Changes

'''''The Omega Man''''' is a [[science fiction]] [[dystopian]]-[[survivalist fiction]] movie starring [[Charlton Heston]]

'''''The Omega Man''''' is a [[science fiction]] [[dystopian]]-[[survivalist fiction]] movie starring [[Charlton Heston]]

The Omega Man is based loosely on the 1954 [[American]] [[author]] Richard Matheson classic [[Post Apocalyptic World]] [[dystopian]] [[survivalist]] [[[fiction]] novel [[I am Legend]]. An [[Amazon.com]] reviewer describes it as, {{cquote|"Taking place in the near future, the Omega Man imagines a world where the majority of the [[population]] has been wiped out by [[biological war]]fare. Those that have [[survival|survived]] have become albinos who can only come out at night. In a clever touch that has never really been given its due, their leader is a former TV news commentator named Mathias. Mathias has declared that the only way to purify the world is to destroy all reminders of their former life and that includes anyone who may not have been infected with the [[plague]]. At the beginning of the movie, that would appear to be all of one man -- a former [[military]] [[scientist]] played by [[Charlton Heston]] who spends his days driving through a deserted [[Los Angeles]] is search of both a cure and more humans. At night, he hides in his well-lit apartment while Mathias's mob angrily tries to force him out."<ref>https://www.amazon.com/Omega-Man-Charlton-Heston/dp/B000P0J0BU [[Amazon.com]] review. Accessed December 18, 2014</ref>}}

The Omega Man is based loosely on the 1954 [[American]] [[author]] Richard Matheson classic [[Post Apocalyptic World]] [[dystopian]] [[survivalist]] [[[fiction]] novel [[I am Legend]]. An [[Amazon.com]] reviewer describes it as, {{cquote|"Taking place in the near future, the Omega Man imagines a world where the majority of the [[population]] has been wiped out by [[biological war]]fare. Those that have [[survival|survived]] have become albinos who can only come out at night. In a clever touch that has never really been given its due, their leader is a former TV news commentator named Mathias. Mathias has declared that the only way to purify the world is to destroy all reminders of their former life and that includes anyone who may not have been infected with the [[plague]]. At the beginning of the movie, that would appear to be all of one man -- a former [[military]] [[scientist]] played by [[Charlton Heston]] who spends his days driving through a deserted [[Los Angeles]] is search of both a cure and more humans. At night, he hides in his well-lit apartment while Mathias's mob angrily tries to force him out."<ref>https://www.amazon.com/Omega-Man-Charlton-Heston/dp/B000P0J0BU [[Amazon.com]] review. Accessed December 18, 2014</ref>

"The Omega Man is at its strongest in the beginning. The scenes of Heston driving across a deserted Los Angeles (scenes that were shot on actual L.A. street) continue to haunt thirty years after they were first filmed and, for all its inherent camp value, there's something undeniably powerful about seeing the half-mad Heston passing the time by sitting in an empty music theater and watching [[Woodstock]]. As well, Mathias' [[siege]] on Heston's apartment is also well handled. After this, the film loses its way slightly with Heston predictability getting trapped outside after dark and much of the film's action falls flat. However, uneven as it may be, it all builds up to a truly powerful ending that will shock those raised on the [[:Category:Science Fiction Movies|science fiction films]] of the '80s and '90s and the final visual image of Heston still packs an incredible amount of power. Despite the fact that Charlton Heston's performance here (and [[Soylent Green]]) provided the inspiration for many impressionists, he actually gives an excellent performance. While he spends much of the film gritting his teeth [[NRA]]-style, he also brings a very believable sense of fear to the night scenes. Heston doesn't make his hero an obvious hero -- instead of being a standard good guy, mankind's last hope is instead presented as having been driven almost mad by his responsibility."}}

He continues, "The Omega Man is at its strongest in the beginning. The scenes of Heston driving across a deserted Los Angeles (scenes that were shot on actual L.A. street) continue to haunt thirty years after they were first filmed and, for all its inherent camp value, there's something undeniably powerful about seeing the half-mad Heston passing the time by sitting in an empty music theater and watching [[Woodstock]]. As well, Mathias' [[siege]] on Heston's apartment is also well handled. After this, the film loses its way slightly with Heston predictability getting trapped outside after dark and much of the film's action falls flat. However, uneven as it may be, it all builds up to a truly powerful ending that will shock those raised on the [[:Category:Science Fiction Movies|science fiction films]] of the '80s and '90s and the final visual image of Heston still packs an incredible amount of power. Despite the fact that Charlton Heston's performance here (and [[Soylent Green]]) provided the inspiration for many impressionists, he actually gives an excellent performance. While he spends much of the film gritting his teeth [[NRA]]-style, he also brings a very believable sense of fear to the night scenes. Heston doesn't make his hero an obvious hero -- instead of being a standard good guy, mankind's last hope is instead presented as having been driven almost mad by his responsibility."</blockquote>

 

The story of the [[novel]] takes place in a then-futuristic Los Angeles of 1976 where a plague has transformed all of humanity into [[vampire]]s, except for the protagonist Robert Neville.<ref>[http://www.amazon.com/I-Am-Legend-Richard-Matheson/dp/031286504X Richard Matheson's I Am Legend at Amazon.com]</ref> The novel has been adapted into three [[films]], the first being ''[[The Last Man on Earth]]'' starring [[Vincent Price]], which was released in 1964.<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058700/ The Last Man on Earth at the Internet Movie Database]</ref> The second adaptation was the 1971 film ''[[The Omega Man]]'' which featured [[Charlton Heston]] in the lead role.<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067525/ The Omega Man at the Internet Movie Database]</ref> The most recent adaptation of the novel is the 2007 film ''[[I Am Legend (film)|I Am Legend]]'' starring [[Will Smith]].<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0480249/ I Am Legend at the Internet Movie Database]</ref>

 

The story of the novel takes place in a then-futuristic Los Angeles of 1976 where a plague has transformed all of humanity into [[vampires]], except for the protagonist Robert Neville.<ref>[http://www.amazon.com/I-Am-Legend-Richard-Matheson/dp/031286504X Richard Matheson's I Am Legend at Amazon.com]</ref> The novel has been adapted into three [[films]], the first being ''[[The Last Man on Earth]]'' starring [[Vincent Price]], which was released in 1964.<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058700/ The Last Man on Earth at the Internet Movie Database]</ref> The second adaptation was the 1971 film ''[[The Omega Man]]'' which featured [[Charlton Heston]] in the lead role.<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067525/ The Omega Man at the Internet Movie Database]</ref> The most recent adaptation of the novel is the 2007 film ''[[I Am Legend (film)|I Am Legend]]'' starring [[Will Smith]].<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0480249/ I Am Legend at the Internet Movie Database]</ref>

==References==

==References==

==External Links==

==External Links==

* [https://www.amazon.com/Omega-Man-Charlton-Heston/dp/B000P0J0BU Amazon.com Omega-Man Page]

* [https://www.amazon.com/Omega-Man-Charlton-Heston/dp/B000P0J0BU Amazon.com Omega-Man Page]

[[Category:Fiction]]

[[Category:Fiction]]

[[Category:Survivalist Fiction]]

[[Category:Survivalist Fiction]]

[[Category:Dystopian Fiction]]

[[Category:Dystopian Fiction]]