Product Description

Welcome to the future. Biological war has decimated life on Earth. Los Angeles is a windswept ghost town where Robert Neville tools his convertible through sunlit streets foraging for supplies. And makes damn sure he gets undercover before sundown when other "inhabitants" emerge. The Omega Man adapts Richard Matheson's novel I Am Legend into a high-impact high-tension saga of a fate not far removed from reality. Charlton Heston is Neville fending off attacks by The Family sinister neopeople spawned by the plague. He also becomes a man with a mission after meeting Lisa (Rosalind Cash) another unifected survivor - and guardian of some healthy children representing our species' hope. Year: 1971 Sound: ENG FR; Subtitles: ENG FR Screen Format: Side A: Standard; Side B: WiedescreenFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: SCI-FI/FANTASY UPC: 085391163213 Manufacturer No: 116321

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #558 in DVD
• Brand: Warner Brothers
• Released on: 2007-05-15
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, French, Spanish
• Dubbed in: French
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Running time: 98 minutes

Customer Reviews

"I am Legend" is a Remake of "The Omega Man"
"I am Legend" is a Remake of "The Omega Man". Aside from the special effects, "The Omega Man" is a better implementation of the original storyline. It avoids the plunge into "Night of the Living Dead" and instead represents 'The Dark Seekers' with soothsaying hippie vampires. To see what I mean, you just have to try it... Definitely worthwhile viewing.

Heston During His Sci-Fi Phase
In the wake of Charlton Heston's death, I decided to have a marathon viewing of his films. I rewatched many of my favorites and sought out some of those I had never seen.

It had been a long time since I'd watched "The Omega Man" and it seems very dated now. Made in 1971, it is very much a product of it's time, full of bad fashions, outdated slang, and late 60's sensibilities (plus, every black character sports a big afro).

The first 30 minutes of "Omega" is somewhat faithful to "I Am Legend," the novel on which it is based, at least more so than the recent Will Smith movie. Heston's character, Robert Neville, has carved out a lonely life as the last man on earth. The creatures who rise at night are not vampires, but the victims of a plague caused by germ warfare. They pursue Neville and talk to him like in the novel rather than being mindless brutes.

The night people, who dress in hooded robes and call themselves "The Family," are like a group of undead albino hippies. Their leader spouts all kinds of pseudo-philosophical babble and rants about how Neville must be destroyed. They are creepy in some ways, lurking around in the shadows, but mostly they come across as annoying.

But once Neville encounters a group of young people who are resistant to the plague, the movies deviates significantly from the book and goes downhill fast. Neville joins them as they try to avoid the Family's clutches, leading to a lame and abrupt ending.

However, the worst thing about "Omega Man" is the score. I don't know what the composer was thinking, but the music throughout is wildly incongruous with the subject matter. It's hard to feel fear or suspense when elevator music is playing in the background.

So, is "Omega Man" worth seeing? Yes. It's an interesting artifact of pre-"Star Wars" science fiction. And if you are a Heston fan, it's one of the films in his classic sci-fi trilogy (which also includes "Planet of the Apes" and "Soylent Green.") There are some suspenseful moments and the sense of loneliness is effectively conveyed at the beginning. Just be prepared for dated dialogue, cheesy music, and a disappointing ending.

MOne of my fav's
This movie is great. It has action, drama, even a little romance. It is a doom & gloom movie with a very disturbing story line. I love these type of movies. I would put it in the same class as I am Legend, Resident Evil, 28 Days, The Thing, mad max, Escape from New York, you get the idea. It is definately a guys movie. Worth it to watch.