The Last Man on Earth (DVD)

A terrible plague sweeps the Earth, and its victims become zombie vampires, roaming the night in a ravenous search for fresh blood. Dr. Robert Morgan may very well be the only human survivor of the plague, hiding in his ramshackle home from the creatures' nightly onslaught. With the dawn, he begins a gruesome ritual of gathering dead bodies lying about the city streets and disposing of them in a burning landfill. Packing garlic and sharpened wooden stakes, Morgan hunts down the zombie-like creatures during the daylight hours in an effort to control their ever-increasing numbers.

A scientist whose family has succumbed to the plague, Morgan has seen the airborne disease quickly spread through Europe, transforming the population into nocturnal blood drinkers. The creatures are hell-bent on destroying Morgan, eerily calling his name in the night. While burying a diseased dog, Morgan sees a young woman who appears to be normal and chases her down. She is part of a large band of rebel humans who are fighting their infection with an antidote. Morgan may have killed many of these people, believing them to be vampires. He believes he can cure the woman with a transfusion of his blood, but time is running out. The vampires and the rebels both want Morgan dead!

Based on Richard Matheson's novel I Am Legend, The Last Man On Earth has the same unnerving, stark black & white realism of Night Of The Living Dead but predates the latter by about five years. Equally low budgeted, both films have garnered huge cult followings over the years for their gritty portrayals of a nightmarish, apocalyptic vision of zombie invasion. The Last Man On Earth, made in Italy, features veteran horror star Vincent Price, who expertly conveys the fear and isolation of a man believing himself to be alone among a population of vampires. Co-star Giacomo Rossi-Stuart appeared in the cult favorite The Night Evelyn Came Out Of The Grave. Remade in 1971 as The Omega Man with Charlton Heston, The Last Man On Earth was directed by Sidney Salkow. Salkow also directed several episodes of TV's "The Addams Family" and worked with Price on the thriller Twice Told Tales in 1963.

• horror