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The Gratuitous B-Movie Column: The Omega Man
The Gratuitous B-Movie Column Issue #469: The Omega Man
Hello, everyone, and welcome once again to the internets movie review column that has never met a real life person named Charlton, or at least one that would admit to being named Charlton (and I think that’s pretty damn weird because what the hell is wrong with the name Charlton?), The Gratuitous B-Movie Column, and I am your host Bryan Kristopowitz. In this issue, issue number four hundred and sixty-nine, I take a look at the sci-fi action flick The Omega Man, which first hit movie screens in August of 1971.
The Omega Man
The Omega Man, the second big screen adaptation of the classic novel I Am Legend by Richard Mathieson, stars Charlton Heston as Robert Neville, an Army scientist who believes he is the lone survivor of a worldwide plague caused by a war between China and Russia that descended into biological warfare. Neville, rendered immune to the plague via an experimental vaccine he helped create, spends his days exploring the now desolate city of Los Angeles, scavenging for supplies and whatnot. At night, Neville barricades himself inside a fortified house to protect himself from The Family, a gang of mutant plague survivors that want to kill him. Led by the former news reader Matthias (Anthony Zerbe), The Family wants to kill Neville because he represents the old society that destroyed the world (The Family is, essentially, an anti-technology cult). The Family mutants can’t stand being in the sun (the biological attack turned people into albinos that are super light sensitive), are covered in all sorts of red splotches, and are hell bent on doing what Matthias wants.
So day in, day out, Neville drives around Los Angeles, toting around a machine gun and looking for supplies. He also spends quite a bit of time talking to himself because, heck, who else is he going to talk to? When home, Neville “plays chess” with a bust of Julius Caesar and talks to it like he’s an old friend. It doesn’t seem like much of an existence but, hey, he’s alive, and if worse comes to worse, he can always devote more of his free time to tracking down The Family and killing them. It’s not like he has anything else going on. Now, when his solitude started, Neville did try to recreate the vaccine that made him immune, but that process didn’t lead to anything except several dead ends. And, after a certain point in time, if he’s the only one left, who would he be making the vaccine for?
One day, out of the blue, while looking for some new clothes, Neville spots a mannequin that really doesn’t look like a mannequin. It looks like an actual woman. But that can’t be, can it? Neville thinks he sees the woman run and so he runs after her. He doesn’t catch her, though. Where did she go? Why didn’t she stop and say hello? What the hell is going on here?
Right after that incident, Neville explores a wine cellar (or it’s something that looks like a wine cellar) and is attacked and captured by several members of The Family. Finally meeting Matthias face to face, Neville finds out just how psycho The Family really is. It’s at this point that The Family tries to destroy Neville once and for all, crucifying him in, I guess, the L.A. Sports Arena. It looks like Neville, the Omega Man of the title, is about to die.
And that’s when the Omega Man finds out that he isn’t the last man on Earth. There are others, and they’re not mutant albino psychos. Dutch (Paul Koslo) and Lisa (Rosalind Cash) show up and rescue Neville from certain death and help him escape. In fact, Lisa helps guide Neville out of the arena via hidden motorcycle (a terrific set piece). When they finally get away from their mutant attackers, Lisa takes Neville out to her compound, where there are more survivors. It’s also at this point that we find out that these other survivors aren’t exactly survivors. These people aren’t naturally immune to the plague. As far as Neville can tell, all that’s happening with these people is the plague is just delayed for them at the moment. They don’t have it now, but tomorrow? It could hit them all at once.
Now, Lisa’s brother Richie (Eric Laneuville) is on the verge of becoming an albino mutant and Lisa wants Neville to help. Thankfully, Neville thinks he can help and starts up his vaccine research again. Neville takes Richie and Lisa to his house in the city. And it’s here that Neville experiences something he hasn’t experienced since the start of the end of the world; the touch of a beautiful woman.
So Neville and Lisa have sex and start to develop a close relationship and Neville starts working, in earnest, on a vaccine. He eventually does come up with a viable vaccine and it works, little by little, on Richie. Is there real hope on the horizon here?
Well, not really. Neville’s new vaccine does work, Neville isn’t the last man on Earth, and he’s got a hot babe in his life, but life isn’t about to get better in any real way. The Family is still out there, still pissed off, and still hell bent on destroying Neville and whatever else is left of the old ways. How much are they going to fuck up all of Neville’s work?
