20 Horror Movies for $7.50 — Part V.

I read in several places that this film was the cream of the Asylum crop.  I assume that referred to the “mockbuster” titles.  I actually liked the Two-Headed Shark Attack and the Sharknado movies.

I haven’t haven’t the pleasure of seeing the er . . . homages such as The Terminators, The Day the Earth Stopped, or Transmorphers.  What’s strange is that this is considered a rip-off of I am Legend but bears little resemblance to that movie or any other movie made from that btheook.  Richard Matheson is even credited on IMDb (although not in the movie).

It gets off to a start that seems clear, but actually becomes more confusing as the movie progresses.  A young woman is frantically gathering a few key possessions and hustling her son into a pickup.  Sadly, one of the key possessions was not the keys, so she must go back into the house.  A zombie bashes her head into the windshield and her son is grabbed by a pair of hands under the truck.  Renchard (Mark Dacascos) sits bolt upright in bed with his gun drawn.

Cinematically, this tells us that the boy escaped and grew up to be Renchard.  He just awoke from a recurring nightmare about being unable to save his mother.  Or does it?  A few minutes later, he looks at a picture of the woman and boy — so possibly they were his wife and son, but that was a strange POV for a nightmare if he was not present?

The next half hour is literally a waste of 1s and 0s.  He imagines a radio is playing, he gets an incoming message on his laptop which he doesn’t answer, he shaves, brushes his teeth.  We do at least get a flashback that indicates they were his wife and son.

He literally punches a time clock and goes out in his ratty car do do his day job.  He is driving around placing explosive charges near gas lines, set to blow in 24 hours.  To what end?  This zombie infestation does not seem to be a local problem — what good is blowing up the city going to do?  And I suspect it is Los Angeles — he would need an H-Bomb to make a dent in that 500 square miles.  He does not appear to be a psychotic arsonist like Trashcan Man, so what is the point?

Vasquez Rocks

His robustly still-functional computer alerts him that he has another incoming message, but he again ignores it.  More confusion — is he just a nihilist, suicidal at this point and doesn’t want to meet other survivors?  It doesn’t seem so given his grooming and attire. Then why leave the messaging program open, and ignore it?

38 minutes in, he gets a visit from a couple of yahoos in a van.  One of them repeatedly calls him compadre which is an interesting character tic for about 3 times, but then just turns into an annoying drinking game as he uses it over and over and over.  They want Renchard to join them to go get the girl who was been texting him, but he isn’t interested.  It does get his attention when one of them asks when the charges are scheduled to blow.  Since they all seem to have LED readouts, that’s a pretty dumb question.

They get to the girl via sewers which apparently have the structure and reliability of Sunnydale.  And she really looks exactly like his mother.  This guy might have issues, but they’re about to get resolved.

At an hour and 6 minutes in, we finally get something interest, and an actual laugh.  I’ve already wasted too many words on this film, but it is the set piece that starts with the convertible in the parking garage.  It isn’t all that well staged, but it has some fun and some ideas — elements sorely lacking up to this point.

Sadly, things continue with a thoroughly unnecessary twist from a thoroughly unlikable character.  On the plus side, he can’t be blamed for ruining the movie.  Renchard comes through, though, in an unlikely final showdown.

There was a good movie to be had here and it had nothing to do with I Am Legend.  I just didn’t care for Renchard as the lead.  The bad guys were unlikable, but not in the good way.  And sadly, the girl was just a poor actress.  Combine that with some mediocre zombie make-up and direction, and you got yourself a major squandered opportunity.

Post-Post:

• Visually, the film was mostly a dud.  Really nothing made me want to do a screencap except the Vasquez Rocks.
• Title Analysis:  Not to be pedantic, but he is not Omega (the last).  Ω is the 24 letter of the Greek alphabet —  maybe there are 24 survivors.  Or maybe no one gave a shit.