The Ωmega Man (1971) & The Brain Center at Whipple’s

Two views of the next stage in devolution. “You shall know them by their tools.”

The Ωmega Man (1971)

Directed by: Boris Sagal

Screenplay by: John William Corrington & Joyce H. Corrington

Based on: I Am Legend,1954 novel by Richard Matheson

With: Charlton Heston as Colonel Robert Neville M.D., 

Anthony Zerbe as Jonathan Matthias, a ruthless local news TV commentator, sort of a combination of right wing LA gasbags Paul Harvey and George Putnam, 

Rosalind Cash as Lisa, the romantic interest. 

Paul Koslo as Dutch, token blond, James Dean division.

The Ωmega Man is but one of many movies based on Richard Matheson’s 1954 novel I Am Legend (none of them any good). That story concerns a world destroyed by a plague of vampires, and last man Robert Neville’s efforts to eradicate them. 

Neville’s efforts come to naught. The vampires have created a new society with Neville the boogeyman. He is captured and is condemned to die but cheats the hangman by swallowing suicide pills. As his consciousness fades he realizes he is a mythological Grendel to these people, a legend. He is his own Beowulf. 

Vampires , being a bit too savvy characters in bulk form for screenwriters to deal with, are out, and zombies get the gig. (In most movies.) Not in The Ωmega Man, no, here the survivors of a bioweapon have the pigment bleached from their skin and are not transformed to mindless cannibals in search of a tasty grey matter for dinner as in most such exercises in banality, but become anti-technology Luddites. This bunch is not simply opposed to the mechanical knitting machine like good old Ned Ludd, no, this crowd, followers of deposed television news reader Jonathan Matthias, want to bring doctor smartypants Colonel Robert Neville to Luddite justice to atone for his continued use of electric lights, J&B blended Scotch whiskey, and medical science. You know, the same sort of stuff that got humanity in this sorry state, or divine status, depending on your point of view.

“The Brain Center at Whipple’s”

The Twilight Zone episode: Episode no33. Season 5

Directed by: Richard Donner

Written by: Rod Serling

With: Richard Deacon, Paul Newlan, Ted de Corsia, Thalmus Rasulala (as Jack Crowder), Robby the Robot [uncredited cameo]

In The Brain Center at Whipple’s, Mr. Whipple is tired of dealing with human workers to manufacturer whatever-the-hell his factory makes , so dispenses the flesh and blood to make room for the steel, plastic and the transistorized. Solid state profits rise. The employee parking lot becomes available for development as a condo park.

Back at The Ωmega Man Dr Chuckles has distilled his very own blood to cure the undead Luddites and return their skin to that pre conflict healthy natural glow (you just knew he would. After all, he did part the Red Sea and all). Tech saves the world, or will.

Sadly, martyrdom was in a future he just would not want to escape, so our last view of the LA Basin’s savior (including parts of the Valley) is in the ”Jesus Crucified ” pose we all know and love.

Over at Whipple industries, automation has finally claimed the top spot. Mr Whipple’s job has been given over to Robby the Robot, just arrived on starship C57-D, direct from (ex) planet Altair IV.

Now management never sleeps.

At this end there will be no Luddites in line to receive the cure. No Luddites. As we as a species never seem learn from our mistakes there will be a work free, worker’s paradise in our collective future. Skynet will think of something.

Rod Serling has the last words:

“Man becomes clever instead of becoming wise; he becomes inventive and not thoughtful; and sometimes, as in the case of Mr. Whipple, he can create himself right out of existence.”