AverageJoesDriveInPodcast In my opinion, Vincent Price gives one of his finest performances as Dr. Robert Morgan in this adaption of Richard Matheson's classic I Am Legend. Out of the three film adaptions, this one is my favorite. Price's ability to convey Morgan's sense of loneliness, fear, and frustration is what makes this film work so well. It comes across as genuine. What also helps this one is the film is shot very well. Small moments of desolation are captured by the camera in a beautiful way. It creates a stark contrast to the very real bleakness of Morgan's situation. Everything is peaceful and quiet, except that it's not. In the shadows and darkness lurk the infected that only come out at night to feed on the blood of their victims, turning on each other when they cannot find sustenance. In many ways, they're Vampires, though to me they aren't stereotypical in the traditional sense. They're almost a cross between vampires and zombies. The score for this film fits perfectly. It adds another layer to an already incredible story and Price's performance. When there are moments of frustration and loneliness is amplifies the moment. When he's out and about it makes you feel as though you're doing something important. It does all the things a score should do. It fits so flawlessly that it often is almost unnoticeable. It becomes another character in the story. To me, that's what a great score does. It becomes a secondary character that compliments the performance of the main character and enhances it. When you mix all those things together you have the fundamental ingredients to why this film works so well. While I do adore just about everything about this film, I do realize there are some weak points. Some of the dialogue's a bit cheesy, not bad enough that it harms anything, but it's noticeable. Another thing that has always irked me a little is the 3rd act feels rushed. They did such a tremendous job setting up the first 2/3rds that when the 3rd act rolls around it feels like it's done and over way too quickly. I wish they could have explored things a bit more before coming to the end. It wouldn't even have had to be anything too crazy, just a few more scenes exploring the drastic change in the situation and Morgan coming to realize what was about to happen. Despite the minor flaws that are present, this one is a tremendous film. Even after 52 years later The Last Man On Earth still manages to be enjoyable. That's the true testament to what a great and well-made film this is. If you've never watched this one, please track it down and give it a watch. It's easy to find, cheap and well worth it.

dixonc-62562 the last man on earth one of my favourite movies and has a very sad theme. the film is self- explanatory but there are parts where even I get sad and feel for the main character. the film is about dr.Robert Morgan who is trying to survive in a world that has been overrun by vampires. Morgan is a very likable characters and the film gets you to feel and has sympathy for him. he is played by Vincent Price who is very convincing alone in this film but there is his background of him once being happy and then having everything he loves taken away from him. in the movie I am surprised he didn't just stick a gun outside the window and shoot the $h!t out of the one vampire that always calls his name and taunts him. but int he end it is a good and in a way touching the story of survival, insanity, and in the end loneliness.

Red-Barracuda A plague has turned the population of Earth into vampire-like creatures of the night. Except for one man who is immune to the disease. He fights a daily battle for survival against these creatures, always with the hope of future companionship.The Last Man on Earth is the first cinematic adaption of Richard Matheson's novel 'I Am Legend'. It has subsequently been remade a couple of times since. The book was an interesting one in the way it combined a sci-fi premise with a traditional horror one, while also focusing strongly on themes of isolation and loneliness. It is a very early example of the sub-genre known as post-apocalypse or pandemic to be precise in this case. As a result it feels quite modern for its time and most probably served as something of an influence for the later genre-defining classic Night of the Living Dead (1968). It stars Vincent Price in the lead role. Despite this being a horror film, he is not necessarily the most obvious actor for this film as his over-the-top style seems at odds with the somewhat melancholic aspects this story demands of its lead character. Yet, despite these initial reservations, Price puts in one of the strongest performances of his career here and shows what a versatile actor he could be.It's not a perfect film though, as it never really generates much tension despite a set-up that has lots of potential for suspense. It's similar in this way to the later adaption The Omega Man (1971), in that the vampires make for somewhat surprisingly feeble monsters on the whole and never threaten as much as they really should. Unlike in that Charlton Heston film though, at least here they are not philosophical beings and do at least have one sole objective to kill our protagonist; it's just a pity that they usually attempt to do so in such clunky and easily-avoidable ways. That said this film is the only adaption that is brave enough to have a dark ending which serves this version very well and works better for the story as a whole. But despite the horror material, much of the focus here is on more easily relatable themes such as loneliness and isolation. Part of the success of the film is that the audience can put themselves in the shoes of the protagonist and imagine what they would do and how they would cope.Shot in crisp black and white, it looks great. There are many shots of deserted cityscapes which give off a very effective ambiance. There is an oddness to these, in that despite the film being set in America it was actually shot in Rome, meaning that we often see distinctive Italian architecture which always seems a bit off. It works quite well though, in that it merely adds a layer of almost dreamlike strangeness to proceedings. On the whole, this is a good, albeit flawed, movie which is quite original in approach.

LeonLouisRicci Undeniably Influential, This Apocalyptic/Vampire/Zombie Original was the First, and Best, Adaptation of Richard Matheson's "I am Legend". It Stars Horror Icon Vincent Price with a Non-American Cast and is Highlighted by Some Stunning Cinematography and Atmospheric Dread.The Reason for its "Cult Movie" Status is Clear. There Just wasn't Anything Like it In its Time, and for 1964 was Unusually Bleak, Relentlessly Downbeat, and Scary for the Youth Audience it Targeted. Anyone Seeing it in '64 or on Late Night TV in the Sixties Could Not Forget It. But it was Forgotten by Some and has been Resurrected by Film Buffs as a Bonafide B-Movie Classic. It's Not the Smoothest Movie Ever Made and has some Pacing Problems but No Problem Delivering a Sombre Message Movie that is Impressive.The Story has been Remade Twice and Neither the Silly, Stupid "The Omega Man" (1971) or the Will Smith (2007) Version are as Good, Objectively. Beware Public Domain Prints that are Murky and Plain Awful and Do Not Present the Original Widescreen Ratio that is a Must See for Complete Appreciation.