Twilight Zone: Episode 10: 'Judgement Night' (1959) - TV Episode Review

Der Kapitan Lanser is about to learn the horrifying truth of serving in Hitler's navy when he enters... The Twilight Zone!

Being a fan of both, 'Horror' & 'Science Fiction' and having researched both genres in depth, I have come to a conclusion... Movies and TV shows (episodes anyway,) that have something mystical or supernatural that in some ways revolve around World Wars 1 or 2 are fun!

Shocking... But true!

A couple of great examples of this being, Hellraiser (1987)... This movie tells the tale of a World War 1 military officer who ends up leading Hell's campaign to gather up souls... another one being, Shock Waves (1977), a movie about the last Nazi hold out and the Zombie Nazi's that are protecting the island... (I mean how much better can you get with Zombie Nazis?)

Nazi Zombies... I mean how cool is that!

Another set is the stuff that, 'The Twilight Zone' did... Now I haven't seen much of this yet... But in the anthology movie, there is a segment where a bigot gets transported to Nazi Germany that is pure genius!

And then there is an episode that I finally got to see all the way through that was absolutely genius... And that episode being: Episode 10: 'Judgement Night' (1959)!

Written by: Rod Serling (Planet Of The Apes) & Directed By: John Brahm (Shane). Starring: Nemiah Persoff (Twins), Deirdre Owens (Thriller), Patrick Macnee (The Howling), Ben Wright (The Bionic Woman) & Leslie Bradley (Attack Of The Crab Monsters). 

"We'll ride the ghost of that ship every night.  Every night, Der Kapitan, for eternity.  They could die only once, just once, but we could die a hundred million times. We could ride the ghost of that ship every night.  Every night for eternity." - Lt. Mueller (James Franciscus: A quote from: Twilight Zone - The Original Series episode: 'Judgement Night' (1959)!)

This brilliantly crafted tale, tells the story of a German man by the name of, 'Lanser' (Played by: Nemiah Persoff).... Now this guy seems to know who he is... But not where he is... That essentially he is on a ship of the damned! 

Lanser, as he is trying to figure out what is going on...

You see the S.S. Queen Of Glasgow is transporting people across the ocean in 1942... A time when the German submarine corps of Nazi Germany was basically sinking any none, 'Axis' boat... And especially, 'Allied' boats!

Now this boat has lost it's way in a fog and has drifted out of sight of it's convoy... 

And as Lanser starts to put all of the pieces together of what is going on and who he is, he begins to realize that not only is he on a doomed ship... But that due to an absolutely supernatural circumstance, he may never get off!

Lanser with a steward begins to get the first clue of what is going on...

In the end this episode is fun for many reasons: 

1. It is brilliantly crafted... As a matter of fact, this episode is great in it's less then 30 minute format, and could also make for an absolutely brilliant movie! 

2. Another thing is the talent... You rarely get to see talent of that caliber these days, and these guys that made this episode did so well, it was like watching a novel unfold!

3. The last thing that I wanted to say is that this episode... considering when it was made... This episode had absolutely brilliant special effects! 

In the end, the only thing that I did not understand is why they put an, 'American' in a, 'German' role and not sound German? 

Either way, this episode is a total blast and well worth watching... Check it out, I think you might agree!  

Tweet

Twilight Zone: Season 1 - Episode 8: ' Time Enough At Last' (1959) - TVEpisode Review

Official Score = 4 Devils 

One thing about the Twilight Zone is that it seems to never fail to have a fun episode just around the corner (even if the episode before it really was not that good...) And there is one episode that I have wanted to watch, pretty much ever since I first got in to the series, an episode that I would say is only seconded in pop culture popularity (having been used in other media as well,) to the episode, 'Terror At 20,000 Feet'... Don't worry that review is coming...

In this case, the episode that I am talking about is, 'Time Enough At Last' (1960)!

"That's not fair. That's not fair at all. There was time now. There was, was all the time I needed..." - Henry Bemis (Burgess Meredith - A quote from Twilight Zone episode, 'Time Enough At Last'.)

