Saturday, October 25, 2025

Horror 2025 Countdown: Last Woman on Earth (1960)

Last Woman on Earth (1960), dir. Roger Corman, Filmgroup



Funny enough this predates the Vincent Price film Last Man on Earth by a good four years, although it has more in common with Arch Oboler's Five than the former. 

Harold Gern (Anthony Carbone) is a louse. He's in the tropics with his wife, Evelyn (Betsy Jones-Moreland) in between lawsuits. Tagging along is Harold's lawyer, Martin Joyce (Robert Towne). 

The three opt to scuba dive but when they surface they run into a snag-they can't breathe. The boat pilot is stone dead too, suggesting there's no more breathable oxygen. The tanks relieve them but only for a brief point. They manage to row ashore where the plants put out enough oxygen to keep them alive. 

Harold figures the apocalypse is great. No more lawsuits, he can finally be the alpha male he knew he was all along, and no trouble of any kind. 

Martin, however, goes with the idea with the old world being dead, so are all old laws. Such as marriage laws for example, and as a lawyer he brings the receipts. Evelyn has made it clear she never loved Harold, who has referred to her as a possession of his and never a wife. 

Pity that Harold is a bit bigger and a dirtier fighter. Which man will Evelyn go with?

Yesh. Evelyn might as well be a lamppost for all the impact she has on the plot and neither man is a catch. Why should I care about their plight when I barely care about them?

Easily the weakest thing Corman has done at this point. 



No comments:

Post a Comment