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The Last Man on Earth
1/13/2012 12:21:28 PM
I recorded The Last Man on Earth on TMC the other day and watched it. It's a 1964 adaptation of I am Legend starring Vincent Price and filmed in Italy.
It was black and white, and obviously dubbed over for the most part.
The zeds are a sort of vampire zombie. They only come out during the night, hate garlic, and can't stand to see their reflection in a mirror. One interesting characteristic is that they can talk. They're obviously not your average zombie, so it was neat to see a different sort of undead.
Price plays Dr. Robert Morgan, a researcher who is immune to the airborne virus that causes the mutation into the hybrid zombie-vampires. The story starts about three years after TEOTWAWKI, with Morgan narrating and describing his day-to-day life.
Overall it was a pretty good movie. Not a pure zombie movie, but remember, the movie and the book it was based on were out before Romero created the zombie genre as we know it and love it today. I like different spins on what zombies are, though, so I really appreciated the zombie-vampires. I don't know of it'll be on TMC again any time soon, but it's definitely a movie worth watching. Gotta love that creepy old Vincent Price
It was black and white, and obviously dubbed over for the most part.
The zeds are a sort of vampire zombie. They only come out during the night, hate garlic, and can't stand to see their reflection in a mirror. One interesting characteristic is that they can talk. They're obviously not your average zombie, so it was neat to see a different sort of undead.
Price plays Dr. Robert Morgan, a researcher who is immune to the airborne virus that causes the mutation into the hybrid zombie-vampires. The story starts about three years after TEOTWAWKI, with Morgan narrating and describing his day-to-day life.
Overall it was a pretty good movie. Not a pure zombie movie, but remember, the movie and the book it was based on were out before Romero created the zombie genre as we know it and love it today. I like different spins on what zombies are, though, so I really appreciated the zombie-vampires. I don't know of it'll be on TMC again any time soon, but it's definitely a movie worth watching. Gotta love that creepy old Vincent Price
1/13/2012 1:07:13 PM
Good movie. It's based on the story "I am Legend" which was remade a decade later as Omega Man with Charlton Heston (a must see for the gun pron alone), then as the Will Smith movie we all love to hate. ( won't even bring up I am Omega - which is the Iron Cheff made for TV version)
1/13/2012 2:37:23 PM
you can watch it online
The Last Man On Earth is in the public domain, so you can download this movie here for free:
http://www.archive.org/details/the-last-man-on-earth
or on youtube just search The Last Man On Earth
The Last Man On Earth is in the public domain, so you can download this movie here for free:
http://www.archive.org/details/the-last-man-on-earth
or on youtube just search The Last Man On Earth
1/13/2012 3:52:05 PM
I picked it up on the clearance rack as a two pack with "Panic in the Year Zero". I think I paid $2 or something. Both were well worth the price.
I've always though Vincent Price had a creepy voice and "Last Man" did nothing to change that.
I've always though Vincent Price had a creepy voice and "Last Man" did nothing to change that.
1/13/2012 3:58:34 PM
It is cheesy by today's standards, but a good movie and stays pretty true to the book it was based on. Much moreso than Will Smith's remake.
1/13/2012 4:37:08 PM
I thought it was a pretty good movie.
1/13/2012 5:15:05 PM
The book was about vampires, not zombies.
1/13/2012 5:18:14 PM
Originally Posted By KingRat:
The book was about vampires, not zombies.
The book was about vampires, not zombies.
Both are types of undead. What's a vampire, other than a sort of sentient, blood drinking zombie better adapted to preying on people?
1/13/2012 10:59:53 PM
Price is one of my favorite actors, and even if this isn't a great movie, his acting makes the entire movie.
It's interesting to contrast that movie with the more action-packed Heston version. I lgenerally ike Price's acting, and in his other movies when he plays a bad guy he shows how important it is for a movie with a bad guy to have that character well-played.
The fact that the story has been made into so many motion picutures is a testament to Richard Matheson's writing. For those who don't know, he wrote many sci-fi stories and screenplays, including many episodes for The Twilight Zone, as well as the original pilot for The Night Stalker series, and he even wrote an episode of Star Trek. He truly is one of the greats.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Matheson
It's interesting to contrast that movie with the more action-packed Heston version. I lgenerally ike Price's acting, and in his other movies when he plays a bad guy he shows how important it is for a movie with a bad guy to have that character well-played.
The fact that the story has been made into so many motion picutures is a testament to Richard Matheson's writing. For those who don't know, he wrote many sci-fi stories and screenplays, including many episodes for The Twilight Zone, as well as the original pilot for The Night Stalker series, and he even wrote an episode of Star Trek. He truly is one of the greats.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Matheson
1/14/2012 12:20:54 AM
Originally Posted By beckman:
The fact that the story has been made into so many motion picutures is a testament to Richard Matheson's writing. For those who don't know, he wrote many sci-fi stories and screenplays, including many episodes for The Twilight Zone, as well as the original pilot for The Night Stalker series, and he even wrote an episode of Star Trek. He truly is one of the greats.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Matheson
The fact that the story has been made into so many motion picutures is a testament to Richard Matheson's writing. For those who don't know, he wrote many sci-fi stories and screenplays, including many episodes for The Twilight Zone, as well as the original pilot for The Night Stalker series, and he even wrote an episode of Star Trek. He truly is one of the greats.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Matheson
Good info, I see he not only wrote an episode of Star Trek, but for 'Have Gun will Travel' as well !
