Romero said that his iconic movie, night of the living dead, was influenced by richards book, i am legend. I am legend was released on december 14, 2007, in the united states and canada, and opened to the largest ever box office not adjusted for inflation for a nonchristmas film released in the u. Now for a topic thats neither divisive nor prone to eliciting irrational anger and awkward discomfort. Like many book to film conversions, the screenplay differed from the book. They believe him to be a mass murderer, a serial killer of their people. I am legend is a 1954 postapocalyptic horror novel by american writer richard matheson.
The alternate ending to i am legend where they respect him and growl at him in an acknowledging way is odd and feels out of place. Themes of transformation, spirituality, and mans struggle with isolation come up throughout i am legend. But when it comes down to it, is the book really better than the movie. I though the book was effectively i am legend and other short stories by richard matheeson. Richard mathesons i am legend has been made into several movies, including the. The infected people attack nevilles lab and he hands over the infected female hes been working on to the leader a. The novel version of i am legend is better then the motion picture because the information slowly leaks out about nevilles past, present, and specifics about the vampires. Alice krippin is interviewed about her great discovery, she has changed the measles so that it attacks cancerous cells. The book s ending is much more drawnout ana sobs on the car ride home before finally making it to her apartment, then collapses on. This was actually the third time it had been made into a movie.
So i just finished i am legend by richard matheson. The first time was in 1964 with the last man on earth featuring vincent price, and then in 1971 with the omega man with charlton heston. Although many people werent huge fans of it, i really enjoyed will smiths i am legend when it was released two years ago. Dec 14, 2007 enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing i am legend near you. There are two camps when it comes to discussing the issue of race in mathesons book. I am legend is a dystopian story very loosely based upon a book of the same name. Robert neville, as he searches for a cure to a vicious, manmade disease. The 2007 film was partially based on the 1971 film as well as the original source. How i am legends ending is different in the book screen. With that in mind, what some feel is a confusing ending becomes far. It is the third movie to be made from the novel and mathesons writings have modernized the vampire, in todays culture. In particular, the ending was changed for this version. When kv broke out and spread a cross the world, anna was evacuated on a red cross ship out of sao paulo.
Check out our revolutionary sidebyside summary and analysis. Right, i just saw i am legend, and dont get the end. The film, i am legend is a postapocalyptic science fiction film directed by francis lawrence and starring will smith. As such, its no surprise that the book has been adapted for the big screen, in this case three different times. Due to this, the new colony of infected sent ruth to investigate neville and possibly convert him.
Differences between i am legend book vs movie page 1. I am legend film analysis essay 1227 words bartleby. Every night, he barricades himself inside his house and keeps the vampire horde at bay. The programming of a mind control slave at the hands of a sadistic handler. The story is very much darker and deeper than the will smith film of the same name.
However, she realizes that he must be executed for the betterment of her people. I am legend isnt particularly long either, hardly even novel length. The two earlier films are the last man on earth 1964 and the omega man 1971. Whats the difference between i am legend the book and i am legend the movie. Sharetweetemailcoraline is a popular stopmotion movie released in 2009. Both present the spectator with a differentalternative ending, far from what happen in the actual book. She then states in a voice over that neville sacrificed himself for humanity and that because of his cure humanity was able to rebuild, establishing his legend. Published in 1954, acclaimed author richard mathesons novel i am legend is one of the most highly regarded works of apocalyptic fiction to date. Its a full, polished ending, with complete special effects intact, so im assuming it was ripped from the special features on the imminent dvd. I am legend is about a zombielike horde wiping out much of humanity, but its confusing ending becomes clear if you understand the personal journey of its. The hidden meaning of the movie coraline the vigilant citizen. Most people had a common misconception after ending of this awesome movie, shraddha kapoor is real stree.
I am legend 2007 the basics hopefully all of you know the basic story behind i am legend. Themes of transformation, spirituality, and mans struggle with isolation come up. I am legend the movie is based on richard mathesons novel of the same name. In the original ending for i am legend, robert is cornered in his basement laboratory along with fellow survivors anna alice braga and ethan charlie tahan, with the hemocytes having broken into the house. This version of i am legend is the third movie adaptation of mathesons novel. It was influential in the development of the zombievampire genre and in popularizing the concept of a worldwide apocalypse due to disease. Yesterday, some intrepid soul posted an alternate i am legend ending to youtube. Years ago, you see, my husband had wanted to talk about the book, probably when the most recent adaptation to movie form had come out, and i am well known for not reading horror, so it wasnt an unreasonable assumption that i would never read this. Nevilles has been the neverending, all consuming fear and drive for survival against these creatures.
