- published: 17 Jul 2013
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The Omega Man (stylized as The Ωmega Man) is a 1971 American science fiction film directed by Boris Sagal and starring Charlton Heston. It was written by John William Corrington and Joyce Corrington, based on the 1954 novel I Am Legend by the American writer Richard Matheson. The film was produced by Walter Seltzer, who went on to produce the 1973 science fiction film, Soylent Green, also starring Heston.
The Omega Man is the second adaptation of Matheson's novel, the first being The Last Man on Earth (1964) which starred Vincent Price. A third adaptation, I Am Legend starring Will Smith, was released in 2007. A low budget straight-to-DVD release, I Am Omega, featuring Mark Dacascos, also appeared in 2007 (though neither Matheson's name or novel were credited as source material for this version).
The film differs from the novel (and the previous film) in several ways. In the novel the cause of the demise of humanity is a plague spread by mosquitoes, turning the population into vampire-like creatures, whereas in this film version biological warfare is the cause of the plague. Screenwriter Joyce Corrington holds a doctorate in chemistry and felt this was more suitable for an adaptation.
Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter; October 4, 1923 – April 5, 2008) was an American actor of film, theatre and television. Heston is known for heroic roles in films such as The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor, El Cid, and Planet of the Apes. He also is well known for his roles in the films The Greatest Show on Earth and Touch of Evil.
Heston was also known for his political activism. In the 1950s and 1960s he was one of a handful of Hollywood actors to speak openly against racism and was an active supporter of the Civil Rights Movement. Initially a moderate Democrat, he later supported conservative Republican policies and was president of the National Rifle Association from 1998 to 2003.
Heston was born John Charles Carter, the son of Lilla (née Charlton; 1899–1994) and Russell Whitford Carter (1897–1966), a sawmill operator. Most sources state that he was born in Evanston, Illinois. Heston's autobiography, however, and some other sources place his birth in No Man's Land, Illinois, which usually refers to a then-unincorporated area now part of Wilmette, a wealthy northern suburb of Chicago. Heston said in a 1995 interview that he was not very good at remembering addresses or his early childhood.
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.
Keywords: 1970s, 8-track, albino, apocalypse, archery, august, august-the-month, automatic-rifle, automobile, balcony
[the last man on earth, talking to a bust of Caesar positioned in front of a chessboard]::Neville: Hi. Another day, another dollar.::[later]::Neville: For you, I think it's your move.::[makes drink]::Neville: Join me? Hmm? Miserable schmuck!::[to his own image on the video screen]::Neville: Isn't he? Isn't he a sullen b...::[stops when he hears the "Family" calling him from outside]::Neville: [to the "Family"] SHUT UP! Why the hell can't you leave me alone?::[later, to the bust of Caesar]::Neville: What day is it, anyway? Monday? Huh? The hell it is. It's Sunday. Sunday I always dress for dinner.
[first lines]::[the last man on earth wrecks his car]::Robert Neville: There's never a cop around when you need one.
[talking to his own image on a TV screen]::Robert Neville: Hi, Big Brother, how's your ass?
[hearing the "Family" loudly holding a book-burning revel]::Robert Neville: At it again, I see? What will it be tonight? Museum of Science? Some library? Poor miserable bastards.
Little Girl: Are you God?::Lisa: Let's find out if he's even a doctor before we go promoting him, okay?
Dutch: I was a med-school senior when they scratched the world. As a matter of fact, I was planning on applying to biowar labs for my post-doc, but, heh-heh, the next term never came.::Robert Neville: Now I'm sorry you didn't make it.::Lisa: Sorry the world didn't make it.
Lisa: Is there anything you can do, DOCTOR, I mean, seeing as how you've lost over 200 million patients?
Robert Neville: You know the old song? If you were the only girl in the world, and I was the only boy, well, okay, but until then, don't bother me? Well, I guess I'm the only boy...
[after Neville tosses her a submachine gun]::Lisa: What's this for?::Neville: Comfort.
Neville: And Speedy Bob Neville - his great legs churning goes speeding across the finish line with a three minute and fifty second mile. Go ahead, let's see some son-of-a-bitch beat that.
Actors: Aaron Soto (producer), Aaron Soto (writer), Aaron Soto (director), Giancarlo Ruiz (actor), Cathy Alberich (producer), Édgar Guerra (producer),
Genres: Short,