The Hidden Story of I Am Legend's Ending(s)
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- čas přidán 17. 05. 2024
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After covering all kinds of different zombies, monsters, ghosts, and creatures of the night, I recently did some self-reflection and asked myself, how did I get here? I’ve always had a love for the sci-fi and fantasy genres, But the more dramatic and horror-themed movies and shows that I love can really be traced back to one place: I Am Legend.
0:00 - 1:47 - #1 Fan
1:48 - 10:30 - Movie Recap
10:31 - 11:34 - Complicated History
11:35 - 13:45 - Zombie vs. Vampire?
13:46 - 16:44 - The Highs, Whys, and the CGI
16:45 - 18:53 - Two Endings
18:54 - 20:47 - The Truth About Robert Neville
20:48 - 22:48 - Butterfly
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Outro:
Late Night Driving - Broke In Summer - Zábava
Robert comfortably survived for YEARS on his own, but after meeting a woman, his ENTIRE world crumbled and was killed in less than 24 hours.
Bi%(hes. Am I right?😂😂😂
Can't live with them or without them
And steals his Bacon
Yep it all can be blamed on a woman lol 🤣🤣🤣
Funny fact this movie is actually a remake the original movie is called omega man in that movie they are vampires
In the original book the protagonist walks around killing sleeping vampires/people infected with a vampirism virus on a daily basis so they come up with a plot taking advantage of his emotional isolation to overcome him - and eventually he realizes that _he is legend_ now for the vampires, a creature of nightmares killing you while you're asleep.
The status quo had shifted and a new society had emerged, of people as afraid of him as humans had been of them.
He became legend.
Can’t remember the name of it but the movie that actually followed the book was good
Last Man on Earth with Vincent Price.@@Swampdonkey796
@@Swampdonkey796 Kinda like how John Carpenter's The Thing was awesome because it followed Campbell's "Who Goes There?" story pretty closely, unlike its predecessor. The main difference there was that the ending was less ambiguous and more of a "near miss" feeling with the Thing very nearly building itself a jetpack to escape, while Carpenter's Thing left it a bit more up in the air what happens.
@@Swampdonkey796 You're thinking of Vincent Price in The Last Man on Earth. Charlton Heston also starred in an adaption of the book called The Omega Man.
@@WynneL Too bad Carpenter didn't similarly follow the book when he made John Carpenter's Vampires. The book behind it, Vampire$ by John Steakley is really good (with some slow parts).
I remember reading the book in middle school. The vampires were super intelligent and I remember at some point there was one vampire that openly taunted neville as he slept in his house. So he sound proofed his house
Most were intelligent. There was a leader and a massive group that sat outside of his house every night. (He had UV lights set up so they couldn't attack him)
They would taunt him, tempt him with females, and basically did anything to make him fall apart.
yeah I'll be honest, the movie to me is a poor adaptation of the original story.
I remember when I first saw this movie. I was in foster care and on my birthday I was allowed to spend the whole day with my mom without supervision of the social worker. I got sick the day before so I unfortunately spent most of my birthday sick but happy I was with my mom.
My mom made me a chicken soup and asked if I wanted to see a movie. She had bought I Am Legend the day before so we would both see it for the first time. I was always a scaredy-cat for horror movies, but for some reason this movie made me fall in love with it. It’s been nearly 16 years since my mom beat the foster system and got me back, but every time I see this movie I get transported back to when I spent that day with my mom, how happy I was for that one day only for it to end at 6pm (just before the sun set like in the movie) and return to my foster home only to see my mom again whenever a court date came up (sometimes once every 3 months or 6 months).
It’s a bittersweet feeling, that’s for sure.
That is sure a bittersweet story and I'm glad you got to be back with your mom completely at the end. I wish you the best in life
@@adityakashyap9283 W
That was a moving story, well told. Ever thought of writing as a career? The pay is awful (except for a tiny minority) but the personal rewards are vast. You convey your truth with perfect pacing, avoiding mawkish sentimentality which, ironically, is what makes it all the more touching.
I’m glad it had a happy ending, for you and your mom. Having worked as a Residential Social Worker (in the UK) for 6 years, in a previous life, I know that there were those who were bad at their jobs and not quite as many who were good at it. I wouldn’t wish the care system, fostering or care homes, on any child. I spent the next 6 years of my life as a Family Therapist, dedicated to preventing children being taken into care in all situations possible, where the child’s interests could be protected. That involved everything from family sessions to court appearances and mountains of paperwork.
Trying to fix the impossible for a living, whilst neglecting my own loved ones, lead to my having a breakdown and being hospitalised. I learned that the only people who last in those kinds of jobs are sociopaths and those who just don’t really care.
But, my story has a happy ending too, as it gave me a lot to write about and live comfortably on thereafter.
I know this is not about me, and I’ve really gone on a bit, but I just wanted to share the fact that there are people out there who really do care about people like you. We rarely got the chance to see what became of the adults we left behind as children. People like you, who write so well and affectingly about your experience, are needed and give people like me hope.
