Rating: 
Summary: An Effective Mix of Horror and Sci-Fi
Review: Having already owned the Warner copy of the original House on Haunted Hill, I purchased this DVD for The Last Man on Earth. The movie is based on the story "I am Legend" by famed horror writer Richard Matheson. Genre favorite Vincent Price plays a scientist who believes he may be the lone survivor of a world wide plague that has transformed everyone into vampires. Price plays the part of the man tormented by his loneliness perfectly. By day he hunts the sleeping undead, and by night he is tormented by them as they pound on his home as the lead vampire constantly calling to him: "Morgan, come out Morgan". Very creepy. The DVD I purchased is the 2001 widescreen release from Diamond Entertainment. It is identified by the red banner across the top marked "Widescreen Edition". The film transfer is far from perfect, but as another reviewer said this is the only widescreen transfer I know of on DVD. The picture and sound are not all that bad. It looks just as good if not slightly better than versions that air on cable from time to time. This gem represents classic horror at its best. The DVD is bargain priced and the movie is a must for classic horror libraries. I highly recommend securing a copy before it disappears from the shelves. Hopefully this movie will get better DVD treatment in the future, but at least you'll have a copy of this fine film until that happens.
Rating:
Summary: Undeniably a great DVD deal
Review: HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL is a minor classic, and possibly William Castle's best film. It's presented on the DVD in a pleasant widescreen transfer, not as good as the individual Warner Home Video release (ASIN 0790744309) but not even remotely as disappointing as you might think, given the low cost of the disc. Still frames are jittery, but when in motion the picture is not at all bad. The movie itself can still deliver a few tingles today. THE LAST MAN ON EARTH, the first film adaptation of Richard Matheson's novel I AM LEGEND (ISBN 031286504X), is probably the movie that will get the most attention, considering its availability on video has been intermittent over the years (while HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL is already on DVD twice, at least, not counting the recent remake). The biggest disappointment is that the transfer of LAST MAN is NOT widescreen. The fact that the widescreen laserdisc is so difficult to find makes this even worse. It would have been so nice to have this DVD feature both movies in letterboxed form! Alas, no such luck. The print itself is not in nearly as good condition as HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL, either. But consider the price! Both movies are very good, one is seldom seen and unjustly forgotten. You'll be paying under four bucks per movie, how can you complain much about the quality? If and when a better version of THE LAST MAN ON EARTH makes it to DVD, you won't even feel bad about spending money for another copy because the first hardly breaks the bank. And just think, it's cheaper than a VHS copy, which will certainly be inferior in every way. So hesitate no longer!
Rating: 
Summary: good movies but shotty capturing
Review: I bought this because I believed it was a good deal. I guess sometimes you get what you pay for. The person that captured the film has a section of the movie screen missing. I was rather disappointed. I would recomend buying the House on Haunted Hill separately for a little more money, it's quality is nice. But if you don't mind the missing part of the screen and you like Vincent Price movies then buy this rendition. The DVD case is also quite unique and interesting.
Rating: 
Summary: Last Man On Earth!
Review: I bought this dvd for its Vincent Price/House on Haunted Hill aspect. I was VERY impressed with Last Man On Earth. It's a sci-fi horror classic that I never get sick of watching. To be fair, the dvd transfer is pretty bad and grainy, but it's a cheap dvd. I cannot say enough about Last Man on Earth, it's the best dvd I've bought in months.
Rating:
Summary: LUCKED INTO IT
Review: I BOUGHT THIS DVD TO GET ONE OF MY FAVORITE CHILDHOOD HORROR MOVIES, WILLIAM CASTLE'S HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL (1958) STARRING VINCENT PRICE, CAROL OHMART (AS HIS LOVELY, SCHEMING WIFE), AND ELISHA COOK (THE CLINT HOWARD OF HIS TIME). THAT THIS DVD HAD ANOTHER VINCENT PRICE MOVIE ON IT WAS AN ADDED BONUS. IMAGINE MY DELIGHT UPON FINDING OUT THAT LAST MAN ON EARTH (1964) WAS BASED ON RICHARD MATHESON'S BOOK I AM LEGEND AS WAS THE OMEGA MAN (1971) WHICH STARRED CHARLTON HESTON. ALL I CAN SAY IS THAT I LUCKED INTO THIS ONE. A DEFINITE KEEPER.