The last quarter or so of The Omega Man has a few nice twists and, amazingly, a fairly downbeat ending. I mean, it isn’t a full on doom and gloom situation, but it doesn’t exactly fill you with much in the way of hope, either. How long will the survivors survive, even if The Family is destroyed? And what kind of world can be created by the survivors? We don’t really know. The future is uncertain.
The ending also makes you wonder how many survivors there are around the world. I mean, there’s got to be a few, right, both people experiencing a plague delay and mutant albino psychos? Why didn’t Neville rig up a radio of some sort and start scanning the sky for others? Yes, it’s the 1970’s and technology is 1970’s centric, but why didn’t he try? Neville is an Army guy, a smart guy, why the hell didn’t he figure something out?
The mutant albinos are pretty dang freaky. Pale faced, hooded, and seriously pissed off, The Family is a force to be reckoned with. As soon as they show up and try to swarm Neville you can see why he needs a machine gun. You need lots of bullets to take those bastards out. You also wonder what the heck made The Family become The Family. Why did Matthias become the cult’s leader? Is it because he was on TV back when TV was still a thing?
Los Angeles is terrifying and sad when it’s empty. There are buildings and monuments and whatnot everywhere, but there’s no traffic, no hustle and bustle. From up above, the city is just quiet. When you get down to Neville’s level you can see there are still remnants of the exact moment when the world ended. There are dead and decaying bodies all over the place. There’s debris on some of the streets. It’s a sort of quiet, perpetual destruction. It’s amazing to think that Neville has managed to survive for as long as he has. Screw the Family, think about what happens when Neville drives on the streets. He drives like a maniac. Even with no one on the street to get in the way, there’s still a chance he’ll wreck himself via a kind of overconfidence. He messes up that car’s front wheel. What would have happened to him if he didn’t crash near an old car dealership that had “new” cars for him to acquire? It could have been a disaster for him.
Neville’s home is a pretty sweet set up. He’s got a massive generator to provide power, an elevator, an attached garage, and an arsenal of machine guns and other assorted weaponry. He also has a surveillance system that looks like a 1980’s modern entertainment stand. The only thing he seems to be missing is a way to get pizza.
Director Boris Sagal does a good job with both the quiet moments and the big action moments. Sagal also doesn’t overdo the stunt work or the gun battles, which is something that 1970’s cinema in general excels at. I also like how the movie doesn’t waste time with endless introspective moments. We have a few scenes at the beginning showing just how lonely life is for Neville and that’s it. There are more important things to experience, like machine gunning albino mutants. That kind of thing should always take precedence over feelings. Always.
Heston does a fine job as Neville. He’s a man of action who also has a sensitive side that he’s had to suppress because there’s no one to express that sensitivity to. Neville also has to be constantly ready for the shit to hit the fan. It’s why he has that machine gun. When Cash’s Lisa shows up, Heston has terrific chemistry with her and, outside of the whole age thing, you totally buy them as a post-apocalyptic couple, and Heston’s demeanor changes. He suddenly has more to live for than just his personal survival.
Now, is it me, or does it seem like Heston’s voice is dubbed here? No one else’s voice seems dubbed, but when Heston speaks it’s like he’s in his own Italian movie. Is his voice really that deep? And I think I speak for all dudes out there when I say that we all wouldn’t mind, on some level, being big Chuck Heston in 1971 after watching this movie. Think about it. Driving around Los Angeles in a series of sweet cars, toting around a machine gun, and hanging out with a super-hot babe who likes to wear a leather jacket with a middle finger on the back. That’s awesome, right?
Rosalind Cash does a great job as Lisa. She’s a total badass who also has a sweet side, especially when it comes to her sick brother Richie. Again, she has terrific chemistry with Heston, and she makes you believe that Lisa is interested in Neville. I was surprised by the amount of nudity she engages in, but at the same time I’m not going to complain about any of it. I wonder what the heck happened to her after the end of the movie.
Anthony Zerbe is creepy and sleazy as hell as cult leader Matthias. He doesn’t really fight anyone or anything, but he makes you despise him via his endlessly droning voice. I mean, as soon as he starts to speak you wonder how the hell he got a job on television before the world ended. You so want to see him get his face shot off. You really do.
Paul Koslo does an interesting job as Dutch, Lisa’s friend and ally. I’m not used to seeing him as a good guy (I think I will always see him as the Neo Nazi in Loose Cannons) but it’s interesting to see him do it. Eric Laneuville is annoying as Richie, Lisa’s brother. What the hell was he thinking right after Neville saves him from certain death?
