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The Omega Man (1971) 6.6
Army doctor Robert Neville struggles to create a cure for the plague that wiped out most of the human race. Director:Boris SagalWriters:John William Corrington (screenplay), Joyce Hooper Corrington (screenplay), 1 more credit » |
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Cast
| Complete credited cast: | |||
| Charlton Heston | ... | ||
| Anthony Zerbe | ... | ||
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Rosalind Cash | ... |
Lisa
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Dutch
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Eric Laneuville | ... |
Richie
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Zachary
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Jill Giraldi | ... |
Little Girl
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Anna Aries | ... |
Woman in Cemetery Crypt
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Tommy
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DeVeren Bookwalter | ... |
Family Member
(as De Veren Bookwalter)
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John Dierkes | ... |
Family Member
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Monika Henreid | ... |
Family Member
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| Linda Redfearn | ... |
Family Member
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Forrest Wood | ... |
Family Member
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Plot Summary
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Plot Synopsis
Storyline
Robert Neville, a doctor, due to an experimental vaccine, is the only survivor of an apocalyptic war waged with biological weapons. The plague caused by the war has killed everyone else except for a few hundred deformed, nocturnal people calling themselves "The Family". The plague has caused them to become sensitive to light, as well as homicidally psychotic. They believe science and technology to be the cause of the war and their punishment, and Neville, as the last symbol of science, the old world, and a "user of the wheel", must die. Neville, using electricity, machinery, and science attempts to hold them at bay. Written by Roald E. Peterson III <slz13@cc.usu.edu>
Taglines:
The World Is Dead. One Survivor. Then The Others. Crawling In Darkness. The Strangest Sect Of All. *Hunting The Last Man On Earth.* See more »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
1 August 1971 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
La última esperanza See more »Company Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
MonoColor:
Color (Technicolor)Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1
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[the last man on earth wrecks his car]
Robert Neville: There's never a cop around when you need one.
See more »
(uncredited)
Written by Barry Melton, Bruce Barthol, Gary Hirsh, Country Joe McDonald and David Cohen
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
The production company wanted a locale that looked like an abandoned metropolitan area, but it was too costly to build. The producer drove through Downtown Los Angeles one weekend and discovered there were no shoppers, so the majority of the film's exteriors were shot there on weekends. See more »Goofs
In one of the early flashback news sequences, the reporter warning people to stay in their homes concludes with 'CONELRAD channel' - CONELRAD was an acronym for Control of Electromagnetic Radiation developed by the FCC during the Cold War, and was abandoned in August of 1963, replaced by the Emergency Broadcast System in the same month. Any 1970s alert would have used the EBS, not CONELRAD. See more »Quotes
[first lines][the last man on earth wrecks his car]
Robert Neville: There's never a cop around when you need one.
See more »
Crazy Credits
The opening credits feature the credit "Based on a book by Richard Matheson", and does not give the title of the actual book, I Am Legend. See more »Soundtracks
"Rock 'n' Soul Music"(uncredited)
Written by Barry Melton, Bruce Barthol, Gary Hirsh, Country Joe McDonald and David Cohen
See more »
A film that can't help but aim too high, "The Omega Man" suffers from the very thing that makes it great. Set in a post-apocalyptic future (for the audience of 1971) the film attempts to show a world populated by a single solitary man. Well, a man and a cult of malcontented zombie/mutant/vampire beings. Robert Neville (Heston) is the lone survivor of a germ war that turned the population of the world into freaks. Based on the amazingly brilliant book "I Am Legend" by Richard Matheson, the film shares most of the qualities of the book, yet excludes the portions that make "Legend" fantastic.
The idea of being the last man is intriguing. I used to fantasize about being Neville as a child (probably not the healthiest thing for a kid). Neville has paradise, but with the highest price possible. He can have anything he wants, but no one to share it with. And come night time, he must hide in his fortress away from the angry mob of mutants.
The apocalyptic world that makes the first half so captivating is destroyed by the second half's plot device. I won't go into details for those who haven't seen it. However, I will say the film starts to slide downhill from the mid-way point. But the lesser parts can be enjoyed as early 70's camp.
Even with its faults, "The Omega Man" is a great Sci-fi movie. It also gives Heston a chance to play his quintessential role of a man at the end of civilization. The film's weaknesses don't ruin the experience entirely. It is a film that myself and my friends talk about to this day despite the fact that most of my friends only saw it once or twice (when forced by me).
Related note: I Am Legend was also made into the film "The Last Man on Earth" starring Vincent Price. "Omega Man" is discussed in the first scene of indie-film classic "Slacker."