The Omega Man • The Next Reel

"You are discarded. You are the refuse of the past."Richard Matheson’s 1954 vampire horror novel “I Am Legend” helped influence the zombie genre (it was the inspiration for the ‘68 George Romero film “Night of the Living Dead”) and popularized the concept of a worldwide apocalypse due to disease. Yet for some reason, filmmakers haven’t been able to crack the story. It’s been made into three different films, and it doesn’t seem like any of them have gotten it right. Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we kick off our disease series with the second of these adaptations, Boris Sagal’s 1971 film, “The Omega Man.”We talk about why this movie doesn’t work for us and try to figure out what the movie has that gives it that ‘guilty pleasure’ feel. We discuss the actors, notably Charlton Heston, Anthony Zerbe and Rosalind Cash, as they all work together and deliver some terribly written lines. Speaking of lines, we discuss the script written by John William Corrington and Joyce Hooper Corrington, our problems with it and why it feels a bit like a soap opera. We also talk about Sagal’s direction and why the whole film really feels like a TV production. And we have to bring up the crazy amount of 70s zooms in the movie – definitely a sign of the times. It’s not a film that we love, even if Andy could see some of the guilty pleasure enjoyment with it. Regardless, it’s an interesting film worth discussing and opening up our disease films series. So check it out then tune in to this week’s show!Film SundriesWatch this film: iTunes • AmazonScript TranscriptOriginal theatrical trailerOriginal poster artworkI Am Legend by Richard MathesonFlickchartLetterboxdHeston Kisses GoldbergWhat’s Happening Theme Song Trailers of the WeekAndy's Trailer: Storks — "This sounded really dumb. But then I watched the trailer and really can’t stop laughing. I don’t know if the movie will actually hold up, but I already feel like I’m going to give it the benefit of the doubt."Pete's Trailer: War on Everyone — "Worst cops ever. Skarsgård and James are blackmailing criminals with subversive joy. This is an id movie just waiting to satisfy me."Support The Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:Become a member for just $5/month or $55/yearJoin our Discord community of movie loversThe Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:Cinema Scope: Bridging Genres, Subgenres, and MovementsThe Film BoardMovies We LikeThe Next Reel Film PodcastSitting in the DarkConnect With Us:Main Site: WebMovie Platforms: Letterboxd | FlickchartSocial Media: Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Bluesky | YouTube | PinterestYour Hosts: Andy | PeteShop & Stream:Merch Store: Apparel, stickers, mugs & moreWatch Page: Buy/rent films we've discussedOriginals: Source material from our episodesSpecial offers: Letterboxd Pro/Patron discount | Audible