Amazon.com
Vincent Price gives an atypically restrained performance as the sole survivor of a worldwide plague that revives its victims as bloodthirsty vampires. During the day, he canvasses his abandoned hometown, tracking down and stalking his former friends and neighbors, always making sure to return before nightfall, when the dead rise to assault his fortified house. Hope arrives in the form of an apparently normal young woman (Franca Bettoia), but her agenda proves to be even more sinister than that of the vampires.
Based on the 1954 novel by coscripter Matheson (whose displeasure with the final product spurred the use of a pseudonym), this Italian-made production is best known for its influence on George Romero's Night of the Living Dead. The similarities between the two films go beyond the presence of shuffling zombies and housebound heroes; both feature taboo-breaking scenes of interfamilial murder, and both end on bleak, dystopian notes. While The Last Man on Earth lacks the political and darkly satirical shadings (and graphic gore) that make Night of the Living Dead a more memorable experience, the combination of Bava-esque Gothic atmosphere and bleak, documentary-style camerawork by directors Ragona and Salkow (the brother of Price's agent Lester Salkow) lend themselves to moments of pure frisson that compare laudably to Romero's film. Matheson's novel also provided the source material for the awkward 1971 Charlton Heston vehicle The Omega Man. A planned third version, helmed by Ridley Scott and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, was shut down in its earliest stages due to skyrocketing budget costs. --Paul Gaita
Description
Disc 1 Side A: Panic In Year Zero WS Disc 1 Side B: Last Man On Earth WS
Customer Reviews:
Cult Film Of "Legend".......2007-08-10
THE LAST MAN ON EARTH is one of those end-of-the-world sagas that posits the notion of what it would be like to live in a largely dead world after some ghastly war or plague with nobody else left. The twist here, taking its basis from Richard Matheson's classic 1954 novel "I Am Legend", is that you do have one human protagonist left alive, and a world full of things that want to kill him.
Vincent Price stars as Robert Morgan (though he is Robert Neville in both the book and the latter film THE OMEGA MAN [and the soon-to-be-released third version with Will Smith, under the author's original title]), the only survivor of a terrible plague that decimated Earth, and turned everyone into vampires. By day, Price goes out into the city to stake and burn as many vampires as he can. And at night, he must barricade himself against the hordes that prowl around his isolated fortress each night, including his ex-friend Ben Cortman (Giacomo Rossi-Stuart), wanting to get at him. Price tries to find a logical and scientific explanation for the vampire plague (explained in flashbacks to when the plague began); and in due time, he happens upon another survivor, a woman (Franca Bettoia) who seems to be normal. But there is a fairly diabolical twist that Bettoia turns out to have in store, for both Price and the vampires.
Often seen as a precursor to George Romero's 1968 horror classic NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, and Danny Boyle's more recent 28 DAYS LATER, THE LAST MAN ON EARTH, though very flawed in many aspects due to its rather low budget and its being filmed in Rome (Matheson's original novel is set in post-plague Los Angeles, as is THE OMEGA MAN), does have an extremely high creepiness factor that is very difficult for a lot of horror/sci-fi hybrids to come by, especially today. Price may not have necessarily been the ideal one to play Robert Morgan (one of the many reasons Matheson disavowed the film and used his pen name Logan Swanson for the screenplay credits), but he does a fairly good job all the same. The direction of Sidney Salkow and Ubaldo Ragona is fairly perfunctory for the most part, but certain scenes do stand out, including Price being caught outdoors at dusk after visiting his wife's grave; and Price having to see his wife come back from the dead as a vampire.
Matheson's novel remains one of the high points of both horror and science fiction literature (and without much doubt the greatest vampire story since "Dracula"), and ironically it has proven to be a fairly tough one to adapt and still fit Hollywood (THE OMEGA MAN differed wildly from the letter of the novel but retained the basic spirit of it; how the Will Smith version will fare is yet to be determined). But if one ignores the inherent flaws of this near-Poverty Row production, THE LAST MAN ON EARTH can easily be seen as a fairly good cult film of "legend."
Panic in the Year Zero / The Last Man on Earth (Midnite Movies).......2007-08-04
I've bought many of the MGM "Midnite Movies" titles in the past few months and they ALL have satisfied! Speaking just of the technical aspects, they have all been clean transfers. They have little extras that they could get away with not having (Theatrical trailers, occasional interviews) that I'd like to see more of. All in all, a good product.
