Filmmaker reacts to Planet of the Apes (1968) for the FIRST TIME!
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ก.ย. 2024
- Hope you enjoy my filmmaker reaction to Planet of the Apes. :D
Full length reactions & Patreon only polls: / jamesvscinema
Original Movie: Planet of the Apes (1968)
Ending Song: / charleycoin
Follow Me:
Instagram: / jamesadamsiii
Twitter: / jamesadamsiii
*Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED. All rights belong to their respective owners.
The brutal ending is vicious. It goes to credits, no music, and you just sit there with that thinking about what you've just watched.
Yeah, I can imagine people in 1968 just sitting in the theatre in the darkness listening to the crashing waves unable to move from their seats literally thinking "WTF did I just watch???"
the sad part is some video releases use the last shot for the DVD Box art giving away the twist
i saw all these in the 70's as a kid , the 3 rd film was the first one I saw in theaters when it first came out 4 and 5th and finally the original 2 when they did the GO APE screenings and showed all 5 films in one day in theaters all the kids were APE crazy for most of the 70's until I got my car at 16 then girl crazy lol@@joebloggs396
When this came out, it wasn't seen as "campy or cheezie". No, this was considered straight up cutting edge sci-fi. The make-up alone was Academy Award winning.
From a 2020s perspective they see it as Camp compared to modern sci-fi and expensive modern effects compared to the late 60s.
How is this not camp? The premise is literally apes taking over human society. On its own, that is camp. Self-serious camp, but still camp. Camp doesn't need to be goofy.
@@cashflowhustlespeople have to watch older films with an understanding of the time period when it was made. People can’t judge older films with modern standards.
I don’t know. I saw this as a child and it was an action movie to me but, for my parents, it was kind of ridiculous. I think it was always a bit campy.
It was satirical, and the film certainly has a sense of humor. Even at the time, some people felt that the "hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil" bit was a little too silly.
You just had the privilege of witnessing one of the works of the makeup effects genius that was John Chambers
I belive john chambers was the make up artist for the Outer Limits series (1963)
This movie was so successful that even in the 1960s it had 4 sequels. Escape from the Planet of the Apes is particularly crazy.
I was about seven years old when this came out and my mom took me to see it in the movie theater. She later took me to see "Beneath the planet of the Apes" the second one. In the series, in one scene with the masks, I started crying so much my mom had to leave the theater with me.
@@joebloggs396 I think it’s crazier that after the ending of Beneath the Planet of the Apes, it’s revealed that the original Chimps from the first movie rebuilt the rocket to go back in time for 1970s hijinks that inexplicably features commentary on celebrity and women’s bodily autonomy.
@stevenwoodward5923 that bit effed me up, too. In fact, the whole sequence from when they entered the tunnel onward.
I saw part of Escape at the theater with my mother. Scared me enough we had to leave. I was too young for it.
Yes, every time I thought they had painted themselves into a corner and there's "no way" they could make another one, they always managed to figure out a way to do it. I like how the fifth one ends sort of setting up the cycle to start all over again.
I avoided this for ages. Recently it was starting on tv and my husband convinced me to watch. I was unbelievably impressed with it. The end is so iconic.
I love how the quote about humans from the scrolls read by Cornelius at the end is basically the same thing Taylor was saying about humans before the opening credits. The entire movie was a joke on him.
Right! ❤
Taylor didn't say jack to defend humanity after hearing that devil's pawn verse either.
He just kept quiet and bowed his head because the rhetorical question he asked in the beginning was answered.
It's also why he said "Damn" to himself after shooting the ape on the hill before he took Dr. Zaius hostage.
Taylor didn't want to kill anyone and by killing the ape he only confirmed to himself man's inevitable predisposition to kill.
What a character arc! Taylor the complete cynic who abandons Earth to look for something better, only to find aliens every bit as violent, corrupt, hypocritical, dogmatic and willing to suppress the truth. After finding some human feelings for his murdered crewmates and affection for Nova he humanizes her by giving her a name. For all his apparent disgust with humanity he is still surprisingly outraged that they finally destroyed themselves. Incredible!
In the beginning of the show Tayer talks about man in his ship the time was 700 years in the future. When the scrolls are read about how man destroys things was written 1300 years ago.
So Rod Serlings is saying that when Taylor talked about Man in his ship Mankind already Nuked it self.