Based on the short story by Lynn Venable, written by Rod Serling (Planet Of The Apes) & Directed by: John Brahm (Penitentiary), starring: Burgess Meredith (Batman), this episode tells the story of a man by the name of Henry Bemis (Burgess Meredith), and the bad luck he has!

What I mean by this is that all Mr. Bemis wants to do is read... So much so that  his need to read has made him a poor bank teller, he has lost the respect of his wife, and well... Basically he doesn't have much to look forward to... That is until an H-Bomb changes his world!

Henry Bemis will get the chance to endulge his love of reading... That is until he enters the Twilight Zone of course!

You see after the bomb drops and every is dead Henry Bemis will find his paradise in the remnant of his public library, but when he finds his paradise in the aftermath of Armageddon, The Twilight Zone will commit the ultimate cruel trick on Mr. Bemis... And like Adam & Eve, cast him out of paradise!

The truth is, is this episode is as good as the hype! Seeing a young Burgess Meredith was awesome, the story is this is a fun one with a cruel sense of irony that is just awesome! If you haven't seen this episode... Check it out, I am gonna say that for me that this maybe one of the best episodes of this series that I have seen... And if you check it out, you might find the same thing as well!

The Twilight Zone: Season 1 - Episode 7: 'The Lonely' (1959) - TVEpsiode Review

Official Score = 3 Devils

Ok, so, so far I can see a lot of influences when it comes to both modern Science Fiction and modern Horror, when it comes to, 'The Twilight Zone'... I mean just the fact that this show's, 'anthology' angle I suspect has be an inspiration for a fair number of shows!

But stuff like, 'Going back in time to when you are a kid...' A segment that was the basis for episode 5: 'Walking Distance', I can see being the influence for many Science Fiction and non-science fiction based TV shows and movies!

Another great example of this is, 'The use of the military in Science Fiction'... Or more specifically, the use of a man, (in the case of the Twilight Zone, an Air Force Officer,) ending up in an area of the country that, where as it looks almost completely the same, there is no one in the town at all, except for the one man (I suspect that that episode, called: 'Where Is Everybody', was at least partially the inspiration for Stephen King's 'The Langoliers'... A book/movie about a group of people who go to sleep on a plane only to wake up and land at an airport that looks completely undisturbed... But never-the-less, completely empty!)

And this latest episode I think may have indirectly influenced the character of, 'Data' (Played by: Brent Spiner on, Star Trek: The Next Generation...) That episode being: episode 7 of season 1, entitled, 'The Lonely' (1959)!

The loneliest place is a prison with out bars, or Guards, but constant reminders of what is out there that you are missing!

Written by: Rod Serling (Planet Of The Apes) & Directed by: Jack Smight (Airport 1975). Starring: Jack Warden (Being There), John Dehner (The Day Of The Dolphin) & Jean Marsh (The Changling).

You see, maybe one of the earliest episodes in TV history that began to investigate what would happen if an android was created that looked and acted exactly like a human, and how an actual human might react to that!

What I mean by all of this, is that in the future, mankind will no longer house it's worse criminals in prisons on Earth, they create these tiny, 'habitats' for them to live in on distant asteroids with breathable atmospheres, and with supply ships coming by periodically to resupply them with all the essentials they are going to need to live...

On one of these distant and desolate asetroids lives convicted murderer, 'James A. Corry' (Jack Warden.)

One really is the loneliest number... Especially when you are on a prison asteroid light years away from the Earth!

The problem with Corry, is that he was almost certainly convicted of murdering some one in self defense, and is otherwise a good guy that is slowly going insane!

Well there is one Starship Captain by the name of, 'Captain Allenby' (John Dehner) who has taken pity on poor Corry, and has brought him a little gift...

You see, Allenby has snuck an android girl in to Corry's supplies, An android that looks exactly like a girl, sounds exactly like a girl, and has been programmed with the emotions of a real girl... This girl goes by the name of, 'Alicia' (Jean Marsh)!

Well this girl was brought to Corry so that he can have some company for the rest of his 50 year sentence... The only problem is that the plan ended up working to well!

Corry will finally find piece with a companion that turns out to be more then he ever expected!

And in the end, can a man love a girl if she is a machine? This is a question that Corry is going to have to grapple with when he learns of some news on that desolate rock, that will change him forever!

