The Last Man on Earth (1964)
Fig 1: The first Neville chooses to steal a Ford wagon over a sports car, the other Nevilles cannot resist the temptation of the Ford Mustang.
The vampires taunt him, "MOR-gan…we’re going to kill you MOR-gan…" I wonder if the extras who played vampires decided on this awkward enunciation, sort of like Kramer and George practicing "these PRETZELS are MAKING me thirsty!" on Seinfeld.
This movie looked so bad, that it easily could have been made the year the novel came out, ten years earlier and still would look sub-par for its time. The edits are terrible, the B&W color balance is muddy, sound and visual effects awful. It's interesting to note that it was filmed by an Italian production company and filmed in Italy, even though the setting is LA. The film has only a couple American cars in it the rest are typical 60's Italian/European cars. When Neville pulls up to the lab in his Chevy, we see the only other American car, the Ford wagon that we later see in the dealership. In that shot what looks like a Fiat 500 passes by, these cars are shown again in a later shot at the fire pit.
Not that I know anything about this actor's other performances, but Vincent Price really hammed it up in this one. To make things worse, the vampires barely pose a threat. We learn that Dr. Morgan is immune to them, but also they are simply ineffective, the most passively lurking foes I've seen on screen. Morgan extinguishes these vampires by driving wooden steaks into them with the conviction and savagery that I might exhibit whilst trying to hang a picture frame without hammering my own thumb.
However even with the obvious faults of this movie, the plot is just too irresistible for me to simply dismiss the flick for entertainment purposes. I have an affinity towards any doomsday survivor plots, going back to when I used to watch the original Twilight Zone (1959) episodes. Similar to TZ, the movie addressed the theme of alienation and the "us and them" societal views from the both point of view of humans and the zombies. Even the most heavy handed acting and writing had me captivated simply because they deal in fantasy.Another notable part of this film is that its the only retelling of I am Legend that remains true to the idea that being the survivor just isn't fun. As in the book, Morgan doesn't have time in the day to do anything but carve wooden steaks to kill off zombies or maintain his food supply. Between that and hauling the dead off in a station wagon to be burned, it's constant backbreaking labor. Meanwhile in the other two films, the survivor is able to indulge the audience's expectation of all the fun things you might be able to do after the apocalypse.
If the movie achieves anything, it serves as a great timepiece in the three part history of screen adaptations on I am Legend. Which brings us to our next film...
The Omega Man (1971)
Fig. 2: The last man to wear a hat that silly, at that angle, got everyone stranded on a three hour tour. This does not help Neville's image as a vampire vanquisher.
Here are my notes:
-The vampires are back! Only they are funky zombies with sunglasses and big hair this time! And they are organized into a multi-cultural organization called "The Family". They are the victims of biochemical warfare between Russia, China and the US, instead of plague.
-The theater scene hints at this theme of war when it shows the Woodstock concert with the hippie who says"...if we can't all live together and be happy, if you have to be afraid to walk out in the street...what kind of a way is that to go through this life?" Nice touch.
-Why does Charlton Heston have silly looking costumes? I've only seen two of his sci-fi movies so far, this and Soylent Green, and in both he has had really silly costumes. In this movie, I'm referring to his ridiculous hat, which makes him look like Skipper's (from Gilligan's Island) long lost alcoholic brother. (see Fig. 1)
-(SPOILER ALERT) The way Neville dies is so unlikely, all he would have to do to avoid a harpoon thrown from a balcony is step to the side.
-The head zombie Matthias says "Neville can't see in the dark, anymore than we can see in the light." I beg to differ, the zombies aren't just blind but repelled entirely by light, wheras Neville can get by in the darkness.
-Why does the assistant head zombie use a gun to try and kill Neville? Isn't their whole organization against any technology?
-The Simpsons Halloween Special VIII had a short called "The Homega Man" which spoofed the movie. This is where I first learned of the movie, and what got me watching all three.
This movie was clearly more put together, the quality of the production is much greater than the first. It still has really dated corny elements, such as when one black zombie calls Neville a "honky."
I am Legend (2007)
Fig 3: Filming on location at Union Square was the least challenging, because hippies aren't awake to start the drum circle until the afternoon.Unlike many movies filmed in famous cities, this movie separates itself from the others by offering an unsparing look at New York City. The shots of the city were so comprehensive and realistic, it was eerie. The film did not work around any of the more challenging locations (Times Square, the Flatiron district, the Brooklyn Bridge, Union Square, see: Fig 3), instead offering very convincing post-apocalyptic scenery. Its no surprise that I had seen the filming location before I had even heard of the movie when I was on the Manhattan Bridge on a Q train, and saw the lights and set at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge. (Apparently it cost $5 million to shoot there). Considering all of the overgrown flora, non-native fauna (deer, lions), and all the wrecked cars that were strewn all around, I'm not even sure how it was done, or what was real and what was CG. As for Will Smith, he was great in it, though the flashback scenes with his family felt a little too much like Independence Day or I, Robot all over again. I'm starting to get used to the idea that when the world ends, Will Smith will be the one to save me. Thankfully, the script did not have him spouting off impeccably timed corny one-liners. One major disadvantage of this movie that will retain fans of the old over the new, is it did not have the interesting rivalry of the different societies that is at the heart of the novel and the Last Man on Earth. We do not at any point see things from the zombie's point of view, they are simply mad writhing and screeching monsters. In the other two movies Neville is regarded as a powerful and threatening monster to the zombies/vampires, a legend among them. In this movie, the "legend" refers to the sacrifice Neville gave for uninfected survivors. Quite a contrast to the Omega man, where the zombies actually hold court on a tribune.
Here are some things that are consistent between movies:
-(I am Legend and Omega Man) Neville decorates his apartment with famous works of art that he's presumably stolen from local museums. In I am Legend we see artwork from the Modern Museum of Art. I love the implication that Neville would risk the outside and make it a priority to have these works.
- (All three) Neville uses a map of the city sectioned off to mark and make sure he's obliterated every last vampire/zombie.
- (All three) Vampires/zombies cannot handle the light, and Neville is immune to them (for different reasons in each)
-(All three, SPOILER ALERT) Neville dies in all three (though I am Legend has an alternate ending where he doesn't)
Watching these movies was a great opportunity to see how film has evolved over the years. Not only is the technology better, but the movies expect more of audiences in their ability to understand and draw conclusions from visual information, editing, and plot lines, and it works. I feel having sat through the first two adaptations, that I was able to enjoy I Am Legend much more had I not. The movie stands alone as a good film, but the context was the most enjoyable part of this experience.
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