Sci-Fi Classic Review: THE OMEGA MAN (1971)
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- čas přidán 10. 10. 2020
- The Omega Man is one of several Charlton Heston sci-fi flicks from the late sixties and early seventies. It also remains arguably the best version of Richard Matheson's I Am Legend on the big screen, though it's not a particularly faithful adaptation.
If you're looking for a "review" in the traditional sense, then let me just say I like this movie. This video, however, is a "review" in the literal sense (using the Miriam-Webster definition "a retrospective view or survey"), in that I'm going over the history of the film and its place in sci-fi cinema history.
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I've always loved the early 70s mod aesthetic of this film. Also, I thought Zerba was great as Mathias.
Great review. For me, there is NOTHING more frightening than to hear the 'enemy ' your enemy calling your name from the shadows taunting you. Just my opinion. Not voiceless mummies like in I AM LEGEND just screaming and hollering.
I couldn't disagree with you more about Anthony Zerbe . He is GOLD in this movie
I agree, he takes over pretty much every scene he is in.
I 110% agree with you! I was heading to the comments to write almost the same thing when I saw your post! =
Yeah. Anthony Zerbe really kills it in this. When I watch this as a kid, it scared the holy shit out of me
@@hab9609 Yepp Agree 100%
Zerbe was calmly terrifying, not to mention the soundtrack being brilliantly chilling in parts.
The Rob Granier soundtrack is still instantly unrecognizable almost 50 years later. You only sampled transitional incidental music and not the main themes. The use of a water chime makes the music funky and epic.
Agree ...the main theme is haunting and beautiful
My favorite film version is "The Omega man", probably because I was in the age group for the target audience at the time. But nothing beats the novel. I certainly wish that someone would produce a film directly from Mr. Matheson's story. There's actually a fantastic graphic novel (giant comic book for grownups lol) version of the 'straight tale' which could serve as a _perfect_ screenplay and set of story-boards for such a film. Btw, Stephen King stated once in an interview that Richard Matheson was one of the very few horror writers whose work ever put the 'willies' down his spine.
Attempted friendship with Matheson's children on Facebook to no avail. Inquired RCM if he'd honor his father wishes for his I Am Legend version to be made. But no avail.
I guess I have to read Matheson's novel now
@@laurentfournier561 It's a great read, hope you enjoy it! And seriously, get a copy of the graphic novel if you prefer visuals with your reading, it doesn't stray from Matheson's story one iota. Could actually be fun to read them simultaneously I'd bet.
@@DonWilkey2013 That's a shame. It would certainly make a great film in it's original form.
Come on bro, Anthony Zerbe deserved an Oscar for his performance. He was the Tywin Lannister of the Family. His voice and sometimes calm demeanor but still extremely radical and dedicated to his cult was scary and really commands your attention when he’s talking.
Just watched this film last night. I found it really enjoyable and the parallels of the films subject really seems to pair well the topics facing people in a pandemic society.
I tend to favor "The Omega Man". "The Last Man on Earth" does have its charm. They both make good time capsule movies.
Great review. Heston made a lot of cool movies in the 1970s like Soylent Green and Two-Minute Warning.
Don’t forget Number One. He played a quarterback for Saints
Disagree with your assessment of Anthony Zerbe's performance. He's playing a FANATIC!
A fanatic is, by his very nature, over the top.
Clearly, I'm in the minority. Perhaps I have judged his performance too harshly.
You make a good point. There's also the question of how much the disease may have pushed him over the top.
I remember seeing parts of this movie as a little kid and being so damn confused. Thanks for confirming that I wasn't just having some kind of fever dream!
I know this video is old, but it just popped up on YT, and I had to say thanks for inserting a clip of the music. Brings back a lot of memories for me.
The theme tune by Ron Grainer was very 1970's! Well that's hardly surprising considering this movie was made in the early 70's. His instantly recognizable music was one of many highlights of this excellent film. And Zerbe gave a very good performance here. Sure it wasn't one of his best but it worked very well for the film with a calm not over the top menace perfectly suited to this movie. I give this one an 8 out of 10 stars
You are incorrect . Anthony Zerbe was perfect in Omega Man. Outstanding!
