I Am Legend (Richard Matheson)

[skuppy]

Very nice to see a horror site that's not just about movies.

I picked up I Am Legend a few weeks ago but still haven't opened the cover, need to finish some other books first. I'm a big RC Matheson fan (he wrote some of the best Twilight Zone episodes) altough I've only read a handful of his stories in anthologies. I Am Legend looks to be a great collection so I can't wait to get started on it.

Hope you finish that review soon. I'd love to see more book reviews in the future too.

[JohnShaft]

Great book Skuppy.
I'm just about to finish it, for about the 5th time in the last year or so. I can't speak for the other collections in the anthology as mine was just 'Legend', but that's more than enough on it's own.

Got Matheson's 'What Dreams May Come' on order from Amazon too, heard great things about that. Not seen the film, but don't expect it to be similar anyway, so I wasn't too concerned if the film was bad.

You're right about his Twilight Zone episodes too. Meant to add some of the when I finished the review.
For a start I love original Twilight Zone, and some of the ones he wrote in particular:
Terror at 10,000 Feet (William Shatner on a plane with a demon playing havoc *outside* the plain)
Nick of Time (Also Shatner, this time at the mercy of a penny fortune telling Machine with a Devils Head)
Invaders (Tiny spacemen land at a desolate farmhouse and the lone occupant fights them off)
Cold Steel (Lee Marvin as one of the last humans fighting against robots. Marvin pretends to be a robot so he can fight)

Some awesome stuff, and I really want to get my hands on the books of scripts of these.
Way to may to name, real evidence of Matheson's talent and his great influence upon the ground breaking TZ.
A World of Difference (A man finds out that his life actually isn't real but is a TV show, shades of Jim Carrey's The Truman Show).

As for Book Reviews on Horror Sites you are right, they are rarer than gold dust. Which is exactly why I wanted to include book reviews. Sadly even though a lot of horror fans read books it seems almost impossible to find any good reviewers, hell I can't even find short, bad reviews!!
I'm going to keep my eye out though as it really is something that is very hard to find anywhere.

[chuk hell]

A great book to be sure. My hardbound copy has vanished from my library and If I find out who took it I will drive a stake through their surely undead heart!

The fairly recent film STIR OF ECHOS is another Matheson tale put to celluloid to good effect. It was pretty over-shadowed by THE SIXTH SENSE, (rather ironicly I might add as M. Night Shamalamadingdong is a very TWILIGHT ZONE influenced director), but well worth seeing. Very underated I think. I recommend it if you passed it by....

[JohnShaft]

Thanks for the STIR' recommendation Chuk, I haven't seen it yet (nor read the book).

I think that will be more to my tastes than 'What Dreams May Come' (the book, not the Robin Williams movie) which I found interesting, if a little uninspired.

[Scott W. Davis]

Another vote here for STIR OF ECHOES. God, I loved that film, one of the ten best of that year.

[I Voorhees]

I am Legend is one of my all time favs. I've also read The Hunted and The Legend of Hell House by Mattheson, both excellent books. All of a sudden The Hunted dosent sound right.

[Keederdag]

I was actually disapointed in I am legend. I looked a long time for a copy, finally found it and then wondered what all the hype was about. I think Matheson is a great idea man, but I can't say I was thrilled with his writing. I'm glad I read it, but just sorta disapointed. Honestly, I thought the Omeaga man was better than Matheson's book. I hear scuttlebutt about a movie staring :shutup: Will Smith.......Oh Jesus, someone please put a stop to this :pinch:

[JohnShaft]

Originally posted by Keederdag@Oct 14 2003, 11:41 PM
I hear scuttlebutt about a movie staring :shutup: Will Smith.......Oh Jesus, someone please put a stop to this :pinch:
Hahah. I know. The Horror!!
They've been meaning to film I AM LEGEND for at least 5 years. Arnie was first touted for the role. Later David Duchovny (Jeezus, thank god this didn't happen). Will Smith is a real bad choice, and I'm sure if he did star it would inevitably become a "Smith kickin' ass and taking down names" (ala INDEPENDENCE DAY) actioner.
I'd love to see Bruce Willis in the role. And other people have mentioned Kurt Russell. Both very good choices imo.

