The Pen Pal Club

So I finally watched Planet of the Apes which has been on my must watch list for quite some time. I guess I should specify, the 1968 version, I had no interest in seeing the 2001 version. Although maybe I will have to watch it later and then compare. Unfortunately I am a purist snob and most of the time I am not a fan of remakes. V would be rolling her eyes at my frustrations with putting Shakespearean plots in modern times. I am all for a re-imagining of a classic story, but one of my pet peeves is the smashing together of conflicting time periods. I am not ok with saying “Oh happy dagger” and pulling out a gun. Either change the line or the prop. But I’m veering away from the assignment.

Now I’ve seen the iconic shocking twists of Planet of the Apes on AFI’s movie lists multiple times so I knew that the movie would have a little less shock value when I saw it. But even if you know the spoilers of an iconic movie, you still want to see why it is so iconic. Like watching Psycho, which is still haunting even though I’d seen who the murderer is and the last creepy scene before I saw the movie. Or Soylent Green, knowing what it is from the very beginning. (See what I did there? I’m trying really hard to not write spoilers, even though I’m not writing this for random people to read) I think that Hitchcock is a brilliant director and that his movies stand up to multiple viewings and are still engaging to the audience member. And while the book Make Room! Make Room! on which Soylent Green is based has very few plot points in common with the movie, I still wanted to dive into a story that could be so horrifying and yet, slightly plausible for a future of overpopulation.

It’s interesting to me to see a “classic” movie both to enjoy the story that is being told and to remark on how much the film industry has changed in a relatively short time span. I’ve also been on quite a sci-fi kick lately so it was really fascinating for me to watch this movie after having just finished reading the Foundation Series by Isaac Asimov. He’s the guy that came up with the three laws of robotics and is the king of science fiction writing. His Foundation Series apparently was based on the fall of the Roman Empire and so reading the books made me question, “what makes us human? And what can create and destroy a society?” So Beth picking this movie for the first assignment was perfect for me. This movie also made me want to re-watch Season 5, Episode 9 of The Twilight Zone “Probe 7, Over and Out.” This episode is about Adam and Eve and presents a very interesting and heretical story of man’s beginnings here on Earth.

I actually loved the movie. Maybe it’s because I’m in the right frame of mind for a movie like this but I found it intriguing, comedic and tragic. The satire of the apes talking about their culture, religion, laws and evolution was fascinating. It makes me think of high school and how I was taught to change everything I learned and that we have to discover our own beliefs for ourselves. Sometimes you are faced with the choice of the red pill or the blue pill and you have to decide your own fate. Will you fall down Alice’s rabbit hole or will you choose blissful ignorance and accept whatever you are told? Because the truth may hurt, it may not be what you were expecting and you may wish to change your mind after your eyes have been opened to return to your former naivety.