The first Blu-Ray I possessed came with the PlayStation 3. The first Blu-Ray I ever purchased was this.
Developing a deep appreciation of 1970s and 1980s film and music, I recently discovered The Omega Man (1971). Sits among my faves like The Warriors, Dirty Harry, Sparkle, Soylent Green, and Kelly's Heroes.
The music for this is fantastic.
THANK YOU! ! I too feel the same about the music. Very underrated.
@@nasalpolecat091 I am prone to earworms and ever since I was a child I had some random song I didn't know where it came from randomly getting stuck in my head. It was the theme song to The Omega Man. Now I actually own the album.
THE PERFECT FILM TO WATCH DURING LOCKDOWN ! ! ! 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
I've lost track of how many times I've seen this film (including in the theaters when it first came out and I was 16). It's one of my go-to movies when I want to see one man battling the odds. And the main theme by Ron Granier has one of the saddest, haunting melody lines I've ever hear in a film czcams.com/video/oM1gTXbFZds/video.html
It would be cool if Severin or Vinegar Syndrome could do a restoration on The Omega Man and do a release w/ the cut footage you mentioned.
I did unfortunately see the Will Smith version. I'll definitely seek out Vincent Price's version; can't go wrong w/ Vincent and black & white.
So my history with omega man is watching it once or twice on TV in mid to late 1970s with my teenaged older brother. Is it possible it was uncensored? It definitely left a mark on me and my love for genre films especially any from decades when practical effects were mostly used.
I Loved this movie. It creeped the hell outta me especially the skeletons in the bed. A movie considered "dated" - but not by me - with all the shortcomings you mentioned only gives a movie like this more charm.
I've seen all three. Enjoyed Omega Man the most, several times over. Particularly, how the Family is the least Zombie-like of all Zombie flicks.
"Omega" is the last letter of the Greek alphabet, so the title literally means "The Last Man" (just like the 60's version). In the Book of Revelation Jesus says "I am the Alpha and the Omega", so it could also be a religious reference (the movie has an apocalyptic setting after all).
I haven't seen the WIll Smith version, but of the other two I prefer the Price version. It suffers a lot from the low budget, but I think it's better at capturing the horror of his isolation and his mental breakdown. His calendar alone is terrifying, and the bit where he weeps over a dead dog is painful to watch.
I think Heston comes off as too much of a tough action hero, instead of a normal man in a terrible situation.
I really liked I AM LEGEND, until the end, with it's deus ex machina ending of civilization being saved by a gated community. (My take on the ending, YMMV.) That having been said, I have a particular affection for OMEGA MAN, coming when it did during Charlton Heston's Bellowing Hero phase.
Great video, well done
I only recently learned that an early Script Concept for 'Beneath the Planet Of the Apes' has Taylor operating as a one-man fighting force. He fights a Gruella War against the Apes (pun intended!) Until he can rally the humans to join the fight, like Rod Taylor in 'The Time Machine'! Wonder if that idea aided in the creation of 'Omega Man'?
One More observation... in 'Night Of the Living Dead' Newsmen are heroes, while here they are made the villain!
An awesome flick.
Hi there, I've never seen the first adaptation. I've soft point on Heston's one although I wouldn't christianed Neville. In I'm legend, as an early Bob Marley fan, I really enjoyed the sequence about Bob and of course the soundtrack. But all of these movies are too apologetic of the American way of life for me. I would cite them as counter examples of what I'm dreaming of
Nevertheless, as a disciple of Girard's mimetic theory, I must admit that the zombies are very convincing of what is happening to our western societies in general. What ever your "tribe" every one is polarised to extremes, pointing to the "other" as a zombie that could be discarded.
I suggest reading "Violence and the sacred" and his last opus about Clausewitz. Invaluable good reads.
Another favorite of my mine. Cult classic to say the least. Very 70s. Enjoyable fun. It’s a horror sci-fi action with blaxploitation elements movie.
