Mathias

I suppose that being turned into a light-fearing mutant with a focus on destroying all remnants of technology isn't all that much different from being turned into a zombie by a plague started when Stephen King's DNA polluted the water supply. Or turning green and self-inflating due to an overdose of gamma rays. Or being bit by a vampire...or finding your formerly-dead self suddenly reanimated by a mad scientist.

Any route to becoming non-human is probably not on the list of things you were hoping to do.

The question then becomes whether there's a cure or not. Fortunately, in my case (pictured above), Halloween passed, and I was able to shed the costume and makeup. You can't really tell from the photo, but a LOT of green makeup went down the bathtub drain that night. (FYI, this photo was probably taken at a Boeing Halloween party during the Ferrigno/Bixby TV years.)

I doubt there are many more Halloween costumes in my future. I'm kinda over it. But I'll never say never.

In any case, the albino mutant featured in yesterday's post is the character known as "Mathias" from the movie "The Omega Man." The skinny old guy in chains (about to be stoned to death for blasphemy) shares the name; he is "Matthias, son of Deuteronomy of Gath" in the Movie "Life of Brian."

"The Omega Man" was based on the story "I am Legend", which Will Smith also made into a movie a few years ago. But for my generation, the original Omega Man is the definitive version. Anthony Zerbe played top-dog mutant Mathias, and Charlton Heston portrayed the fellow whose day job was to try to find him and fill him full of lead.

Zerbe was one of those actors in the 70s who showed up in a bazillion movies and TV shows, and was always a jerk. There were a few other guys like that, notably Bradford Dillman and Bert Convy...but I was ambivalent toward them. They seemed harmless enough. But the one that always made me change channels was Stuart Margolin. He was like fingernails on a chalkboard to me.

On the other hand, Andy Robinson always seemed to play bad guys, too -- but I liked him. In fact, I thought he was a darned good actor, and still don't know why he didn't win an Oscar for "Dirty Harry." Oh well. When "Back to the Future" doesn't even get a nomination, you know the system is broken.

Anyway, Chuck Heston was the key connector for the extra credit puzzle. All of these folks were co-stars with Moses.



I mean that literally; each of these stars was featured along with Heston in "The 10 Commandments." Vincent Price, Yul Brenner, Edward G. Robinson, Yvonne DeCarlo, and John Carradine were all involved in the story of Moses and his odd assortment of plagues.

And there you have today's discussion tied up in a neat little bow -- we start with plagues and end with plagues. (You can't say I don't know how to roll with the spirit of Halloween, can you?)

One more question, though, and then a bonus video. Can you tell me how two of the "10 Commandments" costars relate to this picture?



Anyway, this has nothing to do with any of that -- but when I think of costumes, the king's appearance in the clip below always comes to mind. Enjoy it, and have a great day!