"Qualia: most simply defined as qualities or feelings, like redness, as considered independently of their effects on behavior. In more philosophical terms, qualia are properties of sensory experiences by virtue of which there is something it is like to have them."
The Last Man on Earth is a 1964 post-apocalyptic science fiction horror film based on the 1954 novel I Am Legend by Richard Matheson. The film was produced by Robert L. Lippert and directed by Ubaldo Ragona and Sidney Salkow, and stars Vincent Price and Franca Bettoia.
When a plague devastated life on Earth, the population died or became a sort of zombie living in the dark. Dr. Robert Morgan is the unique healthy survivor on the planet, having a routine life for his own survival: he kills the night creatures along the day and maintains the safety of his house, to be protected along the night. He misses his beloved wife and daughter, consumed by the outbreak, and he fights against his loneliness to maintain mentally sane. When Dr. Morgan finds the contaminated Ruth Collins, he uses his blood to heal her and he becomes the last hope on Earth to help the other contaminated survivors. But the order of this new society is scary
I Am Legend by Richard Matheson was a novel way ahead of its time in its approach to horror, and this movie is a good example of why. This adaptation understands in part the what makes the original novel so effective, but doesn't really explore those ideas enough to pack the same emotional punch. As much as the Vampires are the main antagonist, they aren't what makes this story scary at all. its the crushing silence of it all. its the randomly scattered bodies that cover the entire surface of the planet. its the nights spent awake in terror, fearing that ever bump will be the last sound you ever hear. its knowing that everyone you have ever loved id dead. its wondering whether its even worth staying alive when the world has already moved on.
this movie understands that only a little bit, and doesn't seem to get the idea of less is more. the almost constant orchestral soundtrack kind of kills the silent ghost town vibe this movie needs to have, and the vampires in question feel more ridiculous than frightening. This movies vampires are almost zombie-like, whereas in the novel, they are fast and capable of running and climbing. Its not only that, but Vincent's monologue's are filled with dialogue i cant imagine a single person ever saying in his situation. Would you really start every day with a monologue about how hard it has been staying alive with the same woe is me type shit? on top of that the scenes that are meant to show his madness are very obvious theater acting, and its a bummer this movie wasn't made in a time when people understood more about mental health. This man goes out everyday and kills at least a dozen or so ex-human beings, and we never really see the toll that has taken on him.
the closest we get to that is a shockingly high def home video (who the fuck is filming all these bizarre angles?) from before shit hit the fan, and i must admit that scene is a rather powerful display of acting that gets cut way to short. even the later flashback never hits the same emotional tone as this moment, and i wish this movie was a bit better paced and a lot more dark. The family never feels like a family, all of the vampires feel like actors, and the whole thing is far to drawn out to be taken very seriously.
that being said, this is a beautifully directed movie that was one of Mr. Price's favorites, and i have a lot of respect for the fact the made a movie of this scale so early in terms of cinema. its not really my cup of tea, but i wont argue its place in horror history.
About 30 minutes in, i was ready to turn this movie off
6/10
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