The Omega Man
1971
In the aftermath of a bacteriological war, the future of mankind hangs in the balance. Only a chosen few have survived the mutating effects of germ warfare unharmed. A small enclave of healthy, stalwart resistors has formed a camp where, for the moment, they live peacefully. The other human survivors are terribly disfigured .. Read more
| Starring | Charlton Heston, Anthony Zerbe, Rosalind Cash |
|---|---|
| Director | Boris Sagal |
| Genres | Sci-Fi/Fantasy |
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The Omega Man
In the aftermath of a bacteriological war, the future of mankind hangs in the balance. Only a chosen few have survived the mutating effects of germ warfare unharmed. A small enclave of healthy, stalwart resistors has formed a camp where, for the moment, they live peacefully. The other human survivors are terribly disfigured mutants referred to as the "Family" who walk the earth at night in search of prey. Charlton Heston plays the last man alive in this chilling classic, gathering supplies by day from a deserted Los Angeles whose streets are strewn with the post-apocalyptic flotsam of the super-funky '70s. Based on Richard Matheson's novel "I Am Legend," made before as "The Last Man on Earth" (1964) with Vincent Price.
| Starring | Charlton Heston, Anthony Zerbe, Rosalind Cash |
|---|---|
| Director | Boris Sagal |
| Studio | WARNER HOME VIDEO |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 34 mins Blu-ray: 1 hr 37 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Sci-Fi/Fantasy |
| Language | DVD: English Blu-ray: English |
| Released | DVD: 29 Sep 2003 Blu-ray: 03 Nov 2008 Production year: 1971 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (3)
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If you're hooked on sci-fi, this weirdly engrossing futuristic tale about the world after a viral apocalypse is for you. The conflict between “normals” (led by Charlton Heston) and light-sensitive mutants (led by Anthony Zerbe) is one of science against superstition, and, while it lacks the vampiristic teeth of Richard Matheson's novel, it still has an eerie topicality. This is one of two great science-fiction allegories starring Heston, the other being Richard Fleischer's thriller set in the 21st century, Soylent Green.
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'Realistic' version of a novel which was about vampires taking over, and was previously filmed unsatisfactorily as The Last Man on Earth. This nasty version rises to a few good action sequences but is bogged down by talk in between.
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Most helpful member's review
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9 out of 9 people found this review helpful
Not if he were the Last Man on Earth !
The original novel, 'I Am Legend' by Richard Matheson is a exceedingly downbeat survivalist horror story of the last human living in a world where a virus has transformed everyone else into vampires and he spends his days trying to kill as many as possible before nightfall when they re-animate and gather outside his barricaded house attempting to get back at him. By the end you wonder who the real monster is in all this as the (super)natural order has been reversed.
This film is a camp cult classic reworking where the vampires are replaced by albinos with afros, medallions and sparkly black robes (as parodied in The Simpsons), Charlton 'NRA' Heston's favourite film seems to be Woodstock (yeah, right!) and his love interest is a Cleopatra Jones style Blaxploitation chick ! Very much of its time, this is highly amusing. Check it out. -
Most recent members' review
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2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
Oh-No-mega Man
Could have been so much more. Charlton 'from my cold dead hands' Heston plays the last man alive after a devestating biological accident. Passing time alone during the day and staying one step ahead of zombiefied hordes of 'survivors' by night. Based on Richard Mathieson's 'I, Legend', where the anti-hero was pursued by vampires which would have been a cracking film. Mathieson is on-board for this film just wish he'd spoken up more. Basically this is early 70's bargain basement sci-fi, story is slow, there's no character development and the special effects & make-up are dire. It's got that kinda b-movie schlock, blaxplotation feel to it too. Looked on as one of Chuck Heston sci-fi trilogy, Planet of the Apes, Omega Man & Soylent Green, this is very poor, could have been a classic!
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News and features
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Charlton Heston 1924-2008
- 08 Apr 2008
There was nothing small about Charlton Heston. He was a big, lusty man, with a scowl that might have been chiselled out of granite, a famously noble brow, and the kind of sculpted upper torso he was happy to show off well into middle age. It was a physique built for Cinema-Scope. With the movies' fighting television for audiences in the 1950s, Heston was the man of the hour. Cecil B De Mille cast him as the circus master in The Greatest Show On Earth (Best Picture winner in 1952), then as... Read more
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- Omega Man, The - BLU-RAY Version
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In the aftermath of a bacteriological war, the future of mankind hangs in the balance. Only a chosen few have survived the mutating effects of germ warfare unharmed. A small enclave of healthy, ... -