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The Omega Man [HD DVD]
© Warner Bros. Home Entertainment

Precursor

By: Robert Trate
Date: Tuesday, November 27, 2007

It’s not the biggest movie this holiday season but people are already talking about it. Will Smith’s ‘I am Legend’ with its desolate future and lone hero is a movie that has all types of movie goers talking. What really excites me about big budget films like ‘I am Legend’ is that they are usually (well practically) associated with something else. A cartoon, a comic book, a novel, a TV show; there is always something out there connected with a big budget film that some studio will use and ride its coattails to make some money.

Often, this means similar titles or other media will come out in new editions, special editions, or be released for the first time. When ‘Spider-Man’ hit the theaters back in 2002, I was excited for the old school cartoon series to come out on DVD. ‘Spider-Man the ’67 Collection’ had been long and coming to my DVD player and was joyfully played from start to finish never tiring of that incredible theme. When the new ‘Star Wars’ trilogy was wrapping up, I knew that the ‘Star Wars: Clone Wars’ DVD would be out and finally I would have something that was worth the wait with ‘Star Wars’ on it.

So with the new ‘I am Legend’, Warner Brothers is also releasing its earlier version of Richard Matheson’s classic novel, starring Charlton Heston titled ‘Omega Man’. The release will be hitting both HD-DVD and Blu-Ray. The film does take its liberties with Matheson’s story but it is nonetheless a classic cautionary tale about man, science and the horrors we can unleash upon ourselves. However, this is not the only version of Matheson’s nightmare story. Way back in 1964 Vincent Price was in ‘The Last Man on Earth’ which was based on Matheson’s work but deviated with budgetary constraints. This film, which has long been in the bargain DVD rack, is still an ominous tale that feels real and marks a time when a world wide plague was inconceivable. It is worth the watch for any fan of ‘Omega Man’ or the novel. Speaking of the book, a quick read for only 170 pages, you too can discover what is so captivating about I am Legend.

The precursor to a big budget film is often better than the film itself. Last year’s ‘Superman Returns’ added the Superman Ultimate Collector's Edition to the collection, which was an incredible box set and validated having ‘Superman IV the Quest for Peace’ in the collection (a guilty pleasure but one worth having). With a new Indiana Jones movie coming out, you know the precursor to that will mean new releases of the soundtracks, new action figures, new video games and so forth.

I put the question to you Maniacs out there: What has been or will be the best precursor?

ACTION / ADVENTURE / THRILLERS / WESTERNS

Bad Boys (1983)

The Common Denominators (2006)

Dragon Tiger Gate (2006)

I Know Who Killed Me (2007)

I Know Who Killed Me [Blu-ray] (2007)

Winter Kills (1979)

ANIME

Ah! My Goddess - Season 1 Complete Collection (2005)

Air TV, Vol. 4

Bleach - Vol. 7

Glass Fleet, Vol. 2 (Uncut)

Hikaru No Go - Vol. 11

Nadia, Secret of Blue Water: Perfect Collection

Naruto - Vol. 18

Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi: Perfect Collection

Neon Genesis Evangelion Platinum: Perfect Collection

Paprika (2006)

Paprika [Blu-ray] (2006)

Ranma 1/2 Season 4 - Outta Control

Step Up Love Story (2002)

Suzuka, Vol. 5

CARTOONS

Futurama - Bender's Big Score (2007)

Complete commentary by Matt Groening, David X. Cohen, and cast members. All new, full-length episode of "Everybody Loves Hypnotoad", including TV commercials of the future. Mind-bending Futurama math lecture by Professor Sarah Greenwald (Teachers: use it for exciting and educational classroom viewing!). Promo for "An Inconvenient Truth" starring Bender and Al Gore, including commentary by the former Vice President.

Return to Never Land (Pixie-Powered Edition) (2002)

Comedy and Love MANIA Style

Anchorman - The Legend of Ron Burgundy (Unrated) [HD DVD] (2004)

Hot Fuzz (3-Disc Collector's Edition) (2007)

Disc 1 Features: Feature Commentary with Simon Pegg & Edgar Wright. Feature Commentary with The Sandford Police Service - Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Jim Broadbent, Rafe Spall, Kevin Eldon & Olivia Colman. Feature Commentary with The Sandford Village People - Kenneth Cranham, Timothy Dalton, Paul Freeman & Edward Woodward. The Sanford Village People - Audio Commentary with Kenneth Cranham, Timothy Dalton, Paul Freeman and Edward Woodward. Feature Commentary with The Real Fuzz - Any Leafe & Nick Eckland. Feature Commentary with Edgar Wright & Guest. Outtakes. Storyboards. Fuzz-O-Meter (Trivia Track). Inadmissible: Deleted Scenes. Danny's Notebook. Hot Funk. Theatrical Trailer. UK TV Spot 1 and 2.

