Planet of the Apes: Fandom and Modern Appeal

[Ivan Seeking]

I've noticed lately that FMC has been running the old movie series, Planet of the Apes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planet_of_the_apes

I was just wondering if we have any ape fans and how these movies play to a modern audience. Back when the movies first came out they were hugely popular. I watched the original movie recently and still thought it was pretty good as sci-fi goes, but it is hard to judge. When one is fond of something as a kid, the ability to judge it without bias later in life can be difficult.

Just now I noticed that the movie Farewell to the Planet of the Apes is on. Heh, I didn't even know there was a movie by that name. They sure played this for all it was worth! I think there were four or five sequels, a TV series, a cartoon series, and probably a few other things that I've never heard of. I also saw the remake done a few years ago, but I barely remember it, so it must have been pretty bad.

 

[hypatia]

First let me say, the first Apes movie, was just good film making. From make-up to acting, it was a 10 all the way. Even the way the Apes were introduced, the dark faced gorilla was scary. I guess any ape would be scary, dressed in black leather and waving an attack riffle. Charlton Heston is clubbed into submission, trussed up like a deer, examined by ape veterinarians, absolutely chilling! I still remember my Mothers gasp as we got a glimpse of Charlton Heston's bottom. And then my Fathers gasp as he realized that his young daughter had just seen Charlton Heston's bottom.:!)

 

[confinement]

I probably qualify as a modern audience, since I was born in the 1980s. When I watched planet of the apes as a kid I found two scenes to be highly memorable, "get your damn dirty paws off of me you filthy animal", and "they blew it up...damn you all to hell!"

 

[WhoWee]

I normally don't like re-makes, but the Marky-Mark movie had more realistic apes, regarding strength and stamina not the talking part.

By the way, we loved the original when it came out.

 

[rcgldr]

I missed the deleted scene, right after this one "After a struggle, Taylor finds a talking human doll in the cave that proves that intelligent humans were on the planet long before the apes gained control." In the deleted scene that occurs just after, Taylor picks up a toy chiuaua dog doll and its says "Yo quiero Taco Bell" ...

 

[mplayer]

I'm in my early 20's and saw this for the first time when I was 10 or so. I thought it was OK but kind of corny at the time, but as I got older I started to like it more.

I love the part when the ape scientists are discussing how flight has been proven to be a physical impossibility. Heston had one very hot mute mating partner assigned to him, that's for sure. One part at the beginning that I didn't get was Heston berating his poor astronaut friend saying things like "everyone you knew back on Earth has been long dead...etc" for like 10 minutes. The guy didn't even say anything to him!

This was my favorite quote in the movie think:

Beware the beast Man, for he is the Devil's pawn. Alone among God's primates, he kills for sport or lust or greed. Yea, he will murder his brother to possesses his brother's land. Let him not breed in great numbers, for he will make a desert of his home and yours. Shun him; drive him back into his jungle lair, for he is the harbinger of death.

-reading from the sacred scrolls of the apes

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I just realized that the link in the op was bad. Fixed.

"they blew it up...damn you all to hell!"

Yes, the ending was a BIG DEAL! - a real shocker for the average viewer.