The Last Man on Earth (1964)

Not often does a book come around that causes a stir like Richard Matheson’s I Am Legend. Not only has it spawned three movies, its influence has forever given the world a doorway into the undead. With the first and best adaptation, the 1964 Vincent Price classic The Last Man on Earth, the modern zombie tale took root. Every film, every story, has a way of giving life, and the staying power of this tale appears ready to span generations.

While this low budget film has many drawbacks like poor sets and uneasy editing, Price’s performance is masterful. His ability to transcend the unbelievable and take the viewers on a solitary journey into the world of the undead is remarkable. Price plays Dr. Robert Morgan, the only human survivor of the devastating plague that wiped out humanity, turning the victims into vile specimens of remorse. These vampire-like creatures roam the streets by night, search to crave their desire for blood. By day, Price searches the abandoned city, destroying the infected, all the while, trying to create an antivirus from the immunity of his own elixir of life. By night, he stands in his fortified house, trapped and tortured by the sounds of their constant attack.

The introduction of the female character near the end of the film does nothing more than detract from Price, and his daily outings in search of garlic and the undead. As a viewer, I felt captivated by his grim routine, the sharpening of stakes or replacing the mirror on the front door. These endeavors left a lasting impression of the doom and despair left by a life all alone.

From this film, the messages of redemption and salvation ring true amidst the unnerving backdrop of apocalypse, much the same way these messages survive in the modern works that owe their creation to this influential, yet, often overlooked horror classic. Without it, Barbara may not lose her brother in the graveyard and Night of the Living Dead may only be a dream. 

The Omega Man (1971)

Last night, I was trying to decide what to watch after Army of Darkness and I was struggling. Sometimes, I cannot get into the right mindset for anything in particular and struggle deciding on what genre I want to venture into. That is when I stumbled onto the classic Sci-Fi flick The Omega Man from 1971, a movie I have not seen in years.

Plot/ Robert Neville, a doctor, due to an experimental vaccine, is the only survivor of an apocalyptic war waged with biological weapons. The plague caused by the war has killed everyone else except for a few hundred deformed, nocturnal people calling themselves The Family.

Richard Matheson is one of the greatest Sci-Fi writers ever and one of his all-time best works is the classic I Am Legend. While there have been many adaptations of this classic on the big screen spanning multiple decades and generations, the storyline stands tall. In this adaptation, film icon Charlton Heston takes the lead and runs with it with a great performance. While I will admit, I am more a fan of Vincent Price and Last Man on Earth, this interpretation holds its own. While there are some flaws in this flick, which appears dated and full of the signature camp of the 1970s, it is engaging. Overall, the performances are solid, the soundtrack works and the post apocalyptic atmosphere is realistic. Of course, the change in the vampiric nature of the creatures is still a bit hard to accept, one of the reasons I think I am drawn to the Price version, but it is still entertaining. In the end, this adaptation is a classic piece of 1970s Sci-Fi and must be seen. Sure, it has some flaws, but it remains one of Heston’s better performances and a trip into a dark time.

I Am Omega (2007)

After a few days of battling the moving truck, and not finally being able to unpack a bit, it was nice to be able to chill and catch up on a couple of the flicks I have watched over the past few weeks. The first flick is I Am Omega from the Midnight Horror Collection V.1.

Plot/ The last man on earth (well sort of) must battle the undead horde that rules Earth, in this low budget post-apocalyptic thriller

While not the best straight to DVD release from Asylum, it is far from the worst. This unneeded adaptation of the Richard Matheson classic I Am Legend actually has some things going for it, like decent locations, some pretty good cinematography, and some pretty good zombie effects (plus, loved seeing the Omega’s). Unfortunately, there are some plot holes the lead to a ridiculous amount of slow pacing (especially in the first half hour). If you like mindless horror, you may enjoy this one (especially if you go in expecting very little like I did).

Undead: The Vampire Collection

When I got off work today, I ran to the local Wal-Mart with the wife and stumbled onto another great movie collection from Mill Creek, Undead: The Vampire Collection. With the weather in New Jersey destined to be miserable all weekend, I imagine that the 20 movies will not last, especially considering I have watched and reviewed a few of these already over the past couple of weeks.

Listening to the bos, I should be in for a great weekend, "Sink your fangs into this immortal collection of 20 frighteningly delicious films featuring some of the most legendary vampire flicks of all time. From Bela Lugosi to Paul Naschy, the most beloved bloodsuckers of yesterday and today are all together in one terrifying compilation." In all the four  DVDs contain:

Atom Age Vampire                     
The Bat (1926)
The Bat (1959)
Blood of Dracula's Castle
The Bloody Vampire
Count Dracula and His Vampire Bride
Crypt of the Living Dead
The Devil Bat
Horrible Sexy Vampire
Horror Express
The Last Man on Earth
Nightmare Castle
Nosferatu
Prime Evil
Terror Creatures From the Grave
The Vampire Bat
Vampire Happening
The Vampire's Night Orgy
The Werewolf vs. Vampire Women
The Witches Mountain

As I mentioned earlier, I have already reviewed some of these here on The Ringmaster's Realm , In fact, just yesterday I did Horror Express.

I have also done:

Count Dracula and His Vampire Bride

or

The Satanic Rights of Dracula

And earlier in the year:

 

 The Last Man on Earth

Now, time for me to move to the first two films for the evening, the silent classics Nosferatu and The Bat.    

In a way, Vampires created Zombies!

Not often does a book come around that causes a stir like Richard Matheson’s I Am Legend. Not only has it spawned three movies, its influence has forever given the world a doorway into the undead. With the first and best adaptation, the 1964 Vincent Price classic The Last Man on Earth, the modern zombie tale took root. Every film, every story, has a way of giving life, and the staying power of this tale appears ready to span generations.

While this low budget film has many drawbacks like poor sets and uneasy editing, Price’s performance is masterful. His ability to transcend the unbelievable and take the viewers on a solitary journey into the world of the undead is remarkable. Price plays Dr. Robert Morgan, the only human survivor of the devastating plague that wiped out humanity, turning the victims into vile specimens of remorse. These vampire-like creatures roam the streets by night, search to crave their desire for blood. By day, Price searches the abandoned city, destroying the infected, all the while, trying to create an antivirus from the immunity of his own elixir of life. By night, he stands in his fortified house, trapped and tortured by the sounds of their constant attack.

The introduction of the female character near the end of the film does nothing more than detract from Price, and his daily outings in search of garlic and the undead. As a viewer, I felt captivated by his grim routine, the sharpening of stakes or replacing the mirror on the front door. These endeavors left a lasting impression of the doom and despair left by a life all alone.

From this film, the messages of redemption and salvation ring true amidst the unnerving backdrop of apocalypse, much the same way these messages survive in the modern works that owe their creation to this influential, yet, often overlooked horror classic. Without it, Barbara may not lose her brother in the graveyard and Night of the Living Dead may only be a dream.

vote it up!