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(aka "Monkey Planet" )

 

directed by Franklin J. Schaffner
USA 1968
Originally intended as a project for Blake Edwards, the film version of Pierre Boule's semisatiric sci-fi novel came to the screen in 1968 under the directorial guidance of Franklin J. Schaffner. Charlton Heston is George Taylor, one of several astronauts on a long, long space mission whose spaceship crash-lands on a remote planet, seemingly devoid of intelligent life. Soon the astronaut learns that this planet is ruled by a race of talking, thinking, reasoning apes who hold court over a complex, multilayered civilization. In this topsy-turvy society, the human beings are grunting, inarticulate primates, penned-up like animals. When ape leader Dr. Zaius (Maurice Evans) discovers that the captive Taylor has the power of speech, he reacts in horror and insists that the astronaut be killed. But sympathetic ape scientists Cornelius (Roddy McDowell) and Dr. Zira (Kim Hunter) risk their lives to protect Taylor -- and to discover the secret of their planet's history that Dr. Zaius and his minions guard so jealously. In the end, it is Taylor who stumbles on the truth about the Planet of the Apes: "Damn you! Damn you! Goddamn you all to hell!" Scripted by Rod Serling and Michael Wilson (a former blacklistee who previously adapted another Pierre Boule novel, Bridge on the River Kwai), Planet of the Apes has gone on to be an all-time sci-fi (and/or camp) classic. It won a special Academy Award for John Chambers's convincing (and, from all accounts, excruciatingly uncomfortable) simian makeup. It spawned four successful sequels, as well as two TV series, one live-action and one animated.

Posters

Theatrical Release: February 8th, 1968

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DVD Comparison:

20th Century Fox - Region 1 - NTSC vs. 20th Century Fox (35th Anniversary Edition) - Region 1 - NTSC

Big thanks to Bill McAlpine for all the Screen Caps!

(20th Century Fox - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT vs. 20th Century Fox (35th Anniversary Edition) - Region 1 - NTSC - RIGHT)

DVD Box Covers

Distribution

20th Century Fox

Region 1 - NTSC

 20th Century Fox
Region 1 - NTSC
Runtime 1.51.52 1.51.52
Video

2.35:1 Original Aspect Ratio
Average Bitrate: 7.10 mb/s
NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s

2.35:1 Original Aspect Ratio

16X9 enhanced
Average Bitrate: 8.56 mb/s
NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate:

20th Century Fox

 

Bitrate:

 

20th Century Fox (35th Anniversary Edition)

 

Audio English 5.1, English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)

English 5.1 Dolby, English 5.1 DTS, Spanish Dolby Surround, French Dolby Surround
Subtitles English, Spanish, None English, Spanish, French
Features Release Information:
Studio: 20th Century Fox

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen letterboxed - 2.35:1

Edition Details:
• Photo Gallery
• Planet of the Apes Web Link
• Theatrical Trailers

DVD Release Date: May 1st, 2001
Keep Case

Chapters 24
 

 Release Information:
Studio: 20th Century Fox

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen letterboxed - 2.35:1

Edition Details:
• 2-Disc Special Edition
• Audio Commentarys by composer Jerry Goldsmith, actors Roddy McDowall, Natalie Trundy, Kim Hunter, make-up artist John Chambers
• Text Commentary by author Eric Greene
• Behind the Planet of the Apes documentary (2 hours)
• Rare dailies & outtakes
• Roddy McDowall on-set movie footage
• Original make-up tests with Edward G.Robinson
• Making-of featurette
• Still photo galleries (reviews, posters, costume sketches)
• Theatrical Trailers
• DVD-ROM content
 

DVD Release Date: Feb 3, 2004
Digi-Pack

Chapters 28

Comments Released just before Fox Studios decided to release all their widescreen DVDs with anamorphic enhancement, the original non-anamorphic DVD release was an excellent DVD transfer regardless.
Compared to the newly released anamorphic 35th Anniversary Edition, the old transfer still holds up extremely well. Although the differences are very slight, the older transfer exhibits slightly stronger colors and better contrast with deeper blacks, but to many viewers that will be more than compensated by the new edition's 16x9 enhancement.
Missing from the 35th Anniversary release is the original audio mix, instead replaced with a new 5.1 Dolby & DTS mix.
The new Anniversary edition arrives with plentiful extras that should please any Planet of the Apes fans.
The 35th Anniversary 2-Disc Edition is an excellent buy, but some of you might want to hold onto the original DVD as well, especially considering it has the original 2.0 audio.

 - Bill McAlpine

 




DVD Menus

(20th Century Fox - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT vs. 20th Century Fox (35th Anniversary Edition) - Region 1 - NTSC - RIGHT)
 

 

 

Screen Captures

(20th Century Fox - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. 20th Century Fox (35th Anniversary Edition) - Region 1 - NTSC - BOTTOM)


 

 

(20th Century Fox - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. 20th Century Fox (35th Anniversary Edition) - Region 1 - NTSC - BOTTOM)

 

 

(20th Century Fox - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. 20th Century Fox (35th Anniversary Edition) - Region 1 - NTSC - BOTTOM)

 

 

(20th Century Fox - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. 20th Century Fox (35th Anniversary Edition) - Region 1 - NTSC - BOTTOM)

 

 

 

(20th Century Fox - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. 20th Century Fox (35th Anniversary Edition) - Region 1 - NTSC - BOTTOM)

 

(20th Century Fox - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. 20th Century Fox (35th Anniversary Edition) - Region 1 - NTSC - BOTTOM)

 

 

(20th Century Fox - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. 20th Century Fox (35th Anniversary Edition) - Region 1 - NTSC - BOTTOM)

 

 

 

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Image:

35th Anniversary Edition

Sound:

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Extras: 35th Anniversary Edition
Menu:

35th Anniversary Edition
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Distribution

20th Century Fox

Region 1 - NTSC

 20th Century Fox
Region 1 - NTSC

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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