Movie Review: The Last Man on Earth

The Last Man on Earth (a.k.a. L'ultimo Uomo Della Terra a.k.a. The Damned Walk at Midnight a.k.a. Vento Di Morte) 

Starring: Vincent Price, Franca Bettoia, Emma Danieli, Giacomo Rossi-Stuart, Umberto Raho, Christi Courtland, Antonio Corevi, Ettore Ribotta, Carolyn De Fonseca, Rolando De Rossi, Giuseppe Mattei, Alessandro Tedeschi 

Directors: Ubaldo Ragona, Sidney Salkow

Produzioni La Regina, Associated Producers (API), American International Pictures (AIP), USA, Italy, 1964. 

This movie is part of Horror Classics 50 Movie Pack by Mill Creek Entertainment.

Based on the novel "I Am Legend" by Richard Matheson.

In 1968 three years have passed since the end of the world. Only man left is Dr. Robert Morgan (Vincent Price). For him every day is the same. He uses garlic and mirrors to repel vampires. He also tries to find the vampire covens and kills them with stakes. Every night vampires try to attack his house. The vampires are quite weak and slow so they are easy to kill. Loneliness is driving Robert crazy. 

Fresh garlic is important

Burning dead vampires

Going shopping

Before the vampiric epidemic Robert had wife Virge (Emma Danieli) and daughter Kathy (Christi Courtland). Robert and his friend Ben (Giacomo Rossi-Stuart) are scientists trying to find a cure. Kathy gets ill. Ben is highly pessimistic and has heard stories of the dead returning back to life. The officials burn the dead bodies to stop the plague from spreading. Then also Virge gets ill. Only Robert is immune to vampirism. Virge dies and returns as a vampire. 

Epidemic gets worse

Dr. Robert Morgan

Virge returns as vampire

Later Robert thinks he gets a friend from a stray dog but the happiness does not last. There may be other humans alive and he meets Ruth (Franca Bettoia). Ruth may have a cure for vampirism but it may already be too late. The new post-human society fears the monster of the legends, Robert. 

Ben

Vampires are weak and slow

Ruth

The movie is not perfect. The pacing is very slow but the ending feels rushed. As there are only few actors in the film, the end of the world seems very minimalistic. There is also the problem: if everyone is a vampire what will they eat? The vampires are very zombie-like but they can speak. The movie has heavy and melancholic atmosphere and Vincent Price pulls his role well as lonely depressed man. The movie inspired Romero's "Night of the Living Dead" which is very obvious when the vampires are pounding on Robert's door trying to get in.

Rating: Good