Not a day goes by when I don’t think about the kids we worked with and the emotions are always bitter, if not bittersweet. But, the system was reckless and indifferent back then. Now, I don’t know to be honest. It’s clear from the way you express yourself that some people made it okay.
Thank you for sharing that intimacy with the world. And all good things to you and yours. God bless.
Why you make me cry like that 🥹
My parents were foster parents. So I'm a foster brother. The only reason you were taken away was your mom was in a bad way at the time. People can and do get better. I'm happy for you that your momma came out of it. God bless my friend.
You simply don’t understand. You don’t hunt when you’re out of food, you hunt so you don’t run out of food.
Exactly backup.
Waiting to hunt for food when you're out of food is a sure way to starve to death, or die from making mistakes while hunting because of lack of nutrition.
@@jjones503So, running out of food is a good way to starve. Good to know.
Well not only that, fresh meat is nice, and it's not like he has anything better to do
Exactly!!
He exposed himself to sunlight because he had feelings for the zombie that was being captured by Neville, so it was groundbreaking for him because the monster did show signs of human emotions like caring for one another, not cos they were low on food
And I get the exact same feeling absolute nostalgia from this, used to have me absolutely on the edge of my seat
exactly i thought man that's some powerful statement that night seeker is making.
That's what he SHOULD have realized, but it isn't what he thought at the time. I just watched it and thought Neville was really dumb with his analysis.
He says, _"*an infected male exposed himself to sunlight today. Now, it's possible decreased brain function or growing scarcity of food is causing them to ignore their basic survival instincts. Social de-evolution appears complete."_
The alternate ending makes him realize they aren't just brainless, emotionless infected. I think you might have been referring to that in your comment. I just thought it was so goofy for such a brilliant scientist to completely miss the mark SO bad; clearly they weren't socially devolved.
*Edit for formatting
*vampire
They're not zombies lol
Had a back surgery, I went downstairs to this small theater room we’re had. I took pain medication, put in this dvd , turned down the lights all the way….. and I was hooked. The mixture of the ambiance, pain killers, darkness, and the movie was a once in a lifetime viewing experience. That opening scene in surround sound was something else…something I haven’t expected since.
Whenever a dog dies in a movie, I don’t ever really watch that movie again. Or have a difficult time rewatching it. I’m too sensitive to dogs dying, and it rips my heart apart every time.
Watching Marley and Me for the first and only time years ago…. Oh man I was an absolute wreck.
I think it’s beautiful you found some peace in this movie after losing your pup. Whatever helps you cope and heal 💚
You have such a beautiful heart.
If you can, check out Jimmy Stewart's poem, A Dog Named Beau.
I can't link, cuz "CZcams"
If you lost your dog, his poem is very cathartic.
Stay safe friend, I'm no one.
A friend of mine startet watching game of thrones ans Stopped cause of how oftwn horaea ans dogs/wolfs got killed . . . . Like red wedding whatever, NOT THE WOLF!!!
Vincent Price's version is WAY better and actually justifies the tittle of "I am Legend"
The infected just kept their almost normal lives during the night and the main character became like a legend they told among themselves and many didn't even believe he existed.
In the end, the main character realizes he has been the villain in THEIR story.
This makes way more sense than them constantly killing people and then suddenly in the end it's "Oh we're just a little different, we do no harm frl frl"
I forgot about Vincent Price's version. I grew up on Charlton Heston version in the 70s
It's the King and the poisoned well fable.
I agree Vincent Price's Version is better.
Price starred in some fantastic roles during his career.
An all time great actor.
A Legend!
Price's version is probably closest to the short story, that is, "I am Legend," but I kind of secretly enjoy the camp of Heston's "Omega Man."
@@michaellatta7699 The Omega man! Loved it😊
In the theatrical version, I thought Nevill had already gone entirely insane before Sam was killed. I thought that he set the whole Fred/trap thing himself and walked into it because he was completely out of his mind.
Oh yea that makes sense. He tried to catch one of these darkseekers before and probably pit Fred as a bait for the darkseekers. Man I remember watching this scene it had so uncanny vibe to it.
i also thought the same thing when i was watching the movie for the first time, that he was just splitting, and thought again that he got into his early set trap that he forgets about.
SAAAAMMMEEEE as a kid I always thought it was a trap he set for the monsters he forgot about since he was going crazy n sheit
EXACTLY!
And especially the "conversation" with Fred underlined just how far gone he really was at that point.
same
WAIT THERES TWO ENDINGS???
Yes you been living under a rock ?
@@pnuttyinthacuttyCommon knowledge to you=/= common knowledge to everyone.
I had no idea either.... I always thought he blew himself up??? Huh, how about that.
Yea, I was like "THERE'S A BETTER ENDING!?"
