“There is something undeniably appealing about watching gorillas dressed like Fonzie aiming shotguns at Moses dressed like Tarzan.”

– Dana Gould

In case you don’t know, RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES is something of a re-make of the third sequel in the original APES series.  (That’s CONQUEST OF THE PLANET OF THE APES)

I haven’t seen RISE yet, but I imagine it won’t include the time-traveling chimps backstory or the controversial race-riot subtext.  (But, the optimists point out, it does have Andy Serkis!)

Listen, I’m a sucker for the APES films (I have a Czech poster of “Conquest” in my living room and my wedding cake was topped with figurines of  Zira and Cornelius), so of course I HAVE TO to see the new one.

In the meantime, you can get ready for the remake by studying this handy cheat sheet and by watching my old AMC video taped at the Bronx Zoo’s Congo Gorilla Forest (below.) 

Note: the Zoo’s PR team wanted to end the video with a line about how we need to save “this” planet, or some such line — and I had to explain the most basic premise of the franchise: it’s the same planet.  We finally really did it! Etc.

Related links: 
Extensive show summary from KEVIN GEEKS OUT ABOUT MONKEYS

Ranch House of the Planet of the Apes by Dana Gould

Original Ending to Conquest of the Planet of the Apes

APES ON COVERS  – a brief history (and gallery) of gorillas on comic book covers

Seven Adult Films based on SF Classics (including a Planet of the Apes porn)

Tom Stern’s hilarious parody movie Planet of the Humans