And then there’s Zachary, as played by Lincoln Patrick. He’s the movie’s only real sour note as far as I’m concerned. He’s the main henchman of Matthias and ends up not doing much but dying quickly. Why didn’t he have a few fight scenes with Neville, some hand-to-hand scenes or something like that, maybe a shootout scene or two? A true missed opportunity.
The Omega Man is a pretty dang decent sci-fi action flick. It’s a classic through and through and is a movie that’s rewatchable as hell. A great cast, a great premise, and plenty of interesting action. It’ll also make you think about what’s next in this world. Is there a reason for any kind of hope?
Maybe. Maybe.
See The Omega Man. See it, see it, see it.
So what do we have here?
Dead bodies: At least 12 on screen, with untold billions off screen.
Explosions: Several.
Nudity?: Yes, and it’s pretty awesome.
Doobage: A deserted big city, 8-track tape hooey, debris everywhere, window shooting, a stuffed rabbit in a classroom, car crashing, car “buying,” as siphoning, an empty movie theater, pay phone hooey, multiple mutant attacks, flashbacks, an elaborate security system, a riot at night, book burning, more flashbacks, choking, science, exploding helicopter, a catapult, a rifle with a mega scope on it, jogging, a dining hall filled with cobwebs and rotting dead bodies, a machine gun with a flashlight attached under the barrel, a locked room, an empty sardine can, shopping, a female mannequin that isn’t a mannequin, a wine cellar, double mutant attack, capturing, an attempted conversation, albino eyes, a dunce cap, garbage throwing, attempted crucifixion, stadium light attack, a big motorcycle set piece, a quick man on fire gag, slow motion motorcycle leap, even more flashbacks, off screen sex, shopping at the drug store, experimentation, soup eating, a surprisingly naked woman, car stunt city with wild flip, bow and arrow attack, exploding car with another man on fire, house trashing, decapitating a bust of Julius Caesar, TV smashing, spear attack, blood everywhere, and an obvious Christ homage.
Kim Richards?: Yes, off screen.
Gratuitous: Charlton Heston, Charlton Heston driving around an empty Los Angeles in a sweet Cadillac, a March 1975 calendar with a hot babe on it, Charlton Heston talking to a dead guy, Charlton Heston watching Woodstock in an empty movie theatre while also holding a machine gun, Charlton Heston worried about it getting dark, Charlton Heston revealing that he’s one of those people who wears his watch under his wrist, “the instrument of cleansing,” Charlton Heston cooking sausage, Charlton Heston yelling “Hey” in an empty city, cologne smelling, talk of “the wheel,” Charlton Heston almost crucified, Charlton Heston operating a motorcycle, a jacket with a middle finger on the back of it, a grappling hook, Charlton Heston getting it on with a hot babe, a birth control joke, an admiration of T.S. Elliott, and an obvious Christ homage.
Best lines: “There’s never a cop around when you need one,” “How much? Can’t say that I’m crazy about the paint job. How long to get an order from the factory?,” “Sure, they don’t make pictures like that anymore,” “There is no phone ringing, dammit!,” “Hi. Another day, another dollar,” “Why the hell can’t you leave me alone?,” “They destroyed the world!,” “I was lucky today. Believe me, I was lucky,” “End games are always full of surprises,” “Did you move?,” “All right, where’s Matthias?,” “He is part of the dead!,” “You are discarded! You are a refuse of the past!,” “You’re the angel of death, doctor, not us,” “Barbarians? You call us barbarians?,” “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth,” “I thought we had gotten past that?,” “Christ, you could save the world!,” “I’m a narcissist,” “Are you God?,” “How about a break? Well…,” “Your move. I just made my move,” “Now what you thinking?,” “What’s this for? Comfort!,” “I’m sorry. It’s been a long, long time since I had a patient,” “You know, somebody ought to do something about those people,” “Either kill ‘em or cure ‘em, dammit!,” “Oh my… God,” and “Lisa, for God’s sake come back in the light!”
Rating: 9.0/10.0
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I do plan on reviewing the other two I Am Legend adaptations at some point. Which one should I do first, The Last Man on Earth starring Vincent Price or I Am Legend starring Will Smith?
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Things to Watch Out For This Week
–House Shark: This is the latest effort from the great Ron Bonk, the man behind She Kills, and it’s been described as Jaws in a house. And if you look at the trailer, yeah, that’s exactly what it looks like. This movie seems to be getting a wide home video release as it will apparently be available at Walmart, and all I have to say is it’s about time. I haven’t seen House Shark yet, but you can bet your ass that I plan on seeing it as soon as possible. Check out the trailer below, laugh hysterically (it’s what I did) and then go to your local Walmart to pick it up. It will be worth it.
