Heres a couple of minor science fiction classics starring one of the
liberals favorite punching bags, the great Charlton Heston.
Neither of these flicks are particularly upbeat (in fact, theyre both
downright downers in their portrayals of pessimistic futures), but at least
The Omega Man ends on a hopeful note. Both films are based on novels by acclaimed
science fiction authors, though that doesnt necessarily mean excrement
to a tree when it comes to translating prose into the visual medium. Omega Man
comes from Richard Mathesons I Am Legend, while Soylent Green
was spawned by Harry Harrisons Make Room! Make Room!
The Omega Man sees Robert Neville (Heston), who was once
a scientist working on a cure for the biological warfare horrors upon which
the human race was working. Alas, he does find a cure, but only in time to inject
it into himself as the human race and human society is decimated by the same
horror.
Now we find Neville the last man on earth, kind of. Hes the last normal
human, but there are plenty of other humans around - Morlock-like
mutants who hide from the light and only come out at night. Theyre basically
a society of religious-like zealots who believe the plague was punishment for
Mans sins and that they are the inheritors of the world, but must eschew
the technology and society they think brought about the destruction.
Their leader, Matthias (Anthony Zerbe) leads them on a crusade to rid the Earth
of the remaining humans, which in this case amounts to Neville. For his part,
Neville goes out by day but at night lives in a self-contained, armored apartment
where he fights off attacks by the mutants.
Then one day, (Surprise, Surprise!) Neville discovers he isnt alone;
theres another small pocket of normal humanity led by Lisa (Rosalind Cash)
and Dutch (Paul Koslo), the latter of whom was pursuing a medical career when
the end came. This comes in handy as Neville still knows how to make the antidote
to the plague - which can also cure mutants of their condition and restore them
to normal humanity, and he can use an assistant/student.
The plan is to start a new human colony in the sticks, where the mutants cant
get at them, but the mutants arent going to have anything do to that.
After all, theyre the inheritors of the Earth and if they can go back
to their old forms that would be a repudiation of their new society and a re-embracing
of all the hated things that they now believe.
Anyway, we also get a romance between Neville and Lisa (an interracial romance
- oooooh! This was undoubtedly pushing the envelope when Omega Man came out,
but its so irrelevant now its almost laughable), which gives us
hope for a new Adam and Eve-type situation.
Except that fate still has a few surprises up her sleeve.
The movies enjoyable enough, though its preachy and heavy handed,
but sci-fi fans didnt have a lot of quality flicks from which to choose
during the 1970s and this is arguably one of the better ones.
The cast is good. Heston is always great and, as always, commands the screen.
The DVD is very good, too. The picture, which is presented in anamorphic widescreen
(16x9 TV compatible), looks terrific for the most part. There are a few grainy
scenes, but overall the picture is sharp and clean and colorful. Audio is Dolby
Digital mono and unremarkable.
Extras include an all-new introduction by cast members Eric Laneuville (who
plays a kid who begins to succumb to the plague) and Paul Koslo as well as co-writer
Joyce H. Corrington. Theres also a promotional featurette (The Last
man Alive) and a quick text essay on Mr. Hestons science fiction
flicks - the latter of which, unfortunately, is really a waste of binary data.
Theres also the trailer.
Soylent Green is arguably the more entertaining of the
two movies.
There are plenty of normal people here, in New York City of 2022 - too many,
in fact. The world is severely overpopulated, to the point where throngs of
homeless people are sleeping in stairwells and resources are so scarce that
only the really wealthy (who are always evil, right?) can afford stuff like
real whiskey and meat.
The Big Food, distributed by a Big Food Cartel, is something called Soylent
and while we dont know whats in it its obviously something
as artificial as the crap the food police are trying to foist on
people today. The newest one is turning out to be the most popular: Soylent
Green. Its munchy!
Heston plays NYPD Detective Robert Thorne, whos trying to solve a murder
and a subsequent cover up that threatens to blow open some very closely held
secrets.
Times are tough, and even a good cop like Thorne isnt above taking
inventory from a crime scene. Where Columbo will scoop up a cigarette
butt and place it carefully into a plastic bag to keep as evidence, Thorne will
scoop up a bottle of hootch or a slab of beef and take it home with him to share
with his elderly curmudgeonly roommate Sol Roth (Edward G. Robinson).
Roth remembers better times, when it wasnt always oppressively crowded
and hot and poverty wasnt so rampant, and hes sick and tired of
the bad times in which he lives. Hes ready to die and, fortunately, this
future society makes that easy and relatively pleasant.
As Thornes investigation continues, he gets closer and closer to the
secret thats being guarded so closely - supporting cast is also first
rate. Leigh Taylor-Young is wonderful as Shirl, a piece of furniture whos
basically a prostitute who lives in the luxury apartment and gets passed from
tenant to tenant, if subsequent tenants find her desirable.
Thorne finds her desirable, and vice versa, and this provides the love interest
in Soylent Green, even though he cant afford the apartment for which shes
part of the decor.
Part cautionary tale (environuts will love it!) and part detective story, Soylent
Green is another one of those weak overall but still enjoyable sci-fi flicks
that fans will love to own. And the DVD does the movie justice.
The video is presented in anamorphic widescreen, 16x9 TV compatible, and the
picture quality is very good indeed, with a sharp image and good color. Audio,
the usual Dolby Digital mono, is fine considering the source.
Extras include a running commentary by Leigh Taylor-Young and director Richard
Fleischer. We have lots of time for Mr. Fleischer, who has helmed such classics
as 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Doctor
Doolittle, Conan the Destroyer, etc.
You also get a vintage promotional feature The World of Soylent Green,
MGMs tribute to Edward G. Robinsons 101st film (now thats
entertainment!), and the same lame Heston Sci-Fi movies essay found on Omega
Man. Theres also the trailer.
Neither of these flicks reach the standard of the truly great science fiction
films, but theyre both enjoyable, worth seeing and worth owning if youre
a fan of serious science fiction movies.
The Omega Man, from Warner Home Video,
98 min. anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1, 16x9 TV compatible), Dolby Digital mono
Starring Charlton Heston, Anthony Zerbe, Rosalind Cash
Produced by Walter Seltzer
Written by John William and Joyce H. Corrington, Directed by Boris Sagal
Soylent Green, from Warner Home Video
97 min. anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1, 16x9 TV compatible), Dolby Digital mono
Starring Charlton Heston, Leigh Taylor-Young, Edward G. Robinson
Produced by Walter Seltzer and Russell Thacher
Written by Stanley R. Greenberg, Directed by Richard Fleischer
Tell us at TechnoFile what YOU think