sale cheap; while there were a couple of good episodes, if you're anything like me, your memories are probably much better than the reality. There were a couple of good episodes, but threw away the interesting elements of Logan's Run early on and switched to the same 'hey, look, we've found yet another strange post-apocalyptic society this week' formula as many other TV shows of that era.

I'm all for it

As much as I like the film, it does suffer from it's pajama/shopping mall/disco aesthetic.

It improves on certain aspects of the novels, but there is much there left to mine, especially in the sequels.

I think something a little grittier, realistic, and with a harder edge to the dystopia could really work. Something that embraces the Brave New World elements (a pleasurable dystopia), allows itself to truly comment on the youth-obsessed, pleasure-seeking culture (including the sexual politics, which would make this an R, and undoable in a Hollywood sense for a big-budget Hollywood film) would be what I would go for.

Some talented scripting, shooting, and editing could bring this down to a PG-13. The MPAA is far more tolerant of violence than sex in that regard.

Still, I'd like to see what a talented director could do with it. Who do you think could handle the job?

Robert wrote: "Still, I'd like to see what a talented director could do with it. Who do you think could handle the job?"

It's a great question. Who could handle it? Just please, gods of the cinema, keep it away from J. J. Abrams....

Personally, if I were a film god, I'd like to see someone like Manny Coto take it on. Somebody who has had directorial experience, but maybe not so much in film, and is familiar with SF and action.