Matthew ShallueThe Omega Man (1971)
Directed by: Boris Sagal
Starring: Charlton Heston, Anthony Zerbe, Rosalind Cash, Paul Koslo, Eric Laneuville, Lincole Kilpatrick
MPAA Rating: N/A
Runtime: 98 minutes
The Omega Man stars the immortal Charlton Heston as Robert Neville, the seemingly lone survivor of a pandemic outbreak that has changed what is left of humanity into zombie-like beings. Physically pained by light, “The Family” is determined to wipe-out the last traces of their former existence.
Even though the photography and score are dated by today’s standards, the film is a sci-fi classic. The opening scenes in downtown Los Angels, with Neville driving through empty streets with abandoned cars and store fronts all around him, is eerie. Giving you the feeling that he is out of place in this world. A feeling that is echoed by Matthias (Zerbe) the leader of “The Family” through-out the film.
As the story progresses, you discover that Neville is immune to the disease and has taken it upon himself to find the daytime hiding place of “The Family” and destroy them. Using the technology of the day, Neville combs the streets and maps out the habits of “The Family”, all the while talking to himself and other inanimate objects. As you might expect “The Family” has a similar fate in mind for Neville, and the two sides move back and forth in a city wide game of chess.
Eventually, Neville is captured by Matthias and this group, and sentenced for death. In what are likely the final moments of his life, he is rescued by a group of survivors that up this moment are not known to him. What remains of the film is a struggle between two worlds that might as well be a struggle between two religions, each believing that other cannot continue to exist.
The main drawback to The Omega Man is that it cannot compete with the Hollywood stylized films of today, some of the acting and effects are corny by comparison to today’s big budget films. If you can get past that, The Omega Man is a tried and true sci-fi classic.
Starring: Charlton Heston, Anthony Zerbe, Rosalind Cash, Paul Koslo, Eric Laneuville, Lincole Kilpatrick
MPAA Rating: N/A
Runtime: 98 minutes
The Omega Man stars the immortal Charlton Heston as Robert Neville, the seemingly lone survivor of a pandemic outbreak that has changed what is left of humanity into zombie-like beings. Physically pained by light, “The Family” is determined to wipe-out the last traces of their former existence.
Even though the photography and score are dated by today’s standards, the film is a sci-fi classic. The opening scenes in downtown Los Angels, with Neville driving through empty streets with abandoned cars and store fronts all around him, is eerie. Giving you the feeling that he is out of place in this world. A feeling that is echoed by Matthias (Zerbe) the leader of “The Family” through-out the film.
As the story progresses, you discover that Neville is immune to the disease and has taken it upon himself to find the daytime hiding place of “The Family” and destroy them. Using the technology of the day, Neville combs the streets and maps out the habits of “The Family”, all the while talking to himself and other inanimate objects. As you might expect “The Family” has a similar fate in mind for Neville, and the two sides move back and forth in a city wide game of chess.
Eventually, Neville is captured by Matthias and this group, and sentenced for death. In what are likely the final moments of his life, he is rescued by a group of survivors that up this moment are not known to him. What remains of the film is a struggle between two worlds that might as well be a struggle between two religions, each believing that other cannot continue to exist.
The main drawback to The Omega Man is that it cannot compete with the Hollywood stylized films of today, some of the acting and effects are corny by comparison to today’s big budget films. If you can get past that, The Omega Man is a tried and true sci-fi classic.
