Customer Reviews

Planet of the Apes Revisited: The Behind-the-Scenes Story of the Classic Science Fiction Saga

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Clearly a labor of love, POAR is jam packed with interesting interviews and interesting tidbits about the production of the first classic film and the well made sequels. This fine book corrects a lot of "myths" about the films (such as the fact that screenwriter Michael Wilson came up with the "hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil" scene and the fact that Rod Serling's original screenplay was a mess)and reminds us how groundbreaking this first science fiction film series was.

Although memories occasinally differ as to who did what (most notably about the twist ending of the first film. There has been some debate as to who came up with it although it clearly has Serling's fingerprints all over it),the authors have put together a terrific volume that works both as film history and puts the films in their historical perspective. Sure they're all entertaining (some to a lesser degree than others) but the first film (and to a lesser extent the sequels)works both as allegory and social satire in the tradition of Swift's Gulliver's Travels.

The book is stocked with rare photos (including a series of stunning photos from Lydia Heston's private collection)and great interviews. If you're an Apes fan this terrific book is a perfect companion to the DVD re-release of the films (and the making of documentary that aired on cable a couple of years ago). My only complaint is I would have liked to see a bit more of the Apes memorabilia reproduced perhaps even in a separate section.

What's surprising is the impact these films have had over the past 30 years. Although some of the participants would go on to bigger things (director Schaffner's classic Patton and Serling's stint as creator/host/writer on the uneven Night Gallery series), none of their efforts has had the impact of this fine series of films. Although it's taken over 15 years to for this fine book to finally see the light of day it was well worth the wait!

Planet of the Apes revisited is a must for all fans of the classic film series. From the Introduction by Charleton Heston, right through to the final chapter on Tim Burton's "re-Imagining", the Authors manage to answer every question you could possibly have about the Ape Movies, TV series, and Cartoon series. This book was over 15 years in the making, so the Authors were able to interview just about everyone associated with the films, from the Stars to the Crew. Kim Hunter & the late Roddy McDowell provide great anecdotes, and the struggle of the late Arthur P. Jacobs (Producer of the original Series of Films) to get a Studio to MAKE the Movies is exhaustively documented.

Two small problems: 1)- Many of the pictures in the book aren't captioned, so you aren't sure who or what you're looking at; and 2)- The Authors briefly mention the Ape Comic Books, by Marvel and Malibu. I would have liked to see a chapter covering these books, as well as a chapter (or Two...), about other Ape ancillary products.

Ape fans will love this book, and when you're done reading it, you'll watch the Movies with a new appreciation.

"Planet of the Apes Revisited" is by Joe Russo and Larry Landsman, with Edward Gross. The authors chronicle the behind-the-scenes story of the making of the "Planet of the Apes" films and TV series. The book also includes a chapter on Tim Burton's reimagined "Apes" film.

The book's intro notes that the authors had "complete and total access" to the archives of late "Apes" producer Arthur P. Jacobs; furthermore, many actors and behind-the-scenes talents were interviewed for the project. This in-depth research really pays off in this engrossing, well-written narrative. The book is enriched with many quotes from cast and crew and a wealth of photographs.

The authors frankly discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each film, as well as controversies attached to them. A particularly interesting part of the book is the account of the test reel in which Edward G. Robinson played Dr. Zaius. The book also discusses the music of the films, and includes episode guides to both the live-action and animated TV series. This book is essential reading for true "Apes" fans. Funny, fascinating, and even poignant, it made me want to watch all of these marvelous films again.

I bought this book from Amazon in 2002 and I have just finished reading it for the third time cover to cover. I find it to be a great companion to the DVD "Behind the Planet of the Apes." Many of the people mentioned in this book are featured in that filmed AMC documentary -- people like Associate Producer Mort Abrahams, Fox Studio boss Dick Zanuck, makeup specialist John Chambers, the various directors, and of course, the actors, Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowell, Kim Hunter, Natalie Trundy and the gorgeous Linda Harrison, who played Nova.

This book, of course, goes into far more detail -- all the wonderful details we Ape fans need to know, including discussions on plot changes, how the idea for the Statue of Liberty scene came about, how the movie originally came to be made, and so on. The authors are true Ape fans just like you and me, and the book was written from that perspective, by three fanatics who grew up loving the five Ape movies.

The book also brings back wonderful memories of a simpler and special time in the late 60's, early 70's (at least from a child's perspective). The book quotes extensively from Charlton Heston's personal journals. His entries are fascinating, especially those daily entries from when the movie was being made. In a few early entries, Heston wrote that he didn't believe the film would ever get made!

A great story in the book is about that famous trial scene when the three orangutan judges did the "see no evil, speak to evil" thing, and the editors almost took that out of the movie. There is even some controversy over how the most famous ending (and greatest ending of a movie, in my opinion) came about. If you are a Planet of the Apes fan, you must have this book. Enjoy it.

This is a great informative book that gives us the reader some inside information of a great series of films as well as a short lived television series. I could not put it down. Russo's details and behind the scene stories should make any APE fan happy. Thank you, Joe, for this wonderful book.

This is the Mother of all behind the scenes books on Planet of the Apes. This book is so incredibly detailed that any other behind the scenes book on Planet Of The Apes is not necessary. My only disappointment was when I finished the book because I wanted it to keep going. Also, any book on the Planet of the Apes with the forward written by Charlton Heston has to have credibility. Great book!!!

This book is a fantastic review of the movies, tv series and phenomenon that is Planet of the Apes. The author shows great insight into the movie and clearly loves the subject matter. Highly recommended!

I have read this book from cover to cover and I have to say it is the finest book written about the Planet of the Apes. It has so much information and is not like the other boring ordinary books out there. It took a long time to write. There must have been a lot of time and energy put into this. it is clearly done to perfection unlike others that just do a quick thing to get it out there and make a fast buck. This is well worth the unbelievable low price. So much stuff I never knew (and I am a true Ape fan for years). A definate must have for all other fellow ape fans.

I enjoyed reading this book for its interesting information from a number of the participants in the making of the Apes movies. It is a good companion to the recently released ultimate DVD collection.

I give it 4 of 5 stars because it lacks in-depth analysis of the ideas in the films and comparison to other projects, but you can't have everything in one book. I applaud the authors for putting together what they did.

This book is great! It covers every aspect of all of the apes movies, including Burton's, the TV series, and the Saturday morning cartoon. It includes quotes and facts that are amazing. It's an easy read, yet it's got some meat to it. I loved reading about the script developments and alternate endings that have been discussed for all of the movies. It's got some great pictures too! Great book, awesome price!