The Omega Man
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Movie Reviews of The Omega Man
Movie Review: No wonder Richard Matheson disowned "The Omega Man"
Summary: 3 Stars
When another commercial for Will Smith's upcoming "I Am Legend" aired tonight during "Heroes," I got a call from my brother-in-law who was watching the same channel and wanted to know what was the name of the previous version of the film. I was able to immediately answer "The Omega Man," not just because I knew the answer but because I had watched the 1971 movie to gear up for seeing the new version. Charlton Heston, having starred in "Planet of the Apes" was having fun playing science fiction heroes and stars as Robert Neville, a scientist who was conveniently working on a vaccine when a plague broke out. Now he barricades himself each night in a Los Angeles penthouse playing chess against a bust of Julius Caesar, and then going out in the day to gather more supplies to try and stay alive. The whole selling point here is that Heston's character is literally the last man on Earth. The problem is that, well, he is not.
The main problem with "The Omega Man" is that it deviates from the original novel "I Am Legend" by Richard Matheson. Now when you talk about the best writers of horror and science fiction in the 20th century Matheson's name should be on your list before you have used all of your fingers. He originally showed up in Hollywood to adapt his novel "The Shrinking Man" into the Universal film "The Incredible Shrinking Man." For "The Twilight Zone" he wrote such classic episodes as "The Invaders," "Nick of Time," and "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet." He adapted Edgar Allan Poe works like "The Fall of the House of Usher" and "The Pit and the Pendulum" for Roger Corman, and the first time Steven Spielberg directed a movie it was Matheson's "Duel" for television. But did producer Walter Seltzer get Matheson to adapt his novel? No, he did not.
Instead screenwriters John William Corrington and Joyce H. Corrington wrote the adaptation and decided to get replace the vampires of the original with ghouls who run around complaining about technology (I am not really sure if they are ghouls, because they talk way too much for ghouls, but calling them Luddites is not going to work either). Matheson had a plague that turned people into what we would call vampires, although the interesting thing is he came up with scientific explanations for the traditional elements of folklore (and Bram Stoker). Instead, the Corringtons can up with biological warfare between the Soviet Union and China that turned everybody into those ghouls or whatever. I do not understand why a biological agent makes everybody affected by it dress like a monk: there are not that many monk outfits in most major American cities, so now I am wondering if the ghouls sit around making them. Led by Matthias (Anthony Zerbe), a television anchor turned into messianic misanthrope, these monsters utter flowery philosophical mission statements that further dillute the attempts at horror.
The opening of the film, where Neville drives through the deserted streets of Los Angeles, imagining that he hears pay phone ringing because he is so desperate to find other normal humans, is the best part of director Boris Sagal's film. Recent films such as "28 Days Later" have explored the great irony of having everything you have ever dreamed about available for the taking but living in a world of horror where you will probably not live long enough to enjoy any of it. By the time Neville meets up with Lisa (Rosalind Cash), Richie (a very young Eric Lanueville), and other humans, all such thoughts are dispelled because now there is a chance to save the human race. I wanted to like this film, but "The Omega Man" has not aged well (it looks more like a television movie of a week from that period than a theatrical film) and part of me thinks that if it was not Charlton Heston running around saying "My God" as only Moses can this film would be even more laughable, but whatever problems there are with the script and the production do not extend to Heston's acting in this film. Still, the final shot of Neville is one of such blatant symbolism that it made me groan out loud and since I did not see this movie way back when and am therefore untainted by nostalgia, I have to round down on it in the end. I am hopeful that going back to Matheson's original title is a sign that this new version will be more faithful to the "I Am Legend" novel, but even if it is not the case it has to be way better than "The Omega Man."
Movie Review: Charlton Heston plays "The Last Man on Earth" in deliciously cheesy film of Matheson's I AM LEGEND
Summary: 3 Stars
Boris Sagal's film "The Omega Man" was the second attempt to make Richard Matheson's classic novel (the third is with Will Smith) into a film. Matheson wrote a screen version that starred Vincent Price (entitled "The Last Man on Earth")that captured some of the qualities of his novel but suffered from being shot in post-War Italy on a low budget (Matheson substituted his name in the credits with a pseudonym). It's moody, low budget cinematography added to the film but it fails to live up to Matheson's original novel."The Omega Man" likewise fails to live up to Matheson's novel but is still an enjoyable if dated science fiction film. Charlton Heston and the supporting cast do a fine job with the material that they are given even if the screenplay guts some of the best elements of the novel in favor of more topical material from the time. The opening sequence where Heston drives down a deserted street in Los Angeles and then screens "Woodstock" in an empty theater continues to be eerie and quite effective even 35 years later.
In Matheson's original novel the result of viral warfare (in the film this is due to chemical warfare. Joyce Carrington takes credit for coming up with this concept) changes humans into vampire-like (ghouls in this film with a sensitivity to sunlight)creatures. Neville appears to be the last human. In the film the creatures are led by a former news anchor (played by Anthony Zerbe)who taunts Neville hunting him just as he hunts them, Neville meets other humans after a long period of isolation awakening his sense of humanity.
Any science fiction film is truly about the decade it was made in. The film ends up being about the last vestiages of the 60's and 70's (and cults like the Manson Family which is really what the "Family" of ghouls represent)and the conflict between the status quo and youth culture. Neville represents technology, reason and the past while the "Family" represents a rejection of the very things that made them into monsters and changed the world.
