Planet Of The Apes [35th Anniversary Special Edition]

I have a great fondness for this movie, despite it's hamminess. I would rate it much higher, but hey, it's your opinion.

I must take issue, however, with your comments regarding Jerry Goldsmith's score. You speak of it being "especially good when accentuating the opening credits--sparse and atmospheric" (true enough). But then you continue to say "but then it reverts to tried-and-true melodramatic sci-fi heroics and sounds rather loud and boisterous through much of the rest of the film."

Tried and true? I'm sorry, but scores like this were only tried and true AFTER Planet of the Apes. Goldsmiths score is THE first example that I can think of that used contemporary classical 12-tone composition techniques. It was remarkably unique and modern when it was released, and is, IMO, a tremendous, and highly influential soundtrack. Certainly light years ahead of Star Trek's famous "duh duh DA DA DA DA DA duh duh DA DA"!

Much better than Burtons versions, but still not as impressive to me as other sci-fi genre films. I remember enjoying this movie when I was very young, but after seeing it a few months ago I just didn't get the same feeling. I thought it was redundantly dull and somewhat laughable, especially the cheesy makeup. I think I would have rated it much lower. . . maybe a 5?

Very true, Kilgore, and thank you much for your comments. Goldsmith’s music is, indeed, modern and in parts unique. But music, like movies, strikes people in different ways. Simply being modern or unique doesn’t make it any better than anything else or any less boisterous or melodramatic to some ears. Note Rachmaninov vs. Stravinsky vs. Shostakovich vs. Bartok as examples of twentith-century musical controversy.

Max Steiner’s score for “King Kong” revolutionized the way we looked at film music for the last seventy years, and folks like Franz Waxman, Bernard Herrmann, and, yes, Jerry Goldsmith (I can’t think of anyone who’s done as much movie and television work as he has), continued refining the tradition. It’s good to see they’re still appreciated.

Personally, I’ll take “The Day the Earth Stood Still.”

John

Hmmm, that's funny, John. Must be the reason I like "Radiohead" so much. Some of their melodies have haunting memories of strange, obscure tones, that are a bit out of the ordinary music of todays tones. Kind of very simular to Pink Floyd. Funny how some of this style was repeated in Burtons film "Mars Attacks," no?

What most people neglect to discuss is the fact that this movie is a documentary. The U.S. is being run by a bunch of apes right now. What I'd really like to do is tell Bush, Rove, Rumsfeld, et al to get their damn dirty paws off of me. :@