Planet of the Apes – 1968 film
Image taken from wikipedia.org
Planet of the Apes is widely considered to be one of the best science fiction films ever made. It spawned four sequels, two television series, a remake, and loads of merchandise. It became a cultural phenomenon. It all started with the vision of two men, a french novelist named Pierre Boulle and a Hollywood film producer named Arthur P. Jacobs. Jacobs had been fascinated by the novel and had wanted to turn it into a live-action adventure film. However, Pierre Boulle felt the novel was one of his lesser works with no potential for screen success.
Twilight Zone writer Rod Serling was hired to write the screenplay. Academy Award-Winning actor Charlton Heston signed on to play the lead role. As did Roddy McDowell and Kim Hunter. John Chambers was the man responsible for the fabulous makeup effects that were created. With all these people together, Hollywood history was about to be made. The film told the story of four astronauts, one female and three male, who have been gone from earth for many years. The main astronaut named George Taylor has no regrets about leaving and the fact that he has missed so many events back home. He turns in, along with his fellow astronauts to go into hyper sleep.
When the astronauts wake up, they find that their female counterpart is dead and their spacecraft in taking on water. They escape and make their way to shore. They find that the planet they are on contains breathable air and a vast area of desert. They set out to find any other life forms. After many days walking through the barren desert they come across a lake in which they jump to refresh themselves. They also notice that there are humans on this planet. Although the humans are mute and seem very primitive.
Soon they hear loud screeching noises and the primitive humans start running. The three astronauts follow and soon find out they are being chased by apes. Yet, these apes walk and talk like humans. The two astronauts are taken into captivity, after one gets shot. Taylor is put into a cell. After being injured in the chase, Taylor cannot speak to the apes. He eventually is able to be heard and his knowledge becomes a threat to the high order of the apes. They put him on trial and want to do a lobotomy so as to make sure he will never speak again.
With the help of a few friendly chimpanzees, Taylor escapes. The group heads to the desert where Taylor had crashed in. They uncover a cave which houses a child’s doll and eyeglasses of a man. This proves that humans were at one point the superior race on the earth. Taylor sets out to find an answer to how this happened. He arrives at the end of a long beach where he observes the Statue of Liberty half buried in sand.
