Finally managed to catch up with I Am Legend yesterday and was pleasantly surprised. The first third, with Will Smith and his dog alone in New York, was compelling, powerful, and downright scary at times. Then the CGI vampires turned up. And even though they weren't quite as bad as I'd been led to believe, they simply didn't have any real presence or, more importantly, a sense of character which is crucial to the Richard Mathieson novel the film's based on. They even changed the ending, so that the essential meaning of the title (ie. why he's a legend) was radically altered. Still, I was gripped pretty much from start to finish, and for a Hollywood blockbuster it was remarkably bleak.
The site of a desolate, silent, overgrown New York was tremendously affecting; the scene with the vampire dogs was expertly staged; and the first glimpse of the vampires feeding on the deer in the dark was a brilliant BOO moment. I also loved the background detailing: the Van Goghs' lining the walls of Smith's Washington Square brownstone, clearly taken from the Met; the billboard for the Batman/Superman movie in Times Square which gave a 2010 release date... (How I wish.) I was clearly in a post apocalyptic frame of mind yesterday, having watched the first film adaptation of Mathieson's novel, the Vincent Price-starrer The Last Man On Earth just prior to seeing the Smith film (along with Ray Milland's nuclear terror movie Panic In Year Zero, I might add). Both versions have their weaknesses and flaws, and both fail to fully capture the book. Less of an action movie than the recent film (which has helicopters crashing and fast cars tearing down Manhattan avenues), the Italian-shot The Last Man On Earth features yet another great tortured Vincent Price performance and is wonderfully downbeat, something Smith's film adheres to quite faithfully until the rather unnecessary happy ending. (I know there's a third film version, the Charlton Heston-starrer The Omega Man but I haven't seen it; or at least I don't remember seeing it.)
12 comments:
LOVE Last Man on Earth. Love it.
As for Legend, I was stuck front blooeding row at the bloody IMAX and could barely make out what the hell was going on. So I'll have to see it again, as I really have no opinion on the film at present.
Meanwhile, Sweeney Todd? Saw it twice today. I can say without hint of hyperbole that it surpassed even my expectations and could very well wind up kicking Scissorhands off the top of my all-time faves list. I can't even tell you how much I adored every moment of this film. I wanted to tear it off the screen, ball it up, rip open my chest and just shove it inside me. That's the only way I can describe what it did to me. I'll try get one of my reviews up in the next few days once I've had time to think on it more.
I'm so many films behind on my page... Ah well...
"I wanted to tear it off the screen, ball it up, rip open my chest and just shove it inside me."
Now that's what I call a reaction...
And a quote for the poster.
I also loved the parts where Smith was with the dog, before the ridiculous monsters turned up. And all in all, Smith's performance had surprising depth! But I've never been into CGI monsters, to me they always look unrealistic and comical regardless the movie. It's so true when they say it's much more effective when you don't see the threat because it leaves room for your own imagination.
Also, the ending was annoyingly flat! Bleh. I guess I should read the original book.
Speaking of Vincent Price.. I should watch more old classic movies and whatnot. I always keep thinking about that but then never get around to actually doing it.
Oh, how could I forget: wow Gerard, now I REALLY can't wait to see Sweeney! :D
Pretty much anything with Vincent Price is worth watching.
And the great thing about old movies is that they tend to be short, very rarely are they longer than 90 minutes.
Hear, hear! to the Price love, and the brevity-kudos to old films. I love how films used to just -end-. No denouement, no cutesy epilogues, just BAM!: as soon as the audience has all the information they need, it's cut to black and roll credits. Price's Theatre of Blood has one of my favourite ending's to a film ever... (Though Sweeney, of course, surpasses it!)
That would make one heck of a poster quote, wouldn't it? :P As ridiculous as I'm sure it sounds, it's the best way I can articulate my feelings for the film.
And Essi, trust me - you are going to be bowled over!
Gerard, I forwarded your comment on to Tim. Just so you know.
Holy smokes - really??! If he ever says anything about it be sure to let me know! I look forward to the day when I can just casually drop Tim Burton an email :P
I just went again today for the third time. I cannot get it out of my head...
It does get better and better the more times you see it. I'm up to three so far but every time I see a clip from the film on TV I want to go again. It opened here this weekend and I'm hoping it packs them in. The press and marketing campaign has been tremendous.
Your reaction, by the way, produced a very favourable response...
It really, really does. I'll be going as often as I can. It's really something which benefits from seeing in a cinema, I think. The crowds at my screenings haven't been enormous, but they've been surprisingly diverse and well behaved. If the closest anyone's come to being annoying is screaming out "This movie is f***ing AWESOME!!!" during Pretty Women, I think you're doing okay :)
There has been NO marketing over here. A few posters pasted to buildings in the city and I've so far seen one TV spot at about midnight.
And come on, you're killing me here...!
Amazing. Over here there are posters on EVERY bus stop, a Sweeney piece in every newspaper/magazine and there's the biggest billboard I've ever seen in my life in central London... I took a picture with my phone the other day but it didn't come out too good.
And I'm not being a tease re: the other thing. The response was brief but positive. Nothing more, nothing less...
No bus stop posters here, and I've seen maybe two or three brief newspaper articles. Film magazines of course have their reviews and possibly an article. Even cinemas only seem to have one or two posters for the most part. It's crazy.
And excellent, well, I'm very glad to hear. Still rife with jealousy, however.... :)
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