On the Huffington Post, Zaki Hasan interviews Amanda Silver and Rick Jaffa, the married couple who wrote the screenplay for Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Click here to read

 

Based on the hot boxoffice response to Rise of the Planet of the Apes, the film's producers have let it be known that they would like to oversee at least one sequel, if not more. Click here for info

 

With Rise of the Planet of the Apes about to be released, The New York Times looks at the history of the series and evaluates the individual films, finding relevance to today's social issues. Click here to read

 

Joe Dante's Trailers From Hell presents the original theatrical trailer for the 1970 film Beneath the Planet of the Apes with commentary by John Landis. Click here to view

By Lee Pfeiffer

Fox has released the first trailer for Rise of the Planet of the Apes, the studio's latest attempt to revive the legendary film franchise. Although Tim Burton's remake of the original 1967 classic made a lot of loot at the box-office, the film was universally panned by Apes fans. The new film is not a remake. It presents an entirely new storyline that details how the abused simians ultimately triumphed over mankind, a plot device that formed the basis of Conquest of the Planet of the Apes. Count me among the skeptics who thought this was just going to be another special-effects-laden, CGI-packed waste of time. However, the trailer presents a film that looks highly intelligent and very intriguing. If the feature itself has those qualities, this could mark an exciting new chapter for the franchise. Click here to view the trailer.

We really seem to have hit nerve with readers with our new column focusing on The Worst Video Sleeves of All Time. We received any number of gripes about what is perhaps the dumbest video sleeve ever: a DVD for Planet of the Apes that prominently features the Statue of Liberty on the frickin' cover! Unless you've been living in a cave for the last forty-some years, you'll know that the Statue of Liberty provides the big payoff, shock ending. It's enough to make you shout, "Keep your filthy paws off our video sleeves, you damned, dirty designers!" Whoever designed this gem is probably working on a new release of Citizen Kane and the main cover art will be of a sled bearing the name Rosebud being tossed into a furnace. - Lee Pfeiffer

By Spencer Lloyd Peet

After the publication of his first book Timeline of the Planet of the Apes, author Rich Handley triumphantly follows up on its success with From Aldo To Zira:  Lexicon of the Planet of the Apes – a 400-page encyclopaedia listing every character, creature, device, location, weapon and much, much more from the Apes universe which consist of the initial five films, the Tim Burton remake, the Live-Action and animation series, a variety of comic books,  and a whole host of other adaptations and spin-offs.  With a staggering 3,200 entries, no stone or scroll is left unturned.  Even diehard fans will be amazed by some of them; Baboonjas, the psychic ninja cult from Ape City (a 4-issue comic miniseries published by Malibu Comics in 1990), and Deadeye, a rare scared-face, cigar-chomping gorilla bounty hunter resin “garage kit” are two examples.

Fortunately, Handley has managed to reference Conspiracy of the Planet of the Apes, the first of a soon-to-be-released series of Apes novels from BLAM! Ventures, which he edited for author Andrew E.C. Gaska.  What’s more Lexicon, published by Hasslein Books, contains names and designations from rejected scripts and storylines such as those written by Twilight Zone creator and co-author of the original Planet of the Apes screenplay, Rod Serling, and comic book writer Ty Templeton.  Each entry includes a description, an abbreviation, a symbol and suffix which can be easily identified by using a chart situated at the beginning of the book.  All the categories have been compiled and indexed alphabetically at the back of the book for easy use.

This comprehensive reference guide is illustrated throughout with black and white photographs and stunning full-page chapter illustrations drawn by gifted artist, Patricio Carbaja (check out the excellent cover showing Dr. Zauis); credit to Paul Giachetti too for the outstanding overall design and layout.  It also has a foreword by film and television historian John Kenneth Muir, the award-winning author of more than twenty books.

With the Apes prequel, Caesar: Rise of the Apes due to hit cinema screens in November this year, the timing of the publication of Lexicon is very apt, although, for obvious reasons, no entries from the film are included.  Looks like nothing can keep those “damned dirty apes” down.

Burnt out from the extensive work he did compiling Timeline of the Planet of the Apes, Handley has dusted off the ash to produce an equally essential piece of Apes literature.  It sure is a mighty piece of work that every Ape fan should have, and makes an excellent companion to the aforementioned book.  If the only character name you know from the Apes mythos is Galen, then you too need this book.  Handley’s extensive research and tenacious work has paid off big time and makes for compulsive reading.  But be warned: once you pick it up, you won’t be able to put it down!

CLICK HERE TO ORDER FROM AMAZON

VISIT THE HASSELEIN BOOK SITE BY CLICKING HERE

Visit Spencer Lloyd Peet's blog at www.slpeet.com

 

 

Long-suffering Planet of the Apes fans who have been going bananas waiting for the Fox reboot of the series, will have to endure more anxiety. The studio has pushed the next entry in the series, Rise of the Apes, back to a November 23 premiere. The film had initially been set to open in June. No explanation was given, but industry insiders say the delay will give the production team more time to fine-tune special effects. It's also thought that the November time frame will be more advantageous for marketing conditions.

 

You asked for it, you got it! Following our successful Movie Magic Tour of British film locations in 2010, Cinema Retro and T.W.I.N.E. Tours will be announcing specifics pertaining to the September 2011 tour. This time, we'll be heading out West to visit film locations from classic movies. We'll be meeting up in Las Vegas then movin' on by deluxe motorcoach to such legendary sites as:

• Monument Valley, Utah- site of such films as Stagecoach, 2001: A Space Odyssey, How the West Was Won, Easy Rider, Once Upon a Time in the West, Forrest Gump, The Searchers, The Eiger Sanction and many more.
• Kanab, Utah- visit the sets from Clint Eastwood's The Outlaw Josey Wales and see where such films as Sergeants 3, Planet of the Apes, The Greatest Story Ever Told, Bandolero! and many others were filmed.
• Ride the legendary old-fashioned steam engine line from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
• Visit the quaint Colorado town where key sequences from the original John Wayne classic True Grit were filmed
• Join fellow classic and retro movie lovers from around the world on the film location tour event of the year - all personally guided by Cinema Retro publishers Lee Pfeiffer and Dave Worrall

Please note: this event has come about due to suggestions from attendees from our previous tours, many of whom have indicated they intend to join us. As in the past, priority will be given to previous attendees. Thus, there will be a limited number of seats available to the general public. They will be made available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Attendance is strictly limited to one motorcoach of travelers.

Details and dates coming soon-- meanwhile, make sure you sign up for the Cinema Retro E mail newsletter (see column on right for sign up link). You'll receive the latest updates as soon as they are released.

