I'm not going to do a regular review of this 1971 flick (adapted from the book by Michael Crichton), but I will say a couple of things about it.

First, if you haven't seen it lately, do yourself a favor and watch it again. If you've never seen it, you should. It's very much in the techno-science style of Fantastic Voyage.

Secondly, one of the most frightening scenes I've ever seen in any film is when they're testing for the whatever-it-is, and you watch the first rhesus monkey die from exposure to it. Absolutely chilling.

Posted by: Ted at 12:22 AM | category: Cult Flicks
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Not only are they remaking the classic House of Wax (and destroying the original storyline in the process), but word is out that Paris Hilton is co-starring.

Hopefully she's the first to go.

Posted by: Ted at 08:04 AM | category: Cult Flicks
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I watched Bound last night, starring Jennifer Tilly and Gina Gershon.

What is it about Gina Gershon that women find so attractive? She's not a classic beauty, but she is easy on the eyes, and I suspect that there's something more than just physical looks that drives ladies wild.

For the record, I really like the movie.

I just stumbled across another little interesting movie tidbit. The flick Donnie Darko (very odd so far) just started, starring Jake Gyllenhaal who also played Homer Hickam in October Sky (rocket movie, yay!), and is also the brother of Maggie Gyllenhaal, who starred in Secretary and plays one of the sisters in Donnie Darko.

No Kevin Bacon's were harmed during the making of this post.

Posted by: Ted at 10:30 AM | category: Cult Flicks
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1 I really like Donnie Darko--it's wierd, but compelling...

Posted by: Susie at July 11, 2004 02:23 AM (veDkk)

2 I saw "Bound" at an art house cinema when it first came out. Personally, I imagine the attraction to Gina Gershon comes from putting her next to an annoying Jennifer Tilly. But then again, Gina was just so intense and, let's face it, the girl knew how to use tools and guns. What's not to love?

Posted by: dawn at July 11, 2004 02:59 PM (Zgn4s)

3 Gershon is extremely hot... she's got that "look" that all men like... like she'd screw you into a coma or something... but don't listen to her sing....

Posted by: Madfish Willie at July 12, 2004 09:07 PM (yN46R)

4 It's those lips. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Posted by: Kin at August 25, 2004 10:42 AM (t9u+J)

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(original post here)

There have been countless stories written about a variation of the "Last Man on Earth" theme. Besides the classic "I Am Legend" by Richard Matheson, Damon Knight's short story "Not With A Bang" is an interesting take on the situation. Originally published in the Winter/Spring 1950 issue of Fantasy & Science Fiction, it's also included in the excellent anthology Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Slay Ride.

Posted by: Ted at 06:09 AM | category: Cult Flicks
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You've probably seen The Omega Man, the post-apocalypse film starring Charlton Heston. But did you know that the movie had been done before? Both movies were based on Richard Matheson's classic book "I Am Legend", and tell the story of what may be the last human alive and his battle to survive against zombies who roam the night looking for blood.

Wake up, make coffee, gas up the generator in the garage, clear the zombie corpses off of the porch, go grocery shopping, then spend the day killing zombies and burning their bodies. It's a big city, so the routine goes on each and every day. You're half-crazy from the solitude, so you practically welcome the company at night as the zombies try to break into your house.

That's the plot of Last Man On Earth, an Italian chiller made in 1964. Starring Vincent Price, the black and white cinematography and eerie scenes of an empty city littered with corpses go a long way to set the dark tone. This movie is a downer right from the beginning, which feels right considering the concept. There's a lot more background story than in Omega Man, and more psychological depth to the characters.

The Omega Man is one of those wonderfully cheesy SciFi thrillers that you either love or hate. Adapted from the same story as the first movie, both share the main plot line, but where Vincent Price is borderline crazy from his situation, Charlton Heston seems to thrive on it. Details differ, but the most obvious change is recognizing that by being the last man alive, you pretty much own everything. Heston stocks his penthouse apartment with fine art, liquor and food, and as long as he remembers to keep gas in the basement generator, then life is good (except for the being alone part).

Sharing the title, but not the storyline, is the 1924 flick, The Last Man On Earth. This forgotten classic examines the situation from a more literal point of view. What happens if, after all the men die, you find a fertile male? The obvious (and cheesy) answer is "breed".

Similar storylines can be found in such classics as Hell Comes To Frogtown, among others, but here...

Ok, now I'm pissed off. The box gives the synopsis for that movie, but the actual flick included is the Vincent Price version - again. Son of a bitch. Hang on... all right, I've double checked everything, and they switched movies on the DVD.

So now I can't recommend it based on personally seeing it myself, but I am going to be looking for a copy of the original. Ya know what? Go watch Hell Comes To Frogtown.

Posted by: Ted at 09:00 PM | category: Cult Flicks
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1 I suppose I could go to the IMDB, but let's see how much my mind has atrophied: Doesn't Frogtown star Rowdy Roddy Piper?

Posted by: Victor at July 03, 2004 07:09 AM (lt4GO)

2 Yay! Perfect recall Victor.

Posted by: Ted at July 03, 2004 08:32 AM (ZjSa7)

3 Very cool. I didn't realise that "I am Legend" had been done as a film prior to Omega Man, and with Vincent Price no less. Going to have to grab that DvD next time I'm out shopping for old movies. Thanks, Ted.

Heh heh heh. "Hell comes to Frogtown" is a favorite "guilty pleasure" flik. It's just so cheesy, and so much fun.

Posted by: Ironbear at July 05, 2004 02:55 AM (xBrqg)

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