Soylent Green (1973)

What a weird weekend it was and even though it doesn’t feel like it, I was able to get a lot accomplished on my business plan. Incredibly, I got five eBay listings and a few more Etsy Store listings in place for the Ringmaster’s Realm stores. During that process, I was ale to have some solid background entertainment, one of those being the 1973 classic Soylent Green.

Plot/ In 2022, Earth is overpopulated and totally polluted; the natural resources have been exhausted and the nourishment of the population is provided by Soylent Industries, a company that makes a food consisting of plankton from the oceans. After called to investigate a murder, Detective Thorn discovers a bizarre and disturbing secret of the ingredient used to manufacture Soylent Green.

Soylent Green is such an interesting film and one that takes the viewer into a world that they probably don’t see coming. This one screams 1970s excess during what is a complete nightmare scenario for those that live in the city during the 2022 time-frame that the plot holds. While not a perfect flick, it does have some of the cult classic elements that popularize this eras movie. The sets and costuming are strange, the performances solid, and the storyline is amazing. Most importantly, the theme of the film does feel relevant today, and some of the Sci-Fi elements are probably closer to reality here in 2019 than they were in 1973 when the movie was made. Yes, some of it feels dated, there are some head scratching moments, and did I say the costuming was outlandish? I’m sure I did.  Overall, it is easy to see why this one continues to be influential after all these years. In the end, while not perfect, Soylent Green is extremely entertaining, and the ending is perfect. It is worth watching (especially for fans of older Sci-Fi films) and it should be an eye-opening venture for those that sit on the fringe when thinking about some of the elements that plague us today.

The Omega Man (1971)

Last night, I was trying to decide what to watch after Army of Darkness and I was struggling. Sometimes, I cannot get into the right mindset for anything in particular and struggle deciding on what genre I want to venture into. That is when I stumbled onto the classic Sci-Fi flick The Omega Man from 1971, a movie I have not seen in years.

Plot/ Robert Neville, a doctor, due to an experimental vaccine, is the only survivor of an apocalyptic war waged with biological weapons. The plague caused by the war has killed everyone else except for a few hundred deformed, nocturnal people calling themselves The Family.

Richard Matheson is one of the greatest Sci-Fi writers ever and one of his all-time best works is the classic I Am Legend. While there have been many adaptations of this classic on the big screen spanning multiple decades and generations, the storyline stands tall. In this adaptation, film icon Charlton Heston takes the lead and runs with it with a great performance. While I will admit, I am more a fan of Vincent Price and Last Man on Earth, this interpretation holds its own. While there are some flaws in this flick, which appears dated and full of the signature camp of the 1970s, it is engaging. Overall, the performances are solid, the soundtrack works and the post apocalyptic atmosphere is realistic. Of course, the change in the vampiric nature of the creatures is still a bit hard to accept, one of the reasons I think I am drawn to the Price version, but it is still entertaining. In the end, this adaptation is a classic piece of 1970s Sci-Fi and must be seen. Sure, it has some flaws, but it remains one of Heston’s better performances and a trip into a dark time.

Planet of the Apes (2001)

After returning the flicks from last week to Family Video, I let my daughter Jillian pick out a few flicks for the week (fortunately, Jillian is a huge horror fan). Not to my surprise she decided to grab a variety of interesting stuff. The first film we watched is the 2001 remake of Planet of the Apes.

Plot/ An Air Force astronaut crash-lands on a mysterious planet where the evolutionary process is reversed. Evolved apes are the dominate species and humans are primitive. He may discover secrets that would change the planet.

While there was no reason to ever remake the classic Planet of the Apes, Hollywood decided otherwise, and this entry is the result. Yes, there are some similarities between the films (even a cameo from Charlton Heston) , unfortunately, there was no way for Tim Burton’s vision to ever live up to the complex and visually stunning original (especially the ending). The idea behind this flick lacks the social commentary that set the 1968 version apart. Sure, there is the underlying fight for freedom, but the action scenes definitely overrun the storyline. Honestly, I did like the decision to bring more ape-like characteristics to the planet showing them running on all fours with a definite mean streak, to me, that is how I would imagine the species is one existed. On one side, the acting was OK, the tension so-so and there was little characterization (not to mention the ending was a bit unspectacular). However, the make-up effects and the action sequences did add a little something that the original lacked. In the end, I found this revision less appealing than the original, but then I grew up with the Planet of the Apes saga, something that would definitely influence my feelings (I am sure many like me would feel the same). That being said, my daughters actually enjoyed this version much more than the original with the overriding action / adventure feel; proving that people who have never watch the original will definitely enjoy it.

Planet of the Apes (1968)

One of the great arts at watching Rise of the Planet of the Apes was that the daughters finally became interested in experiencing the entire Planet of the Apes story arc. Being a fan myself of the classic tales, and remembering the days when Superhost had them on Saturday afternoon’s, I decided it was time to break one out. Last night, it was time for the classic 1968 flick, Planet of the Apes.

Plot/ An astronaut crew crash lands on a planet in the distant future where intelligent talking apes are the dominant species, and humans are the oppressed and enslaved.

I am not sure what else I can say about a cinematic classic that has not been said already. The original Planet of the Apes is one of the best Sci-Fi films that has been made. Yes, some of it may seem a bit dated by today’s standards, but that does not in any way detract from the greatness created in 1968. The cast and performances are tremendous with Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter and Maurice Evans delivering in every scene. The direction, cinematography and soundtrack work in unison to capture the intricacies of the personal elements in the projected upside-down world, and they do this in a way that takes the vast sceneries to a new level; it is truly one of the most visually appealing Sci-Fi movies I have seen.  The make-up effects are solid, and personally I love this original ape look more than the newer CGI incarnations and the ending may be one of the best ever in the science fiction arena. In the end, while chalked full of idealistic, religious, and humanity driven overtones, Planet of the Apes succeeds at taking on social consciousness and building something bigger and better and is truly one of the most entertaining and groundbreaking Sci-Fi films of all time. If you have not seen it, definitely check it out!