Yup, there’s also the book ending as well
The comic-book style shorts that were on my dvd really creeped me out as a kid. They follow other people during the beginning of the outbreak, including some people who become infected and it's wild to see how they begin to think differently and they talk about just how HUNGRY they are, hungry enough to attack their uninfected families
I remember those. The one that real made me sad was the one of the girl in Japan or Korea who finds herself all alone. Real depressing haha
The scene he had to kill Sam in 100% made me cry as an 11 year old. My dad and I went to see it in theaters and we were so excited for it. I remember loving the movie to that point, and even my war hardened, never cries only shows anger when sad dad even got upset by that scene. We both finished watching the movie but we were visibly upset when we both got home. My sister and grandma were waiting for us and we both just went to bed.
i’ve been crying since (23 years old) 😂
We're only men sir, not machines, only men
Bro same exactly I saw it in the theaters too
I couldn't watch it because of that until I was 13
Y'all sweet as hell
If they’re doing a sequel based on the alternate cut, I hope they open with the alternate ending to establish the context, so people in the theater that remember the “grenade ending” won’t be confused on how Will Smith’s Robert Neville lived through a grenade explosion 😂
Not everyone got the DVD after seeing it in theaters and I believe when it was on streaming it still went with the theatrical ending.
I'm ecstatic either way, but I totally agree; it'd be better if they did a "refresher" of sorts.
Watch Omega man fair better
This isn’t a big hurdle because most were mad at ending anyway and wanted a sequel regardless even if it meant a retcon of ending which is why they released the alternate cut immediately with DVD.
I have only seen the grenade ending so watching this video really blew my mind 😅
they have been working on I am legend sequel for nearly two decades. it always starts and gets canceled for some reason or another. I dont hold any hope.
That " keep my wife's name.." clip 😅was impeccably timed...and now I'm an instant subscriber
Idk man, I don’t buy the whole “the vampires are the next stage of humanity” idea and that they are supposed to be the good guys. Neville himself said they “killed, and fed on EVERYBODY.” They sound like monsters to me. I still love the original theatrical cut, I think Neville sacrificing himself so they could get the cure out is very emotional and heart wrenching.
It was like that at the start cause majority of the initial vampires weren't smart enough for advance cognitive actions, eventually though some vampires started to become more human and less animalistic.
Yes, of course they are monsters, they are vampires. But the point of the book was that after it was all over, and the vampires took over, there was one human left, who would come and kill them in their sleep. Hence the title, "I am legend". Because now that vampires rule the world, they will forever tell the story of that human who hunts them when they are at their weakest. As if to say, it's all cyclical, just as we have legends of vampires, vampires would have their own monster stories.
@@hohenzollern6025 the video is trying to paint humanity as the bad guy which is what I’m saying is objectively false.
@@michaelguernsey1206
He is the bad guy, to the vampires. So no, it's SUBjective.
@@hohenzollern6025the vampires are objectively the bad guys they killed the entirety of humanity and would do it again because they are a predator species of humanity, so yes humanity is the good guy and the vampires can eat shit in hell were they all belong
In the book Robert Neville’s legend was in becoming the thing that goes bump in the night, the monster that would snatch children and kill people in their sleep, a la Count Dracula. It was a way to shift the perspective and understanding of horror stories of the past. The vampires would evolve and create their own society, systems of justice, etc. and eventually set out to hold Neville accountable for the horrors he inflicted upon the innocent vampires just trying to live their lives. I was always disappointed that the movie moved away from this idea.
Not really if the vampires saw an innocent person doing no harm to them then they would definitely kill it and eat him, he was doing everything he could to survive
This is the I am legend I know
Thats bollocks They kill and eat people, THEY started this and now THEY should get their own society? Fuck that, when they decide to stop chomping hands and faces, Then we can have aconversation about civilizations
@pavy415 that's the whole point, the movie is BS. it makes no sense. The story actually had a point.
That's dumb, though.
As far as I'm concerned, they're not innocent if their very existence is part if the reason why my friends are dead.
The infected was killing ppl before ROBERT used a gun on em. I understand the point Robert is the monster but they never showed mercy to the ppl they killed or changed. They're monsters. I don't see the ending as mercy but fair trade. A life for a life.
That’s why I made the comparison to getting abducted by aliens 👽
@@thethriftytypewriter I missed that part. I was mostly listening to it omw to work.
@@thethriftytypewriter But that comparison leaves out the infected killing people so it's not applicable. Maybe if you killed some aliens a few years ago and then later got abducted.
@@thethriftytypewriter Except the darkseekers aren't comparable to people abducted by aliens in my book.
They woke up and immediatly started murdering everyone. I get that it was a food source for them, so in that sense, one could argue that it is justified. But that doesn't make Neville the monster anymore than a buffalo is for killing a lion that is hunting it.
Neville was defending himself against a predatory species, that would have killed him without hesitation, whether he was trying to hurt them or not. The darkseekers aren't evil for hunting for their food, but neither are humans for defending themselves against a predator. I think the "natural order" comparison was apt, since nature is notoriously violent while simultainiously morally neutral.
I saw this film in theaters, and was a huge fan. Watched it multiple times. I never knew the Darkseekers set that trap. It went completely over my head. I just assumed it was his mental break making him forget about setting another trap. Thanks for this breakdown, and I agree the alternate cut is the superior cut.