One of the things that I specifically liked about this episode, and I have found a commonality in some extent with some of the other episodes that I have seen from this series and from some of the episodes of the reboot series... That is the question of, 'how the main character will deal with his life changing situation...' This one... Well believe it or not is that perfect mix of making one sad, but also happy... I won't say anything more on that...

Never the less, this episode is another gem of an episode, and if you have a chance to watch, you should, it is a good one, and I think you might find it to be so as well!

Twilight Zone: Season 1 - Episode 6: Escape Clause (1959) - TV Episode Review

[caption id="attachment_330" align="alignright" width="220"] Official Score = 2 1/2 Devils[/caption]

You know there is a lot of people who think  the concepts of true immortality (literally living forever and never aging would be something truly awesome (myself being one of them.) As a matter of fact, rather it is the mystics of yesteryear, or the Scientists of today, mankind has invested a lot of effort in to finding out what the secret to eternal life truly is!

But what would you do with your time? I imagine scholars, if given the opportunity would choose to read every book that has ever been written, or will ever be written, to watch every documentary, and every lecture (and the like), that has ever been recorded, or will ever be recorded... I imagine thrill seekers would try to see how far that they can take things before things start causing damage again... And for others... Well who knows... I mean you do have a long time to figure that out.

The reason that I mention this is the fact that this is the topic of the next episode of, 'Twilight Zone' the original series!

Written by: Rod Serling (Planet Of The Apes) & Directed by: Mitchell Leisen (Hold Back The Dawn). Starring: David Wayne (The Andromeda Strain), Thomas Gomez (Force Of Evil) & Virginia Christine (Invasion Of The Body Snatchers).

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="404"] Walter Bedeker (David Wayne) is going to try to spend eternity killing himself![/caption]

The truth is, is this is a fun episode, it has an awesome story about one of those types who paranoid that they are getting sick, and what they will end up doing with their eternity after they make a deal with the devil... The cast is amazing... And I mean, it is the Twilight Zone after all, so the special effect for, (1959) are truly spectacular, there is only one problem!

This episode is to short... This episode should have been either a full hour at the very least, or even turned in to a movie... Well because it wasn't, in the end this episode looks rushed, and not he usual polish that comes with a twilight zone episode!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a74Lhj7cze4&w=420&h=315]

The Twilight Zone: Season 1 - Episode 5: 'Walking Distance' (1959) - TV Episode Review

[caption id="attachment_322" align="alignright" width="258"] Official Score = 1 1/2 Devils[/caption]

Well... So far so good... So far the original, 'Twilight Zone' series is proving itself to be a pretty fun series, with some mostly good episodes... As a matter of fact, I think I am beginning to see a common theme to this series (well at least to season 1 so far anyway...)

What I mean by that, is that there does seem to be a general common theme among a lot of these earlier episodes... And I know that this theme is carried out through out the franchise... That theme being that a man or woman, left with a bizarre situation that goes against everything, will not only make the best of it, but will end up finding out something about themselves in the process.

A great example of this is when in the previous episode, the woman ends up finding out where she can finally be at peace and ends up abandoning everything she ever knew to get it... And a similar theme is found out in the episode, 'Walking Distance' (1959)!

Written by: Rod Serling (Planet Of The Apes) & Directed by: Robert Stevens (Change Of Mind). Starring: Gig Young (Air Force), Frank Overton (Star Trek), Irene Tedrow (Foul Play), Michael Montgomery (Last Dance) & Ron Howard (Apollo 13).

This episode tells the story of Martin Sloan (Gig Young), you see Martin Sloan has been having some problems as of recent and has been on a road trip, when one day he has car trouble and stops in at a gas station to resolve the trouble...

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="455"] Martin Sloan is at his last stop, before... The Twilight Zone![/caption]

Well he finds a sign that mentions that his home town is about a mile and a half away from the service station and decides to take a walk down memory lane... And boy does he!

What I mean by this is that Martin ends up not only taking a walk down memory lane as he heads in to his home town, but ends up walking back through time to when his home town was still the same town that he lived in as a boy!

