According to Greene, what significant contributions did writers Rod Sterling and Michael Wilson make to the screenplay of Planet of the Apes? What political and social issues did they want to discuss? How did their own personal experiences inform their desire to write about these issues? To a lesser extent what contributions did director Franklin J. Schaffner make?
Poet Paul Dehn would become the writer for the rest of the original Planet of the Apes series. Why is this significant? Who was Dehn? What kind of poetry did he write? As we discussed in class on Tuesday, the film version of Planet of the Apes '68 features a racial caste system unique to the movie and not found in Boulle's novel. How did the decision to include this caste system arise? What issue was at stake? How does this involve the character of Nova, who - as we discussed in class - doesn't seem to - play a very important role in the final version of the film. Greene discusses how Planet of the Apes '68 is full of phrases that he argues that linked to our "cultural memory." What does this mean? What are some of these phrases? During the discussion of Kong: Skull Island, the class raised the subject of intertextuality as it relates to actors. How certain actors are cast in certain roles because the audience already has certain expectations about what kind of character they play - thereby saving the filmmakers time in having to establish their character. Examples include John C. Reilly who carries the connotations of "comedian" or Samuel L. Jackson who carries the connotation of "bad-ass." Greene also discusses the issue of intertextuality as it relates to actor Charlton Heston in Planet of the Apes '68. What kind of character was Heston known for playing? How did this impact how people viewed the character of Taylor, and Taylor's plight, in Planet of the Apes '68?
Briefly describe the plots of Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970) and Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971). How do they continue the story of the original film? How do they further address the issues raised in the 1968 film?