I stopped watching cause I wanted to see it before it got spoiled for me, but I promise to come back and finish watching it later. Nice job on this vid, it’s evident you put a lot of work into it
Love Heston especially Planet of the apes and Omega man. Anthony Zerbe in the Kiss movie Kiss meets the phantom of the park. So he holds special place in my heart.
Didn't realize Fritz Lang was pegged to direct Last Man On Earth. Interesting to about the babies and credits. As for the soundtrack, yeah it's 70's alright. But I have to say, the childlike minimal music box score as Neville battles his way towards home near the end I thought was really well done. This air of pity for both parties that seemed potentially doomed in their hatred at the moment. Interesting tid bits! :)
My favourite version is the novel itself. Thanks for your review and summary of the film history of Matheson' s book.The Vincent Price take was better than I expected and I've never seen 'The Omega Man' all the way through. Boris Segal had completed 'Masada' and was about to helm 'World War III' when he died. He turned the wrong way getting out of the helicopter.
One more Fun Fact of Boris Segal... He is the Father of perennial TV Icon, Katey Segal.
@@thrashpondopons2776 And he directed the Columbo episode which she co-starred in.
@@LarryFleetwood8675 Cool Fun-Fact!✌
The Will Smith version was doing pretty well (not as an adaptation) in the entertainment scenario, but just messed up the ending so bad!
Great sci fi film.
Despite a sad ending.
Even though all the mutants are doomed...this one of the few films wherein the 'bad guy gets away'. Kills our hero and just goes to bed!
I've seen all three movies and I've read the novel. Strange that no one can get that gripping book on the screen properly. Key scenes in Matheson's book are not even included in the films. I won't divulge which sequences because some viewers here haven't read "I Am Legend", and I don't want to spoil things.
Not a big fan of Chuck Heston in this era because he's always the same character with the same mannerisms/personality. I thought actors were supposed to become a _different_ character in every role, LOL.
@Chris Morris You are spot on with that observation. But I suspect an actor, after a handful of the same persona, would have wanted to be someone else. The fortunate few get to try that.
The omega man was the best of the Matheson adapted films. The only one which has watch ability.
And Zerba was great as Mathias in this .!
Of course you know the novel I Am Legend was concerned with vampires,not zombies.Sorry to point out the obvious.
So which anthony zerbe movie was better- The Omega Man or KISS Meets the Phantom?
🤣🤣 That's a Sophie's choice, man!
This is the best.
Watching this movie is a 10-year-old boy was horrifying and very impactful. I remember watching this movie at 5 PM and when I got out of the theater the sun was going down and me and my Besty rode our bikes home as fast as we could before it went down completely. That movie frightened me for years And it was a bit depressing as well
Good job. I actually caught these versions in the order of release. The Last Man I happened to catch on a late night Creature Feature as a kid, Omega Man years later upon it's American TV debut, and the Will Smith thing one night when nothing else was on and I couldn't find the TV remote to change the channel. Like you I did not think any of them were as good as the source material, but unlike you, I preferred the Last Man chiefly because outside of The Greatest Show on Earth (which I really watched for Betty Hutton), Ben Hur (which I really watched for all the other performers) and Ten Commandment (which I really watched for the delicious Anne Baxter performance and that of Yul Brenner) I don't really care for Charlton Heston as an actor. He is too over the top. Yes, he was in Planet of the Apes, and I did watch that but I watched it for the Oscar-winning make up, and for Zira. Actually, for my money the best of those Ape films was the 3rd one 'Escape from the Planet of the Apes' chiefly due--not to Zira this time--but to the performance of Super Bad Guy, Eric Braeden (who's iconic line--for me-- 'I want that baby, Zira' Right after he discovers her on the ship is one of the best delivered lines in the entire Ape's franchise.) Anyway, another good job, and incase you haven't noticed I am binging your channel. The Will Smith thing was a more self-indulgent mess than After Earth. Ugh.