Last Man on Earth, one of the greatest horror movies ever.......2007-07-21
Before Romero and Night of the Living Dead there was the Last Man on Earth. There are no zombies in this movie, they are vampires, but they movie slow and are pretty much the same thing you'll see in Night of the Living Dead. This is a true classic. A great post apocalypse movie. This is definately Vincent Price's greatest movie. Nobody could have played Nevilles part better. I cannot comment on this specific dvd version of it, as I have never seen it. However, there are enough comments on amazon to tell you that this is probably the most high quality transfer of this movie available. And its in the letterbox format. It will be nice to see the movie the way it was intended to be seen. I would love to see a colorized version!
One good, one OK.......2007-06-14
"Panic in the Year Zero" is an outstanding movie. It is as timely today as it was when made. "The Last Man on Earth" is OK and Vincent Price carries the day. It did show its European production style with a lot of fits and starts and no smoothness in continuity.
Buy the set for "Panic in the Year Zero" which is thought-provoking and a good survival primer. Watch "The Last Man on Earth" on a rainy day.
Great stuff.......2007-05-26
I remember seeing Panic when I was just a little (like maybe eight or nine years old) kid. It was on TV and I thought it was great. Having watched it now, as an adult and having grown up during the Cold War, I see just how great it really was. In a sense, it was visionary in its portrayal of society's reaction to a nuclear attack. Miland's performance was incredible as were the other actors in the film. Add to that fact that Miland also directed this film and I believe it truly shows the man's talents and genius. Yes, there was a level of nostalgia for me as I watched it, but the film points to some very significant issues that I feel we all need to address.
I have not yet watched Last Man but will do so soon.
Average customer rating:
- A decent flick.
- Biggest "creep out" you'll get at this price!
- a fairly faithful adaption of the fine Richard Matheson novel
- Oldie But A Goodie
- Surprisingly good, and effective
|
Last Man on Earth
Starring:
Franca Bettoja ,
Emma Danieli ,
Vincent Price ,
Giacomo Rossi-Stuart , and
Tony Cerevi
Director:
Ubaldo Ragona , and
Sidney Salkow
Manufacturer: Alpha Video
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The Omega Man
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Soylent Green
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The Omega Man
ASIN: B0002HODU4
Release Date: 2004-08-31 |
Customer Reviews:
A decent flick........2007-08-27
It was closer to the feel of the novel than the Omega Man. I think today's multi-tasking, ADD audience will be fidgeting in their seats because of the slow pace. Let's see how Will Smith will do in the upcoming remake.
Biggest "creep out" you'll get at this price!.......2007-01-03
I saw this movie on TV when I was a child and it totally creeped me out! It may be a "B" movie, but it's totally effective in immersing the viewer into the post apocalyptic hell of the "last man on earth".
To me one great aspect of this movie, other than the sheer horror and dread created by the ambiance of the movie, is that it starts out horror but ends sci-fi. Very cool!
So, now I own the DVD and I haven't watched it yet because I'm afraid to watch it by myself! Well, not really, but almost. Actually, I want to watch it with one or more people who have never seen it before in order to see their reactions. Oh well, nine months to Halloween!
a fairly faithful adaption of the fine Richard Matheson novel.......2006-10-24
Matheson himself had a hand in the screenplay based on his book "I Am Legend." The book is as much a psychological study of a lonely man struggling to maintain his sanity in a hostile world as it is a post-apocalyptic tale about vampires. It's hard to translate that sort of introspection to the screen, and the movie doesn't succeed very well. Neither is the movie very scary. In one scene in which the lead character Neville is caught outside after dark, he has little trouble dealing with the vampires. Imagine yourself surrounded by the equivalent of sluggish, not very bright six year olds ineffectually attacking you. The rest of the time the vampires spend shuffling around his house, beating on his door, and shouting his name. It's unclear why he even bothers to put out garlic and mirrors as the vampires seem too feeble to break into his home.
Vincent Price struggles gamely but is miscast as Neville. The last thing you want in a movie of this kind is someone who's rather creepy himself; you want a solidly normal actor as a counterweight to the very strange world around him. As I recall, in the book Neville is irritated by his neighbor Cortman shouting his name every night and becomes obsessed, somewhat humorously, with finding where he sleeps during the day so he can kill him; that would have given this film a little narrative drive. As it is, Neville seems purposeless. That's probably accurate for someone in his situation, but it's not compelling to watch.