Side note Roddey McDowell who played Cornelius went home with his mask on since it took so long to put on. Caused a lot of stares when he drove home😅😅😅
I saw this in the movie theatre as a kid. My stepdad was so angry at the ending, he literally threw a screaming fit in the car all the way home. It was a movie everyone talked about and what it meant. It was, to me, a statement about how we treat the animals on our planet and may be a real defining moment in life for me. Odd, I never realized that until now.
Sounds like your stepdad is abusive.
@@drewpaupanekis4710 just an ahole who didn't like the ending of it being Earth.
He must have been one of those jingoistic types that mindlessly believed America can do no wrong and anyone who says different is a subversive or a communist.
Do you remember specifically what he was angry about?
@@ccthomas It was that it was Earth and humans weren't top dogs anymore. Some people just can't stand reality.
Logan's Run is another scifi movie that walks the line between cheesy and serious
Definitely. Plus, it has Jenny Agutter.
Also people in the modern age will recognize Michael York from his time as Basil Exposition in the Austin Powers trilogy.
Logan's Run was high budget, high concept scifi. It was the best Hollywood could offer at the time. I saw it at the movies as a kid and was impressed. Then Star Wars came out.
@@brettcoster4781And Farah Fawcett...
@@tortiecatman I think I saw this in theatres after Star Wars, but enjoyed it at the time. Nowadays it looks really dated, and a bit cheesy, but it still has a strong narrative, and would be one of those movies that could use a modern adaption to tidy up the structure and pacing of the story.
Yes the original planet of the apes is here 🔥🔥
Loved it!
Taking into account that this movie was made during the time the nucelar arms race took place, you can imagine how people must've elt at that twist ending back in 1968
On your opening comments: "CGI? A little, maybe."
In 1968?! How cute! ROFLOL!
This is the earliest movie I can remember seeing in a theater. I was 4 or 5 when it came out. Mom was a horror/Sci fi fan. Of course, I saw this young.
The first use of CGI in a movie is Vertigo from 1958, so it's not that outlandish.
“Charlton Heston laugh”
@@maul42 Technically true, but wasn't it only used in the titles? I thought the first feature film to use any CGI in the story telling was Westworld in '73.
Me too !! I was almost 6
@@maul42- “Vertigo” didn’t use the computer to actually generate the image. It used it to control the spinning of several animation cells to create the effect. Strictly speaking, NOT “CGI” as it is traditionally known.
"Oh no, I was wrong, it was Earth all along"
😂😂😂
@@FloofyFlora I guess you finally made a monkey....
I hate every ape I see, from Chimpan-A to Chimpan-Z.
"You finally made a monkey out of me"
They finally made a monkey out of me!
The ending of Planet of the Apes was changed dramatically from the original novel, Monkey Planet. In the book, Taylor is actually on an alien planet where intelligent apes rule over humans, and the story ends with Taylor escaping from the planet with Nova on his spacecraft and returning to Earth. Screenwriter Rod Serling decided to give the film version a surprise twist ending, borrowing the ending from one of the episodes of The Twilight Zone he'd written, called 'I Shot an Arrow into the Air,' where a group of astronauts land on what they believe is an asteroid, and a brutal struggle for survival begins, where one astronaut kills his crewmembers in order to save the food and water supplies for himself, only to discover that they actually landed on Earth in a desert in the American southwest when he sees telephone poles along a highway.
The book, by a French author has its own twist ending that shocked me when I read it, particularly after having grown up watching the Apes movies.
It is based on the book of the same title written by Pierre Boulle, screenplay by Michael Wilson and Rod Serling. The sets were built on Fox Ranch in Los Angeles. As a Kid a movie theater in our home town had a Summer Membership club for kids where we got to see movies all summer for a great price(my parents said it was the best money they ever spent). They ran the whole series of the Planet of the Apes movies, then all the Support your local sheriff, gunfighter series
This is really good trivia on the movie. 8 need to find the book.
OK but how plastered fo you have to be to mix up the desert in the US southwest with a frigging *asteroid*. Little things like "gravity" and "air" just fail to tip you off?
@@HaganeNoGijutsushi Hey, it's Rod Sterling.
Maaaaan, this is bringing me back to my childhood. I can remember being sick with the flu and AMC had just got the whole library of Apes movies and they had a marathon of all the OG Apes movies. They always played a documentary hosted by Roddy McDowall (Cornelius) before the first movie would play. It was a good 90-120 minutes. They showed makeup tests, original casting screenings, etc.
The third one, Escape from the Planet of the Apes, is also a must watch for anyone who loves this type of story-telling that only sci-fi can pull off. Escape is so good.
