Blu-ray Review: Logan’s Run

When it comes to great science fiction flicks, Logan’s Run has long held a nostalgic place in my list of favorite sci-fi films. The futuristic tale revolves around a world where life ends at 30. You either willingly “Renew,” with the belief that you will be reincarnated by sacrificing your life, or you become a runner and try to escape death. Michael York stars as Logan, a Sandman tasked with hunting down runners. Logan and his fellow Sandman, Francis (Richard Jordan), are the two are the best Sandmen in the business. This quasi-police will do whatever it takes to make that life ends at 30, so that old age is never an issue.

Released in 1976, Logan’s Run delivered a unique approach to the religious concept of reincarnation, while exploring society’s growing senior citizen population. Was it better to die at 30, than grow old and suffer through the problems of aging? Would knowing the exact end date for your life lead you to living a more fruitful life?

In Logan’s case, the central computer tasked him with finding “Sanctuary,” a mysterious place where Runners went to find safe haven. Unfortunately, in order for Logan to find Sanctuary, he must become a Runner himself. Each person in Logan’s future society has a crystal in his or her hand. When that crystal starts flashing red, that person’s time is almost up and they must Run or Renew. The computer prematurely turns Logan’s crystal into a flashing red crystal so that he can become a Runner. From that moment on, the hunter becomes the hunted. Logan must escape his fellow Sandman, Francis, and make his way to Sanctuary or die.

Logan’s Run has gone through an excellent visual upgrade on Blu-ray. The specs you remember from the original piece on VHS, DVD or Cable TV have all been cleaned up to give home viewers a pristine HD picture. Unfortunately, there are no added bonus features on this Blu-ray release. For such a legendary film in sci-fi history, I expected more special features or discussions with contemporary sci-fi directors and writers on the impact of Logan’s Run on the genre. However, you won’t find them here. The featurette, “A Look Into the 23rd Century,” is simply a behind-the-scenes video that was previously released. This featurette has not gone through any cleanup whatsoever. Going from the HD feature to this speckle-ridden featurette is like “night and day.” It’s almost painful to watch. I guess there was just not enough demand for the Blu-ray release for Warner to make the financial commitment in upgrading the visuals or adding new special features.

If you’re a fan of Logan’s Run you’ll want to own this Blu-ray release. However, the real fans will probably keep their fingers crossed in vain for a definitive Blu-ray release.

Special Features:
- Commentary by Michael Anderson, Michael York & Bill Thomas
- A Look into the 23rd Century
-Theatrical Trailer