And as Martin finds out what he is doing there, he will find out something that he had been missing since the last time he was in his home town!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="555"] Older, 'Martin' getting meet young, 'Marty' (A younger version of himself...)[/caption]

In the end, this episode is a decent enough one, the only real problem that I had with it, is the fact that this episode has a useless monologue that seemed to be added in to fill in some time... There is some useless camera shots in there as well, that does make it a little annoying... Never-the-less, if you haven't seen this episode, give it a try, it isn't horrible, and if you get a chance, you may find that you like this episode well enough!

http://youtu.be/QUn2BNydxIY

The Twilight Zone... It's Continued Importance In The World Of TV

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="553"] The Twilight Zone... A truly awesome show... One might say it is an American icon![/caption]

There are very few shows in this world that do so well that they ultimately end up lasting for generations... Soap Operas seemed to do pretty good in that area, and of course, 'Star Trek' has excelled... And who could forget, 'The Outer Limits'... But the one that I wanted to talk about today is, 'The Twilight Zone'...

This show, like a lot of the shows that truly last on a generational level have done a lot for the acting community, including helped with the acting careers of some of the biggest talent in Hollywood for their generation... A few examples of course being: Rod Serling (Planet Of The Apes), William Shatner (Star Trek: The Motion Picture), Dan Aykroyd (Ghost Busters) & heck even, Forrest Whitaker (Body Snatchers) and that is just to name a few!

Now the reason that I mention this is that in Hollywood today, there is not to many shows or even movies being made that have had this level of staying power... And that is kind of a shame!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="469"] There hasn't been to many movies or TV shows that have come out as of recent that have been at the same level of, 'The Twilight Zone'![/caption]

With Hollywood going the way that it has been, it would be great to see, 'The Twilight Zone' brought back to life... But not just brought back to life in that same, 'recyling popular episodes from the first series' sort of way... No I am talking about bringing the twilight zone back in such a way that it is fun for the next generation!

What I mean by that, is bring the show back using the format that made the original series such a wild success, but create different episodez newer and better episodes for the next generation to enjoy as well!

In the end, this show made some major strides and contributions to the world of tinsletown... And if given a chance to thrive again, they could prove to have a continued importance on the world of TV!

http://youtu.be/G11AhAIf18A

Twilight Zone: Season 1 - Episode 4: 'The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine' (1959) - TV Episode Review

[caption id="attachment_325" align="alignright" width="263"] Official Score = 3 Devils[/caption]

The concept of the power of the mind, and the will of a person to have something occur is a recurring theme through out the horror and science fiction genres since well before movies, or plays. But the truth is, is most of the time in horror and science fiction, it is usually (especially these days,) done by the bad guy to cause massive amounts of damage...

So when I recently saw, 'Twilight Zone: Season 1 - Episode 4: 'The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine'', I have to admit that this episodes take on the ancient theme was really quite fascinating!

You see, this episode, which was written by: Rod Serling (Reqiuem For A Heavyweight), Ida Lupino (High Sierra), Martin Balsam (Psycho) & Alice Frost (Stone), told the story of an unhappy woman and her intense longing for her former glory!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="537"] Barbara Trenton (Ida Lupino)... A woman who is desperately missing the popularity and excitement of her youth![/caption]

You see in the 1930s, Barbara Jean Trenton (Ida Lupino) was a super star (some one who could be said to be the, 'Jennifer Lawrence' of her day...) But in the late 1950s, Barbara Jean is over the hill, she is a, 'has been' who hasn't worked in years. She keeps herself locked away in her mansion where she watches her old films... And her only friend is, 'Danny Weiss' (Martin Balsam).

With time not having been particularly kind to her, she sits in her own little world longing for the days when she was still at the top of her game... And trying to stay away from the world that she has just grown to completely despise...

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="448"] Barbara as she is meeting up with Danny, who has some good news for her![/caption]

But the longer she stays locked away in her own little world... Who knows, with the power of will... And the Twilight Zone, she may actually be able to get that world back!

