Day 199: "Definition of a scientist: a man who understands nothing until there was nothing left to understand."

I decided to go back to my sci-fi roots today and catch a film I've been meaning to see for years: The Omega Man.  Loosely based on the Richard Matheson novel I Am Legend, and previously made into the Vincent Price movie, The Last Man on Earth (also made into a film with its original title starring Will Smith in 2007), The Omega Man is a whole lot of fun.  Dr. Robert Neville is the only remaining human survivor of a global plague released upon humanity during a border war between the Soviet Union and China (the border dispute portion appears to be historically accurate to the early 70's).  The other "survivors" are horribly mutated creatures.  Completely colorless, highly sensitive to light and psychotic, the "Family", as they refer to themselves, see technology, science, and even art as what caused the downfall of humanity, and left them the caretakers of a dead world.  Their attacks on Neville are their attempts to finish cleansing the Earth of its last infection so they can begin to rebuild from the ashes.  I enjoyed this movie in all of its 70's goodness.  Even the attempts by director Boris Sagal to inject some of the 60's and 70's counterculture elements into the story are pretty amusing to see (think a post-apocalyptic Manson Family).

Charlton Heston again brings his particular brand of swagger to the screen.  He plays the role of Neville in a very similar way to his portrayal of Taylor in Planet of the Apes.  Actually, he plays this role the same way as every other role I've seen him in, but hey, it's Heston; the guy rocks.  As with most of his pictures in the twilight of his acting career, he was the biggest star, and the only one with any real star power.

I'm putting The Omega Man in the same category of 70's sci-fi as Logan's Run and Death Race 2000, campy fun with a light social message thrown in for flavor.  Now don't get me wrong, I really liked this, but in reality it's just a glorified popcorn flick.  See it for a fun diversion, or a blast from the past.  Just for kicks, see how many goofs you can find.  There are a bunch.  7.5/10.

See you tomorrow, and GO WATCH A MOVIE!!