Rating:
Summary: A Strictly "Subjective" Assessment
Review: I first saw this film in my mid-teens, when I had no critical faculties whatsoever. In those days, Bergman and Fellini would have bored hell out of me (Fellini still does), and "Citizen Kane" would have left me cold. And many of the films I used to love as a child now strike me as boring. But for some reason, "Last Man on Earth" continues to plunge me into a state of pleasurable gloom, and I keep returning to it every other week like some sort of drug, or one of those amulets cinematic hypnotists dangle before their victims while coaxing them toward some nefarious climax. I won't attempt an "objective" review of this film, since I'm far too familiar with it, so my impressions are visceral rather than analytic. Also, I long ago ceased to care about the plot (which is amply detailed in many of the other reviews included here). The acting? Here, too, I'm too close to it to make a reliable assessment. I'd have to say that Vincent Price is only slightly hammy in his role as a weary vampire-hunter, and in one scene, where he's vocally mourning the loss of his wife, "Virge," he lapses into some rather embarrassing self-consciousness. The only other aspect of the film that annoys me ---- from an adult vantage point, that is ---- is the atrocious dubbing of the Italian actors, and the ridiculous exhortations of the vampires as they surround the protagonist's house, trying to lure him outside. Otherwise, "Last Man" still strikes me as one of the best examples of atmospheric film-making in the history of the genre, and it is on this level that I can wholly immerse myself in its special qualities. It does not really resemble any other film ever made ------ much like the international collaboration, "Daughters of Darkness" in that respect. It does not even resemble "Night of the Living Dead," though it clearly influenced that film thematically. It has that sleazy, low-budget quality that most true horror fans love, but other than that it is sui generis. Part of the power of the film, I believe, is that it concentrates largely on the situation of a totally isolated character, surrounded by alien beings with whom he has no chance of communicating. The fact that he loses both his wife and a close friend to this "enemy camp" only adds to his sense of despair (not to mention a stray dog which he briefly befriends before discovering that it, too, has succumbed to the "vampire germ"). The music score, while not in the class of Bernard Herrmann or Maurice Jarre, is nevertheless wonderfully appropriate for the film, and assists the production with just the right touch of eeriness. Parts of it spill over into excess, perhaps, but it's the right kind of excess. The DVD (Diamond) edition of the film is only passable, and hopefully it will get transferred from a better print eventually. But for now, we should be grateful for this budget version. "Last Man on Earth" is not the greatest horror film ever made ---- and this is as "objective" as I can be at this stage ---- but it's one of the most effective when approached in the right spirit.
Rating:
Summary: Great Vincent Price Double Feature
Review: I had not seen either movie before buying this DVD - except for a few minutes of Last Man on TV, but I enjoy most Vincent Price movies anyway so I took a chance. _House on Haunted Hill_ has a rich man inviting a group to spend the night in a house where murders had occured. Each person will be paid for surviving the night. The house itself is just a big house - nothing really gothic about it. People will be tempted to compare this movie to the more recent remake - if you can actually call it that. Both involve the invitation to stay in a haunted house, but that's pretty much it for what they have in common. (There is one other similarity, but I'd risk a spoiler if I say much about that.) This version is not as weird as the remake. However, when this version was released, audiences were presented with Emergo (?) - a skeleton being pulled out over them during a key scene. On this DVD, the movie has a nice, clear letterboxed image. Great quality considering the price. _The Last Man On Earth_ is based on the story _I Am Legend_ by Richard Matheson. Vincent Price plays the part of Robert Neville who believes he is the last human alive on Earth. Everyone else has been infected with a virus that has turned them into vampires. Neville doesn't know why he was spared. The production style does appear similar to the original _Night of the Living Night_. _The Omega Man_ was also based on _I Am Legend_, but this movie remains more loyal to the original story. For this movie, the image quality on the DVD is a bit grainy. I'm guessing a 16mm print might have been used. The DVD has a few basic extras, but nothing major. Some background information on the movies.
Rating:
Summary: So where have you seen better?? For how much???
