Fight for the ultimate prize -- The Last Woman on Earth!
June 29, 2007
RALEIGH -- Ever wonder what it would be like to be the last female on the planet? Discover one unlikely scenario as this month's Natural Horror Picture Show features the 1960 Roger Corman classic "Last Woman on Earth," Friday, July 6, 7 p.m. at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in downtown Raleigh.
In "Last Woman," a summer vacation in Puerto Rico turns into a real disaster. When a trio of skin-divers -- Evelyn (Betsy Jones-Moreland), her husband Harold (Tony Carbone) and their lawyer friend Martin (the film's screenwriter Robert Towne) -- resurface, they discover that an unexplained interruption of oxygen has killed everyone on the island. Perhaps in the world! Now, who's got dibs?
It was Corman's practice to make the most of any location by shooting more than one film. "Last Woman" was made because Corman was already in Puerto Rico to shoot "Battle of Blood Island." Last month's Natural Horror Picture Show, "Creature from the Haunted Sea," was the third film in the Puerto Rico vacation trilogy, using leftover funds as well as actors. The three actors in "Last Woman" also appeared in "Creature."
None of these three was born to be on the big screen. Jones-Moreland once said that she never decided to be an actress, it just happened, one step after the other, and that she resisted all the way. Carbone moved to Hollywood simply to get away from the cold and snow of his hometown Syracuse, and Towne was drafted by Corman to play a role in this film so he didn't have to pay for a real actor. Still, their on-screen love triangle, and the total absence of any other actors, makes their interaction compelling. Luckily for Towne, he gave up on acting and went on to write award-winning screenplays for "Chinatown," "The Last Detail" and "Shampoo."
The Museum stays open till 9 p.m. Arrive early for a short from the A/V Geeks archive along with live music from blues harp master Steve Harvell and special guest Jeff Smith, and enjoy snacks and beverages from the Acro Café.
Don't forget to visit the Museum's newest special exhibit, "Wild Music: Sounds and Songs of Life," which explores evidence for the biological origins of music through highly interactive exhibits and exceptional sound experiences. After 5 p.m., all tickets $3. Free for members. Last tickets sold at 8 p.m.
Additionally, the Museum Store offers after-hours shopping and the new Nature Art Gallery exhibit, titled "The Ocean World," which highlights the work of award-winning nature photographers Todd Pusser and Charles Rawlings. All exhibited art is for sale.
The Museum of Natural Sciences is located in downtown Raleigh at 11 West Jones Street. Parking is available on the street and in surface lots along Wilmington and Edenton streets. For more information, contact Steve Popson at 919-733-7450, ext. 379.
Dr. Julia Clarke is a research curator of paleontology for the Museum. She can be reached for interview at julia_clarke@ncsu.edu.
The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, in downtown Raleigh, documents and interprets the natural history of the state of North Carolina through exhibits, research, collections, publications, and educational programming. Hours: Mon.-Sat., 9 am to 5 pm, and Sun., noon to 5 pm. Admission is free. Visit the Museum on the Web at naturalsciences.org. The Museum is an agency of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, William G. Ross Jr., Secretary.
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