–Sunset Society: This is some sort of low budget vampire flick starring/featuring the now late but always great front man for Motorhead, Lemmy, so right there it’s become an automatic must see. Prolific porn star and B-movie actor Ron Jeremy is also in it for some reason, so it has that going for it, too. I’m going to assume that this movie has been sitting on a shelf somewhere since Lemmy has been dead for three years, but that shouldn’t keep you from, at least, renting it. Anyone else think this looks pretty cool?
–Memoirs of an Invisible Man: This new Blu-ray comes to us from the fine folks at Shout! Factory and is an underappreciated John Carpenter flick. It’s a shame that he doesn’t provide a commentary track on this release, as I would love to hear his blow-by-blow of how the movie was made. Star Chevy Chase doesn’t seem to be involved in this release, either, and I’d love to hear from him on how the movie was made, why he did it, etc. I mean, for Chevy Chase this is a pretty weird movie. Any fans of this movie out there? Anyone at all?
-https://flic.kr/p/2849kLp
In the Mouth of Madness: This is the second John Carpenter flick getting a new home video edition via Shout! Factory/Scream Factory, but this one has all new extras on it, including a second Carpenter commentary (the one he did for the old New Line Home Video release with director of photography Gary B. Kibbe is included, too). That new commentary track will likely be worth the price of the Blu-ray upgrade. I’m a big fan of this mind bending horror flick, and I’m glad that it’s finally getting the acclaim that it deserved back when it came out. Now if we could only get an extras laden Blu-ray of Escape From L.A..
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Did you check out Cult TV?
The 1970’s TV thriller Kolchak: The Night Stalker is first up! Check out what I think about the show with the links below!
#4… coming soon!
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B-Movie News
–Joe Bob Briggs is coming back to Shudder!: Yes! After the mega success of The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs, the fine folks at Shudder announced this past weekend that Joe Bob will be returning to Shudder later this year. As of me writing this, that’s all we know. We don’t know, exactly, what “return” means. Will it be another hosted marathon? Will it be some sort of new weekly/monthly show thing? Again, we don’t know what this all means just yet. The only thing we’re sure of is that Joe Bob will be back.
I don’t think I can express enough just how awesome this news is. The Last Drive-In was a hoot for its entire running time, even with all of the server issues and whatnot. It was fun and it was an event, a major event for horror fandom. Shudder still has the individual movies with Joe Bob commentary segments, so if you don’t have Shudder right now, do yourself a favor and get it. You can check out the 13 movies Joe Bob hosted, plus all of the other horror related entertainment Shudder has to offer at the moment. I know I plan on reviewing at least two of the movies Shudder has online in the month of August. Which movies? Not sure yet.
So be on the lookout for further news concerning this momentous event. The return of the return of Joe Bob Briggs. The drive-in will never die indeed!
Oh, and check out my review of The Last Drive-In here.
-https://flic.kr/p/29r31Hx
Critters franchise is getting a boxed set from Shout! Factory!: Shout! Factory announced this past weekend during San Diego Comic-Con that the home video company will be releasing a boxed set of the entire Critters franchise. The set is expected to be available in November of this year and we should know soon what sort of extras will be produced for the set. I’m hoping that we get some commentary tracks, some documentaries, and some deleted scenes if possible (I know that the first Critters has an alternate ending).
Shout! Factory also announced several more badass sounding upcoming releases: the Chuck Bronson slasher action flick 10 to Midnight, the classic Candyman, the insane sequel Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2, and Starman, among many others (check out the story Bloody Disgusting did on this release announcement here). Man, I hope we get that commentary track John Carpenter did with Jeff Bridges for Starman that was on “foreign” DVD releases.
So which ones are you interested in? Which ones do you want to buy immediately?
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Who is the Douchebag of the Week? Go here and find out!
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Next Issue: It’s The Green Slime!
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Well, I think that’ll be about it for now. Don’t forget to sign up with disqus if you want to comment on this article and any other 411 article. You know you want to, so just go do it.
B-movies rule. Always remember that.
The Omega Man
Charlton Heston– Robert Neville
Rosalind Cash– Lisa
Anthony Zerbe– Matthias
Paul Koslo– Dutch
Eric Laneuville– Richie
Lincoln Kilpatrick– Zachary
Directed by Boris Sagal
Screenplay by John William Corrington and Joyce H. Cooper, based on the novel I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
Rated PG for violence, language, and some nudity
Runtime– 98 minutes
Buy it here