In behind-the-scenes footage, people talked about Ape hierarchy even when the cameras weren't rolling. During meal breaks, almost all of the extras in costume would sit with the others who looked like them. Gorillas ate with gorillas, etc., even though they could sit wherever they desired. Humans naturally tend to congregate with those who look like them, so it's pretty fascinating to see this dynamic play out while in costume. It's still one of my all-time favorite movies.
Greatest end to a sci fi film, ever. Never forget it at the time.
There is a difference between "camp" and "satire" in storytelling.
My father took my brother Mark and myself on opening weekend. I was blown away as a kid. Thank you dad. I know you are gone, but you will always be in my heart. And so will this movie.❤❤
One of my favorite things about this film is the score. Jerry Goldsmith went for this sort of sparse percussive instrumentation that made the world feel truly alien.
Very jarring and does an excellent job of building tension and anxiety. Jerry Goldsmith does not get enough credit for his work.
The movie honestly far exceeds its name and branding, there is so much social commentary here that it can easily get overlooked.
This movie the 1968, "Planet of the Apes" is a true classic. You have to remember during the cold war (1950's, 1960's and 1970's) between the USA and the USSR, it was not a question of ... if, we would have a nuclear World War III but, just a question of when it would occur. Today, it might be hard for younger people to understand that each year, you lived with the reality that this might be when modem civilization comes to an end ... period.
Yeah The Cold War years. People these days in The Post Cold War Era can't relate to the prospect of a Nuclear Armageddon. Even in the 80s and early 90s Nuclear War was a very real threat. That's what inspired James Cameron and his entire Terminator franchise.
Yes, 70s and 80s you were not entirely convinced that there would be a next year.
UK, in 80s we still thought nuclear war would end things. Threads, When Wind Blows, and of course War Games was popular here.
STILL under that nuclear sword of Damocles, its just been there our whole lives and most of us can't see it apart from the landscape.
I experienced the Cuban missle crisis as it was called in I guess 1960 when I was turning 6. We lived in south Florida. I remember my dad being so concerned. He left it to my mom to explain it to my older sister and me.
When the school year began, which I guess was 2nd or 3rd grade our teacher explained that we would not be taught the "duck and cover" drill which prior classes had been taught because the authorities had decided in the event of a nuclear strike there would be no survival and it would be best to die as quickly as possible.
Finally getting around to watching the Original!
Want to see the version without the watermark? Click here! www.patreon.com/jamesvscinema
Have a great day!
Have you watch the movie duel?
8:02 I actually have an idea for a sci-fi series on TH-cam.
Can you react to “beneath the planet of the apes” next
I wonder why the Astronauts did not take the Extra supplies with them. ?
And now you know!
23:30, one of the most shocking and most memorable twist endings in film history! It's been spoofed in over 1,000 TV series and movies!
Yes it's right up there with The Butler did it.😊
This picture first hit the theaters when I was 12-years-old. My BFF and I went to see it. We hadn't seen any previews. Let me tell you, as we left the theatre NO ONE was speaking. People were undeniably stunned by the ending.
I first saw this movie at the drive in (ah, the drive in!) with my parents when I was a youngster. I was not old enough to think about the fact that they might have traveled back to earth, I took it at face value that they landed on another planet . The ending was a shock (at least to me, can't speak for my parents). Nothing beats that first shocking moment when you see the gorillas mounted on horses, or the first time you hear them speak.
This movie, and the ones that followed, made me fall in love with the idea of intelligent apes and my appreciation of how very intelligent the real world apes are. The make-up was spectacular for the time but very stiff. I remember Roddy McDowall saying they had to really stretch their faces and emote behind those masks for the emotions to come through. Great movie and a great reaction!
I watched this with my daughter when she was about 3 or 4, and the moment the apes started to talk, she was totally amazed an in awe. For make up / special effects that is over 50 years old, it still hold up today, and shows back then, a lot of care was taking into creating the visual of advanced apes.
This is not a campy movie , this is 1968 and was a great movie with great actors , and NO CGI
When this came out James most viewers took the story very seriously. You have to remember that in a lot of old sci-fi, planets were routinely populated by English-speaking anthropomorphic aliens (just think any episode of Star Trek)! It didn't matter. Screenwriters were trying to make important points and were sophisticated enough to know it wasn't a documentary and so didn't drag the story down by having the protagonist navigate alien languages or species (unlike a lot of modern, cluttered and frankly boring shows that don't have that kind of creative confidence). It was the deep themes that counted - misanthropy, hypocrisy, inter-species cruelty, nihilism etc. So until the final reveal - the weathered, surf-washed tombstone of our civilization - it still could have been an alien planet (horses and all). Gotta check out the next one - Beneath the Planet of the Apes!