There are a few good scenes, as when he receives an unexpected visitor in the early stages of the plague and there's pathos when he finds a dog which has somehow survived. You can also see the influence of the slow moving vampires on later films like "Night of the Living Dead." However, the movie has dated badly and compares unfavorably to "The Omega Man" and recent efforts such as "28 Days Later."
Oldie But A Goodie.......2006-08-01
The Last Man on Earth is a Twilight Zone-like horror movie about the sole survivor of a mysterious plague that has turned the remaining population into living dead. Bob Morgan (Vincent Price) lives in his home, which he has turned into a fortress against the vampire-like undead. Having lost his wife and daughter, he is on a crusade to search the city and kill all the creatures by day.
The story and cinematography is well-paced. The eerie silence of the present is punctuated by flashbacks of happier times. The flashbacks also explain what happened during the early stages of the outbreak.
Recommended. DVD has no subtitles, English or otherwise, or dubbing available.
Surprisingly good, and effective.......2006-04-13
I was expecting much worse after viewing "The House on Haunted Hill" which was just silly and bad. This movie was interesting and "modern" in it's sensibilities right up to the end where it veered sharply into religious allegory that doesn't quite fit.
Vincent Price plays a scientist who experiences the coming plague and the downfall of mankind. Except that they won't all stay down: the undead can rise up and wander around looking for things. They can apparently prey on one another but this does not seem to be diminishing their ranks significantly. The totems of a vampire movie are all rather curiously trotted out: the garlic, the mirrors, the wooden stake through the heart. This vampire motif is questioned later when the undead are offed by metal stakes, and even guns. Our hero, Dr Morgan, is momentarily bemused by this observation but the suggested thread that perhaps these undead are not vampires but somehting else, the vampire thing having been suggested by his friend and coworker before the plague, is not pursued.
There is a lengthy pre-quel that demonstrates how our hero has been reduced to living. I enjoyed those scenes quite a bit and they were rather creepy and scary. A dog shows up just to depress him, then a woman. It turns out that the woman is infected but keeping herself alive with some sort of injected "de-fibrinated blood vaccine". There is, she tells him, a whole burgeoning society of half-cured undead (think:"AIDS") living in the city, and to them HE is the scary monster that walks by day, killing the undead with stakes! "Some of them were alive!" she tells him and the horror and shock of who he is to the others is revealed. It finally occurs to him to give the woman a blood transfusion which saves her (she can stand to see herself in a mirror again...) but she is unable to prevent Dr Morgan's execution at the hands of the angry mob. In a church, no less.
So overall, pretty good and creepy but the ending was weak. 4 stars.
Description
Hero of horror Vincent Price stars in three silver scream classics! In House on Haunted Hill (1958, B&W, 75min), an eccentric millionaire (Price) invites several of his enemies to a party at his creepy mansion. Each guest who survives the night will receive $10,000 - but will anyone be alive to collect the reward? In Last Man on Earth (1964, B&W, 86 min.), a nightmarish apocalyptic vision of a zombie invasion, a global airborne virus has transformed Earth's population into vampire-like creatures. Scientist Robert Morgan (Price) is the last living soul on earth. He hunts the sleeping monsters by day, but at sundown he becomes the hunted, stalked by zombies thirsting for his blood. Murder, mystery and terror reign in The Bat (1959, B&W, 80 min.), a bone-chilling thriller starring Price, Agnes Moorehead and Darla Hood. A creaky haunted house has a hidden fortune of stolen money, and the bodies pile up as a mysterious prowler known as "The Bat" tries to uncover the loot.
Customer Reviews:
Last Man on Earth.......2007-01-17
My hubby liked this movie the most because of the 50's and early 60's cars shown parked and being driven in this sharp B and W movie. Vincent Price is wonderful...this movie is the obvious precursor to Night of the Living Dead, and Charlton Heston's The Omega Man. This is a wonderfully acted, greatly photographed early film. This is truly a gem.
Discontinuities have to be forgiven, this is the proto-ur-zombie movie. It is not bloody, but has it's psychological moments.