 

 

 

In answer to the old cliche that virtually every movie is inferior to the source novel it is based on, The Huffington Post is conducting a poll of readers to find out what movies are actually better than the books they are derived from. Click here for the full list and see if you agree

By Hank Reineke 

One need not enter the fanciful but occasionally dangerous TIME MACHINE of H.G. Wells to travel to the past. A far more agreeable option, especially for horror movie fans weaned on the 1960s and 1970s films of such genre legends as Vincent Price, Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, is a road trip to George Reis’s DRIVE-IN SUPER MONSTER-RAMA. This year’s MONSTER-RAMA was held, as always, at the Riverside Drive-In Theatre in Vandergrift, PA, forty miles east of Pittsburgh, on the Friday and Saturday following Labor Day weekend. This year’s event was the fourth annual meeting of monster-movie fans and drive-in theatre devotees and, by most accounts, was the best MONSTER-RAMA yet. Things got started around 8 PM each night, and went well beyond the witching hour, usually ending somewhere between 4 and 4:30 AM. Each evening four full length feature films were screened in their original 35mm and the stacked program also offered a seemingly endless parade of devilishly entertaining vintage trailers, as well as timeless drive-in concession ads that promoted everything from snack bar treats (including “Chilly Dilly” pickles) to PIC anti-mosquito coils to a “Drizzle-Guard” canopy that would enable one to enjoy drive-in films in the rain. Unfortunately, we could have used the latter item during Saturday night’s program, but the MONSTER-RAMA, without question, attracted the steeliest of the hardcore fans. Only a relative few allowed the steady drizzle to dampen their enthusiasm of the event. If anything, the MONSTER-RAMA offers too much of a good thing, turning a pleasant night of movie-going into a test of endurance as one must fight off the cold night air and cyclical bouts of physical and mental fatigue as the clock hand spins well beyond 3 AM. Personally, I had succumbed to a number of nostalgic pangs – and a few late-night stifled yawns - throughout the weekend. As the family and I watched Friday night’s fourth and closing film THE INCREDIBLE MELTING MAN through struggling, sleepy eyes, I was suddenly twelve years old again, remembering (with odd fondness) all the times I had forced myself to stay awake beyond 3 AM so I could catch such tantalizingly titled old monster movies as SLAUGHTER OF THE VAMPIRES (1962) or DR. BLOOD’S COFFIN (1961) on late night television. The DRIVE-IN SUPER MONSTER-RAMA offers, and delivers, that sort of retro-experience. In spades.

 

 

RETRO-ACTIVE: THE BEST FROM CINEMA RETRO'S ARCHIVES

Cinema Retro subscriber Rory Monteith kindly sent us this vintage photo from the New York engagement of 2001 - along with an original newspaper advertisement. Rory fills us in on the details:

That's the Capitol Theatre, which was a huge movie palace on Broadway & 51st Street, built in 1919. In the 30s and 40s it was the flagship movie palace for MGM. Gone With the Wind and The Wizard of Oz opened
there among many others (you already have a photo on your site of when The Dirty Dozen was there). I think it originally sat some five thousand people. In 1959 it was converted to a Cinerma showplace
(known as "Loew's Capitol") with a screen that was 90' wide and over 30' high, but unfortunately that necessitated the reduction in the number of seats to a little over 1500 so everyone would have a good
view of the screen. Planet of the Apes had its world premiere there on February 8, 1968 and 2001 followed on April 3. (The theatre was demolished in September 1968. A real crime.)

 

 

Here's a link to a short piece showing Kubrick at the premiere:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=bdKHuyhhyuM

Here's an interesting article on Kubrick on the night of the premiere:

http://arts.guardian.co.uk/filmandmusic/story/0,,2203079,00.html

 

By Graham Hill

Last Sunday night I had the pleasure of attending The Big Picture- A Celebration of 75 Years of 20^th Century Fox at the famed Hollywood Bowl. Turner Classic Movies host Robert Osborne did the honors, introducing us to various clips from Fox’s great library. The LA Philharmonic conductor David Newman, son of the legendary music composer Alfred Newman and a noted composer himself, re-lived the magic of the great Fox film scores, delighting the 15,000 or so fans that attended the two-hour event. There were plenty of screens constructed to allow the audience to enjoy the film segments, though each clip was badly cued with a blank screen and an anxious orchestra was forced to poise for an anxious 30 seconds in between scenes. I thought the opening well-edited montage of some 175 movie clips was by far the best part of the evening.

I can well imagine the pride David Newman must have felt when conducting from the same music sheets his father had once utilized. The scores ranged from was from such classics as Zorro, How Green Was My Valley, Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing to the world famous Fox fanfare itself. There were also scores of David Raksin for Laura, Jerry Goldsmith’s Planet Of The Apes and James Horner’s themes for Avatar. It was quite a treat to see a live orchestra play such memorable music. Surprisingly, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s extensive Fox legacy was mentioned only briefly in the concluding Sound Of Music salute. Fifteen minutes was devoted solely to the climax of Avatar, making for a not particularly well-proportioned sampling of the Fox studio sound. In the aggregate, my main complaint was that the evening should have been longer to accommodate so many great Fox scores that were left unrepresented.

There were a number of ironies about the evening. No one from Fox officially attended (or at least was publicly introduced). Likewise, no former Fox celebrities or veteran employees were present to lend a hand in toasting a studio that gave Hollywood its very voice through the invention of sound-on film, otherwise known as Movietone. It would have made the evening far more special if it had been arranged for someone from Fox to address the audience. One of the other ironies is that the evening was indirectly sponsored through Warner Brothers, which owns Turner Classic Movies, rather strange since Warner’s own sound system Vitaphone was replaced by that of Fox. The Warners-Fox relationship had another historic precedent when the two studios collaborated on producing Irwin Allen’s 1974 blockbuster The Towering Inferno, which marked the first production to be co-produced by rival studios. On behalf of all retro movie lovers, I’ll offer a “Here’s looking at you” salute to TCM for making the effort to commemorate the 75^th anniversary of this great studio.

 

Okay, all of you tightwads who haven't purchased Fox's amazing 2009 Blu-ray set containing all of the Planet of the Apes films, here's a reason to part with those Confederate dollars you're still toting around in your wallet. Amazon is running a sale on the set, which contains many hours of rare extras, not to mention Cinema Retro's hardback commemorative book that details the history of the series. You can purchase the set for only $52- savings of $77! If that doesn't make you go bananas for the Apes, nothing will. Click here to order

 

John Lithgow has signed for a key role in Fox's new Planet of the Apes flick titled Rise of the Apes. Lithgow will play actor James Franco's father, a character whose treatment for Alzheimer's disease inadvertently leads to the all-out war between apes and humans. For more click here

 

Work is proceeding on Fox's Planet of the Apes prequel, titled Rise of the Apes. James Franco is in negotiations to star. Empire magazine reports, "Rupert Wyatt is directing Amanda Silver and Rick Jaffa’s current draft of the script, which follows human scientists performing genetic experiments on apes in modern-day San Francisco. Naturally, things go badly wrong and aggressive, intelligent simians are the result, which sparks a conflict between the two species. One that will eventually drive Charlton Heston to exclaim, “You Maniacs! You blew it up! Ah, damn you! God damn you all to hell!” Contrary to early reports, this isn't a remake of Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, but a whole new story that leads up to the simian take-over of earth. For more click here

