It's still early days for Nu Apes. We haven't even arrived at the POTA. We've only seen the birth of a new breed.

My list:

1. POTA68 2. Escape 3. Dawn 4. Rise 5. Conquest 6. Beneath 7. POTA2001 8. Battle

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Whatever, it's a fairly common exchange. I don't believe they copied it from "Dark Knight Rises".

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"Beneath" was Dehn's first so maybe he wasn't as territorial about it. It was considered a disappointment compared to the original and then Dehn came back with "Escape" (Jacobs' fave sequel) so he became the Arthur Miller of Apes. I remember Natalie Trundy talking fondly of Dehn coming to California and staying with them to write each script and then when it was done heading back to England. He became like family visiting. I don't think he was around for the shoots. On "Battle" his script was darker than they wanted to go and then he got sick and the Corringtons were brought in.

I think Dehn brought out the best in those sequels and was a visionary in his own right.

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What memos? Considering he wrote 4 Apes movies it's possible both happened.

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With a knife in the heart of Apes fans that Matt Reeves has spurned them to do a more popular franchise, the director talked about the two.

On "Apes": "I have a great love for these characters, and I really do think this franchise is so unique. You have photo-real apes who are your main characters, and the spectacle is an excuse to tell great drama that you couldn't do otherwise. A lot of other franchises are nothing without explosions and action. This is a war movie, of course we have that kind of spectacle, but really in the forefront it's about these relationships. I've been a huge "Planet of the Apes" fan since I was a child, so to be in this world is something I never would have expected to be doing, and I really see it as an incredible opportunity".

If he loves "Apes" so much, why is he leaving? Turns out, he's living the dream: both happen to be his favorite franchises. "It's a strange thing to be involved in the two franchises which were the two that I was connected to most as a child. I just was obsessed with Batman when I was a kid. What I find so interesting about him as a character is that, as far as superheroes go, he's not superhuman, he is a person. And he is a tortured soul who is grappling with his past and trying to find a way to be in a world that has a lot that's wrong with it and trying to find a way to reconcile all of that".

Reeves is too busy with POTA right now to know yet how he will approach the Caped Crusader, but Batman has a long history sharing creatives with POTA. The original POTA movies had lots of folks who worked on the Adam West TV show (both were done by Fox) and of course there's Tim Burton, Gary Oldman and now Matt Reeves. As far as I know there's never been an Apes/Batman crossover in comics but I'm sure that's coming.

dailynews.com/arts-and-entertainment/20170427/what-new-batman-director-says-war-for-the-planet-of-the-apes-shares-with-dark-knight

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The days are getting hotter and so is POTA. The calendar tells us the new movie "War 4" will be here in 2 months.

And the final trailer is said to be coming this week, in time 4 Fox's new "Alien" movie. 5/21 will also mark the 50^th anniversary of the start of filming the original POTA. A lot of 50ths this summer.

Ape on!

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We'll be getting the final trailer Tuesday but this 1 minute "teaser" is blow away. A surprise visit from a classic POTA actor and a promise that this movie will have a finality. Just wow.

collider.com/war-for-the-planet-of-the-apes-final-trailer-teaser/

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Heston read William Faulkner's Nobel Prize acceptance speech. What the Faulk! Faulkner does POTA.

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Looking good but more of the same. No Heston stuff. Hopefully the Heston one will be on the blu-ray.

Digging Woody's "Natural Born Killers" vibe.

collider.com/war-for-the-planet-of-the-apes-final-trailer/

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Fifty years ago today (5/22/67) the original POTA started filming. Let me repeat that. No, I won't. Although Heston's diary sez 5/21, John O'Callaghan's meticulous book "Simians and Serialism" has us covered. Turns out 5/21 was a Sunday (as it was 50 years later) and according to union rules they couldn't film on a Sunday. So that's that. Also, the final budget sez 5/22.

So what did they film? From 5/22 to 6/5 it wuz the astronauts trekking across the desert. As has been noted before the studio thought that wuz ridiculous but in "Behind the POTA" Mort Abrahams recalls asking director Frank Schaffner why he was so particular about that sequence. According to Abrahams, Schaffner told him, "It sets the mood, the tone and the objective of the film. We're going, we don't know where we're going. We have no idea of what's going to happen. And that sets the body of the film".

The desert stuff was a notoriously awkward start to the filming, a lot of effort for a sequence people thought was unnecessary (certainly it's hard to imagine it being filmed for a movie today). According to Heston, one of the astronauts fainted from the heat on the first day (Jeff Burton, "Dodge") which often reached 120 degrees. Heston mentions the first day of filming got off to a late start because of problems with the fake beards. And Roddy notes in "Behind", "The location was desolate and treacherous (Glen Canyon in Utah and Lake Powell). Camera and sound equipment arrived by helicopter, foot and mule pack team".

In the end I feel the "desert trek" was a signature sequence in the film that adds to the mystery and awe of the film. It wouldn't have been the same without it and I'm glad Schaffner took the time to get it right.

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Wow, congrats. Sounds like quite an adventure. Did you ever find that life-size bronze statue of Landon?

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Though NECA's awesome apes won't touch "War For the POTA", Funko's cute figures has the license. I saw this on Al's awesome "War" twitter (twitter.com/war4apes): director Matt Reeves sez he wants this figure. It's "Bad Ape" (the chatty ape in the trailers played by Steve Zahn) but he's wearing clothes. Is this the clothing style of apes to come? Looks like the classic look with a modern twist. No evidence it's a gag ape.

Popbot.com.au/shop/planet-of-the-apes/war-planet-apes-bad-ape-pop-vinyl/

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Based on what I've heard, Bad Ape is kind of the next level ape. He doesn't know sign language, wears clothes (but not at first). The filmmakers love him. They say he shows there are other ape societies beyond Caesar's crew.

