The Omega Man (1971)

  This is the first adaptation of Richard Matheson's short story "I Am Legend".  You will no doubt be familiar with the Will Smith version of the same name.  Sadly, both adaptations fall short of the true power of the original work.  The Omega Man is still a good film, though.

Army Colonel Robert Neville (Charlton Heston) is the lone survivor of a biologically engineered plague that wiped out most of humanity and turned the rest into mutated fanatics intent on destroying all remnants of the previous society, including Neville.  When he accidentally comes across another survivor (Rosalind Cash), Neville's hope for finding a cure is renewed.  But the mutants' leader Matthias (Anthony Zerbe) is not going to stand idly by and let that happen.

This was made at a time when people were very angry and distrustful of their government and boy, does it show.  **SPOILER ALERT FOR A 45 YEAR OLD MOVIE** Even the ending, where the future is left in the hands of a group of children, points to how the people of the 70's felt like there was nothing even they could do to change their world, that change would have to come from the next generation.  **END SPOILERS**  Heston is charming here in a brash, alpha male sort of way.  He makes Neville charismatic enough that I cared what happened to him.  The special effects aren't great but it's still worth a watch if you can get it.