I fear two things for a Big Screen version of 'LEGEND though.
1. It is very unlikely to actually get off the ground.
2. If it does it will be almost entirely based around action, and have more in common with THE OMEGA MAN, than IAL.

Incidentally I was a huge fan of THE OMEGA MAN from a pre-teen age (as I am of Heston's entire Sci-Fi 'Trilogy' of the late 60's/early 70's). After many years I finally got my hands on the book and thought "no way is this going to hold up against the film". I soon realised I had it the wrong way around.
Now to me the film does not compare to the depths of the book.
Don't get me wrong I still have a REAL soft spot for the movie. But I now see it more as the kitsch 70's classic I think it is, than a great film (which it isn't).
A big part of what makes the movie is the great score by Ron Grainer. A score that could only have been written in the 70's. It gets regular plays on my computer while I'm beavering away on the site. I'd really recommend it to anyone who loves the film.

[KayleighJolie]

Are we talking about the same Richard Matheson that wrote Bid Time Return? The movie was Somewhere In Time.
Teri

[JohnShaft]

Yes that's the same Richard Matheson, Kayleigh. :)

[Keederdag]

Bruce Willis or Kurt Russell; now that is where it needs to go! :dribble: As much as I like Bruce, I would have to go with Kurt though, he could pull this one off in style. If it does come out with Will Smith......La, la, la, I cant here you... (Inserts fingers in ears)la, la, la, :thumbdown:

[Scott W. Davis]

Don't know if I mentioned it earlier, but I actually have read the proposed screenplay that originally had Schwarezenegger and Smith attached. The screenplay, while differing from the novel in a few ways, was quite simply excellent. Of course, I couldn't imagine either one of these people in the part. Will Smith, while a capable actor (see SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION!) isn't tough enough. Schwarzenegger is too superhuman and that has harmed many of the films he has done. Is it any wonder that his most memorable films are him playing a warrior king and the other an unstoppable robot? I fully agree that if they go in this direction, they would need to get Kurt Russell, Bruce Willis, Dennis Quaid (why has no one mentioned him?) or God forbid an unknown. It has to have someone capable of expressing strength AND humanity.

Oh and if the project ever does happen in this form (which is doubtful), they should smarten it up just a titch more. If all that falls into the right place, you'd have an excellent movie there. B)

[Keederdag]

Well I think we can safely count AHnold out......I hope! He's now busy as the Govenator :D I totally agree about Will Smith; Who's gonna play his zombie next door neighbor/friend? Martin Lawerence??????? :blink: Hadnt thought about Quaid though, not sure....I still gotta go with Russell, and Willis as second place for my .02. Who would you have direct? :huh: :D

[bkethridge]

I heard Matheson speak in Burbank about the movie.

"That Will Smith movie was really good. He gave a great performance. And the story was interesting. Too bad it wasn't based after my novel."

:lol:

Really... when will Hollywood get the picture when it comes to adaptations? Be faithful to the book when the book is really good. Change stuff if the book sucks. Easy. There. Go to it.

[daviddwilson]

A great book to be sure. My hardbound copy has vanished from my library and If I find out who took it I will drive a stake through their surely undead heart!

The fairly recent film STIR OF ECHOS is another Matheson tale put to celluloid to good effect. It was pretty over-shadowed by THE SIXTH SENSE, (rather ironicly I might add as M. Night Shamalamadingdong is a very TWILIGHT ZONE influenced director), but well worth seeing. Very underated I think. I recommend it if you passed it by....
Thanks for the STIR' recommendation Chuk, I haven't seen it yet (nor read the book).

I think that will be more to my tastes than 'What Dreams May Come' (the book, not the Robin Williams movie) which I found interesting, if a little uninspired.