Aug 04, 2016 i remember enjoying the movie the omega man with charlton heston when i was young. Mar 27, 2008 i am legend, by richard matheson, is the original book. I am legend film, the 2007 film based on the 1954 novel. Dracula by bram stoker, and i am legend by richard matheson. But if you have only seen that will smith movie that went 180 degrees on the book s message, the soulcrushing impact of these words will be lost on you. Yes, seven years later another film, the omega man, with charlton heston, was made from the book, but the price film is. In i am legend, a plague has decimated the world, and those unfortunate enough to survive are transformed into bloodthirsty creatures of the night.
But actually both of those movies were based on a dark, angry book called i am legend, published in 1954 by richard matheson. Smith does a great job as robert neville, the protagonist, and despite some completely unnecessary cgi characters that looked old after a couple of years, its quite a pretty and w. The last man on earth from 1964, with vincent price, sticks with the plot of the book, and more importantly, it sticks to the mood and feel of the book, and is a very well done film. This version of i am legend is the third movie adaptation of mathesons novel.
The book is well written with i liked this book a great deal and with all books where i see the movie first i liked the book better. A pivotal scifi horror novel gets the folio society treatment. To ask other readers questions about i am legend, please sign up. In 1954 richard matheson published i am legend, and since its original run it has been adapted for film a total of four times. Although the creatures depicted in the outbreak are technically vampires, mathesons original work is considered by many science fiction and horror fans to be the impetus for the modern zombie horror genre entire, introducing many of its core themes well before night of the living dead. Click download or read online button to get i am legend book now. Ive seen two other film versions of the book, the last man on earth. Dracula is considered to be the traditional vampire, where it all started, and the vampires in mathesons book, follow somewhat stokers concept, but is more of a modern type of vampires.
Choose from 500 different sets of am legend book flashcards on quizlet. Stories similar to i am legend books, stories, and novels like i am legend. Its based off i am legend, a fantastic book by richard matheson, written in 1954. I am legend is named vampire novel of the century books the. I enjoyed it at the time, never knowing i was going to write a book about. Every other man, woman and child on the planet has become a vampire, and they are hungry for nevilles blood. I am legends biggest change from the book broke the movie. I am legend study guide from litcharts the creators of.
He knew he should burn up the paper plates and utensils too, and dust the furniture and. Nov 20, 2015 based on a true story, legend follows the tale of reginald reggie kray and his twin brother, ronald ronnie kray both portrayed by all around great guy tom hardy. There are two camps when it comes to discussing the issue of race in mathesons book. Books that perform well based on their reader engagement are published by inkitt in different formats and channels. I happened to be reading skeleton crew at the same time as this book, which gave me a unique opportunity to compare. Richard mathesons i am legend graphic novel niles, steve, brown, elman on.
Robert is trying to find a cure to the plague which originally was supposed to be the cure for cancer. The car leaped forward under his foot and he kept the accelerator on the floor, forced down by a rigid leg. Looking for another apocalyptic book that is a quick and fun read. I am legend changed the vampires of the novel to the mindless darkseekers, a big change that made the original ending not work at all.
Both present the spectator with a differentalternative ending, far from what happen in the actual book. The book also inspired the movies the last man on earth in 1960 and the omega man. His hands were like carved ice on the wheel and his face was the face of a statue. Was god so busy at the yom kippur service in synagogue that god forgot about me. The book has inspired at least two other films, the last man on earth starring vincent price and the omega man starring charlton heston. I am legend and other stories by richard matheson, paperback. Stephen king considered this an important book in his development as a writer, and the use of a hero trapped indoors fending off the undead. Based on the acclaimed, influential 1954 science fiction novel by richard matheson, i am legend is one of the best edited, best directed action movies in quite some time. This article is about the 2007 movie i am legend based on the book by the same name, written by richard matheson. The two earlier films are the last man on earth 1964 and the omega man 1971. At eightynine miles an hour, he shot down the lifeless, empty boulevard, one roaring sound in the great stillness. Later he forced himself into the kitchen to grind up the fiveday accumulation of garbage in the sink. And yet the core characteristics of the nightwalkers in the 2007 film are relatively true to one strand of what we see in the 1950s story. The first says, man, its just a badass vampire book.