I love this movie and was today years old when I learned there was an alternate ending, and wow it sounds so much better than the theatrical cut and makes so much more sense, I’ve always wondered why they dropped subtle clues about how the infected were actually intelligent and could think and plan but then just never goes anywhere with it, I need to see this alternate ending now
The butterfly symbolized his daughter that’s why it was emphasized so much with the daughter and the dog in the beginning, and throughout it. The daughter, who died, represented the butterfly that you saw before she died as well.
The butterfly was the symbolism of hope. His daughter was the hope of his current life, then after she died the butterfly tattoo and the hand smear butterfly are symbols of hope for his current life. This is what makes it more difficult for him afterward to use the cure.
The butterfly was a symbol of the evolution we go through when we connect jumper cables to our nips. The writer had been shocked this way many times and he just wanted to show that he is now the butterfly he was meant to be after a lot of jumper cable sessions.
:o i never put that together!
I still love this movie to this day. The themes of isolation, loneliness, grey morality, nature taking over... It's just very interesting and thought provoking to watch. I never knew about the alternate ending (which sounds much better and more in-line with the themes), so thanks for letting me know about that.
Funny story: This movie is also how my sister's dog got his name. I was watching him for a weekend and this movie came on TV. I let him outside to the bathroom before the infamous "Fred!" scene. He wouldn't come back inside, so I started imitating Robert and shouting "Fred! What are you doing, Fred? Get over here right now!" He immediately ran into the house, happy as could be. "Fred" was the only name he listened to after that day.
That’s an incredible story 😂😂😂 it’s hard not to imitate that scene it’s so great
@@thethriftytypewriter - Be carefull as i don't really think you want a slap.
We named a pet after his daughter.
And then everyone clapped
This was a tad bit mean sory but I still find your comment dubious
I was about 7 when this movie came out. My dad came home talking about it and how good it was, so that got me interested. He was out of town a lot, so it felt like a decent way to bond with him. I could watch the movie and then talk about it with him when he came back in town. My mom and I also loved watching movies On Demand together and she always let me pick (she let me watch Wanted a year or two later😳), so I Am Legend was what we rented. I think I watched it maybe a dozen times throughout the following few months. I showed it to friends, watched it alone, and honestly in hindsight my mom should’ve just bought the damn movie, cause they probably spent close to $100 on me renting it. But yeah, I’m surprised to find out it has such a big following all these years later. I’ve seen it several times since as well, so I’d estimate I’ve probably seen it 20 times or so. It brings me nostalgia too. I might need to go watch it again.
I have never ever knew another version existed of this masterpiece. I have always only watched the theatrical, the sad and heartbreaking yet fulfilling one.
I have no idea how i never came across this alternative ending.
You are not alone! iRobot and Iam Legend have been some of my most watched movies throughout my life. Will Smith does a fantastic job in these movies.
They are good movies, but both absolutely butcher the original story, unfortunately.
@@jjones503I've heard a little about the original story of I am legend but not about irobot
@@jjones503the people who haven't read the book don't mind that though. And most haven't
@@ath477I think I robot was a clever mystery novel while the movie turned it into a more generic action flick
@@rishiy6183 oh ok got take care
Will Smith has CONFIRMED that he is going to start production on a sequel soon. He also stated that it will pick up from the ALTERNATE ENDING.
Where proof?
@@SirAlex- search it up he did said this
@@CaptainSalvi k
The only ending I ever saw was the one where he gave her a vial of his blood and blows himself up to save her and the boy. I didn’t know there was a version where he lived.
Which version was he planning to make the sequel with?
@@notatheist the sequel is going to use the alternate ending whee he survives. The DVD & Blu-Ray should have the alternate ending in the special features if you have a copy of it.
I was obsessed with this movie when I was younger. I knew there was an alternate ending to it but never got around to see it. I've got to say, the theatrical version is nothing compared to the alternate ending! Everything made sense, how he got caught in that trap, the butterfly that formed on the glass when the leader of the darkseekers was just mindlessly banging his head against it.
Thanks for this video!
Even as a kid, I found that the Nightseeker with the dogs was always more of a veteran reacting to a tragedy and making it personal, which is why he made a trap and had such an intense look when he actually sees Neville.
I disagree even in the alternate version before the Humans were testing on the darkseekers the darkseekers were still attacking and killing humans when infected.
Yeah. The whole “the darkseekers aren’t monsters” idea goes out the window once you realize they still consume peoples blood/eat them. The motion comic special feature on the BluRay even show how the darkseekers once infected eat their family members. Petty monstrous.
If they were all killed then what made the darkseekers? use you brain
@@stellviahohenheimwhat are you on about. You can get lucky and escape but you see in the movie how they go after nevills blood. Theyre still monsters to humans. Like just because a gazelle sees that the lion has a cute family and little cubs doesnt mean that to the gazelle its any less of a monster wtf.
@@stellviahohenheim Human Corpses made the darkseekers.