Average customer rating:
- Cult Film Of "Legend"
- Panic in the Year Zero / The Last Man on Earth (Midnite Movies)
- Last Man on Earth, one of the greatest horror movies ever
- One good, one OK
- Great stuff
|
The Last Man on Earth
Starring:
Vincent Price ,
Franca Bettoia ,
Emma Danieli ,
Giacomo Rossi-Stuart , and
Umberto Raho
Director:
Sidney Salkow , and
Ubaldo Ragona
Manufacturer: Madacy Records
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
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Target Earth
ASIN: B0000897C9
Release Date: 2003-03-04 |
Amazon.com
Vincent Price gives an atypically restrained performance as the sole survivor of a worldwide plague that revives its victims as bloodthirsty vampires. During the day, he canvasses his abandoned hometown, tracking down and stalking his former friends and neighbors, always making sure to return before nightfall, when the dead rise to assault his fortified house. Hope arrives in the form of an apparently normal young woman (Franca Bettoia), but her agenda proves to be even more sinister than that of the vampires.
Based on the 1954 novel by coscripter Matheson (whose displeasure with the final product spurred the use of a pseudonym), this Italian-made production is best known for its influence on George Romero's Night of the Living Dead. The similarities between the two films go beyond the presence of shuffling zombies and housebound heroes; both feature taboo-breaking scenes of interfamilial murder, and both end on bleak, dystopian notes. While The Last Man on Earth lacks the political and darkly satirical shadings (and graphic gore) that make Night of the Living Dead a more memorable experience, the combination of Bava-esque Gothic atmosphere and bleak, documentary-style camerawork by directors Ragona and Salkow (the brother of Price's agent Lester Salkow) lend themselves to moments of pure frisson that compare laudably to Romero's film. Matheson's novel also provided the source material for the awkward 1971 Charlton Heston vehicle The Omega Man. A planned third version, helmed by Ridley Scott and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, was shut down in its earliest stages due to skyrocketing budget costs. --Paul Gaita
Customer Reviews:
Cult Film Of "Legend".......2007-08-10
THE LAST MAN ON EARTH is one of those end-of-the-world sagas that posits the notion of what it would be like to live in a largely dead world after some ghastly war or plague with nobody else left. The twist here, taking its basis from Richard Matheson's classic 1954 novel "I Am Legend", is that you do have one human protagonist left alive, and a world full of things that want to kill him.
Vincent Price stars as Robert Morgan (though he is Robert Neville in both the book and the latter film THE OMEGA MAN [and the soon-to-be-released third version with Will Smith, under the author's original title]), the only survivor of a terrible plague that decimated Earth, and turned everyone into vampires. By day, Price goes out into the city to stake and burn as many vampires as he can. And at night, he must barricade himself against the hordes that prowl around his isolated fortress each night, including his ex-friend Ben Cortman (Giacomo Rossi-Stuart), wanting to get at him. Price tries to find a logical and scientific explanation for the vampire plague (explained in flashbacks to when the plague began); and in due time, he happens upon another survivor, a woman (Franca Bettoia) who seems to be normal. But there is a fairly diabolical twist that Bettoia turns out to have in store, for both Price and the vampires.
Often seen as a precursor to George Romero's 1968 horror classic NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, and Danny Boyle's more recent 28 DAYS LATER, THE LAST MAN ON EARTH, though very flawed in many aspects due to its rather low budget and its being filmed in Rome (Matheson's original novel is set in post-plague Los Angeles, as is THE OMEGA MAN), does have an extremely high creepiness factor that is very difficult for a lot of horror/sci-fi hybrids to come by, especially today. Price may not have necessarily been the ideal one to play Robert Morgan (one of the many reasons Matheson disavowed the film and used his pen name Logan Swanson for the screenplay credits), but he does a fairly good job all the same. The direction of Sidney Salkow and Ubaldo Ragona is fairly perfunctory for the most part, but certain scenes do stand out, including Price being caught outdoors at dusk after visiting his wife's grave; and Price having to see his wife come back from the dead as a vampire.
Matheson's novel remains one of the high points of both horror and science fiction literature (and without much doubt the greatest vampire story since "Dracula"), and ironically it has proven to be a fairly tough one to adapt and still fit Hollywood (THE OMEGA MAN differed wildly from the letter of the novel but retained the basic spirit of it; how the Will Smith version will fare is yet to be determined). But if one ignores the inherent flaws of this near-Poverty Row production, THE LAST MAN ON EARTH can easily be seen as a fairly good cult film of "legend."
Panic in the Year Zero / The Last Man on Earth (Midnite Movies).......2007-08-04
I've bought many of the MGM "Midnite Movies" titles in the past few months and they ALL have satisfied! Speaking just of the technical aspects, they have all been clean transfers. They have little extras that they could get away with not having (Theatrical trailers, occasional interviews) that I'd like to see more of. All in all, a good product.
