Beneath the Planet of the Apes

[Andrew]

Another astronaut, who looks a little like Charlton Heston, discovers a choir of mutants living beneath the ruins of New York.  The mutants worship a doomsday bomb that was left over from the apocalypse.

Click here to go to the Review

[RCMerchant]

Of the whole series,this has always been my favorite! I love the Grand Central Station set!

[Yannick]

This movie is the best of the whole series.

[KYGOTC]

 i don't think the Planet of the Apes movies are considered b-movies. I think they're more along the lines of "classic si-fi"

[RCMerchant]

The picture on the front of BAD MOVIES page looks like Bill Murray with no skin!!! I recall being freaked out as a kid when the mutants "revealed their true self". YIKES!!! I agree,BENEATH is a classic!

[Greenhornet]

You know, in the TV series they mention the destruction of the ape civilization by the bomb. 

[Raffine]

The picture on the front of BAD MOVIES page looks like Bill Murray with no skin!!!

Funny, I was thinking the same thing.

A couple of thoughts about some other films in the ape series:

In Escape from the planet of the Apes, with all the fancy high tech makeup couldn't they do better than that guy in the moth-eaten gorilla suit that throttles Sal Mineo?

I still can't get over the fact a major studio made Conquest of the Planet of the Apes. It's the only movie I know of  where the audience is supposed to root for a non-human species to overthrow the human race! It could be the most subversive movie ever made.

A major flaw in the Battle for the Apes is when Ceasar shouts "Now! Fight like apes!" none of the apes start flinging their dung.

[BoyScoutKevin]

Here's to the "Fatman Villain"

There was . . .

Laird Cregar (1940 - 1945)
Sidney Greenstreet (1941 - 1949)
Dan Seymour (1942 - 1978)

and Victor Buono (1959 - 1982)

Who appears in the film, and whose image, I believe can be seen among the images, at the review for the film.

One of the most beloved actors in Hollywood. His fellow actors gave him the distinct honor of nominating him for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his motion picture debut as Bette Davis' boyfriend in "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane."

Directors and editors loved him, because no matter how many times he was asked to redo a scene, he always did it a little differently, giving them something to work with.

And writers loved him, because he could make the most ridiculous dialog sound sublime. Indeed, it is said that the writers of "Batman" competed to see who could write the most ridiculous dialog for him to say.

Here is to Victor Buono. He died too soon.

As a Lutheran, I like that joke Andrew makes about Lutherans in his review of the film. It may not seem like it, but we Lutherans do have a sense of humor.

[BTM]

Heard different rumors as to why Heston is only in a small part of this film.  One was he wasn't really interested in doing a sequel in the first place, but got fanagled (sp?) into it somehow.  The other is that the budget for the second was drasticly cut, so they saved money by not having Heston in too many scenes.  Dunno which, if either, rumor is true (although seeing the crappy ape masks on the minor characters kind of supports the budget rumor.)

[CheezeFlixz]

Heard different rumors as to why Heston is only in a small part of this film.  One was he wasn't really interesting in doing a sequel in the first place, but got fanagled (sp?) into it somehow.  The other is that the budget for the second was drasticily cut, so they saved money by having not having Heston in too many scenes.  Dunno which, if either, rumor is true (although seeing the crappy ape masks on the minor characters kind of supports the budget rumor.)

According to IMDB ...

Charlton Heston was reluctant to reprise the role of George Taylor for this movie. He eventually agreed on condition that his scenes had to be shot within a two week period. He also insisted that Taylor had to be killed.

[Raffine]

Another casting oddity in this one is this is the only of the 'Ape' films to not feature Roddy McDowall. I believe he was off directing a film so Cornelius was played by, uh, somebody else. McDowall also starred in the televison series. A lesser know series regular was Natalie Trundy, who appeared in all but the first film. She was the blonde mutant in 'Beneath', the lady human doctor in 'Escape', and Lisa the Chimp in 'Conquest' and 'Battle'.  She was married to the producer, or something.

At the height of Ape-mainia I remember McDowall appearing on The Carol Burnett Show in full makeup. You could buy 'Ape'  merchandise everywhere. I had an 'Ape' garbage can in my bedroom. Our local drive-in had a "GO APE!!!" special night and showed all five films!

[Raffine]

Laird Cregar (1940 - 1945)

Hangover Square, his last film, is one of my favorites. The Lodger is great, too.

Cregar died right after completing Hangover Square officially due to a heart attack brought on by excess dieting. A person I know who's dad worked at Fox during th 40's and 50's claims he died due to botched weight-reduction surgery, where the doctors literally cut layers of fat from his body.

[Cult Movie Mania]

Of the whole series,this has always been my favorite! I love the Grand Central Station set!

I liked it a lot, but I'd have to say it's my least favorite simply due to the absence of Roddy McDowell.  When you compare it to the original and other sequels - his presence is sorely missed.  IMO, it was the entry that most closely resembled the TV show.  On the positive side, the sets were good, and it's always fun seeing Don Pedro Colley and Victor Buono.

This is the movie I'm currently watching, and it's the first time I've seen it in its entirety!

[Surveysamm]

BTM, Heston said on the 1998 AMC Planet of the Apes special documentary that he did not want to do the whole first sequel so they let him just have a small part. Not much to do with budget issues was he only in the film a little. I like the sequel as it is faster paced than the first POTA film. I hate the way the mutants are written to unnecessarily try to kill their three non-mutant human prisoners!

[Surveysamm]

Raffine, Cornelius was played in BTPOTA by David Watson. I think Watson does about as good a job as McDowall here! I see not that much difference in their performances!