Log Log Land portrays the lives of music students at MIT in a cinematic light
The Logarhythms’ movie musical explores the dilemma of following artistic dreams or pursuing a practical career
Photo courtesy of MIT Logarhythms
★★★★
Log Log Land
Directed by Reuben Fuchs ’25
Screenplay by Reuben Fuchs ’25
Released July 22 on YouTube
Starring the MIT Logarhythms
Should one pursue their passion for music and theater, or focus on securing a practical job that pays well instead? This difficult question is one of the main themes that the MIT Logarhythms’ musical movie Log Log Land explores.
Directed by Reuben Fuchs ’25, Log Log Land is a one-hour musical that features members of the Logarhythms, MIT’s oldest a cappella group. Log Log Land is based on La La Land, the iconic 2016 film about Mia and Sebastian, performing artists who fall in love with each other and have lofty aspirations. First released on YouTube in late July as a premiere, the movie has received over 10,500 views and has gained attention from media outlets including The Boston Globe.
The plot of Log Log Land loosely follows La La Land’s: the movie focuses on MIT students Logan (Reuben Fuchs ’25), a passionate jazz musician, and Chelsy (Chelsy Goodwill ’27), an aspiring actress. The couple both love their hobbies, but constantly wrestle with the challenging problem of whether they should give up their ambitious dreams for a mainstream career path. This sentiment not only pertains to the protagonists, but also other peers active in MIT’s music community.
Although this internal conflict may sound cliche, the issue is relatable for many students at MIT, even for those who aren’t in the music or acting space. The various scenes in the movie capture these frustrations and anxieties well, from frantically searching for internships to switching majors for job security. The conversations, however, were slightly exaggerated and awkward at times. In some cases, the secondary characters felt a bit simplified and one-dimensional. For instance, the emotional distress that takes over Mariabelle (Mariabelle Azemar ’27) because of internships feels contrived and somewhat odd, though this may be more for comedic effect than a realistic characterization. Despite this, the drama and humor were successful in poking fun at how MIT’s culture can cause students to hyperfixate on their future careers while losing sight of other important aspects of life.
While the characters’ relatable dilemma makes the movie worth watching, the main highlight of Log Log Land is its music. The movie has a total of five original songs, each of them based on the La La Land soundtrack. The opening scene begins with the percussive sounds of tapping and scribbling to create a catchy beat. This energetic sound develops to a cheerful tune, effectively transitioning to the “Hall that Never Ends,” a lighthearted song that portrays MIT as a bustling and lively place.
The vocals in the movie were excellent, especially Fuchs’ mellow, jazzy singing in the Lobby 7 performance scene and Goodwill’s beautiful, emotional rendition of “Beautiful Smile” towards the end of the movie. In “Fallen Stars,” the lyrics and quiet melody transformed the ordinary worries that occupy the characters into something more meaningful and grand, such as Evan’s (Evan Rubel ’24) expressive cry when he sings, “Now I fear I can’t fix the time!”
Besides the delightful soundtrack, what makes Log Log Land fascinating is that the filming portrays MIT’s campus and the lives of MIT students under a cinematic light, a quality students tend to forget over time. The academic stress of impending midterms and difficult classes exist in the movie, but the cinematography does a wonderful job encapsulating MIT’s movielike essence. One scene that captures this charming, magical atmosphere well is the budding romance between Chelsy and Logan. The two of them sit down next to each other against the Lobby 7 pillars at night, chatting about dreams. They later go to Barker Library and dance together, similar to the scene in La La Land when Mia and Sebastian dance for the first time.
As a musical movie, Log Log Land is memorable for seamlessly incorporating music, singing, and acting together. Although the dilemma of choosing between personal interests and practical pursuits will persist, the movie offers an inspiring take-home message: finding a community passionate about something outside of academics and work will lead to a meaningful college experience.