Behind the Planet of the Apes (1998) (TV)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Directors:

Kevin Burns
David Comtois

Writers:

Brian Anthony (writer) &
David Comtois (writer) ...

Release Date:

6 September 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary

Tagline:

Journey Back To The Planet Of The Apes!

Plot:

The story behind the making of the 5 "Planet of the Apes" movies.

Plot Keywords:

Ape | Planet Of The Apes | Interview | Animal In Title | Behind The Scenes

Cast

Roddy McDowall	...	Himself - Hosted by (also archive footage)
Mort Abrahams	...	Himself - Associate Producer
Charlton Heston	...	Himself - 'Taylor' (also archive footage)
Richard D. Zanuck	...	Himself - Studio Executive (as Richard Zanuck)
John Chambers	...	Himself - Makeup Designer
William J. Creber	...	Himself - Art Director (as William Creber)
Kim Hunter	...	Herself - 'Dr. Zira' (also archive footage)
Eric Greene	...	Himself - Film Historian
Linda Harrison	...	Herself - 'Nova' (also archive footage)
Ted Post	...	Himself - Director
Frank Capra Jr.	...	Himself - Associate Producer
Don Taylor	...	Himself - Director
Ricardo Montalban	...	Himself - 'Armando' (also archive footage)
Natalie Trundy	...	Herself - Wife of Arthur P. Jacobs
J. Lee Thompson	...	Himself - Director

Runtime:

127 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby (as Dolby Surround)

Certification:

USA:Not Rated | Canada:PG (Canadian Home Video rating)

Filming Locations:

Malibu Creek State Park - 1925 Las Virgenes Road, Calabasas, California, USA

Company:

Van Ness Films

Trivia:

Host Roddy McDowall died on October 3, 1998, less than a month after the broadcast of this special.

Movie Connections:

References Dirty Harry (1971)

Outstanding for Most Movie Lovers

A labor of love and a fine example of what a well done documentary should look like. AT LEAST watch the original 68' version first; watching the sequels before or after has its pros and cons (the insight of knowing the diminishing budgets of each successive sequel may increase an appreciation for them...even if you're not a POTA fan).

Some facts are condensed (and distorted) that was necessary for the sake of running time (POTA didn't get the green light till after the box office returns for 'Fantastic Voyage' proved favorable enough to convince Richard Zanuck to take a gamble on a then big budget for a sci fi outing). And the million dollar monkey masks budget was closer to half a million...but a million dollars is better publicity.

NOTE: The DVD versions have about 3 1/2 minutes more footage than the VHS & AMC broadcast versions...most notable is the religious comparisons of the ape and mutant cultures from 'Beneath...' and more summations from cast and crew toward the end.

An intelligent and well researched documentary that's filled to the brim. And thankfully, no mention of the 2001 remake as this was produced in 1998.