When you consider that this movie came out in 1968 during the height of the Cold War between the USSR and USA, that ending felt especially ominous to moviegoers.
Fun fact: during lunch, all the actors playing gorillas sat at one table, and the actors playing chimps sat at another, the orangutans at another, and the humans at another.
Also, Roddy McDowall (Cornelius) went on to play two different Batman villains: the Bookworm and Mad Hatter.
Charlton Heston also cameos in the Tim Burton remake--as an ape, of all things.
People clown on the ape makeup in this movie now, but it was cutting edge back in '68--it essentially won the Best Makeup Oscar before that award even existed! And I love how much Kim Hunter and Roddy McDowall especially are able to emote through it so naturally. Plus, they've got such great chemistry here--the kissing might be unintentionally funny, but that moment after Taylor's trial where they walk out of the courtroom hand in hand is one of my favorite small moments.
The biggest giveaway was the fact that the Apes spoke and wrote perfect English. If this was another planet, that would be impossible.
I think with today's perspective, when alien make-up/cgi is easy and details like alien languages in movies are the norm, those "giveaways" are that. But when this was made science fiction shows/movies often had aliens that simply spoke English and looked human (and usually just dressed funny). The ending was a shock to most people who saw it at the time, which is why many regard it as the ultimate movie reveal in history.
@@topomusicale5580 Oh, I agree 100%, but the fact that no one questioned the language was funny.
@@starbrand3726 The language was for the movie audience! The director and producers actually toyed with the idea of an ape language that Taylor would need to learn and to use subtitles for the audience but the studio heads turned down the idea!
I thought about that but didn’t pay much mind to it since many aliens in movies speak English, think Star Wars
@@amiranda4360 I wouldn't use Star Wars as an example, because right away it starts with... "A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away." This tells us that quite possibly the humans in Star Wars could be our ancestors. Plus, Star Wars uses a written language called Aurebesh not English.
You can't use Star Trek either because they use a device called a Universal Translator.
Farscape uses injectable microbes that translate language.
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy uses a Babel Fish inserted into the ear to translate.
A much better example would be the TV series Stargate SG1 (Not the original Stargate movie which handled the language issue perfectly.) Stargate SG1 had humans travel to other galaxies where they encountered other humans who spoke perfect English. Try doing that on Earth. Send an American to Scotland and see if he can understand their English. Stargate never explained how aliens in other galaxies spoke and understood English.
Three films .made a huge impact on me as a young kid. 2001, Night of the Living Dead, and this film. The ending of all three just so shocking in very different ways.
One of the greatest Sci Fi movies ever made!
It changed the way we looked at cinema forever!
It was originally going to be very different, as the script was going to have the apes drive tanks, helicopters, jeeps, trucks and other modes of transportation, as seen in the original novel.
However, it would have been too expensive for the film, and Fox had to cut down the best budget to $5 million dollars.
The film was a box office success, making $32 million dollars and won an Honoray Oscar for John Chambers' makeup effects.
That’s awesome, the makeup really sold it here!
@@JamesVSCinema of course having some world class actors underneath that makeup didn't hurt.
Hey even if you've seen it already, now that you've seen the original I hope you find that Simpsons musical for Planet of the Apes. It's comedy gold.
@@JamesVSCinema Enjoyed the reaction! A few little factoids about this movie: It's based on a novel of the same name by a French writer, Pierre Boulle. The screenplay was co-written by Rod Serling of The Twilight Zone fame. The chimpanzee Cornellius is played by Roddy McDowell, who has another great role in Fright Night (1985), which might be worth a look some Halloween.
@@BfdidcPierre Boulle also wrote the novel Bridge on the River Kwai, which became an absolutely fantastic film in its own right!
I am in no way detracting from the achievements of this movie, and makeup wasn't a competitive Oscar category at that point, but I've always found it funny that this was recognized for makeup effects when 2001: A Space Odyssey came out the same year! Of course, Kubrick's apes didn't need to talk, so maybe their job was easier.
One of the best twist endings EVER!!! We definitely didn’t see this coming when we saw this in theaters!!
It's a testament to the movie how many sayings and images have survived the test of time and been incorporated into the culture. It's a pleasure to see someone realize where those quotes and references are from for the first time.