Well, in their minds they probably aren’t eating people they’re curing them or something idk lol, they def don’t fully eat anyone since there are other darkseekers, they suck their blood, or if they’re mad at you they’ll fully murder you and tear you apart
In the book, it kinda came off to me like they woke up as new people? Like, they showed the society aspects a bit more of the vampires or implied it at least, it’s been a bit since I read, but they had names, they dressed a lot nicer than darkseekers, had lives n shit, so idk if like, they die and wake up and adopt new lives or if they remember their previous lives and miss them or feel as if it’s just a continuation of the same life, like, idk, the vampire life and society was talked about so bluntly by the end it read as (not literally tho) “this dude Neville is a human, he’s a human and he’s being like, pretty fuckin rude, we gotta bring him before a circuit judge he keeps messing up our block parties”
Old school vampires didn’t just drink human blood btw, they drank animal blood,
so to me it felt like in this story once all humans are gone, even just in the area, if everyone forgets their previous life, a society arises, they eat animals at night and literally never see humans because humans are either all gone besides this rude dude Neville up the block killing vampire junkies after they pass out in the street drunk or they aren’t in the area anymore, stay in small groups and don’t come out at night, they become a legend, Neville is a legend, yada yada
And with the context of the short story you can read the movie the same way, they’re probably eating those same deer, Neville is the outlier, the peeps that save him are one of those not so small groups separated from the city(ies) the darkseekers have taken over , they just made the vampires more silicone zombie lookin wearing tattered clothes and only showing how they act during the day or during scenes of them chasing after people in a horde, we don’t see any of them casually hanging out at night, roaming the street without a care, they may be a lot more normal than we know because all we see through is Neville’s and other humans lenses during times of chaos lol
One of my favourites from when I was younger! Intrigued but sceptical about this ‘sequel’
There's a sequel???
@ravencarino6115 right? I had no idea.
@@ravencarino6115 supposedly yeah, only rumours so far though
also supposedly with michael b jordan, and will smith comes back as well
I'm definitely challenging u to the person who's seen this the most. I used to watch it everyday as well and I think I got u
This has always been one of my favorite movies too. It has just the right amount of gray in the story that feels so real for both him, humanity, and the darkseekers. It also did a really good job making the viewer think about what they were seeing. Was the mannequin alive, was he loosing it? Was there hope? Point in the cure? It presented questions, both real and philosophical. I look forward to continuing this story.
This was a really well narrated video. Subscribed! ❤
I had a German Shepherd the year this came out. We let him out in the backyard one morning. Unbeknownst to us, somebody had cut a wire off of a gate that was holding it shut. He escaped and ran off - on Christmas Eve. My family celebrates on the Eve. We ended up spending the morning driving around looking for him, and putting up signs in the neighborhood. It was one of my worst Christmas's ever. Trying to celebrate with family, but trying and failing to hold off tears the entire time.
We tried to make a go of living the following days. Including deciding to go see a movie. We picked this movie, not knowing about the dog. As soon as she appeared onscreen, I started weeping and couldn't stop throughout the entire film. When he had to put her down, I just started crying even heavier. The guy sitting next to me offered me napkins to dab my tears, not knowing the story behind them.
We did get our dog back after a week. Somebody up the road had taken him in, and took him to a lost and found event at the police station. There happened to have been a police officer driving around the neighborhood when I was putting up signs, and he said he'd keep an eye out for my dog. He was at this event and recognized him, and brought him to me. Very happy ending, but definitely one of the worst weeks in my life. I've had difficulty re-watching this movie ever since, which sucks because I actually really like it. Except, of course for what happens to the dog.
Yo cool story bro 👍
😆
Wow dude... So sorry 😐
Have you ever seen the bonus extras that were on the dvd? There's some cool stories from other people during the outbreak like a family in India that gives perspective from an infected as they lose the recognition of humanity towards their family. You gotta make a video covering that stuff. Its so cool.
The anime shorts were sick!
The one with the daughter and her family and her bf messed me up. Kinda sad.
i'm late to this video, but i'm up there with you on most rewatches of this movie, i heckin love i am legend so much, i think it's just the atmosphere for me. beautiful post apocalypse
100% man I love your insight on this movie. I didn’t expect you to have this much insight because my friends are huge movie buffs with great imagination. But I love what you said here on a few different areas. Liked and subbed 100%
The scene just gets me every time. For the entire movie the only friend Nevil had left that was with him from the beginning, killed by him. Rip Fred. Oh yeah, there's the dog too.
This movie scared the HELL out of me for 3 straight years until we got past the point where the virus breaks out in the movies timeline. I was so convinced it was going to happen. I was like 9 when this movie came out lol
Well you are nine who the heck let you watch such a movie at 9:00
@@Angelface11 my mom didnt care what i watched lmao. She totally should have
@@Angelface11I was 7 when I seen this movie (to be fair, my mom was with my shitty ex stepdad and he let me see it) but also my real dad has let me watch stuff too
From my understanding in the book the survivors that Robert meets turn out to actually not be human; which pushes the idea that HE is the monster even further.
I can absolutely relate to the true love Nevall feels for the beautiful Sam(Abby). I also grew up with a Sheppard named Mudd. We've been involved in dog/cat rescue for nearly a decade now and have been foster failures quite often. Once our neighborhood cat started having kittens we stepped in to help. We've gotten 11 adopted out and kept 2 who are family now. I grew up watching this movie and have always loved it. I've also been in school protection for the past 6yrs after working in counter terror with our local power plant & before that I worked in armored transport for a couple years after leaving the Guard. I think building up a descent skill set is important & covid taught me to stockpile ammo even moreso than i had been before. Very cool video man. New sub.