In the end, this episode may not be the most scary (as a matter of fact, it actually isn't scary), it may not be any major Science Fiction masterpiece, but the truth is, is the best part of this episode was the story (I won't say to much), but I will say this, this episode just in the end made me feel good to have watched it, and if you get a chance to see it, then you might find the same thing as well!

http://youtu.be/ZIrtUDjLZ3Y

Twilight Zone, Season 1 - Episode 3, 'Mr. Denton On Doomsday (1959) - TV Episode Review

[caption id="attachment_325" align="alignright" width="263"] Official Score = 3 Devils[/caption]

So far I have to say that I have found as this season has progressed, that, 'Twilight Zone' has been getting better and better... I mean I wasn't to particularly a fan of the pilot episode... I will admit that, that episode (despite having great promise) never materialized in to a great episode... And I will tell you that the episode, 'One For The Angels' was fun and well worth a watch... But to tell you the truth... This next episode is one that I truly felt began to really embody the true nature of, 'Twilight Zone'!

The episode that I am talking about is, episode 3 of season 1:  'Mr. Denton On Doomsday'.

Written by: Rod Serling (Time Travelers) & Directed by: Allen Reisner (Glitter). Starring: Dan Duryea (Five Golden Dragons), Martin Landau (Frankenweenie), Jeanne Cooper (The Boston Strangler), Malcolm Atterbury (Police Story), Ken Lynch (Anatomy Of A Murder) & Doug McClure (Riders On The Storm)...

This episode tells the story of Al Denton (Dan Duryea)...

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="581"] Al Denton (Dan Duryea) A former gunfighter that has become the town drunk and screw up... He is being harassed by, 'Dan Hotaling' (Martin Laundau)![/caption]

At the beginning of this episode, Al Denton is a former gunfighter turned village idiot/drunk... No one seems to be respectful of him anymore... And as a matter of fact, a gun fighter by the name of, 'Dan Hotaling' (Landau) seems to take particular joy at making fun of him!

Well during one particularly humiliating day a special, 'jack-of-all-trades' type, by the name of, 'Henry J. Fate' (Atterbury) shows up in to town and it looks like ole Al Denton's life is about to change... You see during this particularly humiliating day, Al finds a gun on the ground and ends up accidentally shooting it off a couple of different times, to the point where it impresses the rest of the town, but it also shocks Dan in to no longer pestering him...

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="359"] The shot that will start to change Al Denton's life![/caption]

Well when news hits, a gun fighter by the name of, 'Pete Grant' (Doug McClure) ends up heading in to town in an effort to duel with Al...

The truth is, is this episode was a lot of fun... It was great watching a young, 'Martin Landau' in action, and frankly the other thing that I really liked about this episode is the fact that I really liked the story of redemption for a man that was on his way to checking out, but has been given one more chance!

If you have been following this series up to this point, then I will tell you that this episode is well worth it on your path through this series... And well, if you are thinking about starting off the series on this episode... Good episode, but you really should begin at the beginning of the series!

http://youtu.be/R_FdaE0oA9g

The Twilight Zone, Season 1 - Episode 2, 'One For The Angels' (1959) - TV Episode Review

[caption id="attachment_330" align="alignright" width="220"] Official Score = 2 1/2 Devils[/caption]

Now I will admit to being a little bit surprised when I first saw the pilot episode for the, 'Twilight Zone'... All I can say is, not bad, but not great, especially not for a TV show of the iconic status that this show, and for how much I have personally enjoyed the episodes I have seen in the past!

Well the good news is that I think this show has gotten on the right footing with their second episode called, 'One For The Angels'!

Writer: Rod Serling (Planet Of The Apes) & Directed by: Robert Parrish (Casino Royale). Starring: Ed Wynn (The Diary Of Anne Frank), Murray Hamilton (Jaws), Dana Dillaway (Giant) & Rod Serling.

This episode takes an interesting look at what would happen if Death came knocking on your door and let you know that your time was coming up... And what you would do if you were able to cheat death... Literally!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="390"] Lou Bookman (Ed Wynn) is meeting, 'Death'... A.K.A. 'Mr. Death', (Murray Hamilton).[/caption]

What I mean by this, is that, 'Lou Bookman' (Ed Wynn), who is a sort of unsuccessful business man, who sells his wears around the neighborhood, he is kindly enough, everyone likes him, and comes to him to fix stuff... The only problem is that Lou is an old man, and he is about have a meeting with, 'Death' himself...