Set designer William Creber was the Art Director who created Ape City and, yes, it was all a set built on the Fox Studio ranch outside Malibu. Artist Mentor Huebner came up with the iconic look of it. Foundations of the buildings were made of wooden beams and wires. The exteriors of the houses were made with plaster, fiberglass and polyurethane foam, a chemical mixture resembling bread dough, which could be sprayed from a gun, easily molded into any desired shape, and then hardened like cement.
This is one of my top 3 movies of all time.
I enjoy the entire series, honestly.
I was 9 years old when this movie came out. Blew my child's mind. I read the book, but it was quite different. Years later my best friend's dad took us all to a drive-in to watch all 5 films in one night. Thank you Mr. Rainey.
I saw this movie twice on the big screen. Believe it or not, the ape makeup looks even more convincing on a movie screen.
I saw it in the theater in 1968 and was blown away when they revealed the Statue of Liberty. It’s an image I’ve never forgotten and still gives me chills to this day. Thank you for your insightful comments.
I love the way that Heston yells "madhouse".
Ape City was built for the film at what is today called Malibu Creek State Park outside of Los Angeles. Back then it was the 20th Century Fox Ranch and was used for a number of productions. In fact, the exterior camp scenes in M*A*S*H were filmed atop one of those hills not too far away. The Ape City set was built using a technique that was only recently developed at the time whereby a steel and wire frame was built inside a cardboard mold, then filled with spray foam. When the foam hardened, the cardboard was stripped off, giving the foam the carved-stone look, which could itself be further carved and touched up. There were 25-30 buildings created using this technique though the ones further up the hill were only half-buildings and were not built to scale, relying on forced perspective to make it seem as though they were further away and thus creating the illusion of a larger cityscape than actually existed.
I was 6 years old when this came out and of course my parents wouldn't let me see it in the theater! It finally started being run on free TV by the early 70s and I was probably 10 years old when I finally got to see it! I was obviously horrified but loved it! This movie was huge, they even had trsding cards like baseball cards of Planet of the Apes that I collected. It also became a short lived TV series with Roddy McDowell also in it as the lead chimpanzee! Thanks for the reactions, you caught on to this one quickly, nice job!
I think Taylor’s anguish at the end is that, not only does he realize there was a nuclear war but, he was stuck in Jersey.
since you mentioned it, Tron is Disney's original IP. They made the original in 1982 and then made the sequel tron legacy in 2009. anything Tron related has been Disney. love noth movies. Legacy is definitely underrated.
They are also filming a new Tron, Tron: Ares right now.
This was a very well made movie that engrossed me as a kid and still does today. From the look to the themes. A classic's classic.
Yes they actually did build the whole Ape City - on the shores of Century Lake in Malibu Creek State Park. No trace of it exists today, sadly.
The "Hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil" orangutans in the tribunal was always one of my favorite details as a kid. Glad you caught it first go!
My class got to tour the Ape City when I was a kid. It was so much fun.
Twilight zone, Star Trek, and planet of the apes the great sci fi trinity of my youth
We saw this in the movies when it first came out - I was ten. It made a huge impression in the house, you could hear the gasp.
Taylor was Charlton Heston, one of the very big names of his generation, and a man who always fully immersed himself in whatever he was given. I confess he was never "my guy", but he was, unquestionably, one of the best.
Cornelius was a lovely actor, Roddy McDowell, who started his career as a child, famous for being in the first "Lassie" movie. He was a great, versatile actor, capable of chills and of laughs.
Zira was Kim Hunter, the very first Stella from "Streetcar Named Desire", and a wonderful addition to this cast.
And Dr. Zaius was the wonderful Shakespearean trained Maurice Evans, known to my generation as Samantha's father in the tv series "Bewitched".
You should get to know the work of all of these people.
@melenatorr
Wonderful comment. So glad you gave pertinent info about each of those fine actors.🩵
I always loved Roddy McDowell, especially as Octavian in "Cleopatra". It was unusual to see him portray someone you loved to hate.
And he held his own quite admirably while sharing the screen with Elizabeth Taylor & Richard Burton...that dynamic duo who were the biggest tabloid fodder in the world at the time.
Thanks again for such an informative & thoughtful comment.✨️💫✨️
@@deborahcornell171 He was one of the great assets in "Cleopatra", and it was chance for him to show us what he could do ... and he did!