It looks like the powersthatbe over at warner bros. When a member of a scavenging party was infected, the ship was slowly wiped out by the virus. Stephen king dedicated his book, cell, to richard matheson. Romero said that his iconic movie, night of the living dead, was influenced by richards book, i. Neville draws a vial of her blood and gives it to anna, before shutting ethan and her inside a coal chute in the back of the lab. The ending of, perhaps one of the most entertaining movie of this year stree puzzled you. Little to nothing is known about annas life before the outbreak of the krippin virus. Apparently the new postapocalyptic will smith film i am legend had to get snapped back into production to redo the ending. I am legend is named vampire novel of the century books. The novel i am legend 1954, written by american author richard matheson, was adapted for the movie by screenwriters akiva goldsman and mark protosevich. The first says, man, its just a badass vampire book. Through his perspective, i am legend is a story of hope wrapped in a layer of postapocalyptic turmoil with religious overtones.
While the film appears to be aimed at young people, coralines imagery tells a hidden story. But i went into reading i am legend knowing the ending, knowing the twist. I assume you are referring to the 2007 film starring will smith and the controversial original ending special feature on the dvd release. I am legend alternate ending behind the scenes warner. 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. Well look at the hidden meaning of the movie coraline. He then takes a grenade and kills the darkseekers and himself, saving the cure. The book s characters realization of their perspective is the whole point of the book. Alternate i am legend ending is far superior screen rant. I am legend is a 2007 film adaption of the novel of the same name. Thus, in the final line of the book which also serves as the book s title, neville accepts that he is a monster. Will smiths 2007 box office hit i am legend had an ending that divided audiences, but an alternate ending exists that does more justice to the book. The streets are overgrown with weeds, cars are abandoned, the infrastructure is beginning to collapse.
Blogger adam katz sent me the link because of the book vs. She tells him that he cant fight them, there are too many of them, and gives him a packet of pills to make the end easier. Putting all of that in a movie might not be possible or might not make a good movie, but the alternate ending for this one goes just about as far as it could in one scene. My thoughts on i am legend, both with the 1954 book written by richard matheson and the 2007 film directed by francis lawrence. This alternate ending to i am legend is imho far superior to the abrupt version in the theatrical release, and fits in better with something that happens in the film about midway through. Furthermore, the final line suggests that human societyof which neville was the last representativeis now fading into the past. Is there an i am legend movie that actually preserves the. It is not made clear on the front of the book, or anywhere that this is a collection of short stories, not a novel. Dec 14, 2017 i am legend is about a zombielike horde wiping out much of humanity, but its confusing ending becomes clear if you understand the personal journey of its hero. Is there any movie based on the i am legend novel by richard matheson that shares the same ending to the book. It was based on a book on the same name which was released in the 50s. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing i am legend near you.
Apocalypse soon by kevin mitchell 8 january 2008 directed by francis lawrence, written by mark protosevich and akiva goldsman, based on the novel by richard matheson. This man, our protagonist in both the book and film, is robert neville. Robert neville finds himself alone after a hideous mutation turns humans into vampires. Somehow immune to an unstoppable, incurable virus, military virologist robert neville smith. I think its just a collection of short stories with the headliner being the most famous. Dec, 2007 the opening scenes of i am legend have special effects so good that they just about compensate for some later special effects that are dicey.
We see manhattan three years after a deadly virus has killed every healthy human on the island, except one. What did the healing zombie in the basement have to do with it. Richard mathesons i am legend has been made into several movies, including the recent will smith movie, and the. Living alone in new york city, robert neville smith, a former lieutenant and us army virologist, tasks himself with finding a cure to the plague. Thus, the novel concludes with nevilles final thoughts before his execution in the colonys prison. The novel version of i am legend is better then the motion picture because the information slowly leaks out. Jun 04, 2011 but when it comes down to it, is the book really better than the movie.
1122 652 1240 52 213 201 1233 662 843 545 471 1399 1209 901 1118 1213 414 1072 1300 35 1206 581 1296 862 1057 849 71 979 1223 940 265 1485 336 233 855 1218 241 406 1170 921 1422 933 942 194 1200