 

Fox has confirmed rumors that the studio plans to relaunch the legendary Planet of the Apes series with an all-new origins story set in contemporary San Francisco. Temporary title is Rise of the Apes but other details are scarce, indicating the project is still in its early stages. For more click here

Fox is moving forward with production on Caesar, a reworking of Conquest of the Planet of the Apes that tells how the simians took over human society. Filming is scheduled to begin in Canada in July. For more click here

 

I'm writing to you today because it's January 31st and that was the birthday of the late James Franciscus, who would be 76 today.  Probably best recalled now for only BENEATH THE PLANET OF THE APES (1970), Franciscus was part of a crop of handsome TV actors (he was the original star of THE NAKED CITY TV series) in the late fifties who longed for movie star status (and likely watched with burning resentment in the sixties as Steve McQueen shot past them all).  Franciscus tried for that brass ring several times (anyone remember YOUNGBLOOD HAWKE from 1964?) only to return again and again to series television to support his family.  Jane Fonda's "first" (according to her recent autobiography), Franciscus had a reasonably successful acting career by most standards, but was reportedly bitter that he never gained real leading man status in films and died young and rather tragically in 1991 from emphysema caused by a suicidally dumb four-pack-a-day smoking habit.  The attached image from his best remembered film is not meant as a tasteless joke, but a poetic comment on the sad fate of this once promising "Hollywood" actor. - Rory Monteith

Retro responds: Thanks for your tribute to an often overlooked actor. Franciscus - like so many other actors- lived in the shadows of contemporaries who went on to greater things. Still, the fact that his name is still well known among movie and TV fans is an indication that he did gain respect in the industry. I always thought he must have felt awkward in Beneath the Planet of the Apes. Fox did all they could to get Charlton Heston to star again, but all they could muster was a brief cameo that he reluctantly performed. Thus, Franciscus was groomed to be a virtual clone of Heston and while the resemblance was remarkable, he must have felt somewhat belittled by this process- especially in the scenes in which he had to perform with Heston. Still, he was a good, sold leading man and his talents are missed.- Lee Pfeiffer

******

There are some of us who remembered James Franciscus from his stint as TV's "Mr. Novak", when we heard he would be in the sequel to "Planet of the Apes"! I can remember feeling embarrassed for Mr. Franciscus, as it was so obvious to we, the audience, that he was supposed to be a "clone" of Heston. However, we enjoyed his performance anyhow. (Heston and Franciscus are so great when they finally meet on screen, it was like watching two long lost brothers! ) Franciscus was better served in that under appreciated Harryhausen epic, "Valley of Gwangi". But we fans really rooted for him as the blind investigator cum martial artist, Longstreet. Sort of a precursor (in the U.S. anyway) of Zatoichi minus the sword! It is good to see he is well appreciated by his fans!--A. Rivera, New York, NY

By Lee Pfeiffer

We know you are probably among the legions of movie-goers who hate Tim Burton's misguided "re-imagining" of the classic 1968 sci-fi film Planet of the Apes. Yet, it still made a boat load of money and where Hollywood smells profits, you can't count out studios revisiting a bad idea. Now rumor has it that a remake may be in the works of Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, the fourth entry in the original series and perhaps the most controversial. The film depicted how the oppressed ape population turned on their masters and took control of earth. Here's an idea: instead of attempting another Ape remake, why not just reissue the original? For more click here

Love your website, although I have one question regarding your banner. Who is  the guy pointing the gun (the guy between Raquel Welch and Christopher Lee)? I used to think it was Dr. Cornelius from Planet of the Apes... Is it McQueen?  If it is McQueen it's a very unflattering picture... It's driving me crazy.

Writer Nick Carr of the Huffington Post site lists his choices for the best horror films set in New York City. We only take issue with the inclusion of Wait Until Dark, which is more a thriller than a horror film. On the other hand, Carr is canny enough to include the original Planet of the Apes, although, again, this is a sci-fi film rather than a horror movie. Check out the list and see if you concur with Carr's opinion. 

This week Varese Saraband is releasing a limited edition CD of Jerry Goldsmith's score for Escape From the Planet of the Apes. For order info and sample tracks click here

RETRO-ACTIVE: THE BEST FROM CINEMA RETRO'S ARCHIVES

Entertainment Weekly has a slide show of ten hot actors/actresses from caveman movies. Some are appropriate, but others are pretty lame: anyone who can get turned on by images of Wilma Flintstone and Betty Rubble has a problem, even if it involves them in a sapphic situation! There's also John Lone in Iceman and his makeup gives him all the sex appeal of Magilla the Gorilla. Saving graces are Barbara Bach in Caveman, Raquel Welch in One Million Years B.C and Charlton Heston in Planet of the Apes even though they admit they had to cheat to include him on the basis that the film pertained to the prehistoric ape era! To view click here

Fox's boxed set release of the Planet of the Apes series received the coveted DVD Critics Award in the category of Best Blu-ray release of 2008. The awards are sponsored by Home Media Magazine, one of the leading journals of the home entertainment industry. The boxed set is truly the ultimate tribute to the legendary series and boasts many hours of extras, including rare deleted footage. Cinema Retro publishers Lee Pfeiffer and Dave Worrall wrote the accompanying hard-cover book that is included in the set. It covers the history of each film with candid assessments of how they were received by both critics and the public. The book also features a wealth of never-before-published design sketches, publicity stills and behind the scenes photos. Cinema Retro congratulates our friends at Fox. We are  proud to be part of the team that helped make this long-awaited release a reality.

Click here for Home Media Magazine's original review of the set

CLICK HERE TO ORDER FROM AMAZON AND SAVE $47!

Continue reading for the Home Media list of other winning titles

Producer and film executive Mort Abrahams has died at age 93. Abrahams' impressive resume includes producing the hit TV series Route 66 as well as numerous episodes of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. His big screen credits include Planet of the Apes, Battle for the Planet of the Apes, The Chairman, Doctor Doolittle and The American Film Theatre feature films. 

Cinema Retro reader Rory Monteith has provided the following exclusive statement which he obtained from Mr. Abrahams' daughter-in-law:

"Mort Abrahams, the retired TV and movie producer, who produced the
original "Planet of the Apes," (and, I think, two of the others) passed
away in his Studio City home on May 28, 2009. I know this because I am
his daughter-in-law, and his widow just telephoned me. He died early
this morning, with his daughter and his wife at his bedside. He had
been ill for some time, and his death was not unexpected.

As well--and more importantly, from my point of view--as being an
accomplished producer and later a mentor to younger talent when he was
at the American Film Institute, Mort was a warm, gentle, loving man. He
was patient and giving with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
He would play countless card games with them, sometimes putting on
funny accents. He had an endless supply of amazing anecdotes about life
in the business. His wife, his daughter, and his son (my late husband)
had all heard these stories, but my daughter and I were always
enthralled. Above all, he had a sweetness to him, a vulnerability, that
was to me his defining trait. I shall miss him so much!

