Logan's Run (DVD, 2000)

1976: The year after the pull-out from Viet Nam. Long hair was getting a little shorter, rhythms were slowly evolving from psychedelic rock to lyrical disco, window pane blue jeans with flare were in, and halographs were the new cool technical reality. Logan's Run reflected the new idea that growing older doesn't mean slowing down and that old ideas could still be valued at any age. The story opens with those who are turning 30 going through Carousel; a means of reincarnation. The world has been devastated by nuclear war and the environment can only sustain a few; Carousel provides a means to limit the strain by limiting the population. No one is sure what happens when one goes through Carousel but Carousel has achieved the notoriety of a spectator sport. Little is valued in the way of how one's life was lived; lives are lived as "Live now for tomorrow will not come." Through a series of interesting twists, Logan becomes a hunted man running from Carousel before his appointed time. His run brings him to life outside of the world he has ever known to the presence of Old Man - something he has never seen before but something he would not forget.
2006: Logan's Run is an unforgettable "fun" movie with a deep undercurrent of meaning. For those of us who lived through the Viet Name era years, we can identify strongly with how very short life could be as America was in the throes of unrest. Young lives were being snuffed out too early as a war was being fought. Friends and family were failing to return home. As Viet Nam was closing, new ideas and new technology was opening a whole world of new opportunities as life was shifting literally back to different values. Americans could have it all - prosperity and some semblance of a decent family lifestyle. Logan's Run brought an interesting reflection of this time of transition for American lives and utilized some of the most interesting photographic technologies available in its day. Some early computerized animation and holograms add to the "transitional" theme of the movie. Thirty years later, Logan's Run provides "Fun Fantasy" for present day viewers. This is a movie worth having in your library.