I have to disagree. At least Smith had a dog to talk to and not just a soccer ball. But yes, I am Legend was a good popcorn movie.

LOL. Yeah, I considered that. Still, I squirmed through Castaway and couldn't wait for it to end.

I found that I Am Legend was good food for thought after.

You've got to watch the original movie, "The Last Man on Earth" (or read the book, "I Am Legend" for that matter) if you really want food for thought.

That character is supposed to be a lot less . . . heroic . . . than he's being portrayed here. There's a much more sinister reason that he is to become legend.

And that's half the fun of it.

What was really cool was walking up to the ticket window and saying "I am legend."   

What was really cool was walking up to the ticket window and saying "I am legend."

NICE!

You've got to watch the original movie, "The Last Man on Earth" (or read the book, "I Am Legend" for that matter) if you really want food for thought.

I might have seen it. I used to watch a lot of movies like this.

That character is supposed to be a lot less . . . heroic . . . than he's being portrayed here. There's a much more sinister reason that he is to become legend.

I wondered about that. I will definitely read the book. I was really intrigued.

I haven't seen it but plan to. My daughter did she liked it and said it's unexpected too. I love Will Smith in the movies he does as well. I love Tom Hanks too!! Thx for the review without the spoilers!

Hint: If they'd stuck to the plot,

Hmmm... so much for avoiding spoilers. Oh, well.

I wondered about this part. There were certain parts of the movie where the new humans showed more than animal intelligence and the main character totally doesn't see it. At that point, I was thinking "Plot hole? Editing hole?"

Still, it was food for thought for me.

I'm finding more and more that if I'm going to see a movie based on the book then I need to see the movie first. Somehow, it doesn't ruin the book for me. Usually the book is better, I suppose. Often the plot has enough changes that the book story is almost new. I almost always feel ripped off if it's the other way around and I read the book first. I'm intrigued enough to go get the book now.

What resonated with me on this movie is how the Will Smith character reacted to beleiving he was the last living human and the effect of having to kill a beloved animal that just saved you. Other points were questions that I started considering while watching the movie.

My List:
Is screwing around with viruses to cure disease really worth the potential risk?
Do we really know enough about how every possible permutation of altering nature could effect us? Could we ever?
If I had a fatal disease, could I be satisfied that I'm going to die and that is natural or would I be screaming for a cure no matter how controversial?
That scene with all the pictures of the Dark Seekers that were experimented on led to the question...
If something like this (mutation to majority of humans) happens, do we accept that there is now a radical change in the human race? Who gets to decide which line will continue?
Does anyone have the right to experiment on the sick in order to find a cure to save the sick?
Can we really effectively save ourselves in terms of this kind of contagion? Where would the plans break down? Is there a plan?
Big Debate with Hubbie was
Do dogs really try to save you or not in a fight. I said a dog would defend you (pack) from another canine (depending on your dog) but maybe not another animal and without training might or might not against a person. Husband argued that the dog would just stand around and bark.

Other Item:
I don't like Reggae music but I am interested to learn more about Bob Marley and see if he was as interested in Peace as suggested in the movie.

Did you see the original, whip? 'Cuz that's how it went down in the Vincent Price one.

Heh, and if I was contemplating suicide, I'd use one of those automatic weapons he had lyin' around or snatch some oxycotins from a pharmacy or something. I certainly wouldn't feed myself to the vampires!   

I saw 'Legend' on its release date. And. It. Truly. Sucked. Smith is a congenial sort of actor, but the role he plays is an utter travesty of the character depicted in the original novella. In the original story, the character Smith plays is not looking for a cure, because tere is none. He's engaged in exterminating the creatures that the rest of humanity has become. He kills them any way he can, in the largest numbers possible. He's engaged in genocide, a one man war of absolute destruction.

And the reason that the story is called "I am Legend" has nothing to do with a 'colony' that owes its existence to the heroical self-sacrifice of Smith the Good Doctor (his character is far more like that of Mengele than Florence Nightingale). It's because, at the end of the novella, Smith's character is captured by the creatures he's trying to destroy (captured and, if I remember correctly, crucified). Just before his death, Smith's character realises that, to these new creatures he's been so thoroughly murdering, he's the boogeyman, the monster, the myth of something dreadful coming to kill you. He's the Vampire, the Thing in the Dark, the Legend to be used to frighten future generations.

The movie is an utter travesty of the original novella, and to be honest, the only decent performance in it is provided by the dog - who out-acted Smith at every turn.

Husband argued that the dog would just stand around and bark.

Your husband doesn't know much about dogs.

My husband took our boys to see that this past weekend and they LOVED it although he did say it was a big departure from the book.

I love zombie books and movies, love stuff with viruses, love post-apocalypse type stuff. 28 Days Later is my FAVORITE movie! (Did you watch 28 Weeks Later?)

I recently read a book called Plague Year about a post-apocalyptic world after nanos designed to treat cancer go awry (Prey was a great book with the whole nano thing too). You might like either one of those books, if you haven't already read them. And if you like virus books, I can give you a big list of really great ones!

If you haven't read The Cobra Event, you should definitely do so!

I guess I am really off-topic. Sorry. I am looking forward to seeing I am Legend when it comes out on video. My oldest son said it was the scariest movie he'd ever seen.

I like Will Smith and since I haven't read the book, maybe I won't be disappointed.

Then you gotta read The Road by Carmac McCarthy. Excellent!WWW Link

Or hell, even "Cell" by Stephen King was a pretty fun zombie book.

And of course, 'The Stand' by Stephen King

I liked the concept of The Stand but when I finished reading it my first thought was, "Wow, that was long." Certain parts stuck with me but a lot of it I could have done with out. Not a King fan, I think. I like some of the short stories he has written and certainly admire his skill.

(Did you watch 28 Weeks Later?)

It's on my list of things to watch. Somehow I missed in in theaters. Maybe I was back home and it had already left theaters there. I suffer from Record/book store amnesia. I have a lot of books, movies or music I want to buy but the minute I walk into a store to buy them, I can't remember what I wanted so I end up with a frustrating browsing session. I tried making lists, but I often forget to bring them. I seldom make a purposeful trip to one of these stores. I don't know why.

Your husband doesn't know much about dogs

No, he doesn't. He had a dog when he was a kid. A doberman pincher. He has lots of fond memories of the dog but I don't think he bonded with his childhood dog the way I did with mine. He spent a lot of time walking the dog but they only had him for a few years before his dad got transfered and they moved to the US. Bringing an animal from the US to Japan used to (maybe still?) had a really long and strict quarantine. They decided to give the dog to some family friends rather than chance the dog couldn't come back to Japan and then give him away there.

He also has allergies to dogs. I don't know how he managed as a kid. He liked my parents' dog. She was a beautiful black, tand and white Border Collie. Stocky rather than slinky body type. She loved people. He'd talk to her and liked to take her for walks but didn't want to pet her. She always wanted to come in for a bit of a snuggle but he'd say no. It was a wierd kind of tension. I think he wanted to pet her but didn't want to get itchy. We hardly had dog hair in the house, but he always had to stay at a hotel.


Thanks for all the book recommends. I'm really excited about checking them out.
If "Cell" isn't too long, I will give it a go.