Mr. Abrahams' body is to be cremated, and there will be no public
memorial service, as per his wishes. He is survived by his wife and
daughter, son- and daughter-in-law, two grandchildren, and two
great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his son just over a
year ago."

James Whitmore, whose rugged, weather-beaten looks earned him a reputation as one of Hollywood's most distinguished actors, has died from cancer at age 87. Whitmore was a familiar face who generally appeared in supporting roles, but his filmed stage production of the Harry Truman biography Give 'Em Hell, Harry! earned him a Best Actor Oscar for the 1975 release. (Whitmore remains the only actor to receive a nomination for a film in which he was the only cast member). Whitmore was as diversified as he was talented, as evidenced by a sample of the films in which he appeared: Battleground, The Asphalt Jungle, Tora! Tora! Tora!, The Red Badge of Courage, Kiss Me, Kate, Oklahoma!, Planet of the Apes, Guns of the Magnificent Seven, and The Shawshank Redemption. He occasionally landed the starring roles in films such as The Next Voice You Hear (in which God addresses the people of earth via their radios!), Them (in which the same luckless earthlings are menaced by giant ants) and, his favorite film, Black Like Me. The latter was based on the real life exploits of a writer who dyed his skin black to study prejudice in the segregated American South. Whitmore was also an accomplished stage actor who won acclaim for his portrayal of Will Rogers. A Tony Award winner, Whitmore also appeared in countless classic TV series, earning an Emmy nomination for his 1999 guest starring role in The Practice. Whitmore was active politically and in support of social causes including efforts to support the separation of church and state. He was also an early supporter of Barack Obama's presidential run and actively campaigned for him until stricken by illness several months ago. - Lee Pfeiffer

Ricardo Montalban, the smooth-talking, handsome Mexican heart throb who starred in numerous feature films and TV series, has died at home at age 88. Montalban had appeared in numerous Mexican films before immigrating to Hollywood in the 1940s where he was put under contract with MGM. He appeared in lightweight comedies and musicals, including some box-office hits with Esther Williams before demonstrating his talents in dramatic films like Border Incident (1949) an early film noir thriller that tackled the topic of illegal immigration into the USA. By the 1960s, Montalban was appearing in many top films including The Singing Nun, Cheyenne Autumn and Sweet Charity. In the 1970s, he appeared as Armando, the kindly circus owner in Escape From the Planet of the Apes and Conquest of the Planet of the Apes.  In 1973, he starred with John Wayne in The Train Robbers before finding his greatest success in the late 1970s as the star of ABC TVs hit series Fantasy Island. Critics rolled their eyes at the premise of well-known stars appearing as love-struck losers who find their fantasies fulfilled on a tropical island run by a benevolent but mysterious man named Roarke, played by Montalban. However, the show was a major success and ran for years. Few critics pointed out that the character of Roarke was obviously inspired by the character played by Christopher Lee in the James Bond film The Man With the Golden Gun, though Lee's Scaramanga was clearly a villain. Both characters were always clad in white, and both had a charismatic sidekick played by actor Herve Villechaize. Montalban found a new generation of fans with his appearance in the 1982 film Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan, reprising a character he appeared as in one episode of the TV series in the 1960s. The film is still regarded as the best of the series and Montalban's performance as the villain rates high with Trek fans. In 1988, he co-starred as another villain in the hit film The Naked Gun. In recent years, he continued to act sporadically and appeared in the Spy Kids movie series. For more click here

Planet of the Apes fans will want to check out several new videos available on the www.PotaMediaArchive.com site. They include ‘Roddy McDowall’s Home Movies’ taken behind the scenes during the filming of PLANET; the ‘Original Screen Test’ from 1965 with Edward G. Robinson as Dr. Zaius and the Beneath preview film for the National Associations of Theater Owners. The ‘Beneath NATO film’ features extended versions of several scenes such as General Ursus’ speech and the Turkish bath scene. To view all the videos click here: http://www.potamediaarchive.com/Videos.htm

By Spencer Lloyd Peet

It’s always a little disturbing to hear people getting excited by acts of violence, but with the announcement of the extended version of the fourth, and darkest, instalment of the hugely popular Planet of the Apes saga Conquest of the Planet of the Apes being included on the 40^th Anniversary Blue-ray box set, surely Ape fans, who have waited 36 years to see it in its entirety, can be forgiven for feeling elated over deleted scenes of brutality.  Just to elaborate briefly on the previous write-up posted on Friday, September 5, 2008 the graphic scenes that were chopped were deemed too violent by executives at 20^th Century Fox Studio and felt it would alienate their already well-established family audience – ultimately leading to a loss of money, no doubt.  A case in point was when an early screening in Phoenix lead to a flood of complaints opposing to the cruelty to animals by the human race.  But the African-Americans who were among the privileged few who saw a preview in Los Angeles loved it as they could relate to the injustice of ape slavery and the oppressive behaviour of the white man. 

After hearing the difference of opinions regarding the antagonistic content of the film between the two audiences director J. Lee Thompson soon found himself caught between a rock and a hard place; on the one hand he had to appease the younger audience, and on the other hand he wanted to make a social and political statement that reflected the riots between the black and the white populace that was making headlines across America.  Consequently, in order to obtain a PG rating the studio requested several scenes to be chopped and the climax watered down showing the apes’ leader Caesar, played by the brilliant Roddy McDowall, as a more compassionate character than what was initially proposed.  Over the years, everyone has come to accept that this is the only version that was ever distributed worldwide in 1972.

But according to producer Arthur P. Jacobs in a newspaper interview from June 1972, there were in fact three versions of Conquest being shown around the globe.  The first was the aforementioned standard 88-minute US edit, which is the one that has been available on home video and DVD and screened repeatedly on TV.  The second was specifically meant for UK cinema audiences and suffered further splicing (apparently at least an extra seven scenes) thanks to the censors - an action Jacobs deemed “ridiculous for a fantasy picture.”  The third and most violent of the three was shown in Japan.  “They can’t get enough violence and blood in their pictures,” commented Jacobs “and demand more of ours.”  It seems likely then that the newly restored version is the same as the one that was shown in Japan in ’72; making the Japanese moviegoers the only ones fortunate enough to have seen it on general release the way Thompson intended it to be seen – in all its vicious glory.  Publicity for the film in Japan included several people wearing ape masks parading human victims around the streets by metal leashes whilst some carried rifles. 

Interestingly, due to Ape-mania spreading to the Far East, a half-hour television series was produced in Japan in 1974 by Tsuburaya Productions called Saru no gundan (Army of the Apes) and lasted 26 episodes (not to be confused with the American series which aired the same year).  It was then re-edited and dubbed into English as a film ten years later by “legendary” American producer Sandy Frank and distributed internationally as Time of the Apes.  The result is best described as an appalling mess and should not serve as a representative of the original Japanese series nor the original five Apes films released by Fox between 1968 and 1973. 