I always appreciate a channel binger, even one who doesn’t care for Charlton Heston. 😂 Thank you!
Chuck was like watching Mt Rushmore move. Not acting but posing. Watching him in his self directed JULUIS CEASER is great fun, if you dig the whole "so bad it's good" milleau This one special. The idea of being the only person alive and getting everything for free was quite appealing I CHUCKle at Neville in his formal wear hoisting the long assault rifle with a scope and the cool hi tech Red light night vision to whack the "family" Shades of Chuck's stewardship of the NRA the "cold dead fingers" quote. Shame to end his public career like that but it's what he wanted so got to separate the work from the Man.
It must be noted that, while Hammer may not have produced the adaptation of I AM LEGEND entitled NIGHT CREATURES, they must have liked the potential title, as they would assign it to a movie about the Reverend Dr. Syn, alias The Scarecrow. (Which Disney would film for their television program as THE SCARECROW OF ROMNEY MARSH, and later release to movie screens as DR SYN ALIAS THE SCARECROW. )
Besides the DOCTOR WHO theme music, Ron Grainer also created the music for Patrick MacGoohan's cult British spy program, THE PRISONER. The OMEGA MAN music sounds very similar to THE PRISONER; in my more amused moments I can see Mathias as The New Number Two. And I would love to have heard Charlton Heston bellow, "I am not a number; I am a FREE MAN!!" (It's a You Had To Be There thing. )
The black chick is all gangster in the beginning then turns into a sweetheart and at the end a monster!
The World, the Flesh, and the Devil deserved more context than just “...failed at the box office...” In some ways, for 1959, that film was even more ambitious than this one - and worth a watch- if not its own review.
Don’t worry. It’s on my list, and I fully intend to give it its due in a future video.
You say the bad guys in _The Ωmega Man_ [1971] aren't so great, but do really think the crappy CGI bad guys in _I Am Legend_ [2007] are better? ??? On the other hand, Will Smith's performance in the lead role of the 2007 film truly makes the film worth watching, at least once anyway. I think if Smith, or anyone else as good or better (though I can't think of who else that might've been), weren't cast in the lead role of that movie, it might've then been otherwise about a total loss.
My ratings:
_I Am Legend_ [2007], 7 of 10 stars (almost completely because of Smith himself, or else the rating would be much lower)
_The Ωmega Man_ [1971], 8 of 10 stars
The Omega Man is the best adaptation.
You neglected to say that Ron Grainer was chosen to score the movie due to his incredibly popular music for TV's The Prisoner, which was why Charlton Heston selected him. Your review is okay, if not a litle snooty, and fails to mention that this movie acted as the early prototype for the action sci-fi movies that came along in the Eighties.
I prefer this version. Sadly i remember watching it the same evening as it was announced Charlton Heston's passing.
At least that was a good way to honor him!
@@TheUnapologeticGeek Absolutely! 👏👏👏
_"Screwing Moses"_
😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
liked it so much i hit the like twice, boom boom. like that.
1. The soundtrack is one of the best and most original ever done.
2. Re: The Christ stuff....not only what you mentioned, but "His blood is the salvation of mankind"
3. Zerbe is supposed to be hammy. He's a newscaster. A cult leader.
The only real film version of I Am Legend is the Vincent Price's movie.
This film has lots of interesting social issues adressed in it but also alot of great references to christianity
psychonauts? 2:31
My go-to reference whenever the subject of "censors" comes up.
@@TheUnapologeticGeek oh heh, right, of course... uhh I get it. ;)
@@TheUnapologeticGeek that's my favorite episode of UFO !
this is a great flik!! i saw it on TV when i was a kid, scared the hell outta me!!
That script sounds so boring. This is why I have trouble watching pre 80's films. The acting was sub par, over exaggerated, and the proper explanations were lacking. I did enjoy the "7 Year Itch" Starring Marilyn Monroe and "The 10 commandments" starring Charleton Heston
Not sci-fi! America and England is doing better but other countries are very bad getting more like this movie, except the goons in the Halloween costumes
The most woke review ever
. .