He also showed his comic talents during a couple of guest shots on "The Carol Burnett Show": th-cam.com/video/8jF3Xfzu-rM/w-d-xo.html and: th-cam.com/video/72hwzMuYqRs/w-d-xo.html
I've never thought of Heston as a great *actor,* but he had an undeniably charismatic on-screen presence, & I've enjoyed him in the roles I've seen him in.
@@hemlock399 Same, and I appreciate the concentration he gives each of his roles. I think, oddly, my favorite role for him is a supporting one in "The Big Country", starring Gregory Peck. The story is that he really didn't want to take the supporting role, but his agent strongly advised it: the director was William Wyler, and the agent guaranteed that if Heston made a good impression on Wyler, he wouldn't be sorry. The agent was right: Wyler cast Heston as Ben Hur as a result of working with him on "Big Country" (which is a movie I truly love). I heard the theme on WPAT radio station before ever watching the movie, and it set me up for a good time: th-cam.com/video/QKdmOpXJHR4/w-d-xo.html
An interesting factoid. the makeup took hours to do, so the actors couldn't take it off during breaks lunch, eating , etc., and it turns out the Chimps, started hanging out with the other Chimps, the Gorillas with other Gorillas, orangutans with other orangutans. they just grouped into their various groups.
Too bad you didn't see this original before the prequels. That kind of saps the impact of the ending, which is one of the greatest twists in cinema history. Plus the newer films did make many refences to the original that could have been missed.
You call it campy, but the makeup effects for this were revolutionary at the time and won John Chambers an academy award.
FYI, CGI didn't come around until late 80's/early 90's...so no way CGI would be in this movie. lol
Love that you're covering a lot of older movies recently. Great reaction!
Glad you like them!
I saw this movie in the theaters, along with Episode 2 and Episode 5, about 4 years after it was released. UNBELIEVABLE. I mean, when Taylor (i.e. Heston), said "Get your damn, stinking paws off me, you damn dirty apes.' When that happened, the entire theater erupted into cheers. The only thing that came close in real-life, was the quote of my fellow New Yorker's on the evening of 9/11/2001.
The book (“La Planete does Singes” by Pierre Boulle) had an interesting twist ending as well. In the book, a solar sail spacecraft comes across, literally, a message in a bottle drifting through space. The story is told in the message and is pretty similar to the movie. The twist is that at the end of the message it is revealed that it was written by a human, but being read by a space-faring monkey (from whose perspective the story is obviously fiction. Space-faring humans? Pshaw!)
Sci-fi, when done well, is pretty awesome.
I was working in a kitchen years ago, and there was this one high school girl working their as a Bus girl. One friday she came in and was telling us that her English teacher had shown them this film, and that it was really good for an old film, but they had only seen the first half, and were watching the end on the Monday. She said she was really excited to see the end and find out if Taylor ever got back to Earth....... as a huge Planet of the Apes fan, I loved it. The idea of seeing that twist for the first time without being aware of it.
18:57 those kind of trials are why i loved watching and learning about oppenheimer
Haven’t seen the OG PotA in a minute, it’s incredible how modern films still reference it
James, I honestly hope you do the rest of the series of these classics! While some are panned by critics (and by part of the audiences).... I really think you can learn a LOT about movie making from them. I know you're in the movie business, so I really want to recommend them to you, both for what they did right, and what they did "wrong". Also, there is a documentary called "Behind the Planet of the Apes", that gives a detailed look at how all 5 films were made, as well as the (beyond the makers control) aspects that hindered the sequels. Trust me on this, the 5 movies and that documentary can be a real eye opener to someone like you (especially since you are young, and could learn a lot from mistakes of the past).
Any further commentary to this video will be posted in a reply to this message.
Definitively watch the rest of the movies, at least the first 3. As mentioned above, the films suffered a lot of issues (not the least of which being an ever-decreasing budget), but it's one of the classics for a reason. Some of the themes may be a bit ham-fisted at times, but it was still very smart Sci-Fi. :)
Watching these (and the TV series) as a kid in the early 70s, I was entranced.
I didn't know about that documentary. Not sure how to see it, but I did find a YT clip from it called "Creating the Statue of Liberty Ending". To me, the first 4 films are definitely worth watching.
I love how ahead of its time this movie was. I was fascinated when I first saw this! Looking at how the world would be if things were flipped and we humans were the "animals" it's really thought provoking. I enjoy the remakes they have done over the last few years but the original movies hold a special place to me.