I always thought the night seeker and the girl one was a dad and daughter and the butterfly relates to familial bonds and daughters. He saw Sam as a sort of replacement for the love he lost when his daughter died and that’s why there was a butterfly near Sam too
I had no idea, there were 2 endings! The alternate one is so much better. Makes the movie even greater
I was in love with this movie and have watched it countless times. That is because it is my dream life lol. To me the whole scenario is perfect
This video hit close home!!!
I Am Legend is a classic for me. The soundtrack, action sequence and the way the story unfolds is top notch. Also, the visual comics are great too!
Also, you mention the idea of the Nightseekers attacking humans because they feel lost. The visual comic based on the indian lovers.
I only watched the theatrical cut and i always thought the nightseekers were intelligent and had fellings, an hierarchy and relationships. Look at what the leader of them does just to get his girlfriend back. And neville having to kill them also would make sense, since they were so angry at him for taking them. It works in both cuts 🤷🏽♂️
This movie also effected me when i was younger, it was one of the first movies that had a moment that emotionally destroyed me, and that was the scene with sam. To this day that is still one of the most heartbreaking scenes ever to me. It was one of the first times a movie genuinely made me feel for a character. I cant remember how old i was, but i remember that night i slept on the couch with my dog and wouldnt let go.
It emotionally destroyed you? That's a bit much but ok. It's rated pg 13. I suppose you should have waited till you were an adult just to be safe lol.
@@outofpowder hey, why don't you shut up if you don't have anything nice to say? Did you even read the comment?
@BuddyRIP oh man I'm super sorry. My bad for hurting your feelings. I'll get r8ght on keeping my mouth closed for you, just as soon as I'm not allowed to publicly reply to a public comment.
I completely relate to this even now after all these years I haven’t rewatched this movie in a long time because of that scene.
a buttterfly often represents transformation or change so it could be just a sign that robert has changed. That makes sense cause at the start he thought diffrently of these "zombies", and experimented on them, than at the end, and the butterfly thing could also represent the change of his perspectives and his process of thinking about them. sry for bad english :((
Not only did I absolutely love this movie as a kid, now knowing that he drives my favorite year Shelby makes it even better
They should have added a perspective shot during the final basement scene through the glass. It is implied, but maybe not super clear that the dark seekers see Nevil as a monster, we only really see that through nevils eyes they're monsters. Perhaps a view through the eyes of the head dark seeker where you see a man with your love interests restrained doing medical test (basically lethal injection) to his wife with a scoreboard of his fellow dark seekers (maybe his friends) from the past behind Nevil. Idk I know that's very on the nose, but when I saw the movie back then I saw them as monsters, still to this day I see them that way, however we were only IMO a scene or two from having enough info to believe they were more cognitive than just mindless monsters
The Sam death scene makes me cry everytime. Amazing movie, I agree. Must've seen it 20< times too lol
Every single time, yeah, I own two german shepherds. Neither are trained as well but i’d lose a piece of my heart if anything happened to them.
we had the same childhood. I would watch this movie almost every day when I was in like sixth grade, it was an integral part of my childhood.
This is the kind of recap I seem to not sleep halfway into!
So my friends and I called them Cancer Vamps when we first saw this movie because the beginning stated it was a supposed cure for cancer, also they had characteristics of vampires from hiding from the sun and craving blood and we had no idea what they were called. Also I remember back when my friends and I first saw this movie in theaters, we all only saw one trailer and thankfully it didn’t show the creatures so that part when he goes into the dark building to save his dog and it showed them huddled up, we all looked at each other thinking “what the hell are they ?”
Zombies
I think the reason we don't have a line in the alternate cut saying, "I chose to leave the cure behind," is because the movie isn't trying to pick who is a 'good guy' and who is really the 'bad guy.' Especially with its themes of nature taking over, Mother Nature is a brutal overseer of the natural realm where you kill or be killed. Robert Neville isn't the villain for killing Darkseekers; they are responsible for the complete destruction of human society--and that's worse if they've been intelligent this whole time.
No, what I like about the alternate cut is that it does bring the themes of the movie closer to those of the book (as well as bringing the theme of the movie together cohesively). In the book, Neville doesn't come to the realization that 'Maybe I'm the baddie.' Instead he sees that the vampire society is developing and filling in the cracks of society left by the humans, and that he has become the boogeyman to them. He is not the villain in that story, but he realizes that it is doing more harm than good, for him to continue his systematic eradication of the vampires. If I remember correctly, book Neville wasn't even a scientist working on a cure--he was just surviving. The climax has him letting go of his survival so the new budding civilization of intelligent vampires can move past him.
The movie sequel probably should explore the cure and the ethics of using it on the Darkseekers, especially now as they are known to be intelligent (to some degree, definitely not shown to yet be akin to the vampires in the book). And I think there should definitely be survival/thriller of the two civilizations engaging in violent conflict against each other. Neither side is villain, neither is the hero per se, because Mother Nature is a concept of Darwinian 'kill or be killed.'
