MovieChat Forums > The Last Man on Earth (1964) Discussion > unintentionally funny things in this mov...

unintentionally funny things in this movie..

posted 18 years ago by writelasse
43 replies | jump to latest

There are some unintentionally funny scenes in this movie, especially seen from a "modern movie watchers" perspective. For example, when Morgan enters the lab after talking to Ben at his home, he sees the three lab coats carelessly flung around. Then suddenly Morgans boss shows up, and i seriously expected him suddenly to switch over to the vampire/zombie state with Morgan fighting him off, and discovering the three slain bodies of his collagues. Well, maybe its just my imagination, fuelled by years of Hollywood cliches.

What else is there?

1) The "zompires" turning up every night, banging on Morgans door. I mean, every night for f**ng 3 years? Every single night they are coming, banging on the door, going: "Mooorgan, Moooorgan, come out! Do you hear?? Mooorgan we are going to kill you and yada yada yada. No wonder he puts a jazz record on.

2) Morgan wandering around with his espresso pot, slurping coffee with a grim, desillusionised look on his face, checking his generator, mirror and stuff.

3) As suggested elsewhere on this board: The "Looney tunes" security measures of a few pieces of wood randomly put over thin doors.

4) The directors effort to pass Morgans city of as an american city, while every building and exterior shot screams Italy.

5) The Vampire nazis trying to catch Morgan with their harpoons, looking like some kind of french beatnik whalers.

More..??

[–] speak-easy-radio 18 years ago

Weak argument.

[–] buchowski 18 years ago

Ben Cortman was funny before and adfter he became infected. His acting is quite poor and the scene with the children is a bit over the top when he syas something like, "You want to see some card tricks, do ya?"

It was funny how his hair was immaculate as a zompire and his moans of "Mooorgan..." were retarded!

The dead bodies everywhere didn't seem to be random enough and were just blatantly placed where Morgan would walk.

There was a scene early in the movie where he went to fill up with some gas/fetch mirrors/etc. He got into his car, slammed it in reverse and he reversed the car for about a metre whilst hardly even turning the wheel. Then he slammed it into drive and drove off - it looked funny because the reverse manoeuvre seemed so inappropriate!

And his daughter when she was ill - I have no idea what she was doing or saying it was just a bit random and funny!

I admire this movie for trying to stay faithful to the book, right up until he meets the women. I was very impressed but because it is so old and because I read the book before seeing this movie it did make me smile an awful lot as I knew what was coming and I was waiting to see how the story was translated onto the screen!

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] ben-1003 18 years ago

vampire law says you cant go in someones house and kill them without being invited or let in. Thats why they were always saying let me in or come out.

I thought it was funny when he opened a tapas restaurant and all the zombies got ill

_________________________

"you cant polish a turd!"
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Jm8RfoGlyHg

[–] james-mac 18 years ago

This Vampire Lore thing doesn't apply to this movie. The vampire/zombies are extremely weak as Morgan states. Morgan says that he isn't afraid of them just annoyed.

[–] monsieurzy 18 years ago

this is a great film (certainly better than the Charlton Heston version)
...one thing Vincent Price should never do in a film is something physical.....in this film he throws objects with limp wristed lassitude, and seems to be under a lot of strain when he has to lift anything....same problem in the Tomb of Ligeia

[–] jkerr8 17 years ago

While I like the fact that the film stays (almost) true to the book, the whole effort screams "B movie!" Horrible acting, overbearing music, cheap sets, and what the hell is Ruth Collins doing with makeup on? The night scenes were mostly filmed during the day with filters; you can see the sunlight reflected off of the cars. And the chase scenes-holy cow! A wounded duck could get away from those guys! OK, everybody, lets trot after him! Wait, wait, slow down, you're almost there! They have to go slow because Vincent Price runs like a total dork. Something tells me he wasn't a star athlete in high school. One final thing-each time Ruth "struggles" with Robert, it looks as if she really doesn't want to get past him at all. Just stands there flailing her arms while keeping her body still. Oh, and one more final, final thing. Why were the smart vampires all dressed the same? Looked like they were all on their way to an art show!

[–] white_chapel 18 years ago

THe funniest parts to me were any scene where Vincent Price had to run or fight. A talented actor he could scare the crap out of you with a cigarete and a smile. But the man had the physical grace and agility of Stephen Hawking.

Also in several scenes, the abandoned roads in the distance have a surprising amount of traffic on them.

I also enjoyed theEaurotrash Beatnicks (the aforementioned French Whalers). They were just so stereotypically 50's Italian I expected a chase sequence on Vespas whith the haunting cries of "Ciao, Ciao! echoeing in the night.

[–] celbopgirl 17 years ago

The whole MORGAN, WE ARE GOING TO KILL YOU part is great, yes.
I really enjoyed how they can dismantle a car so fast, the zombie vampires, that is. Its like a gang of hoodlums got infected.

When the Girl asks him.. Who is that ( yelling Morgan). He smiles so sweetly and says, "OH its my best friend".
hahaha.

Its a family favorite.

