Movie Review: The Last Man on Earth (1964)

Directed by Ubaldo Ragona and Sidney Salkow
IMDb listing

Pros: good acting, interesting story, atmospheric

Cons:

Doctor Robert Morgan (Vincent Price) is the sole human survivor of a plague that turned everyone else into vampires. Hiding from them at night and killing them by day, how long can he survive?

This is based on the novella I Am Legend by Richard Matheson who co-wrote the screenplay. It’s slow moving and highly atmospheric, giving you a chance to feel Morgan’s loneliness and isolation. There is a voice over giving Morgan’s thoughts and half way through there is a long flashback sequence that explains what’s going on.

The actors are all great. The vampires have all the traditional weaknesses though act more like movie zombies (slow and dim-witted). There are a few tense moments.

It’s worth seeing.