I was 13 when my parents took me to the theater to see it. At the ending the audience gasped and fell silent. For a minute you could have heard a pin drop. This is still one of the best endings in any science fiction movie to date.
The ending would have been quite the surprise. Have to remember in older scifi it's not uncommon to come across a totally alien planet with no relation at all to Earth that's somehow exactly the same as Earth except for what hats the people wear.
"Planet of the Apes" is one of my favorite science fiction movies.
I first saw this movie in the 70’s on TV when I was about 10 and was absolutely floored by the ending. I almost felt traumatized because it was so unnerving
bro this is a classic. Dude the rest are pretty eye opening too. enjoy my friend
I was this as a 14 year old. And at the last scene, when you see the Statue of Liberty, FREAKED US ALL OUT. It was a twist that took us all by surprise. IT BLEW US AWAY!
Good review and comments.
When I was a kid, my dad took me to a drive-in Planet of the Apes marathon, the first four movies, which was probably all that were out at that time, so that What have been sometime in 1972 or '73, which would make me about 10. My dad loved sharing horror and sci-fi with us. He would wake us up out of a sound sleep to watch a horror movie with him.
My sister and I lay down in the back of my dad's friend's truck, tailgate down, under the camper cover, in sleeping bags with fluffy pillows, watching at the drive-in. It was an unforgettable experience. Yes, this was great on the big screen, very impactful. The sequels got progressively sillier.
Heston's character says "there has to be something better than man, has to be" is eerily prescient
This was one of the movies my dad had me watch as a kid. Classic
I still love this movie. My mom brought my brother and I to the theater to see this when we were little. Age 4 and 5.
I still find it amazing! ❤️
Beneath the planet of the apes is a direct sequel to this, in fact starts by replaying final scenes of this
The best planet of the apes movie👍
The Planet of the Apes movies were brilliant on shining a light on man’s weaknesses. Some of us seek the truth and some of us hide from it. The newer ones continue this theme. Brilliant.
Yes, seeing this, and the ending, in the cinema as a boy ... wow !!
The sound and the huge screen, and the whole audience being as captivated. It was a great experience.
This was NOT considered campy or cheesy when it was released! This is hard sci-fi! Dr. Zaius is actually right in his condemnation of humans. “Beware the beast man.”
I saw it in the theater. The end left everyone in complete shock. Everybody was quiet but in internal turmoil.
This movie was a huge part of my then 9 year old life. I spent weekends in Greeley, CO with my dad, and he dropped me off at the movie so I could see this. I sat through it twice.
A cool Easter egg. In the "Rise of the Planet of the Apes", there is a news story playing in the background TVs a couple times about people going to outer space. If you look at that ship on the TV, it is the same one at the beginning of this movie.
Takes me back to my childhood when I couldn't get enough Sci-Fi . I watched and read everything that I could get my eyes and hands on . Not so much anymore , finding the time to read for more than half an hour a day can be challenging , let alone to watch an entire movie .
Kudos to Rod Serling's writing. Two of the greatest lines in ALL of movie history in one movie: "Take your stinking paws off me..." and "You maniacs! You blew it up! ...". Brought to life by Charlton Heston, whose skill as an actor is now too readily mocked and overlooked. Also, it's easily seen that the movie a commentary on the dangers of nuclear weapons (this was late 60's when those fears were really taking a serious hold of people), yet its story also touches deeply on themes of McCarthyism and the Red Scare (still reverberating in the culture at the time, especially in Hollywood which is understandable) - the unreasoning and paranoid fear which those in power have towards the mere EXISTENCE of people and ideas that don't fit their narrative, and which they can't control.
Rod Serling was NOT responsible for the finished script. When he adapted the novel, his treatment was a very faithful adaptation, but it was too expensive to film. The book was very different, it was an advanced ape society set in a NYC-like metropolis. So, the other writer Michael Wilson (who's considered one of greatest screenwriters of all time) was brought in to scale down the story to a primitive ape society, which of course changed the whole theme of the story with apes living in a dogmatic society rather than a technologically progressive one. The whole story of Taylor being persecuted by this religious ape cult was based on Wilson's own experiences when he was blacklisted in Hollywood for his political views. The characters' names changed, all the dialogue was Michael Wilson's, the themes, the overall plot, the philosophical discussions, the situations etc. are all Michael Wilson. Even Serling credited 95% of the finished script to Wilson and said it wasn't really his movie. But the studio wanted to honor him for his contributions. The only thing really credited to Serling was the idea for the ending, which he used in a previous Twilight Zone episode. Although, the reveal of the Statue of Liberty was different in Serling's script. It was not the "You blew it up, D you all to H" moment as written in the film.
