The 1999 short film Distant Echoes is all about the good, the bad and the lonely. It is about the experience of being the last man standing. Writer/director Clarke M Smith offers this fantasy/drama with little fanfare. It gets straight to the point. What would happen if a “Scrooge” type found himself the inheritor of the Earth?
The story
In Distant Echoes a nameless protagonist finds himself the last man on Earth. A man not dispossessed to feelings of love and compassion for his fellow homo sapiens. We follow his journey of discovery and, just maybe, the reinstatement of his own humanity.
the cast
Peter Beam is Card Player #1.
Clarke M. Smith is Card Player.
Greg Page is The Last Man on Earth?
It works
Distant Echoes may just be the best homage to the late Rod Serling’s cult television show: The Twilight Zone, ever. Serling’s pilot offering of his popular show was “Where is Everybody?” It stars the superb Earl Holliman. It takes us through the paces of finding oneself all alone in the world.
Just like our nameless protagonist in Distant Echoes, Mike Ferris searches for people.
The two tales are similar but not alike. In Serling’s The Twilight Zone pilot, Ferris’ journey is fraught with tangible moments of fear. Unease is the feeling of the day here. Freshly poured cups of coffee and still smoking cigarette ends are present.
No people adorn these props though.
Those familiar with Where is Everybody, will remember that poor old Mike is the subject of a military test. The end of his story lies in madness.
The differences
Distant Echoes also has echoes (See what I did there?) of another “Twilight Zone” classic. Time Enough at Last, an episode adapted by Serling from a Lynn Venable story, tells a similar tale. A societal malcontent who hates his fellow man, survives a bomb aimed at the heart of his city.
He realizes that he has “time enough at last” to read to his heart’s content. That episode features a bitter ironic twist in the tale. *Or poetic justice?* Smith’s story has no such painful and twisted motives behind it.
Distant Echoes leaves the viewer with the idea that hope has not been deserted. The end of this look at enforced solitude is very different than that of its predecessors.
A couple of mistakes
Smith’s lo/no budget film works well. There are only a couple of mistakes in the entirety of Distant Echoes.
The first is the result of the vagaries dealing with filming anything that is not on a closed set. Whether it be your cousin Rachel’s wedding, uncle Ralph’s Golden anniversary or your 28 minute short film, things intrude.
In one scene a passing car, in this empty world, glides in front of our protagonist. It is seen in the plate glass window of the business he stands in front of.
The second intrusion? We’ll let you search for that one and let us know what you think it is.
The Verdict
Distant Echoes may be old, but indifferent it ain’t. It earns a solid 4.5 stars. It is tight, clever and a great effort without a large budget. The short film can be watched on YouTube. Head on over and check it out.
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