IMDb > The Omega Man (1971)
The Omega Man
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The Omega Man (1971) More at IMDbPro »

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The Omega Man (1971) -- Sinematurk - Trailer (Quicktime)
The Omega Man (1971) -- Movieplayer.it - Trailer (Flash

Overview

User Rating:
6.7/10   9,514 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 8% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Boris Sagal
Writers:
John William Corrington (screenplay) and
Joyce Hooper Corrington (screenplay) ...
more
Contact:
View company contact information for The Omega Man on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
1 August 1971 (USA) more
Genre:
Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller more
Tagline:
Pray for the last man alive. Because he's not alone. more
Plot:
Robert Neville, a doctor, due to an experimental vaccine, is the only survivor of an apocalyptic war waged with biological weapons... more | full synopsis
NewsDesk:
(8 articles)
A look back at Night Of The Comet
 (From Fangoria. 27 October 2009, 11:14 PM, PDT)

Classic Cameos: Charlton Heston in 'Wayne's World 2'
 (From Cinematical. 22 September 2009, 5:02 PM, PDT)

User Comments:
Sci Fi Action At Its Explosive Best! more (166 total)

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Charlton Heston ... Robert Neville
Anthony Zerbe ... Jonathan Matthias
Rosalind Cash ... Lisa

Paul Koslo ... Dutch
Eric Laneuville ... Richie

Lincoln Kilpatrick ... Zachary
Jill Giraldi ... Little Girl
Anna Aries ... Woman in Cemetery Crypt

Brian Tochi ... Tommy
DeVeren Bookwalter ... Family Member
John Dierkes ... Family Member
Monika Henreid ... Family Member

Linda Redfearn ... Family Member
Forrest Wood ... Family Member
more
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Additional Details

Runtime:
98 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Neville's primary weapon during the film is a Smith and Wesson M76 Sub Machine Gun, sometimes fitted with a flashlight. During the first night attack by the Family, Neville uses a Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) with an Infra-Red scope. more
Goofs:
Audio/visual unsynchronized: After Neville puts out the fire on the front of his car in the garage you can hear a short burst of "fire extinguisher" sound when his hand is not squeezing the extinguisher handle. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
[the last man on earth wrecks his car]
Robert Neville: There's never a cop around when you need one.
more
Movie Connections:
Spoofed in "The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror VIII (#9.4)" (1997) more
Soundtrack:
'Round Midnight more

FAQ

Was Matthias in the I am Legend novel?
A Note Regarding Spoilers
Is the "The Omega Man" based on a novel?
more
62 out of 73 people found the following comment useful.
Sci Fi Action At Its Explosive Best!, 24 May 2005
9/10
Author: Dan1863Sickles from Troy, NY

This action packed and thought-provoking sci-fi drama has been one of my personal favorites for over 30 years. Charlton Heston found his definitive role here, as the last man on earth, a scientist fighting a single handed battle against hundreds of mutant creatures of the night.

On the basic level, this movie has some of the most explosive action I have ever seen. Heston is at his best as a bloodless technocrat, a stone killer, "exterminating" mutants with machine guns, pistols, grenades, and his bare hands, all the time giving off an icy air of detachment. Put Chuck up against Clint Eastwood or Charles Bronson and he definitely holds his own purely as a Seventies action hero.

On the other hand, this is also Chuck's best performance as an actor. The fact that he literally has the screen to himself for the first half hour allows him to do things he never did in his "epic star" mode. Watch him buy that used car, making small talk with a rotted corpse. Chuck puts across so much loneliness and yet entirely avoids self-pity, as in "thanks a lot, you cheating bastard." It's a scream to watch the bigger than life Moses dealing with life's everyday hassles, not in reality but in wistful fantasy.

Then watch the WOODSTOCK scene in the movie theater. Here's right wing idealist Charlton Heston watching left-wing hippies dance and frolic. Here's the last man on earth watching huge mobs of people crowd up the world that is now empty. The ironies are razor sharp, and Heston just lies back and lets the dialog work for him. "Just to see, just to really realize, that if you have to be afraid to smile at someone, if you have to be afraid to walk down the street, what kind of world is that? Right?" Note well the master's restraint. He doesn't sneer, he puts much more sadness into the lip-reading bit, with a little self-loathing on the side. The dialog and situation are tailor-made for Heston's cold decisive vocal style. It's not hammy stuff, it's Heston giving you the same kind of chill Deniro achieved in TAXI DRIVER. It's the paranoid loner as tragic hero. This cold withdrawn stuff is right down his power alley, and Chuck sends this scene into the upper decks.

Once the movie gets started, Heston gets superb assistance from Anthony Zerbe as the religious fanatic Brother Matthias. Zerbe is superb and the commentary on religious fanaticism is even more relevant today than it was thirty years ago. Then there's the sizzling racial subplot, the kill-whitey fanaticism of Brother Zachary striking far too close to home in 1973 but remaining as provocative as ever today. It's disturbing indeed to note the subliminal message of the inter-racial love affair -- the nice white man is happy to take care of the black woman and her children, but only after the assertive black man is dead. A movie that provokes, entertains, and combines scorching social issues with rip-roaring adventure, THE OMEGA MAN is Heston's best.

"Nope -- they sure don't make pictures like that any more."

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Omega Man (1971)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Wierd weapons in film. savagesteve13
Is Anthony Zerbe really Anthony Hopkins? Mr_Cryptic
o.k. for kids? ettully
Filming Location water22boy
Nope, they sure don't make pictures like this anymore... Darbacour
Omega Man theme = The Prisoner theme? roximunro
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