But for many fans the uncut version of Conquest is the Holy Grail.  At last it can now be seen complete with the missing 9-minutes, and discussions will inevitably arise as to whether the hierarchy at Fox were right to give the order to tone down the bloody scenes involving the apes’ revolt.  Hail Caesar!  Let the debate begin!

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE PLANET OF THE APES BLU-RAY DVD COLLECTION PACKED WITH EXTRAS AND A COMMEMORATIVE HARDBACK BOOK BY THE PUBLISHERS OF CINEMA RETRO

 

Cinema Retro has just received an official press release from Fox detailing the contents of the 40th anniversary Planet of the Apes Blu-ray DVD collection which will be released on November 4. This initial press release confines itself to the content of the discs themselves and doesn't address the packaging or other bonus items included in the set. It's safe to say Fox has done an outstanding job of amassing vintage rarities and commissioning much-needed new retrospectives on the series. The highlight is the release of an un-rated version of Conquest of the Planet of the Apes that includes never-before-seen footage. Here are highlights from the Fox official press release:

Humans are even uglier in High-Def when Planet Of The Apes: 40 Year Evolution Blu-ray Collection takes over the Earth November 4^th in North America and throughout the Fall Internationally from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. This spectacular set includes all five hair - raising Planet Of The Apes films on Blu-ray for the first time, including Beneath The Planet Of The Apes, Escape From The Planet Of The Apes, Conquest Of The Planet Of The Apes, Battle For The Planet Of The Apes, and the 1968 original Planet Of The Apes, which stunned audiences with its now-iconic conclusion and shockingly dystopian view of humanity’s fate. From an age of film when science fiction served as allegory in addition to providing thrilling spectacle and edge-of-your-seat adventure, the Planet Of The Apes franchise set the gold standard for Sci-Fi films. Now the films that changed the face of science fiction forever will be available in the ultimate home viewing format. This year’s Comic Con International 2008 provided fans a first look at some of the exciting extras to be featured on the Blu-ray discs.

Planet Of The Apes: 40 Year Evolution Blu-ray Collection is packed with exclusive new High-Def content. As a special treat for Apes fans, the collection includes an unrated version of Conquest of the Planet of the Apes. Previously unreleased in the United States, this version includes eight minutes of unrated footage. Other new special content includes an “Evolution of the Apes” documentary chronicling the evolution of the Apes universe from novel to the big screen, an “Impact of the Apes” featurette exploring the cultural impact of the franchise and a never-before-seen public service announcement from ANSA about the seminal flight of the “Project Liberty” crew. Each Planet Of The Apes sequel included in the beautifully packaged collection will contain brand new High-Def making-of featurettes and will be available for the suggested retail price of $159.98 U.S.

In addition, the previously released Limited Edition Planet Of The Apes Ultimate Collection will be available in the uniquely packaged ape head just in time for the holidays at a more attractive price.

Planet Of The Apes: 40 Year Evolution Blu-ray Collection Blu-ray Disc Special Features:

Each Planet Of The Apes Blu-ray Disc will be authored in Java on a double-layer disc presented in widescreen (2.35:1 aspect ratio) with newly mastered English 5.1 DTS Master Audio, English, Spanish and French Mono and includes English and Spanish subtitles. All new special features will be presented in High-Def. Bonus features include:

ƒ NEW Science of the Apes BONUSVIEW - Scientists, anthropologists and sociologists discuss the facts and fiction of the first film

ƒ NEW “Beyond the Forbidden Zone” Adventure Game

ƒ NEW “A Public Service Announcement From ANSA” in HD – A mission report from the agency regarding their brave astronauts

ƒ NEW “Evolution of the Apes”- HD featurette tracing the apes story from the original novel to the screen

ƒ NEW “Impact of the Apes” - HD featurette on how to market a worldwide pop culture phenomenon. The story behind the marketing and merchandising of one of the first ever film franchises and the series’ lasting influence on pop culture through the years

ƒNEW HD Making-of Featurette for Each Sequel:

ƒ Beneath the Planet of the Apes – “From Alpha to Omega: Building a Sequel”

ƒ Escape from the Planet of the Apes – “ The Secret Behind Escape”

ƒ Conquest of the Planet of the Apes – “ Riots and Revolutions: Confronting the Times”

ƒ Battle for the Planet of the Apes – “ End of an Epic: The Final Battle”

ƒ NEW Each Apes sequel will have an isolated score track in 5.1 DTS Master Audio

ƒ Commentary by Composer Jerry Goldsmith

ƒ Commentary by Actors Roddy McDowall, Natalie Trundy, Kim Hunter and Makeup Artist John Chambers

ƒ Text Commentary by Eric Greene and Author of “Planet of the Apes as American Myth”

ƒ Behind the Planet of the Apes Documentary – Includes all new interactivity and timeline

ƒ Behind the Planet of the Apes Promo (1988)

ƒ Planet of the Apes Makeup Test with Edward G. Robinson (1966)

ƒ Roddy McDowall On-set Footage

ƒ Planet of the Apes Dailies and Outtakes (No Audio)

ƒ Planet of the Apes NATO Presentation (1967)

ƒ Planet of the Apes Vintage Featurette (1968)

ƒ A Look Behind the Planet of the Apes (1972)

ƒ Don Taylor Directs Escape from the Planet of the Apes

ƒ J. Lee Thompson Directs Conquest of the Planet of the Apes

ƒ Original Theatrical Trailers

ƒ Original Sketches by Costume Designer Morton Haack

ƒ Photo Gallery

ƒ Planet of the Apes Timeline

ƒ Interactive Pressbooks

ƒ Vintage Apes Newspaper Galleries

ƒ Advertising and Lobby Card Galleries

ƒ Behind-the-Scenes Galleries

(Note: this is only the first of several official press releases Fox will issuing about the contents of the set. As noted previously on this site, the set will also include a hardcover book by Cinema Retro publishers Lee Pfeiffer and Dave Worrall detailing the history of the franchise. This set is not yet available for pre-order from Amazon. )

I can easily name the worst movie villains in history: audience members who keep their mobile phones on in the theater. Let's face it: anyone can make a careless mistake and forget to turn their phone off. What makes my blood boil are the people who keep them on even after getting a cautionary warning, such as those given before every Broadway play. In one instance, Billy Crystal wished his audience a good night after a performance of his one-man show a few years ago. He then paused and made an exception for the audience member whose phone went off numerous times during the show, thereby disrupting his performance. Crystal embarrassed the unnamed audience member by referring to them as an expletive, to wild applause from audience members. Perhaps if everyone else treated these morons in the same manner, they will be shamed into amending their behavior - and the same goes for selfish people who decide that the movie theater is a perfect place to bring infants and toddlers, who then cry and throw tantrums while the parents sit shamelessly amidst the chaos, not caring about the dispruption they cause. There was a time this type of behavior was considered a minor irritant, but with ticket prices now costing slightly less than a fantasy vacation (in London, prices per ticket are about $20), you have to deal with these idiots in a more aggressive manner. Don't look for theater management to help out. There's no such thing as an usher and when I complained to management awhile back about a disruptive mother and child in the audience, I was told all they could do was give me my money back. Seems fear of litigation is now the driving philosophy - no matter who the management takes to task, they will inevitably say it is on the basis of some type of prejudice.