In the books, Robert isn’t the good guy, to a point. He’s so consumed by saving the world that he doesn’t realize that the world has just changed. It’s not exactly like this, the vampires are just a new form of society and are actually very intelligent. And as the book continues, we realize that Robert has become the dangerous thing lurking around while people sleep. The entire table turns as he becomes the legend among the vampires. He’s the thing that will end you in your sleep now. He’s the danger to society now, because everything and everyone has changed. But him.
Not only did I not know that this film was based on a book but I also didn't know that there was a alternative version, now I want to watch it.
Why wait until your supplies are gone?! No matter how much food you have in your pantry, it will go empty without a store to refill it. You hunt to stretch out supplies and add variety to your diet.
Yeah that was one of the dumbest things I have ever heard and then this guy says it twice as if he found a flaw in the movie or something.
Richard Matheson killed it when he wrote Iam legend. As well as all the other stories in that book.
"Not for myself i make this prayer but for this race of mine, that stretches forth from shadowed places, dark hands for bread and wine"
I saw a different version of the movie with a bad ending. He grenade exploded himself at the end leaving the woman and the child in a safe witj no way of escape from inside. A truly wonderful movie and a trulysad ending
The metamorphoses from caterpillar to butterfly analogy is a perfect way to sum up this entire film. It's a beautiful way of looking at it and I never made that connection before.
I had no idea there was even a alternative ending and I loved the film when I was younger but It always did feel in complete so now seeing they other ending and your explanation of it all it makes so much more sense!!
Robert has become the new vampire, the new monster, the new bedtime story, the new legend
I was (am) a big horror fan, but when this came out I was still young. My mum took my older sister to see it, and sat me and my lil sis in the theatre next door watching Alvin and the chipmunks. 20 minutes later they joined us, both super upset, because it was too scary. Lol. Still pissed I missed seeing it at cinemas, it's a fun movie
Have you read the book? It's very different - I can't say that Neville was likeable - but very good. Much less action-oriented and goes hard on the thought-provoking aspects. It's short and can be easily read in a day. I think I took it down in one night when I was on a post-apocalyptic literature kick. Enjoyed your analysis of the film and the alternate endings.
The book & original movie was great! Love charlton Heston
Ima need some recommendations for post-apocalyptic books to read my fellow human
@@prelien4690Swan Song, Between Two Fires, The Girl with all the Gifts are all really good.
I loved this movie! It's a Original idea that splits away from the typical zombie or vampire franchises. Wished we gotten a sequel or more lore. It's an apocalyptic gem.
It was originally made in 1971 as The Omega Man.
This
Having only seen the theatrical cut this breakdown actually helps a lot, I had only ever heard of it now I understand why people were so upset....
Proposition: I feel as if we experience these levels like an automatic gearshift rather than static states of progressing ascension.
For instance, I tell my lady constantly that im aware of the depths of my ignorance and peak of my intelligence. Not to say they cant expand (they do) but rather I know that some days I will be at higher levels of awareness than others.
That said, I really appreciate how you explained it, and I love your visual aids.
I have watched so many movies all my life, and I enjoy learning about its background and history, whether it’s true or fiction. I never knew there was an alternate version of I AM LEGEND?!?! What?! 👁️👄👁️
That “ Keep My Wife’s Name “ part had me dying 😂😂😂
He snuck it in real nice and smooth 😂
@@blion2225 I swear 🤣
One of my favourite movies and wished that Will would have taken more similar roles in the classic. I Am Legend
I genuinely believe the I Am Legend book/movie is some of the greatest storytelling and twists of all time. From a human standpoint with the original ending, it makes Robert out to be the hero who gave his life to cure millions. The mutant standpoint paired with the alternate ending shows us that Robert is the accidental villian, who kidnaps and tortures the mutants in order to "cure" them.
I genuinely have this in my Top 5 movies of all time
I see Will as his characters from: Fresh Prince, MiB, Bad Boys, Wild Wild West, Hancock, and this movie. I'm being 100% serious when I say that this movie is also one of the most nostalgic movies of all time for me (I'm not gonna argue which of us appreciates it more, I just know that I absolutely consider this one of my favorite movies ever and one of maybe 3 potential sequels I can think of that I would actually go to a movie theater for nowadays.)
I saw this in theaters the week it released, I believe I was in 6th or 7th grade when that happened. I still have a DvD copy and a separate Blu-ray copy that I purchased later 😂 truly can't articulate how much I love this movie
The Last Man on Earth starring Vincent Price was the 1964 original film version. The Omega Man starring Charlton Heston was another 1971 film version.
I wish i could forget this movie and keep watching it again
we're basically the same age and essentially had the same experience with this film. this was such a pivotal film for my youth. this is peak Will Smith.
I actually love the theatrical version. DOn't get me wrong it's sad AF but Robert giving him to save the world is absolutely incredible and so powerful!
