Rating of
2.5/4
The Last Man on Earth (1964) review
Daniel Corleone - wrote on 12/13/11
Dr. Robert Morgan (Price) hunts and uses a radio transmission to detect if there are human survivors from a deadly disease that spread in the air. During a flashback, the source of the plague brings back the dead and the need to be burned, afraid of reflection and garlic. His dead daughter comes back to haunt him. Wonderfully scored, nice set locations and solid acting from the lead. Morgan explains to a girl named Ruth that he is immune since he was bitten by an infected vampire bat back in in Panama.
Vincent Price can really hold his own. The editing could have been better since during the first scenes when he brings a young female corpse to his trunk it moves. One of the best quotes from Morgan - "Everything's gonna be fine." "Anger can make me vulnerable. It can destroy my reason and reason's the only advantage I have over them." "Another day to live through. Better get started." "Freaks." These lines show the strength of the screenplay which eventually slows the pace of the film. This film could have been one of the precursors for zombie films and source for I Am Legend with Will Smith. The Last Man on Earth's themes of loneliness, survival, normalcy and compassion with a few terrifying scenes despite lack of a realistic supporting cast, poor quality of editing and better quality of picture which has dated.
