The Omega Man (PG, 1971)

In the post-apocalyptic "future" of 1977, a missile battle between the USSR and China tainted the planet with man-made plague bacteria, killing billions of people and leaving the rest to slowly turn into semi-psychotic albino mutants. The one disease-free survivor is hard-charging Robert Neville (Charlton Heston), a former army doctor who injected himself with an experimental vaccine. Neville uses the deserted U.S. city as his own personal playground, driving new cars and cranking up a movie theater projector to watch films alone. But after dark, it's serious business. The light-fearing mutants and their leader Matthias (Anthony Zerbe) are on a quasi-religious mission to destroy all technology; to them, Neville represents the civilization that brought on this calamity. They attack his fortified home every night, which he defends with guns and firebombs.

Despite the dated fashions and style, the film -- based on the same Richard Matheson novel that inspired 2007's I Am Legend -- still has some punch. When Neville experiments with his own blood as a cure, the movie edges toward turning him into a Christ-like figure. That said, as played by rugged icon Heston, Neville is a macho man who doesn't shy away from fights and dives eagerly into a love affair with a female survivor. She's played by an African-American actress -- very progressive for the day but also carries a bit of "blaxploitation" movie baggage.

Still, even though some viewers consider it laughable, there's enough about The Omega Man to make it a compelling vision of what happens after the world ends, and less-jaded younger viewers might find it worth viewing and discussing.

Studio: Warner Home Video
Director: Boris Sagal
Cast: Anthony Zerbe, Charlton Heston, Rosalind Cash
Genre: Science Fiction
Run time: 98 minutes
Theatrical release: August 1, 1971
DVD release: May 15, 2007
MPAA Rating: PG