Last Man on Earth, one of the greatest horror movies ever.......2007-07-21
Before Romero and Night of the Living Dead there was the Last Man on Earth. There are no zombies in this movie, they are vampires, but they movie slow and are pretty much the same thing you'll see in Night of the Living Dead. This is a true classic. A great post apocalypse movie. This is definately Vincent Price's greatest movie. Nobody could have played Nevilles part better. I cannot comment on this specific dvd version of it, as I have never seen it. However, there are enough comments on amazon to tell you that this is probably the most high quality transfer of this movie available. And its in the letterbox format. It will be nice to see the movie the way it was intended to be seen. I would love to see a colorized version!
One good, one OK.......2007-06-14
"Panic in the Year Zero" is an outstanding movie. It is as timely today as it was when made. "The Last Man on Earth" is OK and Vincent Price carries the day. It did show its European production style with a lot of fits and starts and no smoothness in continuity.
Buy the set for "Panic in the Year Zero" which is thought-provoking and a good survival primer. Watch "The Last Man on Earth" on a rainy day.
Great stuff.......2007-05-26
I remember seeing Panic when I was just a little (like maybe eight or nine years old) kid. It was on TV and I thought it was great. Having watched it now, as an adult and having grown up during the Cold War, I see just how great it really was. In a sense, it was visionary in its portrayal of society's reaction to a nuclear attack. Miland's performance was incredible as were the other actors in the film. Add to that fact that Miland also directed this film and I believe it truly shows the man's talents and genius. Yes, there was a level of nostalgia for me as I watched it, but the film points to some very significant issues that I feel we all need to address.
I have not yet watched Last Man but will do so soon.
Average customer rating:
- scary stuff
- paid under five bucks
- Two must-see Vincent Price classics
- A nice surprise
- A great value for Vincent Price fans on a budget
|
House on Haunted Hill/The Last Man On Earth
Starring:
Vincent Price ,
Carolyn Craig ,
Richard Long ,
Elisha Cook Jr. , and
Carol Ohmart
Director:
William Castle ,
Sidney Salkow , and
Ubaldo Ragona
Manufacturer: Diamond Ent. Corp.
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Night of the Living Dead (Millennium Edition)
ASIN: B00004WGAB
Release Date: 2000-10-03 |
Customer Reviews:
scary stuff.......2007-08-23
I think this old House on Haunted Hill is scarier than the new one. Classic Vincent Price. Spooky effects are kind of lame (hey it's an old movie) Totally worth buying it. Classic movie to watch on Halloween
paid under five bucks .......2007-03-11
They just don't hold up all that well. Last Man... is better than the other, although that's not saying much.
Also, you can see where George Romero borrowed heavily for his Night of the Living Dead flicks.
I must add: Richard Matheson is a highly respected genre writer. Besides writing LAST MAN ON EARTH (among other books and screenplays) He's the guy who wrote the excellent DUEL,
starring Dennis Weaver. Get it, if you've never seen it.
I really don't blame him or the late Vincent Price for the way LAST MAN... turned out. It's really not a bad flick...and yet you can't help feeling that it should have turned out far better, that the material was there...
Hey, if you're about ten years old...you might get a real kick out of it.
Two must-see Vincent Price classics.......2005-09-20
It doesn't get much better than this twin-bill of Vincent Price classics. I consider The House on Haunted Hill to be one of the best haunted house movies ever made. The effects may seem somewhat silly to modern audiences, but the simplest frights are often the most effective. The plot itself is gratifyingly complex and twisted, and the ending is by no means disappointing. Anyone with an interest in the horror genre should find this Vincent Price gem to be quite a hoot. Then there's The Last Man on Earth, which is one of the best horror movies ever made, period.
As a jaded modern horror fan, I can't say The House on Haunted Hill really scared me, but I daresay that if you put a couple of hundred people inside a modern movie theatre and showed this film to them, you would get some delightful screams and jumps out of your audience. A movie such as this belongs in black and white, and the whole mood is appropriately creepy. The director left almost nothing out: creaking doors, apparitions, secret rooms, screams (almost so many they become annoying), skeletons, thunder and lightning, organ music, moments of total darkness, a pit of acid, and - of course - Vincent Price.