[–] live-a-lifestyle 17 years ago

Yes i found it very funny when Price throws the glass into the face of the zombie/vampire-I kept replaying it-the music with it is awesome as well. Another thing that I noticed-as I have watched it several times now on DVD is that Morgan always makes mistakes-I suppose becasue he is so bored with life and no one can witness the mistakes he makes so he does not really care ---for example when he takes the board from the garage door he bumbs the car with it by accident, he hits his head on one of the light bulbs, he touches the kettle or espresso pot and burns his hand (I dont know if that was deliberate or not), and when Ben repeatidly hits the window he hits the gate on the back swing about three times.

I love the movie though.

[–] KingJeremy77 15 years ago

After Morgan's daughter went blind, she was quite clearly looking at both her parents. I thought that was kinda funny. Plus the Morgan chants from Ben. "Morgan, remember Morgan". Overall, i love this movie.

What about that time I found you naked with that bowl of jello?

[–] CGMCC 17 years ago

Early in the film, Morgan loads up two dead people, a girl and a man, into the back of his vehicle. He put them in head first. At the pit when he unloads them, the girl's head is towards the back of the car.

All sorts of strange activities in this one. It's on TCM.

[–] daviddeep 17 years ago

I love Vincent Price, and yet it was hard not to laugh at some of his rather hammy acting throughout this film.

Some of the continuity issues were unintentionally funny. For example, after the zombie/vampires dismantled Price's car and he replaced it with the Ford he liberated from the dealership, the old Chevy had been completely removed from his driveway by the time he returned! For that matter, have you ever tried to start a car that had been sitting abandoned for three years? Any gas in the tank of the cars in that dealership would have probably turned to varnish by then.

[–] hec55rod 17 years ago

After reading some of these comments, I feel like watching it again. Thanks.

[–] MrPie7 14 years ago

And didja notice he was driving the '58 Ford in the middle of a trip in the '56 Chevy? And didja notice the Ford was parked in front of the lab where he worked?And didja notice EVERY OTHER CAR in the movie was ITALIAN?

[–] ih8tt 9 years ago

For that matter, have you ever tried to start a car that had been sitting abandoned for three years? Any gas in the tank of the cars in that dealership would have probably turned to varnish by then.

and, generators keeping them cool or not (and why wouldn't the zompires have destroyed/burned all grocery stores by then?), no way that garlic stays fresh after all that time, or, pretty much any food that wasn't canned

[–] bellaghy 17 years ago

Just watched this on TV last night for the first time in years and though i enjoyed it, some things had me cracking up. Mainly the totally pathetic barricades Morgan placed on his windows and doors, OK the vampires were slow but come on! HAHAHA! And the whole "Morgan, come out" business from Ben. Great little film though.....

[–] dr_zook81 17 years ago

wierdest part was when those zombies who kept on attacking at mooooorrgan's doors and windows, they broke a plank or 2 every time.. sometimes one on each hit(go have a look) but still those buggers could not break into his house for 3 long years..but when the movie is about to end, ben has a masterplan and within seconds was inside the house, kidnaps the girl, takes her out and started sucking her blood!!!!!!!!! that was lame
and how come he could wrestle 7-9 zombie guys outside the church during the beginning of the movie(when he over slept in the church).. they were weak i understand but that was overdoing it.they were like sick puppies compared to the zombies of 28 weeks later..
but that guy ben was really funny!!!

[–] emptysky 17 years ago

In one scene when the group of vampires are trying to get in his house, a couple of them are banging directly on the garlic on the door, while facing the mirror. What good is the mirror if they're looking right at it, and what good is the garlic if they can walk right up and touch it repeatedly while they're whacking on the door? Hardly seems worth the effort to drive out to the freezer with the garlic in it or to the mirror store.

Also, when Morgan loses track of time at the crypt, he comes running outside and it's completely dark as he fights off the vampires and gets in his car and drives off. Then suddenly you see the car from the side and it's daylight again. Then he arrives at his house and it's pitch dark again. If they were too cheap to film a side shot of the car in the dark, then why not leave out that shot? I'm not one who usually notices mistakes in movies but that one was so obvious even a little kid could've seen it.

[–] bliam138 17 years ago

I must preface this by saying I enjoyed the film...but, watching Vincent Price trying to limp wrist those spikes into the vampires was hilarious! I dont think he could hammer that thing through swiss cheese with that kind of force

Potential Donkey Kong kill screen in 5 minutes if you're interested....

[–] normfromga1 17 years ago

One of the "goofs" I noticed, which I hadn't seen mentioned, was in the scene where he leaves Ben at home, and heads to the lab, and he pulls over to let a convoy of trucks carrying bodies pass.

If you watch the initial longshot, you will vaguely notice a car parked quite a distance back, facing the other way, the motorcyclist who, I guess, was the one with the siren, stopping traffic at intersections, and a small car who also stopped on the other side of the intersection.

However, in the close up of Price, you see a truck sitting plainly outside the back of his vehicle. It is too large to be either of parked cars, and it would seem to be facing the wrong direction. And it couldn't be a reflection of the car facing Price on the other side of the intersection, because there is no such reflection of the trucks passing in between them.

When he starts up again, the truck disappears in the wideshot.

Speaking of vehicles, one thing I kept noticing is that he never shut the tailgate of his station wagon(s). Maybe due to his above mentioned limp wrist, the director thought opening and shutting the vehicle may be too painful to watch onscreen. However, with all the work involved in gathering his precious cargo of garlic, mirrors, and, of course, corpses, it is amazing he would let any just slide away due to a quick getaway, or dodging obstacles.