I would not define this planet of the apes as camp i remember seeing this as a kid and i was impressed with the story and the practical effects. The apes makeup was cutting edge at the time and required most of the makeup artists in Hollywood working in shifts to get it done. For me, while it has elements of humour it a serious classic science fiction film, and the ending is haunting. Seeing it with 2024, it may feel different, but seeing it through the time it affected the audience as they had never seen anything like it. I always loved the sequel.
I was 14 when I saw this in the theater in 1968. It actually seemed more cheesy to me then than it does today, because today I appreciate all the good qualities, which you highlight so well. The cinematography is impressive, and the makeup was considered cutting edge at the time and still looks pretty good. It was obvious at the time that they were on Earth, but the suspense was in wondering how they would find out. The revelation had impact, helped by Charlton Heston’s reaction. The most amazing thing about this movie, then and now, was how it attracted so many major stars, something rare back in the day: Heston, Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, and Maurice Evans.
I saw this film when I was a kid and I became a Planet of the Apes nut after seeing it. Comics, action figures, books were to follow in my collection:) The film is so good and Charlton Heston is such a fantastic lead. I personally like the mix of dark and light moments in the film. The balance is just right.
You are one of the few that noticed the "hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil'. This is certainly a fantastic example of old-school movie making done right. You also noted the lost history aspect of our own civilization... subscribed :)
I'm old.. saw this when it came out.. even the appearance of the apes on horseback was a mind blower back then.
Thanks a lot! Happy you enjoyed this experience as much as I did :)
I saw this at the theater when it first came out and it blew people's minds.
Yeah man I remember watching this in the 70s. So good. This movie helped me fall in love with scfi. It and Star Trek. Great reaction as usual man. 👏👏😊🥰
This was primarily filmed at the 20th Century Fox Movie Ranch, now part of the Malibu Creek State Park in Malibu, CA. The buildings were sets built for the movies as well as the short lived "Planet of the Apes" TV series. Literally hundreds of TV shows and movies were filmed there. Ape City was very close to the "MASH" set. My Dad took me there when it first opened to the public and Ape City and many other sets were still there including "MASH" and the temple used at the end of "The Sand Pebbles". "The Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House " house is still there and used as an administrative building. The ending was filmed at Westward Beach in Malibu. I never read the source book, but the ending was Rod Serling's ("The Twilight Zone") Idea.
Something missing in the newer POTA movies is the warning to the future not to blow ourselves up.
The ending really got everyone back in the day. By far the best Apes movie, and it's not even close.
Such an iconic film, I love it so much! Made a big impression watching it as a kid, and this movie was before my time (I was born '89). I love the ape characters.
I was 10 when this movie hit theaters and it was just mind blowing. It became a template for sci fi that led to more wild movies like Soylent Green and The Omega Man both of which starred Charlton Heston.
I remember seeing this for the first time as a kid in the 90s, and my mind was utterly blown. I loved it so much I watched the whole series. I think my uncle actually got me the VHS box set lol
I saw this movie on tv on the 80s when I was a kid and it terrified me 😳 Chernobyl disaster was in the newspapers and this looked like our future
The twist is so iconic and so well done; just lingers on that shot of the decayed remains of a once symbolic image of humanity, wasting away in a world where humanity is a forgotten story. Just allows it to sink in after all you’ve seen.
No music, just the waves crashing, and Taylor’s anguish and despair. That he set out into space because he found himself sick of mankind, sick of it destroying itself, only to find seemingly another planet where apes had become dominant and man subservient, only to realise this was the Earth he called home, that man blew themselves and everything to kingdom come, and this militaristic authoritarian society of apes followed suit.
It’s one of the best twists for all the right reasons.
Have to ask, will you be doing the sequels? They get campy and silly quick, some interesting themes are still there but they got real tongue in cheek. Might be worth it to see what the modern movies referenced.
Great job James! It took hours to apply the makeup daily they gave documentaries on it. Really impressive for 1968.
One of those times that im glad i experienced back when i was young, the movie was already quite old, but i new nothing about it, ending included. One of those endings that makes you reconsider the entire movie.
"I wonder how that felt in the theaters."
Epic.
YOOOO I'm so excited right now! Planet of the Apes is my all time favorite movie franchise! The first film is a classic! Love Zira and Cornelius!
I always liked how the newer movies never tried to mess with this one.