The Man From Earth

This is one of those movies that you have to be in the mood for. It's not an action movie, but it is science fiction. It has no car chases, no special effects, no movement (did I mention no action). It is essentially a thought exercise and conversation between a group of old friends - one of whom claims to be (no spoiler here as this is what the movie is about) a caveman who has lived to the present day.

Written by Jerome Bixby (of Star Trek the Original Series and Twilight Zone writing fame), this neat little picture follows an evening of revelation when Professor John Oldman (played by David Lee Smith) reveals at a going away party for himself that he is not, in fact, Professor John Oldman but rather a many thousands of years old caveman who has somehow survived into the present day. The group is unbelieving at first, but as there are fellow professors there, they run with the idea and explore the possibility that John is speaking the truth.

There's not much more to write about this, without getting into the particulars that are wonderfully developed in the movie itself. The cast is wonderful - John Billingsley, William Katt, Tony Todd, Ellen Crawford, Annika Peterson, Richard Riehle and little known Alexis Thorpe. The discourse through the movie is interesting and a bit heretical at times, but ultimately is thought provoking and extremely interesting.

This is one of those movies that is probably destined to gather dust in the annals of the Internet, occasionally viewed by accident on Netflix or some other movie service. But those that discover it that have a mind for the original and in depth style of movie that requires a certain level of intellectual involvement on the viewer's part should enjoy this and pass it along to others of the same bent. When you consider Jerome Bixby's other writing credits include Mirror, Mirror of Star Trek, and It's a Good Life of the Twilight Zone (and also character writing for the remake, It's Still a Good Life in the updated 2002 version of the TZ show) - it's easy to see why this story is so interesting and thought provoking.

Definitely check this one out if you get a chance.