The Illustrated Man (1969) Part 09

Rod Steiger plays the tattoo-covered title role in this fascinating vision of doom and danger based on the classic short story collection by futurist Ray Bradbury. Robert Drivas portrays a good-natured drifter who can't tear his eyes from Steiger's freakish illustrations. And Claire Bloom is the mysterious seductress/witch from the future who created the "art" that curses its bearer - and comes to life in a nightmarish trio of tales. Two spoiled children turn playtime into slay time (from The Veldt). Shipwrecked astronauts wander across a planet cursed by The Long Rain. And loving parents choose their children's fate when the end nears (from The Last Night of the World). Every one of The Illustrated Man's pictures tells a story.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• The
• Illustrated
• Man
• Rod
• Steiger
• Claire
• Bloom
• Ray
• Bradbury

[PoPoNellie]

This (The Last Night Of The World) was one story that benefitted from a movie re-write. The original had a funny upbeat ending that would have totally ruined the sad and scary nature of the movie.

[dapoetmaster]

Claire Bloom did an awesome job in this. She projected perfectly an ambiguous, mysterious quality.

[gtc1961]

@heartfire451 or, conversely, we abandon progress and technology and everyone goes back to farming with oxen. Oh, and no one would have iPads...so there.

[omegaxisgeo]

Were they just having...?!?!?!

Anyway awesome movie

[heartfire451]

A more likely version of this today would be that all the children are already dead from pollution and war, but the the forum rules to keep right on drilling for oil and running the nuclear plants straight to the very end. And show people at the forum yelling in unison "drill baby, drill" while giving the Hilter salute. That would pretty much say it all.

[annahazzel]

In the book this story has so much more meaning to it the way the cuple is content and redy for anything thats they take it as any other day. This dosent comprare to the book, but then again what movie really does..........

[Kurzula5150]

This episode is just so ripe for a Pythonesque send up:

"Tonight is the last night of the world?"

"Tonight's the last night of the world!"

"Oh that's just bloody typical that is! All the men get together and decide to blow up the world. Talk about short term male thinking. What about the kids? They've got a dentist appointment tomorrow."

"They're to be put to sleep."

"Put to sleep?"

"I'm afraid so dearest."

"How? Pills? Injection?"

"No. With this large plank of wood I found...."

[ferreus]

We're killing our own children today, except for much more trivial reasons..

[SuperHeroMania]

@PoPoNellie or they could've chose another story which wouldn't ruin the adaption feeling that makes it's film so meaningful

[Bronzewhaler82]

'The City' would have made a really good adaptation I think...not in those days but with 21st century special effects they could pull it off

[Fendertastic]

I really think they did this whole adaptation wrong.

And if they included ANY stories one should have been The Rocket Man...