An adaptation of Richard Matheson's classic I Am Legend, The Last Man on Earth is evidence of how a compelling actor can carry a movie all by himself: this time it's the unforgettable Vincent Price.
What's funny is Price is oddly cast - some would even say miscast. With his aristocratic look and cold demeanor, he really has nothing of the "average guy faced with extraordinary circumstances". And yet he captures the viewers' attention with his trademark charisma.
Price stars as Robert Morgan, last survivor of a plague which turned all other humans in vampire-like beings; each day Morgan follows a creepy "seek and destroy" routine to eliminate the creatures, but spends every night besieged in his house.
The movie is an elder brother of Night of the Living Dead, a grandfather of modern zombie flicks such as 28 Days Later. Do not expect visceral, frantic action, though; this is horror of the disturbing, unsettling variety.
The Last Man on Earth is not flawless: while I was never bored, I did not find it particularly scary, and the low budget shows. Still, Matheson's brilliant premise and Price's charisma save it from mediocrity.
The source material was later adapted in the 2007 Will Smith movie, which was everything this one wasn't (high-budget, action-heavy, with a stupid ending unfaithful to the novel).
6,5/10
What's funny is Price is oddly cast - some would even say miscast. With his aristocratic look and cold demeanor, he really has nothing of the "average guy faced with extraordinary circumstances". And yet he captures the viewers' attention with his trademark charisma.
Price stars as Robert Morgan, last survivor of a plague which turned all other humans in vampire-like beings; each day Morgan follows a creepy "seek and destroy" routine to eliminate the creatures, but spends every night besieged in his house.
The movie is an elder brother of Night of the Living Dead, a grandfather of modern zombie flicks such as 28 Days Later. Do not expect visceral, frantic action, though; this is horror of the disturbing, unsettling variety.
The Last Man on Earth is not flawless: while I was never bored, I did not find it particularly scary, and the low budget shows. Still, Matheson's brilliant premise and Price's charisma save it from mediocrity.
The source material was later adapted in the 2007 Will Smith movie, which was everything this one wasn't (high-budget, action-heavy, with a stupid ending unfaithful to the novel).
6,5/10