'The Last Man on Earth'' (1964)

By Crusader1307

 An independent-made (rare for 1964), ''The Last Man on Earth'' was a Horror/Sci-Fi Film which featured ''Scream Great'' Vincent Price in the Title role. The film was the first filming of the Genre of science-created Zombies and the effects of a Global Pandemic which devastated The World's Population. It was written by acclaimed Writer of Horror and Science-Fiction, Richard Matheson in 1954 as ''I Am Legend''. Remade several times over the last 50-odd years (from moderate to big-budget), this original version still is seen my most as the closest to Matheson's original Novel. The plot centers around a Scientist trying to find the cure to a Worldwide Pandemic spawned by Bats (which becomes a virus which spreads around The Planet via The ''Gulf Stream''). The mortality rate is several days from initial infection. A victim becomes weak, experiences hallucinations and eventually goes blind, just prior to death. But ''they'' don't die – it seems. Victims ''return'' to life as ''Zombie-like'' Beings which can only survive in the dark (sleeping during the day). Pale (almost albino in fact), these ''Zombies'' are also seen as a form of ''Modern Vampire''.

For some reason, our Scientist (Price), has an immunity against the virus, and spends His time (alone), trying to kill The Zombie-Vampires (during the day with wooden stakes) and repelling them with Garlic (which they hate). Mirrors too seem to annoy The Zombie-Vampire Mutations as well. Going slowly insane from lack of Human contact, He finally finds a Female Survivor, whom He ''clings to''. Unfortunately for Price, ''She'' is actually part of a larger ''Community'' of unknown survivors. These ''people'' are Zombie-Vampire Mutations as well, but something in their genetics allowed them to retain their higher brain functions. Able to function in low light levels (and equally disliking their more ''dim-witted'' Cousins – killing them when found, like Price), ''They'' see Price as the ''last remnant'' of a World which created The Apocalypse. They used the girl as bait in essence. Price is finally killed by ''The Community'' – who are now the new Human evolutionary state. Although filmed in Italy (which used an Italian City to represent ''Everycity, USA''), ''The Last Man on Earth'' – while old, is still the best version you can watch.