As long as I'm auditioning for a Grumpy Old Men remake, let's also let loose on theaters who have cut corners by removing such unnecessary baggage as projectionists. I remember seeing a Gone With the Wind revival only to find a large hair had been stuck on the lens that protruded over the actor's faces. When a group of us marched to the theater manager like the peasants in Frankenstein, we were introduced to "the projectionist": a pimple-faced teenager who also ran the popcorn stand! He told us that was the way the movie was supposed to look because it was "real old"! Just recently, I read comments on a blog from someone who had attended a showing of Planet of the Apes at New York's Ziegeld Theatre, the last remaining single-screen cinema in the city. He reported that the audience had to watch every other reel out of focus because the management didn't know how to work the changeover projector.

The bottom line, to quote Network's Howard Beale, we've got to shout out "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take this anymore!" I'm not alone in my criticisms: film critic Michael Russnow has a similarly-themed article that stops just short of calling for the death penalty for mobile phone abusers. To read click here. - Lee Pfeiffer

The superb web site www.potamediaarchive.com is a treasure trove of resources for Planet of the Apes fans, providing rare poster images and video clips pertaining to the series. These include The Simpsons spoof, an appearance by Roddy McDowall (in full Cornelius makeup) on The Carol Burnett Show  and the original Fox production featurette from 1968. To view the latter click here

Hundreds of fans attended last night's big screen showing of the 1968 sci-fi classic Planet of the Apes at the Loew's Theater in Jersey City, New Jersey, making for a memorable evening. The show was preceded by a wonderful recital on the theater's magnificent organ and there were displays of original Ape movie memorabilia and collectibles. Best of all, Twentieth Century Fox provided a superb archival print for the screening, making for an extraordinary evening of entertainment. Cinema Retro Editor-in-Chief Lee Pfeiffer introduced the film and gave some insights into its production. He also had Fox's permission to reveal a few details about a new DVD project that Cinema Retro is contributing to: a forthcoming 40th anniversary Blu-ray release of the Ape films that will included extensive extras (the details of which are not being revealed at this time). However, they will be of the "everything but the kitchen sink variety". Pfeiffer also informed the audience that he and co-publisher Dave Worrall are writing a hardcover book about the history of the series that will be included in the deluxe box set release. This is the second book Cinema Retro has worked with the studio on, the first being The Great Fox War Movies which covered the making of The Longest Day, Patton and Tora! Tora! Tora! Keep tuning in to the Cinema Retro web site for any official forthcoming press releases.

If you wonder why we at Cinema Retro seem stuck in the past when it comes to movies, just consider the following. In the year 1968, the following films were released: The Lion in Winter, The Producers, 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Odd Couple, Faces, Rosemary's Baby, Romeo and Juliet, Oliver!, Bullitt, Planet of the Apes and Funny Girl, to name but a few. What year in recent memory spawned anything like this memorable selection of films? The Los Angeles Times has a photo gallery tribute to the great movies of 1968. Click here to view

One of Hollywood's most iconic stars, Charlton Heston, has died at age 84. His death was not unexpected. Heston had been suffering from the ravages of advanced Alzheimer's Disease since 2002, when he publicly bade his fans farewell in a heartwrenching address in which he candidly acknowledged the painful road that lay before him. Heston was a star since his feature film debut in Dark City in 1950. Unlike many actors, he didn't have work his way to the top of the food chain. Heston generally enjoyed prominent or top billing on all of his films. With his rugged, chiseled good looks, he evoked a time period in which leading men were generally recognized for their macho characteristics. Despite being a superstar in an industry known for short-term relationships, Heston remained devoted to his wife Lydia, to whom he was married for 64 years. She survives him, as does their two children Fraser and Holly.

Heston was a complex and often controversial man. In the 1950s and 1960s, he was among the vanguard of prominent actors who actively supported the American civil rights movement. Heston, along with Marlon Brando, James Garner and Burt Lancaster, even appeared at the side of Martin Luther King Jr. during his famous visit to Washington, D.C in 1963, where he delivered his legendary "I have a dream" speech. In his later years, his views became far more conservative even as the film industry swung to the political left. He served as President of Screen Actors Guild and chairman of The American Film Institute in its early days. However, it was his late-in-life election as president of The National Rifle Association that placed him squarely in the mainstream media at a time when he had largely retired from acting. Heston felt that increasingly restrictive gun control laws violated the U.S. Constitution. As president of the NRA, his iconic image helped turn around a membership decline that followed in the wakes of high profile mass murders. Heston made compelling arguments for his position that career criminals never get guns through the legal system and that gun control measures only penalize law-abiding citizens. However, critics cited that his argument did not address the many instances in which non-criminals used easily-available guns to wreak havoc after suffering a mental breakdown. Heston's position with the NRA drew the ire of the political left as no right winger had since John Wayne, but it also increased his popularity throughout the ranks of conservatives who treasured the image of him at an NRA convention with a musket held above his head as he shouted the organization's motto, "From my cold, dead hands..."

Heston's early films were a mixed bag. Cecil B. DeMille cast him as one of the leads in his 1952 Oscar winning circus drama The Greatest Show on Earth, but over the next few years, his movies tended to be undistinguished big studio pot-boilers, though there was the occasional gem such as The Naked Jungle which memorably cast him as an arrogant plantation owner trying to ward off an army of killer ants. The biggest break of his career came when DeMille cast him as Moses in his 1956 remake of The Ten Commandments. The film looks laughably bad by contemporary standards, but at the time it was the biggest money maker Hollywood had ever seen and Heston became synonymous with playing historical, larger-than-life figures. In 1959, he had his greatest commercial success, winning the Best Actor Oscar in MGM's remake of Ben-Hur. For years, the film would reign as the highest grossing motion picture of all time and it's eleven Oscar wins would remain unmatched until Titanic in 1997. During the 1960s, Heston's star status was assured but his eclectic mix of films made for uneven box-office. He often took chances other leading men would not, occasionally playing flawed, somewhat unsympathetic characters. He starred in some high profile, troubled productions such as 55 Days at Peking, The Agony and the Ecstasy,The Greatest Story Ever Told (a supporting role as John, the Baptist) and Sam Peckinpah's Major Dundee. Ironically, each of these films is far better regarded today than they were at the time, when they underperformed at the box-office. Another commercial failure was the 1966 epic Khartoum in which Heston arguably gave the greatest performance of his career as the doomed General Gordon. One of Heston's favorite films was director Tom Gries' Will Penny in which he gave a remarkable, low-key performance as an aging cowboy. The somber subject matter did not make it a commercial success, however. Yet, there were huge hits during this period as well, including the 1961 film El Cid and the 1968 sci-fi classic Planet of the Apes which launched a successful series. Ironically, the legendary makeup effects employed on the film largely overshadowed the fact that Heston gave a brilliant performance as a conceited, cynical and not-very-likeable astronaut stranded on the bizarre planet run by civilized simians.