Although it's a bit heavy handed and departs signficantly from Matheson's novel, "The Omega Man" carries over some of Matheson's themes and the sense of loss, lonliness and how we can lose our own sense of humanity when surrounded by "monsters". There are some very effective scenes in the film and Heston does an excellent job of portraying Neville's fragile hold on sanity. Although not as good as "Planet of the Apes" or even "Soylent Green", "The Omega Man" is a dated but enjoyable science fiction film that has become a bit campy with the passage of time.
The DVD features a very good transfer of the film. An "introduction" (it's more of a brief featurette on the film) by screenwriter Joyce H. Corrington, actors Paul Koslo and Eric Laneuville who appear in the film Unfortunately Heston wasn't interviewed for this reissue of the film. We do, however, get a vintage featurette where Heston talks about the film and his character with an anthropologist that influenced his take on Neville. We also get a text extra "Charlton Heston-Science Fiction Legend". Although this isn't the best film of the four science fiction films Heston made during the 70's (the ending of this film with its heavy handed Christ-like death of a major character is a bit much), it's still enjoyable due to the action sequences and the performances of the veteran cast.
Movie Review: Heston During His Sci-Fi Phase
Summary: 3 Stars
In the wake of Charlton Heston's death, I decided to have a marathon viewing of his films. I rewatched many of my favorites and sought out some of those I had never seen.
It had been a long time since I'd watched "The Omega Man" and it seems very dated now. Made in 1971, it is very much a product of it's time, full of bad fashions, outdated slang, and late 60's sensibilities (plus, every black character sports a big afro).
The first 30 minutes of "Omega" is somewhat faithful to "I Am Legend," the novel on which it is based, at least more so than the recent Will Smith movie. Heston's character, Robert Neville, has carved out a lonely life as the last man on earth. The creatures who rise at night are not vampires, but the victims of a plague caused by germ warfare. They pursue Neville and talk to him like in the novel rather than being mindless brutes.
The night people, who dress in hooded robes and call themselves "The Family," are like a group of undead albino hippies. Their leader spouts all kinds of pseudo-philosophical babble and rants about how Neville must be destroyed. They are creepy in some ways, lurking around in the shadows, but mostly they come across as annoying.
But once Neville encounters a group of young people who are resistant to the plague, the movie deviates significantly from the book and goes downhill fast. Neville joins them as they try to avoid the Family's clutches, leading to a lame and abrupt ending.
However, the worst thing about "Omega Man" is the score. I don't know what the composer was thinking, but the music throughout is wildly incongruous with the subject matter. It's hard to feel fear or suspense when elevator music is playing in the background.
So, is "Omega Man" worth seeing? Yes. It's an interesting artifact of pre-"Star Wars" science fiction. And if you are a Heston fan, it's one of the films in his classic sci-fi trilogy (which also includes "Planet of the Apes" and "Soylent Green.") There are some suspenseful moments and the sense of loneliness is effectively conveyed at the beginning. Just be prepared for dated dialogue, cheesy music, and a disappointing ending.
Movie Review: Apocalypse Heston
Summary: 3 Stars
The Omega Man is one of the better 'Bleak View of the Future with Lots of Concrete' films to come out of 1970s. Chuck Heston plays Robert Neville, a survivor of a biological weapon unleashed during the Third World War that turns a percentage of the world's population into diseased, nocturnal albinos. A scientist, specifically in the realm of organic chemistry, Neville is less interested in finding a cure as he is in eradicating the vampire like Luddites (Anti Progress/Mechanization) that have targeted Neville as the symbol of the evil that has reduced them to their present state. Holed up in his Manhatten fortress Neville conducts his dual program: a daytime regime of albino extermination followed by a nighttime siege by the selfsame enemy. The audience gets to enjoy the eccentricities of a protagonist that is truly alone in the face of an implacable and inhuman foe. Then everything changes....
This film does suffer a bit from the age in which it was made. File footage of atomic explosions and missile launches place it solidly in the age before seamless computer graphic effects. The albino victims of the plague have a 'Black-xploitation' 70s feel to them as does another aspect of the film...that I will not touch upon for fear of spoilers. That said, the Luddite aspect is handled very well. It has a nice self destructive and believable feel to it. Also, there are gorgeous long shots of Empty New York (tm). Everyone is out to get everyone else; scientist and monsters alike. The world really has gone mad: science and anti-science face off in the ruins of civilization.
Movie Review: Charles Manson goes to Woodstock
Summary: 3 Stars
Thus far, I have received 4 'Unhelpful' votes and 0 'Helpful' votes. At the same time, no one seems to have the courage to comment on their negative votes. Therefore, I go away ignorant and uninformed. If you don't like my review and/or disagree with it, tell me why and please be specific. Obviously, I think I'm right on the mark.
Anyway, I wasn't particularly impressed by this particular film, despite the fact that I always enjoy Charleton Heston. The Director/Producers of this film seem to have been interested in producing something of a hippie movie, therefore the movie looks dated, indeed.
Heston, who suspects he is the last bona fide human on earth doesn't fit the hippie image, of course, but he does spend time watching reruns of the movie 'Woodstock'. His adversaries are the albinoid, diseased survivors of an epidemic that has destroyed civilization. They are religiously fundamentalist--against the 'machine'--and are zombioid and lethal. They are led by the Manson-like Mathias, who refers to his flock--again Manson-like--as 'The Family.'
Well, it turns out the Heston isn't the only one left. There is a handful of surviviors who bear all the appearances of members of a hippie commune. Heston's love interest is a black woman who looks amazingly just like the 60s-70s radical Angela Davis. The resemblance, I think, is quite remarkable.
Ron Braithwaite author of novels--'Skull Rack' and 'Hummingbird God'--on the Spanish Conquest of Mexico