Making Apes: The Artists Who Changed Film, directed by William Conlin and written by makeup specialist extraordinaire Thomas R. (Gargoyles) Burman, is a Burman Studio Inc documentary gift to Planet of the Apes fans, now available for viewing on Amazon Freevee.
The documentary is so comprehensive that it commences well before Planet of the Apes began, returning to the propitious makeup days of Cecil Holland, Lon Chaney Sr, Jack Pierce and Ben Nye, and the pre-production period wherein Pierre Boulle's Monkey Planet novella stirred serious talk (and forty Rod Serling's screenplay drafts) at the financially wounded 20th Century Fox.
Ultimately, the production emphasizes the relationship of Burman as a fledgling makeup artist under the tutelage of the seasoned and masterful John (Star Trek/Lost in Space) Chambers for the initial, cinematic Apes sojourn. Within this creative relationship, Burman reflects on Chambers' beneficial impact on his career, but also the bombastic contention that often struck between the geniuses, as in the case of their monumental rift during the filming of The Island of Dr. Moreau '77.
Woven throughout their ambivalent partnership, viewers are treated to trivia on the Apes franchise (a large chunk supplied by the late Chambers), including the clout that Richard Zanuck, Franklin J. Schaffner, Arthur P. Jacobs, Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter and Maurice Evans brought to the founding installment. (Incidentally, Burman also relays a different story than the one commonly told as to why Edward G. Robinson didn't portray Dr. Zaius.) To embellish its historic layers, Lou Wagner, who played Lucius in the '68 classic, and Bobby Porter, who played Cornelius in Battle for the Planet of the Apes, express heartfelt recollections on their memorable characterizations.
Beyond the cultural significance of the '68 entry, focus also falls on how the designs for the human mutants in Beneath the Planet of the Apes manifested, as well as the competition between Stan Winston and Rick Baker to win the coveted chance to contribute to Apes '01. In addition, the digital renderings for the recent Caesar trilogy are covered with comparable respect, bringing the visually captivating, socio-political saga full circle and beyond.
It must be noted that Burman does an excellent job emoting his delight, sadness and warmth toward Chambers, but also the Apes saga in general, as do such guests as Werner Keppler (who assisted on the prosthetic processes for Apes '68), John Landis, Joe Dante, Guillermo Del Toro, Richard Donner, Steve Johnson, Matt Winston and the aforementioned Baker. With this, fans come away appreciating the indelible mark Apes has left on popular culture and the film industry on the whole, fifty years after its blockbuster advent.
Making Apes is a must-see for anyone who's grown up with this imaginative, thought-provoking saga, but even casual fans are guaranteed to come away inspired.
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