The Last Man On Earth (1964)

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Kitty
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The Last Man On Earth (1964)

Post by Kitty »

SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS!

I watched The Last Man On Earth (1964) with Vincent Price in the lead. It is based on the novel by Richard Matheson called I Am Legend, written in 1954. You may know the latter title, if not from the novel, from a movie starring Will Smith that was released in 2007.

I watched the original black and white version. The version I watched looked very good, had a nice sharp picture. The music was not my favorite, and it seemed to me that sometimes the music would peak even when it was unnecessary.

It's ok, though! It didn't take much away. I liked the story, although flawed in parts, and some acting was just plain bad---especially from the little girl who played Vincent's daughter.

The story centers around a man named Robert who has survived a horrible plague that turns everyone but him into zombie-vampire type monsters. For the past three years, every night they try to get into his barricaded home and every day he hunts to see where these things sleep so he can kill them. He also cleans up any bodies left and throws them into a fire pit. From the beginning, you can tell that the monsters have some kind of intelligence, because they are calling his name as they are trying to get into his house. Why he didn't go to some remote place where there are no people, the world may never know. I sure as hell wouldn't stay in one place if something like that happened to me!

Eventually he meets a woman who seems to be normal, so he takes her to his house. He soon finds out that she is one of them, and there are others who have been keeping themselves alive with an antidote that turns them semi-normal. Turns out that in his hunting, he had killed many people who were still alive! For revenge, they are coming to get him tonight, she says. He doesn't want to leave, but to reason with them when they get there. While the girl is sleeping, he does a blood transfusion from him to her, and realizes that he is the antidote that could save everyone who is left. Of course, the monsters don't want to listen to the two when they get to the house, and they chase Robert all the way to a church, where he is killed.

The movie ends with a baby crying as the girl walks out of the church. I'm not really sure what the significance of the baby crying was, and why a baby was in the crowd at a mob, anyway.

This really was an interesting watch, although some of the acting is flat, which I guess is to be expected for a B movie. I think this should be featured on Svengoolie on MeTV on Saturday nights! :D

Rating 5/10
You trying to tell me you didn't hear that shriek? That was something trying to get out of its premature grave, and I don't want to be here when it does. - Phantom of the Paradise (1974)

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Mrs. Danvers
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Re: The Last Man On Earth (1964)

Post by Mrs. Danvers »

Excellent review Kitty. Maybe the baby crying represented some hope, it's been so many years since I have watched this movie I can't really recall the significance.

I liked that movie a lot but I am positive I wouldn't really thought that much about it if not for the fact that the brilliant Vincent Price was the star. I especially loved him in Laura, Leave Her To Heaven, Dragonwyck and The House of Seven Gables, come on Vincent Price and George Sanders in the same movie, who could ask for anything more.

Even as cheesy looking as The Last Man on Earth is, it is still far superior than the Will Smith remake.
We didn't need dialogue. We had faces!

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Kitty
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Re: The Last Man On Earth (1964)

Post by Kitty »

I definitely liked the old version better than the newer. It was easier to sit through because it was interesting throughout.
Oh, and thank you for the compliment!
You trying to tell me you didn't hear that shriek? That was something trying to get out of its premature grave, and I don't want to be here when it does. - Phantom of the Paradise (1974)

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