Way Back Wednesday

A new feature here starting today is Way Back Wednesday. Each week I'll watch a movie that meets two criteria. The first being that it must be a movie I've never seen before, or at the very least have very little memory of. The second is that is must be rather old. I'm hoping for early 80's and older. Genre can be anything since it will be pretty much whatever I can get my hands on. After I watch, I'll write a little review about it. Nothing to major just something to let you all know what I thought of it and whether it might be worth your time. If you have any movies to suggest feel free to drop an email to the address at your right. I respond to every one of them.

Okay, let's get on to the first Way Back Wednesday movie.

The Last Man On Earth
1964
Starring: Vincent Price, Emma Danieli, Franca Bettoia, and Giancomo Rossi-Stuart
Directed by: Ubaldo Ragona
Based on the story by Richard Matheson.

Before Will Smith was Legend and before Charlton Heston was an Omega Man, Vincent Price was Dr. Robert Morgan, The Last Man On Earth. By now the story is familiar, a man seemingly alone on Earth after humanity is wiped out by a virus soon discovers he is not quite alone. Humanity has turned into monsters.


If I am not mistaken, The Last Man On Earth was the first adaptation of the brilliant Richard Matheson novella, I Am Legend. I can't say if it is the best version since I haven't seen the others, but it is certainly pretty good. I can see it being rather terrifying for 1964.

The movie begins with Vincent Price awaking to another day living as the last man on earth. It has been three years since humanity ended and mankind became vampires. At least the 1960's interpretation of vampires. I have two complaints about the movie. The first being that the vampires act more like zombies. It'd make more sense if they just called them zombies rather than vampires. I think it would be a bit more chilling to have zombies lumbering around calling out your name rather than slow moving vampires screaming for blood.

My other complaint is the acting. The film was shot in Italy and the majority of the cast is Italian and compared to Vincent Price, they all seemed like community theatre understudies.

Vincent Price commands the screen in every scene he is in, which should come as no surprise. His character has spent three years alone, hunting these vampires during the day, stocking his home with garlic and mirrors with absolutely no human companionship. At times he seems to be spiraling into madness either from sheer loneliness and hopelessness, or lasting grief over the loss of his family to the plague.

The movie flashes back to the beginning of the plague and shows us the loss he experienced. His daughter is taken to be burned and he goes to find her. He rushes to the pits and as the flames rage and the bodies burn, he screams that his daughter is down there and he needs to save her, a man stops him and utters such a heartbreaking line "Mister, a lot of daughters are in there. Including my own." That line truly sums up the hopelessness and that a cure is never going to be found, at least not in time.


Eventually, he learns he is not alone when he finds a young woman who is infected with the virus, but still human. He cures her just in time for her friends to show up...after that...well...you'll have to pick up the film and see for yourself.

The Last Man On Earth is a great adaptation of one of my favorite horror stories. It has it's low points but over all it is a chilling tense look at a world gone wrong. I'd definitely give up 87 minutes to watch it.

Remember, if you have any suggestions for movies for Way Back Wednesday, please email me. I'm open to watch absolutely anything!