MovieChat Forums > Logan's Run (1976) Discussion > The big problem...

The big problem...

posted 9 years ago by liberius
11 replies | jump to latest

...is that the movie is based upon a book that few people here have read.

Now it's perfectly reasonable to say the movie should stand on its own and that you should not have to read the book to understand the movie.

The problem is that most of the questions here can't be answered unless you go back to the book. But once you've read the book you realise the movie is a little silly.

But it's the only movie we've got. So you have to accept the movie on its own merits. Which means you have to accept the open-ended suppositions contained in the movie without reference to the source material which is quite different than the movie.

Good luck with that.

[–] Blueghost 9 years ago

You're over thinking it. I think in the book the ages were set to be much younger, so much to the point of the book's premise being unfilmmable or implausible in a movie story sense.

[–] liberius 9 years ago

I'm not over-thinking anything.

Many questions asked on this board are unanswerable from the movie alone. You can only go back to the book in search of answers which is often unsatisfactory since the book differs so much.

My point is that wildly speculating about this and that is pointless unless you've referred to the book. If the book provides no clues, as I said, you're on your own.

[–] rship1 9 years ago

Before the time of the movie's release, the book was popular. And the announcement of the making of the movie, prompted a re release of Logan's Run book with an insert of color stills from the upcoming movie. Many people who went to see it in the theatre had read the book.
And I did not understand what the heck was happening in the movie of The Shining as I hadn't read the book until after viewing it. The person I'd viewed it with informed me I had to read the book to understand what was going on. And the movie made no reference to the 'smell of oranges'

[–] Dark_Sithlord 8 years ago

This movie asked many, many questions, and left many questions unanswered.

[–] liberius 8 years ago

Like?

[–] Dark_Sithlord 8 years ago

Watch a couple of scenes in the movie again, and listen to the questions asked by Logan to the computer and The Old Man. He asks a lot of questions...questions which reflect what the audience might have been asking. Unfortunately, many of those questions were not answered adequately.

[–] liberius 8 years ago

Not answered adequately? You may be missing the point of such writing in movies, that being that it's designed to increase complexity, mystery and emotion. The questions were never intended to be answered, only asked. In my opinion, it's a lazy tactic too often employed, especially in television. At some point it muddies the plot and character motivations, especially if never resolved.

Go back to my original thesis on opening this thread. That being that anyone who's read the book is extremely frustrated by the dumbed-down way the movie was written. And especially when many people ask questions that are answered by simply reading the book. And even then, the book differs so much from the movie that things can't be matched up as being true answers. That's why I said, good luck with that.

You really have to enjoy the movie as a lightweight but visually-interesting dystopian fun run. The book wasn't great literature but at least it gave answers as to why and how, which are two questions the movie completely glosses over.

[–] Dark_Sithlord 8 years ago

It's been less than 24 hours since I've seen Logan's Run for the very first time. If I ever get around to reading the book, only then will I be in a position to respond to comparisons between the book and movie.

[–] liberius 8 years ago

Correct, and this thread has always been about that comparison, and the problem the movie poses for those who have not read the book.

;-)

[–] spielberto 8 years ago

I read the book after seeing the movie.
I thought the book was weak and ended awfully in comparison to the movie. (oh boy....here come the pitchfork and torch crowd I bet....)
Generally, I usually like 'the book' better than 'the movie', but in this case, I think the movie makers made some great changes that were an improvement.

[–] liberius 8 years ago

The book was weak even though it provides hundreds of answers that are asked time and time again on this forum?

The book probes some pretty deep veins about a culture composed only of a transient, youthful outlook, and about the emptiness of hedonism. It also has a lot to say about how a dictatorship can evolve as long as it gives with one hand while taking with another.

Sounds strangely familiar, methinks.