mark.waltz
A decade before The Last Man on Earth and its updated remakes, The Omega Man and I am Survivor, this apocalyptic film came along to describe the day after tomorrow. Missing special effects, silly soap opera and stars, it focuses on how people try to change old habits and temptations, dealing with the deadly consequences of a nuclear attack. The one key sequence in this that helps it rise into something unique is when two antagonistic survivors make a tentative truce, citing the realization that this is important for continuing peace. A disturbing scene has the pregnant heroine venturing into a city which was obviously a target. More profound than the silly science fiction films with radio-active monsters, it suffers as a result of too much silence which makes these five face a fate worse than annihilation: isolation.
Pedro Fraga
I had been in Los Angeles on August and went around Arch Oboler's house. It was amazing! I saw FIVE more than 50 years ago and the place is still there, maybe assuring to me that the world won't end, in spite of men's irresponsibility. The silence and the sounds of FIVE are in my memory since I was less than 10 years old. I have it and use to see it very often. When I came back home I noticed the visit to the location opened my eyes and my mind to details I haven't seen and heard before, as the stairs, the poem "Creation" and the music of Henry Russel. What a movie! I have no doubt: my very favorite sci-fi. There are only two other movies that fixed the same discomfort in me: THEM! and the first PLANET OF APES.
innocuous
A bit overwrought and florid, but very enjoyable. Several reviewers pick on it because they seem to think that the characters are walking around in a totally depressed state throughout the movie. I don't see this at all. In fact, I perceive them as incredibly upbeat and positive about their situation, all things considered. One of the aspects of this film that I enjoy the most is the pure villainy of the bad guy. It's rare nowadays to see such an uncompromising and ungrateful jerk written into a script. He's human and believable, but he has no redeeming qualities at all. Also, he accomplishes this without the aid of technology, secret weapons, or even any sort of clever scheming or evil plans.The cinematography is pretty good, with some startling shots and quite a bit of hand-held camera.Finally, and I simply can't pass on this, the title is numerically correct for the majority of the movie. A couple other reviewers have stated that it is incorrect and I'm not sure if they're numerically challenged or what.
Harold Hewitson
I saw this movie late one night way-y-y back in the 60's. I was only 7 or 8 and my dad let me stay up to watch it with him. Oh, I watched it, but with my hands over my eyes most of the time. Not a great movie for a little kid! After that one viewing, that was the last, and I do mean, The Last, I've ever heard of this movie. Until I looked it up on IMDb I wasn't even sure I'd actually seen it. It didn't become a cult favourite, nor has it, obviously ever been considered something kitschy. It kind of just fell off the face of the earth until I looked it up today. As a kid? I found it to be haunting. I remember very loud, very eerie, extremely haunting and scary, air raid sirens and lots of skeletons at the beginning. I probably fell asleep after that! Would definitely love to see it again to see if my memory corresponds with the actual film!!
AD