Mr. Loren (Price) is an eccentric man of wealth throwing a haunted house party for his fourth wife (who is as anxious to kill him as he is to kill her). He promises to pay $10,000 to anyone who can make it through the night. Five strangers make up the party guests - a former test pilot, a society newspaper columnist, a psychiatrist, an unassuming, vulnerable young lady, and the house's owner, who keeps going on and on about the murders that took place there. Naturally, weird things start to happen, and then all of the party goers find themselves locked in the house prematurely with no hope of escape until morning. Naturally, rather than stay together, the houseguests end up wandering around on their own, and the impressionable young lady is especially traumatized throughout the evening by what she sees and experiences. There are games afoot, the full extent of which are not revealed until the ending of the film. In its original theatrical release, the ever so fiendish director William Castle had a skeleton rigged inside each theater that would appear above the audience's heads at the appropriate time - I would love to have experienced that.
The Last Man on Earth is based on Richard Matheson's incredible novel I Am Legend, in my opinion the second best vampire novel ever written. Price plays Morgan, a man left completely alone in the world by a plague that wiped out the rest of the population, including his wife and young daughter, three years earlier. The virus behind the plague was a vampiric bacillus, so all of the people who died and were not destroyed by fire have come back as vampires. Luckily for Morgan, the vampires are quite weak and simple-minded, for they attack his fortified home every night in an effort to get in and kill him. By day, Morgan goes out hunting the walking nightmares and driving stakes through their hearts, but there are so many that the project seems almost useless. Midway through the movie, we are treated to a pretty extended set of flashbacks to the early days of the virus and the deaths of Morgan's wife and daughter. Toward the end, Morgan is shocked to find a woman wandering outside during the day, the first human being he has seen in three years. He takes her home with him and thus sets the stage for the movie's memorable climax.
Obviously, Vincent Price carries this movie on his own back, given the fact that the vast majority of the action takes place around him and no one else. He plays things rather subtly for the most part, which I found quite effective. His memories make him laugh sometimes, but Price's signature laugh evolves quite effectively into sobs of anger and frustration. The most poignant moments of the film, in my opinion, come when Morgan finds a dog outside his house, the first living creature he has seen in three years. The dog initially runs away from him in fear, but the suffering creature eventually comes back. Morgan cleans him and fixes up his wounds, but the new friendship he exults over soon becomes just another tragedy. The movie doesn't dwell on the dog episode nearly so much as Matheson does in his novel, and for this I am grateful because I find it heartbreaking. The little dog gives an incredible performance, but as is so often the case the canine actor does not even merit a mention in the credits.
The Last Man on Earth really is a remarkably good movie and really showcases the immense acting abilities of Vincent Price. I wish it would have delved into the science of the virus much more intensely than it did; the scientific aspects of Matheson's story are what make it such a phenomenally good vampire novel. The script writers did take some liberties with the concluding scenes, but it is really for the best because the novel's conclusion would not have worked in this medium without the audience being given a much more penetrating look into the minds and motives of the characters involved. Some might find the movie creepy, but there is really nothing here that will disturb the timid viewer-the camera never actually shows any of the gruesome acts that tend to be committed by human beings against vampires and vice versa. Somber and depressing as it can be, The Last Man on Earth is the type of distinguished horror movie that should appeal in some way to just about everyone.
A nice surprise.......2005-05-09
I bought this for the movie that I remembered, House on Haunted Hill, which on watching again is a pretty cheezy piece of work. The other movie, Last Man on Earth, I had never heard of, and recognised only from the intro on the DVD which told me in so many words that it was based on I Am Legend by Richard Matheson. I found I really liked this movie. In a sense, it's like many other 50's and 60's movies in that the bad guy(s) lose. That's the only resemblance, however. In the first part we see Vincent Price as the relentless vampire slayer. Others have commented that these don't seem like "real" vampires, but who knows what they would really be like anyway. We've seen too many Dracula remakes where the vampires are quick, agile, mean and clever. Who is to say they can't be slow, stupid, weak and evil? Anyway. In the second part, we are given the story of the beginning of the plague, which resmebles The Stand, only about 99.99999999% fatal. One survivor, to be exact. As the third part progresses, we start to see new possible candidates for the good guys (behaving just like we do in the old Dracula movies). Finally we see Price for what he has become, a legendary creature of terror, in a total reversal from the vampire as the shadowy creature in all the other stories. You have to see it. This is a great piece of work for all it's faults.