The successes and failures in adapting i am legend film inquiry. I am legend is based on a 1954 richard matheson scifi novel of the same name. The novel was a success and was adapted into the films the last man on earth, the omega man, and i am legend. The tale of the last human on an earth overrun by the undead returns to graphic novel format in a single volume collection of four long out.
It is the third film based on a book whose original impulse was to oneup the screen vampires of an earlier era. Ive seen two other film versions of the book, the last man on earth starring. Stephen king said, books like i am legend were an inspiration to me. There are 3 movies that i know of that are based on this book. Check out our revolutionary sidebyside summary and analysis. Its pretty clear that this is a winning premise, because the four films based on i am legend all hung onto it, even. We lived in gardena, california and i set the story there, using our house as nevilles house. Another adaptation, i am omega 2007, was released direct to dvd. Just as smiths robert neville does in the films original ending, the book version of the character realizes that he has become a monster in the eyes of this new species. Robert neville, the protagonist, is indeed the last man on earth as far as he knows, the rest of the planet having turned into vampires. Study guide for i am legend novel i am legend novel study guide contains a biography of richard matheson, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want.
The novel i am legend 1954, written by american author richard matheson, was adapted for the movie by screenwriters akiva goldsman and mark protosevich. Although the creatures depicted in the outbreak are technically vampires, mathesons original work is considered by many science fiction and horror fans to be the impetus for the. I am legend is arguably the greatest short horror novel ever written, and its influence on the horror genre has been profound. I am legend alone was adapted for the cinema five times. Spoilers its not a bad movie, and it does have a certain charm. Still, you cant fault i am legend for trying to be different from the typical action thriller.
Need help with chapter 4 in richard mathesons i am legend. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Is there any movie based on the i am legend novel by richard matheson that shares the same ending to the book. Mar 28, 2020 we have an intriguing problem with comparing the book and film. I am legend s biggest change from the book broke the movie. I am legend written by richard matheson 1557 words cram. The idea for i am legend came to me when i was about 16. The movie i am legend was based on a novel by the same name written by richard matheson in 1954. It was written by john william corrington and joyce corrington, based on the 1954 novel i am legend by the american writer richard matheson. Or perhaps the film simply doesnt have the same nuances as the richard matheson book on which its based.
Now for a topic thats neither divisive nor prone to eliciting irrational anger and awkward discomfort. Fastforward to current day when i read the book i am legend which the movie was based on. Sep 06, 2012 last night i finished reading i am legend. Despite the book s popularity in hollywood, neither those first two adaptations nor this most recent one have been completely faithful to mathesons novel. I am legend author richard matheson was himself a real legend. The films producer, walter seltzer, went on to work with heston again in the dystopian sciencefiction film soylent green in 1973. The need for a robust, independent press has never been greater, and with your support we can continue to provide factbased reporting that. It was also an inspiration behind night of the living dead. Stokers 1897 gothic horror novel tells the story of the evil count dracula, a vampire who sucks the blood of his victims.
Nov 29, 2007 yes, its based on the book of the same name, i am legend. Richard mathesons classic novel of fear and vampirism is soon to be a major motion picture starring will smith. Comparing dracula, and i am legend by richard matheson. This product can expose you to some chemicals, which is known to the state of california to cause for more information, go to.
Mar 25, 2015 a look inside once upon a time in the west and the wild bunch duration. Is there an i am legend movie that actually preserves the. It retains the bleak tone, the cortman adversary and the book s central themes. While this distinction may seem trivial for most of the book, it becomes a. Get the book of eli and i am legend for one great price. The book also inspired the movies the last man on earth in 1960 and the omega man in 1971. Matheson actually cowrote an early script, but was.