From a commerical standpoint, the 1970s were Heston's strongest years in terms of box-office. He starred in the big screen version of Richard Matheson's novel I Am Legend, retitled The Omega Man. The last-man-on-earth saga proved to be a substantial hit and has a loyal following even today. Another sci-fi thriller, Soylent Green was set in the future and found Heston uncovering a horrendous secret about the dramatically overpopulated world in which he barely eeks out a daily existence. That film, too, proved to a hit at a time when MGM was suffering financially. Heston also proved to be a popular figure in commerical potboilers like Skyjacked, Airport 75 and the critically-reviled but highly successful disaster movie Earthquake. In 1976, he received top billing among an all-star cast in Universal's cheapo WWII "epic" Midway that non-convincingly used real battle footage for the action scenes. Nevertheless, Heston's name above the title and a creative marketing campaign made the film a blockbuster. Heston also played the occasional villain, as in his acclaimed performance as Cardinal Richelieu in The Three Musketeers and The Four Musketeers.

By the 1980s, however, Heston's era as a box-office champion had ended and he concentrated on supporting roles and starring in TV movies. He also starred in the TV soap opera The Colbys as well as the hit mini-series Chiefs. In later years, he had prominent cameos in hits like Tombstone and Tim Burton's critically-panned, but commercially successful remake of Planet of the Apes (this time playing an ape.) He even spoofed his own image as a gun-lover in Warren Beatty's much-delayed flop Town and Country. However, Heston publicly acknowledged that as he became more outspoken about his conservative political views, he would be ostracized from the film industry which is now tilts almost entirely to the left. Still, even his political opponents acknowledged the fact that he had a permanent place as one of the most iconic figures in movie history. As his health declined, Heston gave a final interview to ABC News in which he candidly spoke about the long, torturous road ahead as he battled Alzheimers Disease. He expressed regret and sorrow for the pain the struggle would inevitably bring to his wife and family and in a poignant moment, looked over personal mementos including the staff he used as Moses, saying that in a few years time, he would not even recognize its signficance. Few public figures ever faced their own mortality with more courage or dignity. One of his last public appearances was at The White House in 2003 where a frail Heston received The Medal of Freedom from President Bush. Perhaps his most appropriate epitaph was spoken by his publicist Michael Levine, who said "If Hollywood had a Mt. Rushmore, Heston's face would be on it. He was a heroic figure that I don't think exists to the same degree in Hollywood today." - Lee Pfeiffer

For more on Heston's life click here

CONTINUE READING FOR A CHARLTON HESTON PHOTO TRIBUTE

Cracked magazine's web site has an amusing essay by Michael Swaim that lists movies that benefited from being historically inaccurate. Mel Gibson's flicks rank high on the list with Braveheart, Apolcalpyto and The Patriot, but we like the reasoning behind including Kubrick's 2001 which was released in 1968: if the filmmaker had known what the year 2001 would really be like, he might have been dismayed by the fact that it included Tim Burton's lame Planet of the Apes remake. For more click here

Those perceptive geniuses at wwwfilmbuffonline.com have just given their "Required Reading" label to the latest issue of Cinema Retro. The article goes into detail about our continuing series of features on The Man From U.N.C.L.E. feature films and relates the fact we uncovered that the original title of the second U.N.C.L.E. film, The Spy With My Face was originally One Violent Day in August. (Betcha didn't know that!) To read the review click here

NOTE: We are getting many E mails from readers who are complaining that their local stores are sold out of the latest issue. As we've said before, we can no longer resupply stores that have sold out. Every issue of Cinema Retro is a limited edition collector's item. We never go back to press after an issue has been printed. Stores have been told to adjust their sales forecasts for the magazine because if they sell out of an issue, we can't provide any more copies. The low inventory of issue #10 is on reserve to fill orders for both new subscribers and those who are renewing subscriptions. Therefore, we can't sell individual copies of this issue. If you like the magazine, there is no reason not to subscribe: for subscribers, postage is free in the USA for the current season as well as all back issues. Additionally, you get an exclusive cool CD packed with rare radio spots for films such as Planet of the Apes, The Longest Day, The Towering Inferno, Bonnie and Clyde, the Matt Helm opus Murderer's Row, The Rat Pack western Sergeants 3 and many others.

Leonard Rosenman, who won Oscars for his scores for Barry Lyndon and Bound for Glory, has died at age 83. Among his other feature films: Fantastic Voyage, Rebel Without a Cause, A Man Called Horse and Battle for the Planet of the Apes. For a full biography click here

Johnny Carson used to have a real crowd pleaser when he simply read verbatim from certain movie descriptions in the TV Guide. If you thought that the idiots who wrote these embarrassing descriptions had long been retired, the bad news is that their kids are carrying on the tradition. Our new feature looks at some of the worst-written capsule movie descriptions offered on cable services. In our case, it's Cablevision, one of the biggest cable TV giants in the USA. Memo to the top brass: you might allocate just a smidgen of the tens of millions in yearly profits to invest in people who are at least partially literate.

We premiere the feature with ....drumroll, please!...The description of the 1958 B horror movie, Blood of the Vampire. Here is the write-up you get to induce you to watch the film:

"A couple enter the asylum of a mad vampire doctor and his one-eyed assistant with bangs, Carl."

While we're happy to be notified that this particular vampire doctor is mad, as opposed to serving in a humanitarian capacity, we don't know what is supposed to scare us more about his assistant:

1. that he has one eye 

2. he has bangs

3. he is named Carl

Presumably, taken individually, each of these characteristics are tolerable - but put them all together and watch out!

Coming next: Planet of the Apes!

6

As ardent lovers of anything relating to New York City, we love to look back on how the city was presented in films. The movies shot there in the 1970 evoked a true-to-life era of out of control crime and paranoia - a far cry from today when crime is at the lowest point in the last half-centry. Along with Death Wish and Taxi Driver, another film that resonated with audiences of the day was the gang warfare film The Warriors, released in 1979. Writer Deborah Lipp provides a brief but insightful look back on the movie with some unexpected references to Greek mythology and Beneath the Planet of the Apes! To read click here

Cinema Retro columnist Bill Duelly braved the unknown to cover a unique tribute to director Tim Burton in New York City. The maverick director was there to discuss his films and career.

Cinema Retro readers will no doubt be familiar with our frequent editorial musings regarding the current state of movies and how much better things were back in the 1960’s & 1970’s. All is not lost however, as Tim Burton is one of the very few visionaries making unique movies today- and his creativity was largely inspired by the films that had influence on him during that golden era of filmmaking.

