With Will Smith's version of I AM
LEGEND kicking major butt at the box office it is of course only
fitting that DVD tie ins find their way onto DVD. Anyone over the
age of 40 should remember the classic Charlton Heston take on the
novel which went by the name THE OMEGA MAN but before that was the
origianl adaption called THE LAST MAN ON EARTH and it starred the one
and only Vincent Price.
What a gem this one is. I had never
seen it and really didn't know what to expect and I was mesmerized by
not just the exceptional acting of Vincent Price but also the
wonderful screenplay and fantastic camera work that was employed in
bringing this difficult story to life.
Unlike the current CGI ladened action
filled telling THE LAST MAN ON EARTH relies heavily on Vincent Price
being able to pull off a 85% silent performance that he narrates over
the action on the screen. Not an easy task to pull off but he makes
it look effortless.
The story remains pretty much the same
as current version with the main character ( Price plays
Robert Morgan in this one while the other two versions have Neville
as the main character) finds himself to be the last person alive in a
city left seeming abandoned except for at night when the infected
come out to try and kill him. A plague is the cause of the madness
and for some reason Price is unaffected. This holds true with the
current version now playing.
In LMOE though there are some subtle
changes that I feel makes this version better then the other two. In
this one the bodies of the infected just kind of lie around in the
streets and when it gets dark they get up and start walking around.
More like Zombies then Vampires like the other two versions
incorporate. While Price spends a lot of time hanging garlic and
putting mirrors everywhere and while it is most definitely a Vampire
story this one end up coming off with a definite Zombie feel to it
They even kind of stumble around like Zombies. Some of the scenes in
LMOE seemed very much like scenes out of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD.
I found this film to be a pleasant
surprise and it has given me a new found appreciation for the acting
of Vincent Price. I have always enjoyed his work I guess that I had
just never really paid much attention to the technical side of his
skill. It really shown through for me on this project.
The DVD while pretty bare bones still
looks and sounds great. Not much on the way of special features for
this one except a little douc on Richard Matheson who of course wrote
the novel I AM LEGEND on which the film is based.
The film really stands on its own
though and I must say turns out to be a must see title for any horror
fan.
I completely enjoyed it. They don't
make them like this anymore.
THE LAST MAN ON EARTH is available now
on DVD from MGM.
Get it, watch it, love it.