1/15/2012 12:04:55 AM
Originally Posted By beckman:
Price is one of my favorite actors, and even if this isn't a great movie, his acting makes the entire movie.
It's interesting to contrast that movie with the more action-packed Heston version. I lgenerally ike Price's acting, and in his other movies when he plays a bad guy he shows how important it is for a movie with a bad guy to have that character well-played.
The fact that the story has been made into so many motion picutures is a testament to Richard Matheson's writing. For those who don't know, he wrote many sci-fi stories and screenplays, including many episodes for The Twilight Zone, as well as the original pilot for The Night Stalker series, and he even wrote an episode of Star Trek. He truly is one of the greats.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Matheson
Price is one of my favorite actors, and even if this isn't a great movie, his acting makes the entire movie.
It's interesting to contrast that movie with the more action-packed Heston version. I lgenerally ike Price's acting, and in his other movies when he plays a bad guy he shows how important it is for a movie with a bad guy to have that character well-played.
The fact that the story has been made into so many motion picutures is a testament to Richard Matheson's writing. For those who don't know, he wrote many sci-fi stories and screenplays, including many episodes for The Twilight Zone, as well as the original pilot for The Night Stalker series, and he even wrote an episode of Star Trek. He truly is one of the greats.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Matheson
I'll have to read the novel some day. I'm a Trekkie-in-Training (TiT
- I've seen all of the Original Series and Animated Series and am about half way through the first season of the Next Generation, plus I've only seen movies 1-4 and the most recent one, so I have a long way to go.) As a TiT, I must admit it's pretty awesome that he wrote an episode of Star Trek, and a pretty good one at that, so I'll have to support his other endeavors and by a copy of I am Legend.1/15/2012 9:13:58 PM
both this movie and omega man are on netflix streaming
1/15/2012 9:25:35 PM
So your the last man on Earth, chilling out in your chair and there is a knock at the door. Do you answer it carrying a 9mm or a .45?
1/16/2012 6:53:21 AM
As a zombie genre buff I would point out zombies were in american film first in the 20's with Bela Lugosi as the villian in a Hatian type traditional zombie theme. Romero only made them popular....lol
Vincent for the win...
I answer the door in my smoking jacket....duh! BOOMSTICK!
Vincent for the win...
I answer the door in my smoking jacket....duh! BOOMSTICK!
1/19/2012 10:49:44 PM
Last Man on Earth has a bit of a different ending, not a bad show though.
1/19/2012 11:03:05 PM
I watched this about 6 months back;always wanted to see it but it was one of those classic horror movies that I never saw for some reason growing up.I was surprised at how good it actually is,I really was expecting some 50's cheese fest.Serious tone and emphasis on isolation and the characters mental state,must have seemed pretty bleak and gritty back then.
1/20/2012 11:02:00 AM
Originally Posted By FZK556:
I watched this about 6 months back;always wanted to see it but it was one of those classic horror movies that I never saw for some reason growing up.I was surprised at how good it actually is,I really was expecting some 50's cheese fest.Serious tone and emphasis on isolation and the characters mental state,must have seemed pretty bleak and gritty back then.
I watched this about 6 months back;always wanted to see it but it was one of those classic horror movies that I never saw for some reason growing up.I was surprised at how good it actually is,I really was expecting some 50's cheese fest.Serious tone and emphasis on isolation and the characters mental state,must have seemed pretty bleak and gritty back then.
I bet it was pretty gritty for the time period. Price was absolutely the best actor to play the part.
1/20/2012 11:04:46 AM
Great movie. Most of the original movies are better than the re-makes..
1/21/2012 10:13:51 PM
Watched it a few months back and I liked it.Being from that era it of course doesn't have beating hearts being ripped out of chests or blood spurting 3 feet but it was pretty good.It definitely focused on the psychological aspects of being the last one of your species.
1/21/2012 11:10:10 PM
Originally Posted By GreyGhost:
Watched it a few months back and I liked it.Being from that era it of course doesn't have beating hearts being ripped out of chests or blood spurting 3 feet but it was pretty good.It definitely focused on the psychological aspects of being the last one of your species.
Watched it a few months back and I liked it.Being from that era it of course doesn't have beating hearts being ripped out of chests or blood spurting 3 feet but it was pretty good.It definitely focused on the psychological aspects of being the last one of your species.
Kinda like The Land Before Time
But it really does. Showing how much despair he had but the fact that he kept pushing on and trying to survive. Good stuff.1/24/2012 10:14:39 PM
This is actually my favorite adaption of the novel. I have a script from the late eighties where Arnold Schwarzenegger was going to be the main character of a new adaption called "I Am Legend" that is completely different than the Will Smith film. Unfortunately it never happened:(
