Last Woman on Earth

"Last Woman On Earth" moves along at a steady clip and has an exciting ending (with a disappointing conclusion).  It is a film that benefits from smart writing, an on location shoot, and an interesting meshing of script with Jazzy soundtrack. There is an underwater scene that was quite excellently filmed. For that matter, the whole film was quite excellently filmed.  Even though this film predates the first James Bond film, it has a bit of a "Dr. No" feel to it.  No, it is no "Dr. No", but neither was its budget a Bond budget. You're not missing much if you never see "Last Woman On Earth", but if you do see it you won't feel like you wasted 71 minutes of your life.  It's a pretty good film -- a sad little tale about good and evil.

This is a fine film that does much with almost nothing; shot on location in Puerto Rico without a finished script, 'The Last Woman on Earth' is a lean, mean post apocalyptic drama machine. Despite the poor print(s) the DVD was assembled from, Roger Corman's minor directorial genius shines through, especially in shots like the one where Harold, Martin and Ev all confront each other after coming back from the beach. Narratively efficient, suspenseful and even kind of thought-provoking, this film is a well-crafted low budget classic. Contrary to other comments here, the ending is great, especially considering how lame it could have been; at no point is the outcome certain in the way that predictable yawner 'Six String Samurai' was. And the fact that the poster is nothing like the actual film is a good thing, unless you're looking for Italian sexploitation trash. For a more reasoned assessment, check out Kim Newman's book 'Apocalypse Movies,' but if you're looking up this film you probably already know that one backwards and forwards. If you want an interesting and engaging vision of what the world might be like after it ends, you won't be disappointed here.

Harold and Evelyn Gern are "vacationing" in Puerto Rico, with friend/lawyer Martin when while scuba diving they realize that all the world's oxygen has left the atmosphere for some inexplicable reason. For all purposes and intent, they are the last human beings on Earth. What shall they do? Can two men and one woman coexist alone? Watch this film and those questions shall be answered. This film is very creative on many counts and it is a satisfying tale of what life might be like for a handful of survivors in a post-apocalyptic state. The film is a Roger Corman quickie/cheapie, yet don't make that keep you away. Corman is a good director and does know how to get the most with what he is given. The script is written by Robert Towne, and although it has holes, it is inventive and interesting. The acting by Anthony Carbone, Betsy Jones-Moreland, and Robert Towne as the trio is very good. Jones-Moreland is lovely and she gives a very good performance. Above all, the film reiterates the flaws that exist in each of us no matter what circumstances we are thrust into. On a side note, the same director, same crew, same actors, and same locations were used for a film simultaneously made with this one...Creature From the Haunted Sea. A word of advice: AVOID IT!, but see The Last Woman on Earth.

I picked this slab-o cheese on a double billed disc w/ "The Attack of the Bee Girls" @ Meijer for 2 bucks. Now if you are a fan of B-Films, I highly recommend the trip to Meijer. They have a ton of cheap-o DVDs in a big crate. You can get 5 DVDs for 10 dollars. I also picked up a gem called "The Crippled Masters" (a 70s Kung-Fu Revenge flick, and yes, they are crippled). But, I'm getting way off on a tangent...

The Last Woman on Earth is an interesting film with some unintentional laugh-out-loud parts. What's interesting about it is how well mannered they are during the end of the world. There are two males and one female left alive after some kind of doomsday devise is detonated, which is never really explained. In this type of scenario you'd expect people to behave wildly; looting the electronics store, stealing Italian sports cars, driving a tank through the middle of downtown (as I believe this happened in a film called "The Quiet Earth"). Instead they wear pressed slacks, shave, mix cocktails (no one explains how they still have power, let alone ice cubes) and fight over one boat in a harbor full of 'em. This is not Corman's most entertaining film and you will find your attention slipping in and out, but for my money it beats the latest sitcom or reality show.

On the 5th of April 2005, the legendary horror producer/director Roger Corman turned 79 years old and that was my reason (the obsessive geek I am) to re-watch one of his most overlooked films. Last Woman on Earth is a modest but ingenious SF-thriller that got pushed back and eventually forgotten due to other, bigger cinema projects handling about the same topic. That's quite regretful, as this is a well written and entertaining little film with quite some tension and above average acting performances. The plot is fascinating and follows a rich couple and their lawyer friend on vacation in Puerto Rico. When they make a day-trip out on the open sea to dive a sudden and unexplainable lack of oxygen kills off the isle's entire population…likely the whole world! They initially collaborate to survive and work out an escape plan, but pretty soon the first fights appear. The situation gets really complicated when the lawyer also develops feelings for … the last and only woman on earth. Like nearly every Roger Corman product, the film lacks budget and eye for detail. Yet, the Puerto Rican filming locations are beautiful the man's directing is very straightforward. The constantly increasing hopelessness of the characters is terrifically portrayed and the inevitable climax of paranoia is very impressive. The ending is somewhat disappointing (as other reviewers already pointed out) and hard to accept after the overall convincing first hour. But then again, it's not easy to shoot an appropriate climax to an apocalyptic-minded movie, is it? The three-headed cast delivers good performances. Especially compared to that other film Corman quickly shot in Puerto Rico – Creature from the Haunted Sea – this is a good and recommended picture. Pay close attention to Robert Towne, by the way. Around the time of Last Woman on Earth, he was still an unnoticed Corman pupil but he soon after became one of Hollywood's most praised scriptwriters.