Disc 2 Features: We Made Hot Fuzz. Art Department. Friends & Family. Cranks, Cranes & Controlled Chaos. Here Come the Fuzz. Return to Sandford. Edgar & Simon's Flip Chart. Simon Muggs. Sergeant Fisher's Perfect Sunday. Plot Holes. Special Effects: Before & After. Video Blogs. Poster Gallery. Photo Gallery. AM Blam: Making 'Dead Right'. Dead Right (1993). Edgar Wright Director's Commentary on Dead Right. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost Commentary on Dead Right.

Hot Rod (2007)

Hot Rod [HD DVD] (2007)

Mr. Bean's Holiday (Widescreen Edition) (2007)

Mr. Bean's Holiday [HD DVD] (2007)

Old School (Unrated) [HD DVD] (2003)

Who's Your Caddy? (2007)

HORROR

Day X (2006)

Skinwalkers (2007)

This Hollow Sacrament (2006)

SCIENCE FICTION / FANTASY

Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe, Vol. 1 and 2 (1940)

Logan's Run (1976)

The Omega Man [Blu-ray] (1971)

The Omega Man [HD DVD] (1971)

Outland (1981)

Soylent Green (1973)

TV LAND

Happy Days - The Third Season (1974)

Laverne & Shirley - The Third Season (1976)

Mork & Mindy - The Third Season (1978)

The O.C. - The Complete Series Collection

The Return of Chandu, Vol. 1 and 2 (1934)

The Criterion Collection

Drunken Angel - Criterion Collection (1959)

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Comments/Responses

Miner49er • Nov 27, 2007, 12:21am •

I see they are re-releasing Soylent Green. Last time I tasted it, it was still made of people!
As Homer once said: "Mmmmmmm Soylent Green."

NotAFan • Nov 27, 2007, 01:34am •

Every one should see Omega Man before they see "Legend", so they can see how much of a p**** Smith is compared to Heston!

miko34 • Nov 27, 2007, 03:22am •

I just saw Omega Man last week for the first time. It is very, very dated. Heston overacts in it. I'm sure if I watched it in theaters back in the seventies, I might have enjoyed it more, but I'm glad this is being remade. I haven't seen Vincent Price's take on it yet. I'm also looking forward to the Logan's Run remake.

TreverT • Nov 27, 2007, 08:19am •

Actually, I think the 70's Omega Man would work great in an all-night movie marathon alongside the Grindhouse flicks from last year. Personally, I thought Heston was awesome. "There is no phone ringing!!!" Plus, Omega Man has one of the coolest soundtracks ever written.

kingghidorah • Nov 27, 2007, 12:16pm •

The Omega Man was a good movie but Vincent Price's "The Last Man on Earth" was still the first and best.

filmnotmovie • Nov 27, 2007, 12:25pm •

I first saw "The Omega Man" back when it was first released in the early 70's. Only
seven at the time, I thought it was the coolest movie I had ever seen. Over 35 years later, I still think it's a cool movie. Heston kicks ass, bags a cute afro-chick (the
late Rosalind Cash in a butt-kicking babe turn), and saves humanity. What's not to like? True, it has 70's written all over it, but
that's part of the appeal. I've always viewed
as part of a loose trilogy: "The-Charlton-Heston-Biological/Ecological-Holocaust/Disaster Trilogy." Along with "Soylent Green" and the original "Planet
of the Apes," it represents Heston's finest hours. As for "The Last Man on Earth," it
sticks fairly close to the source material, but
it has some sub-par dubbing and I don't know that Vincent Price was the best choice. However, I recommend it, especially
as double feature with "The Omega Man,"
and after reading "I am Legend." That would be a really cool symposium. Compare
and contrast the movies and the novel.

bjjdenver • Nov 27, 2007, 01:11pm •

filmnotmovie, I could not agree more.

Omega Man/Soylent Green/POTA are a regular trilogy on my dvd player and I love the feel of the campy late 60's early 70's films.

I also have TLMOE on dvd and it is very entertaining on it's own. While I agree Price may not be the best fit for the role, he is also entertaining on his own.

Man, to me sci-fi like this was so much more entertaining back then than it is now. Today, it is all to realistic and not quite the fantasy that it was 30-40 years ago. While there is still plenty we don't know, that was such a new time for things like space exploration and such.

While I look forward to the new I Am Legend, I doubt it can capture the feel of Omega Man.

mckracken • Nov 27, 2007, 04:35pm •

ARRRRRR!! ANOTHER FREAKING version of HOT FUZZ????? when will this end!!??!

also who cares about Charston Heston in the Omega Man when we're getting a brand new edition of Outland... that movie simpley kicked ass on soooo many levels!!

gauleyboy420 • Nov 27, 2007, 07:58pm •

Smith's Legend is gonna kick the crap outta Heston's Omega ass. But PRICE is the original and so far (I haven't seen Legend yet) the best of the bunch. How can you dog Price. The man is a legendary visionary.
I love his work.

masterjedidude • Nov 28, 2007, 03:15pm •

FilmNotMovie, you said it best with the line: "The-Charlton-Heston-Biological/Ecological-Holocaust/Disaster Trilogy."

I've always considered those three to be a part of his "martyrdom trilogy" myself.

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