February 8, 2018 marks the 50th Anniversary release of "Planet of the Apes". The premiere commenced at New York's Loew's Capitol Theatre and the 72d Street Playhouse, with wider distribution following in March, which then expanded into the spring and summer, where it ruled the drive-in theater circuit.
Thanks to producers Arthur P. Jacobs and Richard D. Zanuck, "Planet of the Apes" offered an imaginative and sometimes frightening observation of our world through a parallel-reality lens, and unlike a recent polarizing, space adventure, it wasn't one-sided or propagandist. The story was identifiable to all who viewed it, no matter what their ideological bent, which is perhaps why the movie sparked the world's pop-cultural consciousness and birthed four, theatrical sequels, in addition to further incarnations that continue to this day.
If the truth be known, "Planet of the Apes" is, for all intents and purposes, a "Twilight Zone" tale, and of course, Rod Serling's involvement in the Pierre Boulle "Monkey Planet" adaptation confirms that. Like the best "Twilight Zones", "Apes" is an essay of irony, truth, deceit, rejection, hope, life and death. It also offers crisp dialogue, crackerjack direction by Franklin J. Schaffner, a powerful soundtrack by Jerry Goldsmith, and a cast like no other, with characterizations that still remain unsurpassed. Oh, and how 'bout that ending! The most iconic in all of cinema history!
If you haven't watched the original in a spell, or by some perplexing chance have never seen it, give yourself an edifying treat with a (re)visit. There are few films (if none) that can match this one and the legacy it spawned. It deserves its classic status and stands as the ultimate blueprint for how allegorical fables should be told.
Long live "Planet of the Apes"!!!
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