A great value for Vincent Price fans on a budget.......2005-04-02
This "House on Haunted Hill"/"Last Man on Earth" double feature is one of the better buys on the public-domain DVD market. The prints of both films are passable (it's an exaggeration to claim these are "digitally remastered"), and certainly of better quality than the TV prints that have been circulating for years. Both films, of course, feature the late legend Vincent Price and while neither film could be considered his best work there's plenty here Price fans will enjoy.
Vincent Price may have built his career around low-budget horror films, but he was a movie star in the truest sense of the word. His very presence helped to elevate an average film to something memorable. While some find his mannerisms and demeanor campy, I find the glee with which he portrayed the disturbed and obsessed very refreshing. "House on Haunted Hill" bears a strong similarity to any number of forgettable faux-haunted house movies, and "Last Man on Earth"'s plot is a second rate Twilight Zone adventure. But Price's performances make both of these not only worthwhile but memorable. "The Last Man on Earth," in particular, features an excellent turn by Price.
If you're a Price fan who could care less about extras and aren't too fussy about sound or picture quality, snatch up this DVD while they last.
Average customer rating:
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Last Man on Earth (B&W)
Starring:
Last Man on Earth
Manufacturer: Critic's Choice
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
General
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
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| Video
Classic Sci-Fi
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General
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General
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| The Lone Ranger
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| The Outer Limits
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( L )
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4-for-3 Science Fiction & Fantasy
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4-for-3 Television
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4-for-3 All DVDs
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The Omega Man
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This Island Earth
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Panic in the Year Zero/The Last Man on Earth
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When Worlds Collide
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I Am Legend
ASIN: B0009O9GHA
Release Date: 2006-08-29 |
Product Description
Vincent Price relished his hammy roles in Roger Cormans many horror flicks, but the iconic actor gives an utterly compelling performance as a scientist who finds himself in a post-apocalyptic world inhabited by savages and vampires. Although it was remade into The Omega Man and influenced George Romeros Night of the Living Dead, Prices gripping performance lives on through this film and the bonus unsold TV pilot The Left Fist of David (1958/26 min.), costarring Peter Lorre and Thomas Gomez. B&w/NR.
Customer Reviews:
Good one!.......2007-04-13
Not the best screen quality...but still a fun watch. Plus I enjoyed the added bonus short movie.
Customer Reviews:
Shocking!!.......2006-11-07
Truly scary if you like calmer things, not for gore fans at all! But this is the kind of mistery and terror that really gets you scared because it is closer to real life by lacking special effects. I really enjoy them, although i would think twice about "Last Man on Earth", but "Shock" is awesome!
you can find better copies in other collections.......2006-04-27
this is cheap dvd collections at their worst.if you want these fine vincent price movies just look around, there are much better copies than this trash. just look around.
good, but sound is bad on one movie... here's what I did.......2005-05-24
I made a copy of that movie only (using CloneDVD) and watched one version on one player, while listening to the sound of the copy on another player (with headphones). The delay is 5 seconds. I didn't copy it to resell it, as the copy has bad sound, too, (in case some people wonder about it, though everybody does it...) but just to match the sound of one with the picture of the other. It can be done on video, too, if you prefer (or can't copy the DVD or don't have 2 DVD players)
I know that many of you cannot do that, but if you have a way to copy that movie and 2 dvd players, try it. It took me a while to match the sound and the picture, but when I did, it was perfect! : )
same problem as above.......2005-04-24
the audio for house on haunted hill on my dvd is messed up, too. the movies are great, but the audio problem is very distracting.
Excellent DVD.......2005-03-20
This DVD is great, except the copy of The house on Haunted Hill. I dont know why but the sound track is delayed from the actual movie. It really sucks but I was glad to see all the other movies are fine. I dont know if this is the case for all the copies or just mine.
Average customer rating:
- Vincent Price Rules!!!!!!!!!
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The Last Man on Earth
Starring:
Vincent Price
Director:
Sidney Salkow
Manufacturer: Miracle Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
General
| Horror
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Price, Vincent
| ( P )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
ASIN: B0007DDJGM
Release Date: 2002-02-02 |
Product Description
Dr. Robert Morgan is the only survivor of a worldwide plague, due to a mysterious immunity he acquired to the bacteria while working in central America years earlier. He is alone now...or so it seems.
Customer Reviews:
Vincent Price Rules!!!!!!!!!.......2005-06-13
The lkate,great Vincent Price rules in this thrilling classic.It's a must see!!!!!!!!!1
Description
3 Great Movies on 1 DVD. Star Power, Exciting Genre with Extras on each DVD.
Customer Reviews:
One outta three.......2006-02-24
I purchased this DVD for the original widescreen version of "The Last Man On Earth".