The 1956 i am legend book is a vampire story inspired by dracula. Four movies were made based directly on that book, each going in a different direction and making a new spin on it. Is the movie i am legend based on a book yahoo answers. It compares very favorably with spiderman 2 and the incredibles, though it is a more scary and violent movie. Oct 30, 2007 i remember enjoying the movie the omega man with charlton heston when i was young. Find summaries for every chapter, including a i am legend chapter summary chart to help you understand the book.
If you have not seen the movie or read the book i am legend, and you plan to, you probably do not want to read this post until you have. The film stars will smith as us army virologist robert neville. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. The last man on earth 1964, the omega man 1971, i am legend. The 2007 film was partially based on the 1971 film as well as the original source novel. Til, in the novel i am legend, the vampires fear crosses. I am legend is a 1954 postapocalyptic horror novel by american writer richard matheson that. You probably have some vague notion that the new will smith viral apocalypse flick i am legend is based on another movie from 1971 called omega man. The story is set in new york city after a virus, which was originally created to cure cancer, has wiped out most of mankind, leaving neville as the last human in new york. Mar 19, 2020 i am legend i am legend is a 2007 actionthriller based on a 1954 book of the same name. I am legend novel metaphors and similes gradesaver. Ive seen two other film versions of the book, the last man on earth starring vincent price and the omega man starring charlton heston. So, first off, for all those supposed horror movie book, zombie or vampire fans. The omega man from 1971, with charlton heston, isnt too bad either, though the story is changed from the book.
This is a spoof on will smith of his portrayal of robert neville in the movie i am legend 2007. I am legend is named vampire novel of the century books. I really liked that one, and i wrongly assumed that since they had used the original title from the book that both movies were based on, that it stayed closer to the original source material. Cinema had its first crack at mathesons book with vincent prices the last man on earth. I am legend read online free from your pc or mobile. Every other man, woman, and child has become a vampire. I picked it up mostly because i read about the alternate ending of the will smith movie, which some criticized for not following the spirit of the book. From contagion to i am legend, these films about viruses. Yes, its based on the book of the same name, i am legend. Is there an i am legend movie that actually preserves.
Will smith in i am legend, the 2007 film loosely based on richard mathesons 1954 novel. I am meant to be writing a blog about how i am legend, by the late. This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title i am legend. The final words of the book are i am legend, as a dying robert muses that one day he will become nothing more than a frightening superstition, just like vampires once were. The first half of the book is what the will smith movie is based on. I am legend is a post apocalyptic vision by richard matheson, created in 1954 it tells the story of robert neville, the last surviving human in the world, surrounded by bloodthirsty vampires both living and undead. By analyzing three adaptations of the same book, its clear that the most faithful, and strongest, adaptation is the last man on earth. Apr 03, 2012 i am legend is named vampire novel of the century. In his book, i am legend, richard matheson depicts a dystopian world in which robert neville is the last man on earth surrounded by vampires. This paper will focus on three vampires from the following books. I am legend is not a supernatural romance, yet it is not a gorefest vampire carnage novel either. As a vampire novel, the touchstone for am legend is, without a doubt, bram stokers dracula a novel which matheson mentions more than once over the course of the book.
He penned episodes of the twilight zone and wrote the stories on which the films the incredible shrinking man, real steel, duel, jaws 3d, and what dreams may come were based. Oct 11, 2009 the movie i am legend was based on a novel by the same name written by richard matheson in 1954. Learn am legend book with free interactive flashcards. Its as if the screenwriters or director, or producer ran out of ways to wrap it up. Stephen king and many other of todays masters rank this book highly in their personal top ten lists of favorites. I went to see dracula and the thought occurred that, if one vampire was scary, a world filled with vampires would really be scary. I am legend is a 1954 postapocalyptic horror novel by american writer richard matheson that was influential in the modern development of zombie and vampire literature and in popularizing the concept of a worldwide apocalypse due to disease.
625 33 571 411 692 662 1215 15 485 716 148 594 898 1552 1512 1042 857 244 742 685 292 173 751 1445 1446 482 291 283 530 906 283 1364 568 28 536 790 141 458 597 814 169 1286