Wednesday 5 December 2007

I Am Legend (2007)


British DVD Cover

 Here it is.. The First Movie to Ber the Original Title from the 1954  I Am Legend  novel by... Richard Matheson..  This book, the film is based on has had a few varied incarnations such as "The Last Man On Earth" in 1964 starring Vincent Price and Also "The Omega Man" in 1971 starring Charlton Heston. Warner Brothers acquired the rights to the story in 1970 and they produced the omega man.  In 2006 work began on remaking the omega man and giving it the  Official Title  "I Am Legend" further stamping their ownership on the original story.  Not that it stopped a 3rd party releasing "I Am Omega" around the same time, which oddly features Mark Dacascos in the lead role.

This gets as close to the book as anything that has been made so far that was based on the original novel.. And Will Smith does a great job in the role of Dr. Robert Neville....



Ford Mustang Chasing Lunch

When you have the WHOLE CITY of NEW YORK to your self, you can bet a fast car is not only an asset... but a right scream... And what better joy than a Ford Mustang..... To use while hunting for sunday lunch...


Lunch Trying To Escape


With lunch in plain sight its foot to the floor action from the beginning as Dr. Robert Neville races round the city with his dog in the passenger seat. His only companion since the human race fell to the virus. A virus that he was trying to cure when time ran out.


Time To Race Home To Safety

 When the sun sets its best to be indoors and hidden in silence, otherwise crazed mutants will tear you apart and eat you. And all because the apparent miracle cure for cancer turned out to be a sentence of a nocturnal future with a thirst for blood and an apatite for living human flesh.. not that theirs much of that going about anymore...

New York Looking Overgrown
Hunting by day and being hunted by night isn't a great life style, but then all the shops are free... Would of been funny to have him trying to hire a dvd and someone had failed to return it & him going to the address to get it back, then spending a week tracking down all the UN-returned films in an O.C.D nothing better to do kinda way.


Cooking Up A Feast
They did broach upon the O.C.D thing with the Jar in the cupboard, im unsure if that was merely coincidence or if they were paying a little homage to Heston's portrayal of the character.  Was also odd how "The Last Man On Earth" and "I Am Legend" had the inclusion of the Dog within the story line, yet "The Omega Man" never had that aspect.

Also unlike the other 2 movies, The Infected don't no where Dr. Robert Neville lives, yet in the previous 2 incarnations of this novel, they gather outside his home and taunt him all night long.  The reflection in the mirror concept also doesn't come into play in this version, although i would say that's a good thing to be honest.

Trying To CURE The Infected And Trying To KILL The Infected

Neville The Scientist
Neville The Survivor








I sadly felt pretty ripped off by the DVD release for this film 

UK Region 2 DVD Main Menu Screen Shot

Mainly because it essentially has no real tasty extras, yet the Blue-ray release contains an Alternate Ending, an ending that left it even more open for a sequel than what the final ending does.  The DVD does however feature 4 Animated Comics "Death As A Gift" "Isolation" "Sacrificing The Few For The Many" and "Shelter"

UK Region 2 DVD Comic Selection Screen


Jinghua Xu, Can No Longer Take The Loneliness

  
Comic 1 "Death As A Gift" is about a girl called Jinghua Xu, and she is the only living survivor in Hong Kong... 
That also means she had a natural immunity to the virus. The animation runs for just under 3 minuets and also has music to it.





Maximum Security Prison Colorado U.S.A
 Comic 2 "Isolation" Based in a Colorado Prison in the United States, housing a total of 430 inmates. (the 2009 BBC Survivors remake had a similar feel to this with the "Tom Price" character in prison, and all around him are getting ill & dying) This ones approx 6 & half minuets long, has music and talking. It also broaches on the subject of the rich and famous hiding out, secure in a prison during the Initial outbreak. AMC Walking Dead?


Clean Sweep Team Attempting To Contain The Infection

Comic 3 "Sacrificing The Few For The Many" Kicks off somewhere in Central America in a village were scientists are trying to find a cure.
More music in this one and some blood and guts to...
Approx 3 & half minuets. 
It's a true moment showing how we tend to destroy what we can't fix, before it destroys us..



In This Animation Their Outside In The Daylight To

Comic 4 "Shelter" Moving onto New Delhi India, sees a family heading for the basement & the daughter sneaking out to meet her boyfriend. This story is a lot darker than the other 3, lot more gor factor & much more zombie'ish in nature to

This ones approx 8 & half minuets




SOooo back to the Movie it's self then hey.....

Stunt Drivers Have All The Fun...

Hi... Check out Independence Day, I Hear Its Not Bad
 I do like this film, especially the aspects of his every day life, a some what normality in the home with the pre-recorded news on the Tv and the Rental DVD on the table ready to return to the store after lunch. To go chat small talk with the store clerk and the interaction with the manikins. A struggle for normality to stay sain



Playing Golf "T Off" On The Wing Of An Stealth Bomber

You think a former U.S Colonel would have a little more respect for the hardware, but i guess the driving range was infested with infected. So while the dog bathes on the sun, Robert is gona fire some balls right across New Yorks Skies...




Ive Come To Collect Her But I Will Eat You First

The infected are relentless, and when you've taken one of theirs to experiment on, then their nights casually looking for you will turn into nights hunting you by the 100's until they get back the one you have taken, after all, they are "The Family" right?




He Stayed Behind To Save His City He Can Fix This

Wondering along with just your dog and with only the sound of your foot steps, the dog panting, birds flying over head and nothing more to be heard... It must be very eerie living in a world of daily silence and nightly chaos...




My Name Is Robert Neville If You Can Hear Me...
I Can Help You...
I Can Protect You...
Because....
I AM LEGEND


That radio speech kinda reminds me of "Zack Hobson's" radio message on "The Quiet Earth"
And that classic "You Need Us & We Need You" Speech from the 1970's BBC Survivors

Anyways Gotta run.... They'll Be Waking Up Soon... 
Got To Get Home Before The Sun Sets
Look.. Their Goes One Of Them Now.....
Family Is Family

So Was This Scene A Revelation Its The Reporter OR A Former Co-Worker


The Official Trailer (For the UK Release) is Here
There is also a 9 part, 30 Minuet's each, BBC Radio Drama Here

 (will add more links soon)

UK UPC: 7321902294476   DVD Region 2
USA UPC: 883929008292 DVD   Region 1
AUS UPC: ????? DVD   Region 4
UK ASIN: B0012YG7LE   DVD Region 2
USA ASIN: B0014CDKVY   DVD Region 1


Sound Track Front Cover






Richard Matheson's Novel has had a number of Re-Prints
Here are a "few" of the covers from the Published Editions


It's a truly amazing story.....
And its inspired a lot of spin off story's....

It's probably the first true End of Days story...
And the films it spawned have built such a massive fan base...

I AM LEGEND...
Is Legendary.....





 

 

 







Check out  The Omega Man review, and I Am Omega review


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