The other two movies are whatever. For $5.00 I won't complain. The Satanic rights of dracula is not for children. It was watchable with popcorn but I doubt I would ever view it again. If you have been looking for the Vincent Price movie in it's original format this is the version at the right price.
Good experience........2005-10-10
The packaging was great, the time of arrival was excellent but the quality of the film was not a digitally remastered copy, its a film made in 1973 which is very old.The film was a gift for partner so it needed to be in good condition. Very good experience. I have bought films a number of times after first experience. Thankyou.
A great value for horror fans on a budget.......2003-01-10
If you aren't overly concerned with the quality of the presentation, this DVD affords you a great chance to see three pretty good horror movies for one low price. "Great Bloodsucking Vampire Movies" is a bit of a misnomer, though. There's really not very much bloodsucking to be found here, and one of the movies technically has nothing to do with vampires at all. The Satanic Rites of Dracula is a Hammer film from the early 1970s featuring Christopher Lee's final portrayal of Count Dracula and a movie-saving performance by Peter Cushing as Dr. Van Helsing. Even though there doesn't seem to be quite enough of it, this is the only one of the movies featuring any real blood; you don't get to see any real bloodsucking, but it is strongly implied that blood was sucked at some point. I think The Devil Bat is one of Bela Lugosi's finer horror films. He plays a scientist whose buddies got rich off of his formula, making him want nothing more than to seek revenge on them. He does this by using some kind of electroshock treatment to greatly increase the size of a bat, then releasing the aptly named Devil Bat on his victims after getting them to try his new, strongly-hated-by-bats aftershave concoction. Thus, there are no vampires here, but Lugosi portrays the well-liked yet secretly twisted mad scientist role to perfection. The definite highlight of this DVD, though, is Vincent Price's sterling performance in The Last Man on Earth, a movie based on Richard Matheson's incredible novel I Am Legend. A plague of sorts has spread throughout the world, killing everyone except for the seemingly immune scientist Robert Morgan. The dead don't stay dead, though, because the virus is a vampiric one. These vampires are more like zombies, though; all they do is gang up around Morgan's house every night trying to get past his barricaded doors and windows. Price gives an amazing performance, and the film can be quite touching in the moments when Morgan thinks he has found another survivor and won't have to be so completely alone anymore. Presented in a widescreen format, this old black and white masterpiece looks and plays much more impressively than the other two movies. This DVD is more than worth the price for The Last Man on Earth all by itself, so consider the other two movies as very special bonuses.
Mediocre disc with one shining standout!.......2002-03-08
This low-rent disc of public domain titles contains three movies. The Satanic Rites of Dracula is first, with Peter Cushing, Freddie Jones, Joanna Lumley and Christopher Lee as Dracula. Not a highly regarded Hammer Dracula film, and not a good presentation. Although it's widescreen (about 1.85:1), the colors bleed and strobe badly. If you want this one, seek out ASIN 6305183406. The Devil Bat, one of the most common public domain titles (I previously had two copies on DVD already), stars Bela Lugosi and... isn't awful, just fair. Presentation is what you'd expect from such an old film in the public domain. Better DVD editions exist. The third feature is the first film version of Richard Matheson's classic story "I Am Legend" - called The Last Man On Earth, starring Vincent Price (later made as Omega Man with Charlton Heston). This is an excellent movie with a wide cult following. It's been on DVD before (full-frame), paired with The House on Haunted Hill. But this all leads me to why this disc is a must-buy:
THE LAST MAN ON EARTH is presented in WIDESCREEN at last!
It might have been mastered from the rare widescreen laserdisc release (rare because it was released in the waning days of the format) and although the picture's a bit fuzzy, it's vastly satisfying to see the full frame at last (about 2.35:1). It's infinitely better than any previously existing VHS version, and the print is clean with decent contrast so it looks better than the other DVD release, too.
Consider the price and buy it without a second thought!
DVD:
- Premonition (Widescreen Edition)
- Psycho II / Psycho III / Psycho IV - The Beginning (Triple Feature)
- Red Dragon / The Bone Collector
- Ricochet
- Road to Nashville
- Rolling Kansas
- Rush Week/Fraternity Demon
- Scarecrow Slayer
- Scream Pack (Kiss of the Tarantula / Don't Look in the Basement / Don't Open the Door)
- Screamplay
DVD
DVD
