Cover for THE OMEGA MAN Soundtrack
© FSM Silver Age Classics
The Omega Man
By: Robert T. TrateDate: Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Throughout the course of his “end of the world trilogy”: Planet of the Apes (1968), The Omega Man (1971) and Soylent Green (1973) Charlton Heston was cast as mankind’s last hope. Heston portrayed the last light that always refused to go out, a testament to humanity’s spirit and determination to live on. He might not have always saved the day or survived to see the next but his performances in these three films is the stuff of legends.
All of us at one point or another discovered Charlton Heston while watching TV on a lazy rainy day watching a Planet of the Apes marathon. Sure the plot is absurd for “normal” film goers but for those of us that truly love science fiction, Heston’s doomed Astronaut George Taylor is our ultimate hero. Here he is lost in time, surrounded by talking apes and cell mates with the hottest non-talking woman in the galaxy. What more could Sci-Fi fans want? Besides all of those perks, Heston embodied the human spirit in Planet of the Apes. He stood up and seemed to say, “here I am, acknowledge me, I have done nothing wrong, why can’t I just be?”. When met with opposition he stood his ground and made the good fight. He wasn’t after riches or even the girl. All he wanted was his freedom and the right to live. A simplistic hero but one we could all still believe in. At the time moviegoers needed heroes like that. Not much has changed in these forty years. Maybe that is why many of us can look past Heston’s personal politics and just enjoy him for the hero he portrayed.
Many of Charlton Heston’s science fiction films have made the transition to DVD and several have had re-releases and Blue-Ray editions. However, do not limit yourself to the “end of the world trilogy”. Check out all of Heston’s other classic films where he stood and fought for humanity.
THE Charlton Heston Must Haves
The Omega Man (1971) Blu-Ray just released as well as HD-DVD.
Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970)
El Cid (1961) Two-Disc Deluxe Edition now available.
55 Days at Peking (1963) Available on region 2 DVD.
Ben-Hur (1959)
The Buccaneer (1958) Heston and Yul Brynner team up to fight the British.
The Naked Jungle (1954) Heston fights billions ants.
ACTION / ADVENTURE / KUNG FU/ THRILLERS / WESTERNS
Cruel World
Dead Fish
Reservation Road
Sonny Chiba Double Feature: Fighting Fist & Soul of Chiba
ANIME
Hell Girl, Vol. 5 - Carp
Night When Evil Falls, Vol. 2
Simoun - Rondo of Loss Volume 3
CARTOONS
Space Ace [Blu-ray]
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Season 6
COMEDY AND LOVE Mania Style
Walk Hard - The Dewey Cox Story (Widescreen Edition)
Walk Hard - The Dewey Cox Story (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Walk Hard - The Dewey Cox Story [Blu-ray]
HORROR
6 Peliculas- De Terror
The Cellar Door
Cruel World
Crypt of Terror - A Collection of Nightmares
Day of the Dead
Hush... Hush Sweet Charlotte
Legends of Hollywood -Kings of Horror: Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi
The Nanny
P2 (Widescreen Edition)
SCIENCE FICTION / FANTASY
The 4th Dimension
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (20th Anniversary Edition)
Alien Agent
I Am Legend (Combo HD DVD and Standard DVD) [HD DVD]
Magus
Time Slip (aka GI Samurai) Two-Disc Special Edition
The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep [Blu-ray]
The Water Horse - Legend of the Deep (Two-Disc Special Edition)
TV LAND
Matlock - The First Season
The Super Robot Red Baron - The Complete Series
UNDENIABLE CLASSICS
All About Eve (Two-Disc Special Edition)
There Will Be Blood (Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition)
There Will Be Blood
BOX SETS
Bette Davis Centenary Celebration Collection (All About Eve / Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte / The Virgin Queen / Phone Call from a Stranger / The Nanny)
Houdini: The Movie Star (Three Disc Collection)
A Heston film not on your list, but one of my favorites, the 1958 Orson Wells produced film noir classic "Touch Of Evil"
R.I.P.
"Those who will not live by the law, shall DIE BY THE LAW!!!"