It really, really isn’t. It was a really bad film and completely missed the point, which is all the more disappointing because the book is so, so good.
@@theincrediblefishsandwich2162 you're wrong
@@dinocollins720 sure, if you like cliched and predictable endings it was great I guess.
@@theincrediblefishsandwich2162 literally had two endings lol
@@dinocollins720 and you and I are talking about the theatrical release. Which had one cliched and predictable ending that you described as, “…absolutely incredible and so powerful!”
Shock to see no mention of the "Omega man" movie with Vincent Price, that was also based on this book, however in this version they are cannibal mutants. But the point stands as similarly Neville realizes that he has become the monster the mutants fear, leaving the world to their new inhabitants.
The Omega Man (1971)starred Charlton Heston. The Last Man On Earth (1964) Starred Vincent Price. Think you got a bit mixed up😊
Thank you! Was thinking this the entire time
When I first saw this movie, I immediately thought that it was a remake of The Omega Man.
This guy spends the entire video going through the plot of the story and then in the end goes "I think the butterfly means that everyone should be loved" and you are SHOCKED he didnt do the basic little research analytic youtubers usually do?
Didn’t even know about the alternate ending so thanks very much
this movie is also very special to me (and the book while vastly different is very cool as well) so thank you for this video :)
Totally relate with what you said about being nostalgic about this film, it’s one of my favourites for sure. My mum also bought me it (when I was probably too young) it terrified me but I became obsessed with it
I feel you in the nostalgia realm man this movie was a big part of my childhood as well lol
Watched this back in the 7th grade . Made me cry real bad multiple times
I remember watching this on direct TV an literally in the description they're called zombie vampires so you definitely hit that nail on the head
I always thought that both endings were slightly on impact, and they actually feel better to me if you cut them both right before. For the original ending: cut on the white out from the grenade explosion. This way you get a heroic sacrifice and ambiguous hope that the future could be saved. For the alternate ending: cut on the fade to black when Will Smith looks at the wall and realizes all the torture and killing he's done to the darkseekers. It mostly comes down to if you want a hopeful ending or a thematically appropriate sad one.
I was hoping for them to delve deeper into the woman he was curing. I thought it would be interesting if she became a intermediary between the monsters and humans and she became conflicted with her new life vs her old life vs her old old life (before she was infected) They haven't been infected for long so their old life would still be fresh in their minds. Then through that they find a way to live together. That would really show that the monsters had higher cognitive function.
The alternate version was always my favourite too.
Great video mate. Very interesting.
Charlton Heston was my Omega Man growing up in the 70s. Which was also based off the book I Am Lengend. Dated but still worth a watch.🤗
I agree with you man, love this movie, loved smiths portrayal, i just LOVE THIS MOVIE. That scene with the dog always gets me. "Everythings gonna be alright" *snap*
I love your channel and it's awesome to see this movie discussed! I watched it tons of times when I was about 14 when it came out. Thanks for covering it😁
Watched the movie as a kid, read the short story a few years later, found all of it really interesting, I liked the movie before I read the story but I really appreciated the short story as I read it recently after watching fright night, so like, the vibe hit, Sam was awesome and the dynamic with Will was great, and the death hit harder than in the book, but even in the book the dog was used really well in the story to show his mental timeline? Idk, great video, great book, great movie (liked the alt ending better)
From seeing this in theaters to 2024 and I’m just now finding out Robert survived.. what a good day
I too have nostalgia for this movie, I remember my dad saying to my mom "Its a real clean zombie movie"
So glad someone covered this movie this way. I loved this movie as a kid and still enjoy it to this day. The song by James Howard will always be memorable for me. The theatrical cut should've been kept but both endings were good
I think the butterfly has more to do with choice and consequences. He started the torture in that lab and ended up being tortured more than anyone in the film. The butterfly effect taking place, the theatrical version goes the most violent and spectacular route but the alternate ending makes more sense for a sequel.
How can the night seekers be innocent "good guys" when they were slaughtering people in the beginning of the movie? They wear rags and don't build their own shelters and never speak. So how can they be an advanced human being? I dunno man, I can't see where you're coming from on all this.
Yeah the book did a better job at depicting the night seekers as actual civilized group, they're more like a group of wolves in the movie
@@steel749they’re like wolves but they have dogs too ☠️ so they can’t be that much like wolves they’re smarter
They’d have to relearn self control having a new primary motive in life. It would take awhile to redevelop that skill set.
That’s my guess 🤷
It could also be the general nature of the ever changing human personality.
This film is very underrated, and is much better than older films like The Omega Man, which is based on the same book.
I really loved I am legend it feels underrated like the music, the story, the actors, acting, and the location like I just love all of it.
I didn't even know there was a different version and I've seen this movie hundreds of times and never knew Robert survives
This is amazing I really enjoyed this video. I’m ashamed to say that I’ve never watched the alternate cut. I will have to get the dvd I suppose. A sequel definitely makes sense now. Thank you
He wasn't the last man on Earth. He remained in the quarantined part of NY to find patient zero to find an antidote.
Did you read the book?
@@tylerlogan4747 No. But the video is about the movie. not the book.