Have to say I didn't see the jacket before. Tim sez it's also on the final poster. But it's cool the apes get some clothes and also it's reminiscent of the orang's clothes in the original. I have a feeling the end will provide a big surprise.

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"Revelations" by Greg Keyes (who also wrote the "Dawn" prequel "Firestorm") comes out 6/6/17. It also provides us the name of Woody Harrelson's colonel: Col. McCollough.

titanbooks.com/war-for-the-planet-of-the-apes-revelations-9126

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The original POTA finished shooting it's epic Arizona and Utah footage 50 years ago today, 6/5/67. Originally scheduled for 10 days, the desert shoot for POTA lasted 13, shooting every day but Sundays (per John O'Callaghan's "Simians and Serialism"). The pressure was on the whole way, with the studio fretting it was a waste of time and money (and went over schedule to boot). Studio head Richard Zanuck threatened to pull the plug. But producer Mort Abrahams ran interference and got the director the time he needed to shoot what turned out to be very important shots that gave the movie weight.

They filmed not only the astronauts' trek but also the first ape shots, showing Roddy McDowall (Cornelius), Kim Hunter (Zira) and Lou Wagner (Lucius) in the deep desert. Charlton Heston commented in his 5/31/67 diary entry: "… finishing off the apes on location, which is a blessing. The makeups are only just bearable for them and the more days off they can get the better they'll be. I'm impressed at how well Roddy McDowell and Kim Hunter act in the makeup; you can actually read emotion through those animal faces".

The desert shoot went from May 22 – June 5 1967. It was off to California for the rest of the film.

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The Jane Goodall Institute and "War For the POTA" have teamed up to help apes. They're using the film as a way to teach folks about the situation simians are in. They've released a video (which includes footage from the movie I haven't seen) and have named a sanctuary at the Institute's Congo rehabilitation center "Caesar's Home".

superherohype.com/news/398535/jane-goodall-institute-names-new-sanctuary-after-planet-of-the-apes-caesar#/slide/1

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This should do it.

superherohype.com/news/398535-jane-goodall-institute-names-new-sanctuary-after-planet-of-the-apes-caesar#/slide/1

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The original POTA production returned from the desert and started shooting like normal people 50 years ago today. Well, kind of normal. The mornings were devoted to doing the ape makeup and shooting would go from 10 AM – 7 PM, a little late for Charlton Heston's taste. His diary entry for 6/7/67: "The usual problems attendant on moving back on stage from a location. The prop truck isn't back yet, the crew has to shake down. In addition, the makeups are so rough for the apes, their calls are so bloody early, that we've decided to start at ten in the morning and finish at seven in the evening. Personally, I'm not delighted with this plan, but it makes sense overall. I was unconscious through most of the scene today and thus had little to contribute, but Frank shot it well".

Could the scene be the blood transfusion?

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No, not that Nova. Nova from the new "War For the POTA" movie. Fox has created a video salute to her which includes some new footage.

Also, the film will be screened for free June 19 in various locations. See below for your chance (but it's probably already full like mine is).

slashfilm.com/war-for-the-planet-of-the-apes-screening-and-clip/

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I liked that the book has the full lyrics for the Doors song "Twentieth Century Fox" (pg. 71), which came out that year on their first album. I imagined that song over the Fox logo for Oliver Stone's POTA way back when (Stone did the Doors movie).

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WETA's Dan Lemmon tweeted tonight (June 8) that the last "War 4" FX have been delivered. The film screens 4 the lucky few June 19. That's a wrap.

https://twitter.com/danlemmn/status/872973638865100800

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50 years ago on 6/13/67, Charlton Heston let his freak flag fly. Heston noted in his diary: "Today was a horrible day. I'd caught a cold, something I almost never do while working. I felt lousy when I came to work, and worse every time that damn fire hose hit me, topped off when I had to scream the last speech of the sequence, dripping and hose-battered. The hoarse rasp I was able to produce is really ideal; this is the first scene where we hear Taylor speak after his throat wound. Frank's staging is very telling. The cage stuff looks good in dailies, the ragged blanket's appropriately ratty and unheroic".

The "cage stuff" was almost done, the first things shot in the studio.

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Fox has released their second "intro" clip and poster of new "War" characters. The first was for the new Nova and now this one makes the acquaintance of Bad Ape, who seems like the shape of ape to come (wears clothes, talks fluently). New footage but I guess nothing spoilery to those who have seen the trailers.

collider.com/war-for-the-planet-of-the-apes-clip-bad-ape/

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Heston sez Maurice Evans made his debut as Dr. Zaius 50 years ago today as they finished up the cage stuff on 6/14/67. They completed filming Taylor's escape from the cage and then did Zira introducing Dr. Zaius to Taylor ("Yes, amusing, a man acting like an ape!"). Heston noted, "His orangutan makeup is excellent, and he is learning how to use it".

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Don't be blue, just cause you're not crew.

twitter.com/bunnybattleaxe/status/875407893180235777/photo/1

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Critics have seen "War 4 the POTA" and though reviews are embargoed until 6/26, their comments suggest it's another winner. Duh, winning! Is it a dud? Hey, aren't you listening?

Fox is definitely not hiding it. The first audiences get to see it Monday (are you going?) so what does that mean for any surprise ending? People will be chattering on twitter like a bunch of monkeys for a month before it's released. Either there's no big surprises to spoil or they've held back a final scene. Probably word of mouth comes first because it's up against the second weekend of Spider-Man. But relax and know that "War" is another good one.

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Here's the responses to what I guess is the first critic screening of "War". No spoilers.

slashfilm.com/war-for-the-planet-of-the-apes-early-buzz/

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