I was all set to crow to you guys when this set arrived in the mail the other week. All five scores for the original “Planet of the Apes” movies, newly restored and remastered, on CD!
But then I felt sick reading about and looking at images of the rainforest in flames, and under the circumstances I thought it would be a little crass.
Upon further reflection, however, I’ve come to realize that nothing could be more appropriate, as human civilization is playing out just as the “Apes” movies forecast. The “Apes” movies were all thinly veiled allegories about all the ways humans are idiots – violent, acquisitive, xenophobic, racist, and irredeemably destructive.
Our demise is inevitable – but at least for now, we have this lovingly restored, limited edition boxed set from La-La Land Records.
This week on “Picture Perfect,” I’ll share the bounty, as we sample music from “Planet of the Apes” (1968),” “Beneath the Planet of the Apes” (1970), “Escape from the Planet of the Apes” (1971), “Conquest of the Planet of the Apes” (1972), and “Battle for the Planet of the Apes” (1973). Composers will include Jerry Goldsmith, Leonard Rosenman, and Tom Scott.
Has there ever been a more nihilistic series pitched to a family audience? From the era of Flower Power, the Vietnam War, and the Nixon administration, “Planet of the Apes” was the ultimate bad trip. It’s easy to view these films as silly, escapist fare, but half a century later, the themes, subtexts and overarching message of “Planet of the Apes” remain disconcertingly relevant.
Keep your filthy paws off me, you damn dirty apes! Yes we have no bananas, on “Picture Perfect” – music for the movies – this Friday evening at 6:00 EDT, on WWFM – The Classical Network and wwfm.org.
