Planet of the apes

The unauthorized history of one of the most popular movies of all time. Released in 1967, Planet of the Apes was a top-ten box-office hit that captivated audiences with its provocative vision of the future. Over the next decade it spawned four sequels, a television series, an animated series, two comic books, and hundreds of merchandise tie-ins. To some, the Apes projects were a campy, sci-fi blast, with colourful characters and delightfully over-the-top performances. But others took the stories more seriously, as allegories on man's struggles with such issues as race, intolerance, and protecting of the environment. Though there hasn't been a new Apes movie since 1974, the popularity of the original films and TV series has endured and, if anything, expanded in the interim. When director Tim Burton's remake of the original Planet of the Apes is released in the summer of 2001, interest in the phenomenon is certain to be rekindled on a prodigious scale.  Planet of the Apes: An Unofficial Companion is a comprehensive look at all aspects of Planet of the Apes, featuring interviews, reviews, complete cast and credit information, and a behind-the-scenes look at what made this quirky science-fiction series an enduring classic.