Review: I read the other (30) reviews written so far, before writing this. I purchased the second release (2001) of this DVD. The reviewer from Long Island correctly pointed out that it has been released twice. This second release was a dual-layered (so it claimed) single sided disc with both movies released in Widescreen. While I agree that the transfer of "The Last Man On Earth" is not as good as "House on Haunted Hill" I have yet to see better. I also have not seen this movie in Widescreen before nor have I even heard of it being released in Widescreen other than this "Diamond" DVD that I purchased for a budget price. I have seen two other DVD's of "The Last Man On Earth" one on a triple bill from BFS entertainment ("Great Bloodsucking Vampire Movies") and on another triple bill from Platinum Home Video (with "The Satanic rites of Dracula" as well as "House") both were budget dvds with similiar picture quality but neither was widescreen. Although I formerly collected many Laserdiscs, sadly, I didn't manage to add these Vincent Price classics to that collection. The main reason I am bothered, however, by the other reviewers who are (quite justly, I am sure) critical of this DVD is that I have seen (and I am fairly new to DVD) quite a few major studio releases of better known, even famous coveted films, get even worse treatment on DVD!! Extras??, you have got to be kidding?, at this price I don't expect any. While they are modest, this DVD has some extras (also this 2001 Widescreen release may have a few more than the 2000 dual sided Widescreen/Fullscreen release) and four illustrated chapter markers per film plus a few extra stops per film you can chapter through. I have seen Paramount release films like "Silver Bullet and "Pretty in Pink" with no extras at all for four times what I paid for this "Diamond" release. I don't mean to single out Paramount (they do seem to include very few dvd extras considering mostly above average prices) for I also have DVDs from other major studios such as Warner, MGM/UA, Universal, and Fox that have no chapter stops or sport poor prints or transfers. I have one DVD (an English language film) that even left out sub-titles of intermittent foreign language dialogue, that exist in every other print and version of the movie (Theatrical release, Broadcast TV, Cable, VHS, Beta, Lasersdisc) that I have seen. If someone finds better DVD's of these Vincent Price classics (at any price! hehe!) please pass the info along. In the meantime please make some popcorn and enjoy the show. thanks, CAL
Rating:
Summary: So where have you seen better?? For how much???
Review: I read the other (30) reviews written so far, before writing this. I purchased the second release (2001) of this DVD. The reviewer from Long Island correctly pointed out that it has been released twice. This second release was a dual-layered (so it claimed) single sided disc with both movies released in Widescreen. While I agree that the transfer of "The Last Man On Earth" is not as good as "House on Haunted Hill" I have yet to see better. I also have not seen this movie in Widescreen before nor have I even heard of it being released in Widescreen other than this "Diamond" DVD that I purchased for a budget price. I have seen two other DVD's of "The Last Man On Earth" one on a triple bill from BFS entertainment ("Great Bloodsucking Vampire Movies") and on another triple bill from Platinum Home Video (with "The Satanic rites of Dracula" as well as "House") both were budget dvds with similiar picture quality but neither was widescreen. Although I formerly collected many Laserdiscs, sadly, I didn't manage to add these Vincent Price classics to that collection. The main reason I am bothered, however, by the other reviewers who are (quite justly, I am sure) critical of this DVD is that I have seen (and I am fairly new to DVD) quite a few major studio releases of better known, even famous coveted films, get even worse treatment on DVD!! Extras??, you have got to be kidding?, at this price I don't expect any. While they are modest, this DVD has some extras (also this 2001 Widescreen release may have a few more than the 2000 dual sided Widescreen/Fullscreen release) and four illustrated chapter markers per film plus a few extra stops per film you can chapter through. I have seen Paramount release films like "Silver Bullet and "Pretty in Pink" with no extras at all for four times what I paid for this "Diamond" release. I don't mean to single out Paramount (they do seem to include very few dvd extras considering mostly above average prices) for I also have DVDs from other major studios such as Warner, MGM/UA, Universal, and Fox that have no chapter stops or sport poor prints or transfers. I have one DVD (an English language film) that even left out sub-titles of intermittent foreign language dialogue, that exist in every other print and version of the movie (Theatrical release, Broadcast TV, Cable, VHS, Beta, Lasersdisc) that I have seen. If someone finds better DVD's of these Vincent Price classics (at any price! hehe!) please pass the info along. In the meantime please make some popcorn and enjoy the show. thanks, CAL
Rating: 
Summary: And I Love Last Man on Earth!!
Review: I truly believed when I saw this on Amazon[.com] that the print of Last Man on Earth was going to be perfect. WRONG!! It came from a source that was blurry and scratched and looked like a "Goodtimes" video. Really poor quality. What a disappointment since it is my favorite Vincent Price film. It tries to deliver, but with a poor source it's difficult. I recently recorded a version on SHOWTIME that was distributed by Orion. WOW!!! thank goodness for recordable dvd, now this is the copy to have...perfect and crystal clear. Why did Orion release this great source on laserdisc but not on dvd? People, there is a crystal clear transfer out there. Write to Orion or HBO now, since Orion has gone out of business, and ask for the release of this great film on dvd. House on Haunted Hill is an excellent transfer on this double dvd, the price is reasonable and it delivers I would give this 5 stars if it was the only film on this dvd. But I bought the dvd thinking that the two were pristine transfers. Anyway, enough moaning, buy this just for House on Haunted Hill. It's worth it, instead of paying top dollar from Columbia dvd. Same movie and same excellent transfer. This is far the better buy.
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