Last Woman on Earth

This sci-fi tale examines the fate and the human struggles involved in the incredible realization that a woman and two men may be the last surviving humans on Earth, following a peculiar catastrophy.

The analysis of selfishness, love, jealousy, money, work, accomplishment and the purpose of life are very well examined. All in the context of these extreme circumstances, the issues become very vibrant. The dialogue and acting help you feel the despair and distress of the characters.

Unfortunately, what could have possibly been one of the best black & white sci-fi movies, fell short- very short- in the end. The ending is uselessly incoherent, improbable and needlessly violent (a horrible fight on top of everything).

Still worth a watch for the first hour of the film.

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.

It is certainly not a horrible movie. Leonard Maltin called it a Bomb. It has decent acting and a reasonable plot. It's very talky. Unlike most end-of-the - world movies, there are no efforts to come up with food, resist annihilation, hole up somewhere, although those things are talked about. It begins with what seems to be the death of all the people in the Puerto Rican area where this takes place. The main characters are saved because they were SCUBA diving and had oxygen while others didn't. This opens a whole can of worms. Theere are people all over with oxygen supplied for various reasons. We have three figures, a young wife who feels because of her relationship with her driven husband, she has missed out on much of life. She's really quite stunning. We have the husband, a take-no-prisoners businessman who has crossed the line many times. Finally, we have his nihilistic, whiny attorney who spouts philosophy and poetry, but is rather ineffectual. He and the wife begin a relationship, but even she tires of his ramblings and his negative discourse. There is a sad conclusion with many unanswered questions. Just a rather dull, talky movie.

"Last Woman on Earth" shows what happens as a romantic triangle plays out during an "end of the world" type of story. Harold Gern (Antony Carbone) is a shady banker enjoying the sights and sounds of Puerto Rico. Tagging along are his sexy young wife Evelyn (Betsy Jones- Moreland) and his loyal attorney Martin Joyce (future Oscar winning screenwriter Robert Towne, acting under the pseudonym Edward Wain). After a scuba diving excursion, they come out of the sea to find that some mysterious disaster has eliminated almost every living thing in sight. Harold is given to macho "this is how it's gonna be" proclamations, while Martin, who realizes that he's falling for Evelyn, acts as a voice of reason.

Towne also wrote the screenplay for this one, his first. Since he worked slowly (according to producer & director Roger Corman), his script was unfinished by the time of filming. So, in order to ensure that the screenwriter could be on set regularly, Corman convinced Towne to co-star in the film. Corman had come to Puerto Rico partly to take in the beauty of the surroundings, but largely due to "certain tax laws". By the time he and his crew left the country, they had not one film under their belt, but three: this one, "Creature from the Haunted Sea" (a remake of "Naked Paradise"), and "Battle of Blood Island".

A great film this is not, but it's a passably engrossing one, thanks to some wonderful atmosphere (Corman actually ponied up the dough to shoot it in color) and Townes' somewhat philosophical tale. There is some decent dialogue, good music by Ronald Stein, and effective cinematography by Jacques R. Marquette. The three cast members are reasonably good. Towne fares well enough, despite not being a professional actor.

The ending is abrupt, and may not be to all viewers' satisfaction. Still, Corman and Towne deserve some credit for tackling the theme of the hostility and violence ingrained in mankind, on a rather meagre budget.

Six out of 10.

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.