On November 14^th, Tim Burton made a rare public appearance at the Film Society of Lincoln Centers’ tribute, “Tim Burton- the Demon Barber of Cinema”. During the all too brief evening, Burton was interviewed by Richard Pena, Program Director for the Society for 10-15 minute periods which were then broken up by series of clips from Burton’s movies. The evening was capped off by a 15 minute preview of three musical sequences from Sweeny Todd. The evidence is that Burton has done a masterful job of directing another visual feast – this time centering on seedy old London (he referred to this film has being similar in spirit to the old B&W horror films). Johnny Depp’s performance of the angry tortured Sweeny Todd is mesmerizing. Whereas there are the musical sequences, they are not in the vein (pun intended) of your standard musical. They provide an internal glimpse to the character’s tortured state.

A welcome treat were the glimpses provided into how Burton likes to work. He has gotten away from storyboarding and is open to on set improvisation. In fact, he doesn’t like to rehearse the actors before hand, preferring instead to let them come to set and deliver their performances in an unaffected manner. On set, he prefers just that – a set! Wherever possible, he likes full sets to be built for the actors to perform amidst. This was also true of Charlie & the Chocolate Factory which featured many impressive sets reminiscent of films of old. In fact, the chocolate mixing set, where we first see the Oompa Lompas, took up the entire 007 stage at Pinewood.

In hindsight, Burton had some wonderful anecdotes and observations about his catalogue of films:

If you haven't already had an incentive to join the merry ranks of subscribers to Cinema Retro magazine, here's something that should wear down your resistance: a sneak peak at issue #10 which begins our fourth season of publishing. Here's what's in store for issue #10, which will be out in January:

• Add the illustrious names of Elke Sommer and Richard Johnson to the ever-growing list of celebrated actors and filmmakers who are boarding the Cinema Retro Express. Both give exclusive interviews for our cover story on the Bulldog Drummond films Deadlier Than the Male and its sequel Some Girls Do. We've unearthed a treasure trove of very rare photos from both films, including some eye-popping shots of bikini-clad Elke and her partner in crime Sylva Koscina.
• Our exclusive interviews with Man From U.N.C.L.E. David McCallum continue with his reflections on filming Three Bites of the Apple and Sol Madrid (aka The Heroin Gang)
• The conclusion of our interview series with femme fatale Luciana Paluzzi
• Part two of our exclusive interview with special effects legend Ray Harryhausen
• The Unseen Peckinpah provides a look at deleted scenes from Sam Peckinpah's Straw Dogs
• A tribute to director Michael Winner's quirky cult comedy I'll Never Forget What's 'isname
• Whatever happened to Joy Harmon, the sultry vixen seen briefly but memorably in Cool Hand Luke? Find out in an exclusive interview.
• Inside Hammer's 50th anniversary celebration for The Curse of Frankenstein starring Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing.
• Part two of our eight-part series covering The Man From U.N.C.L.E. feature films centers on The Spy With My Face- illustrated by rare photos and international film posters.
• Raymond Benson's Top Ten Films of 1969
• Plus the best DVD, film book and soundtrack reviews anywhere!

Remember, the only way to insure that you get each issue of Cinema Retro is to subscribe. Many stores sell out quickly and cannot be restocked. Already, issues 6, 7 and 8 are selling for premium prices.To order the full next season (issues 10, 11 and 12), the cost is $36/ 19.95 pounds (UK)  with free shipping in the USA and UK - so you don't pay a penny more than you would buying it in the store. First time subscribers also get a cool exclusive CD featuring rare radio spot ads for films of the 1960s and 1970s including Planet of the Apes, The Towering Inferno, Murderer's Row, It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, The Longest Day and many more. (While supplies last) See our subscription section for details.

Unlike many magazines, Cinema Retro guarantees our readers that the the content of each issue never appears on our web site. So sign up today and get Cinema Retro delivered to your door- we guarantee your postman will ring twice to ensure you receive it!

MGM/20th Century Fox has just released a 2-DVD set of director Philip Kaufman’s 1978 version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Cinema Retro Editor-in-Chief Lee Pfeiffer recently caught up with one of the stars of the film, Veronica Cartwright for her reflections on that Hollywood rarity: a remake that in many ways equals or exceeds the quality of the original. Successful as a child actor, by 1978 Veronica Cartwright already had an impressive acting resume, having worked with Audrey Hepburn in The Children’s Hour and been directed by Alfred Hitchcock in The Birds. She has worked consistently in recent years, gaining Emmy nominations for The X Files and appearing in new, major motion pictures and TV series. She will also be appearing in the new version of the Body Snatchers story, The Invasion with Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig. Veronica Cartwright has a wealth of stories about working with giants in the industry as well as the ups-and-downs most actors experience in their careers. She is unpretentious and good-humored and all too happy to recall one of the major films of her career for Cinema Retro.

CR: You started as a child actor and over the years seem to have become associated with some iconic TV shows and movies dealing with sci-fi and the supernatural. Did you intentionally seek out work in this genre?

VC: I have no idea why that is. At one point I had done so many that I thought to myself, “My God, I’m the queen of sci-fi!” I was just accepting the work that came along. Actually, I had done a couple of Alfred Hitchcock Presents shows and I had appeared on One Step Beyond when I was seven or eight years old. I guess that’s how the whole thing started. Then I did the Twlight Zone episode called I Sing the Body Electric that’s one of the classic ones that’s shown every Halloween.

Film Score Monthly, the haven for fans of great movie music, has just released both The Dirty Dozen and The Satan Bug soundtracks on CD.

Here are the descriptions from the official web site:

THE DIRTY DOZEN

De Vol's score to The Dirty Dozen is deceptively simple. He writes an almost comedic war/action score that makes the film's uncompromising depiction of violence and cruelty all the more shocking by giving it a cheery, conventional demeanor. The film as a whole is given a four-note theme that seems to speak the title ("Dir-ty DOZ-en"), while De Vol quotes old chestnuts like "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree," "You're in the Army Now" and band marches for thematic dimension and a sense of period -- as well as an evocation of the characters' rather lowbrow sense of humor. The film's climactic mission in France is treated seriously with hard-driving action and suspense, some of the finest in De Vol's career.

De Vol provided two original songs for the film: a German ballad (as radio source music) with lyrics and vocals by Sibylle Siegfried (the director's wife), and an anachronistically 1960s pop song, "Bramble Bush," with lyrics by Mack David, performed by Trini Lopez (one of the dozen in the film). Each song is presented both in previously unreleased film version and existing album rendition.

The Dirty Dozen was previously released on LP and CD but this definitive FSM release more than doubles the playing time and remixes and remasters the sound quality from the original 35mm three-track stereo recordings for vastly improved sonics. The CD features comprehensive new liner notes by Daniel Champion.