Well, after some convincing, Lou ends up being able to cheat this guy, 'Mr. Death' ('Death', played by: Murray Hamilton.) And essentially is given eternal life (well that is until he makes a pitch to some one, that would open up- the heavens...)

So to make up for his losses, he ends up having to take another life and decides on little, 'Maggie Polanski' (Dana Dillaway)...

And after Maggie is hit by a truck, it will be up to Lou to decide rather to keep living his life, or to give it up for little Maggie Polanski, so that she can live her full life!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="360"] Lou is going to have to make a decision... His life, or this little girls...[/caption]

In the end I could tell you all sorts and kinds of reasons why I found this episode to be as much fun as I did... The truth is, is it was just a well roundly made episode, and I found it to be a lot of fun... As a side note for you Keenan Wynn fans out there, as it turns out, 'Ed Wynn', the person who played, 'Lou' in the episode, was actually Keenan's dad... Not only that, but Keenan helped his father become an actor!

In the end folks, this episode is fun, and if you check it out, you might find the same thing as well!

http://youtu.be/onHAflpDw0g

A Little Piece Of History: Rod Serling And The Early Days Of, 'The Twilight Zone'

If your like me then besides being a huge Science Fiction and Horror fan, you are also a fan of history, and especially the little hidden tidbits of these genre's that we don't normally get to see (i,e... Behind the scenes look at the movie, Halloween (1978), or a look at  some important photograph from, 'Freddy's Nightmares' etc...)

Well you are in luck, because I happen to stumble on to a little piece of history that I think you might find interesting, so take a journey with us... This is a journey in to a place where things aren't exactly what they seem... This journey may not exactly take you in to the deepest recesses of the mind, but it will take us to Rod Serling (Planet Of The Apes) and the sales pitch that he did for the Pilot Episode of, 'The Twilight Zone' courtesy of Image Entertainment:

http://youtu.be/FjnDZFCh1sg

http://youtu.be/Ejpksu_MYk8

The Twilight Zone (The Original Series): Season 1 - Episode 1: 'Where Is Everybody' - TV Episode Review

[caption id="attachment_390" align="alignright" width="178"] Official Score = 1 Devil[/caption]

The Twilight Zone... What can I say about this franchise? I mean, 'The Twilight Zone' is to Science Fiction & Horror TV/Movies, what Star Trek is to Science Fiction TV & Movies, or even what, 'A Nightmare On Elm Street' is to horror movies!

I mean most of the times these episodes, (especially from what I understand of of it, 'the original series') is both scary, thrilling, and in some cases quite thought provoking, this show has made Rod Serling (Planet Of The Apes) and the narration that he did at the beginning and ending of each episode a household name... I mean if you were born in the last 50 years you almost certainly will remember that straightforward way that Rod Serling had of explaining some of the strangest stuff!

Unfortunately though, it would appear to have started off from in auspicious beginnings...

What I mean by this is that the first episode called, 'Where Is Everybody', an episode that had been written by Rod Serling, and directed by: Robert Stevens (Suspense) and starring: Earl Holliman (Forbidden Planet) told the story of an Air Force Officer who some how wound up in a small town out in the middle of no where, that seemed to have no one in it at all...

And as he is slowly going more and more insane from the absolute loneliness, he starts to realize that the town is not all it's cracked up to be!

[caption id="attachment_1699" align="aligncenter" width="627"] This poor Officer doesn't know who he is, and has walked in to a town where there is no one around who can tell him![/caption]

In the end though, this episode had a great premise, and a cool message, but the writing was showing it's age... It was quite dated and the lines that were given to Earl Holliman were reduculously out of date, and frankly the fact that no one was around, and that the episode itself proved itself to be completely outdated, just made the whole thing really dull!

