I was almost afraid to watch this classic after my agonizing experience with its remake (see .nightsandweekends.com/article/?acode=NW0200067>my review). But I was pleasantly surprised –- even shocked –- when I finally got up the courage to see it. I soon discovered that the only thing the two movies had in common was, well, a planet full of apes.
Planet of the Apes stars Charleton Heston as George Taylor. Frustrated by man’s inhumanity, he agrees to leave Earth and, along with his fellow crewmembers, is sent light years into space –- and two thousand years into the future. Awakened from a long sleep, they discover that they’ve crashed into a large body of water, so they escape from the ship and head for land to search for any sign of life. The humans they find on the planet are mute and animal-like — and under the constant attack of intelligent apes.
Taylor is captured by the apes and is discovered by Zira (Kim Hunter), a scientist who immediately takes an interest in him. Though he’s been injured and can’t speak, he tries to communicate with Zira — and finally does so in writing. Zira and her fiancé, Cornelius (Roddy McDowall), see Taylor and his intelligence as a “missing link” in their unpopular theory that apes had evolved from man. The theory angers Dr. Zaius, the planet’s head of science and religion, who forces the heretics and their miraculous human to flee into the “forbidden zone,” where Cornelius, an archeologist, had once gone in search of proof for his theory.
The original Planet of the Apes is a work of art. It has a message — one that even makes sense. And the cinematography is outstanding for something made in 1968. Despite the occasional snicker at the 60s’ view of science — and despite the fact that I was somewhat annoyed by Charlton Heston’s clenched-jawed overacting — I loved this movie. And I’ve added it (and not the remake) to my list of DVDs to buy.
Kristin Dreyer Kramer has been writing in some form or another (usually when she was supposed to be doing something else) since the ripe old age of ten—when she, her cousin, and their two Cabbage Patch Dolls formed the Poo Authors’ Club. After a short career in advertising, Kristin got sick of always saying nice things about stuff that didn’t deserve it—so now she spends her days criticizing things, and she’s much happier for it.
Since creating NightsAndWeekends.com in February of 2002, Kristin has spent her life surrounded by piles and piles of books and movies—so many that her office has become a kind of entertainment obstacle course.
As if her writing and editing responsibilities for N&W.com weren’t enough to keep her out of trouble, Kristin also hosts a number of weekly radio shows: Reel Discovery, Shelf Discovery, and On the Marquee. She’s also a proud member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (CriticsChoice.com), the Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA.org), the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS.org), and the Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC.Wordpress.com).
Kristin lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, Paul, and their daughter, Anna. She welcomes questions, comments, and fan mail at kdk@nightsandweekends.com.
Kristin Dreyer Kramer has been writing in some form or another (usually when she was supposed to be doing something else) since the ripe old age of ten—when she, her cousin, and their two Cabbage Patch Dolls formed the Poo Authors’ Club. After a short career in advertising, Kristin got sick of always saying nice things about stuff that didn’t deserve it—so now she spends her days criticizing things, and she’s much happier for it.
Since creating NightsAndWeekends.com in February of 2002, Kristin has spent her life surrounded by piles and piles of books and movies—so many that her office has become a kind of entertainment obstacle course.
As if her writing and editing responsibilities for N&W.com weren’t enough to keep her out of trouble, Kristin also hosts a number of weekly radio shows: Reel Discovery, Shelf Discovery, and On the Marquee. She’s also a proud member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (CriticsChoice.com), the Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA.org), the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS.org), and the Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC.Wordpress.com).
Kristin lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, Paul, and their daughter, Anna. She welcomes questions, comments, and fan mail at kdk@nightsandweekends.com.
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