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.

Movie Review: The House on Haunted Hill

Directed by William Castle and Rosemary Horvath, 1959

IMDb listing

Pros: melodramatic, some good acting, interesting story, some decent scares

Cons: melodramatic, some cheesy special effects

Millionaire Frederick Loren invites five strangers to join him and his wife for a party at a haunted house. If they survive the night, he’ll give them each $10 000. 

Nora Manning, a secretary who wants the payout to help support her family, starts seeing things first. As her hysteria mounts and more terrifying things happen, a body is found and one of them is a murderer. Unless it’s the ghosts Mr. Pritchard (the house’s owner) insists are growing restless.

The movie starts off in an unusual manner, with a floating head of Mr. Pritchard explaining that the house is haunted. You then see Mr. Loren (played masterfully by Vincent Price)’s floating head introducing the five guests and his wife’s… strange sense of humour. 

There are some genuinely tense moments, especially around Nora. Her screaming can get a bit unnerving, especially towards the end of the film.

The special effects are a bit on the cheesy side, which isn’t surprising given when the movie was made. The fake head was not very convincing.

On the whole I was impressed by this. If you haven’t seen it, it’s a fun horror film.