In the end, this episode may not be the best, but if you like the basic concepts that this series and shows like this series bring to the table, then I would say, 'keep this one in mind'... This episode may not be the greatest, but there are other episodes coming up that are worth it!

http://youtu.be/3wRgfXPG-DI

Planet OF The Apes (1968) - Movie Review

[caption id="attachment_415" align="alignright" width="350"] Official Score = 4 Devils[/caption]

I would be surprised if anyone on this planet has not heard of the, Planet Of The Apes movie series in some capacity at this point! I mean after all there was a prequel to the first movie that was released a while back with, James Franco (Spider-Man) called, Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes (2011)!

But for those of you newbies to the series who probably got their start watching the latest movie, but have yet to catch up with the classic original series…

Well before James Franco did his prequel, and even before Mark Wahlberg (The Perfect Storm) did his remake of the original movie, Charlton Heston (Soylent Green), did an awesome job in the first, (and still in my opinion the best of the series), movie just simply called, Planet Of The Apes (1968)!

Written by: Michael Wilson (A Place In The Sun), Rod Serling (The Twilight Zone), and Directed by: Franklin L. Schaffner (Patton). Starring: Charlton Heston, Kim Hunter (A Street Car Named Desire), Roddy McDowall (Deadly Game), Maurice Evans (Rosemary’s Baby), James Whitmore (The Shawshank Redemption), Linda Harrison (Cocoon) and Woodrow Parfrey (Dirty Harry).

“TAKE YOUR STINKING PAWS OFF ME YOU DAMN DIRTY APE!” – George Taylor (Planet Of The Apes)

Planet Of The Apes tells the amazing tale of a group of astronauts led by Colonel George Taylor (Heston), from modern day Earth who while they are in a sort of a hyper sleep aboard their spaceship as it travels through space, end up waking up when their ship crash lands on some sort of a planet…

Of course when they first disembark, they don’t think much of the planet (as it seems like mostly a lifeless world (despite the breathable atmosphere…

So the crew sets out in search of shelter and food and the like (since their ship is now under water and currently unsalvageable…) As they are walking though, they come to discover certain interesting facts about their new planet… Like the fact that it looks like Man is an Animal and Apes reign supreme!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="850"] Taylor (Charlton Heston) as he is being held captive in a special (Human Zoo) and being studied by Dr. Zaius (Maurice Evans) and Zira (Kim Hunter)[/caption]

This crew gets that harsh dose of reality when they (and a group of savage humans end up being chased by a group of Apes that are trying to hunt them down and capture them!)

After they are captured, the survivors of the ship are taken to different areas where one of them is lobotomized, the other is killed and stuffed and sent to the Apes Museum, and the last one (Colonel Taylor) is left alive when he begins to not only demonstrate that he is intelligent, but that he can talk as well…

He demonstrates this to Dr. Cornelius (McDowall), and Zira (Hunter), who decide to protect him from a world where Apes treat mankind as the specimens! And now it will be up to Cornelius, Zira, and Taylor to get Taylor to safety before the rest of the Ape world gets the chance to destroy him! Because in a world like, the Planet Of The Apes, Taylor, is going to find out a truth about himself and mankind that will change both mankind and Apes in such a way that neither species will ever forget!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400"] 'Taylor' (Heston) with, 'Nova' (Harrison), 'Zira' (Hunter) and, 'Cornelius' (McDowall), as Zira and Cornelius try to help Taylor and Nova find a life for themselves![/caption]

Now if that hasn't got you interested yet, than let me tell you this.

A: Unfortunately just about everyone from this movie is dead… And it is a true shame, because the talent that was brought to this movie is unparalleled in how truly fantastic of a job that everyone did!

B: Unfortunately I have not had the chance to read the book that this movie is based off of… Before I continue on here, let me say this (most movies that are based on books that I have seen are usually not as good,) so I have to assume that if what I just mentioned holds true in regards to, The Planet Of The Apes, then the book will be mind-blowingly amazing!

C: The last thing that I wanted to say about this movie is this… I thought the special effects in this movie were amazing… Sure there were some campy moments in the special effect (but that was still good in my opinion… I mean after all it was the 60s…) But in the end, this movie had some of the best special effects that have come out of that era (short of Ray Harrhausen of course… But then again, he did set the standard back then…)

In the end, this movie for me was definitely worth the watch and could be for you as well!

http://youtu.be/uAH-Tw2hue8