Is the Planet of the apes dated?

A friend and i were having a debate the other day over the original Planet of the Apes (1968). I thought it was pretty good considering the limited effects at the time. She thought it was awful.

I'll tell you what i think
- The effects aren't that great. However, considering the era they're very innovative.
-i never did care for the acting (maybe Charlton Heston just doesn't appeal to me)
-the masks are great even by today's standards and look far more realistic than the supposedly superior CGI
- the technicolor looks painted on sometimes. Which is something i can't stand in any movie.
- my friend can't see things from another perspective.

I saw this a while ago (although mycrash course in it was received from a parody by The Simpsons), i didn't even like it, i was a 10 year old who thought that movies began and ended with Star Wars (1977). But now i think differently: a film doesn't have to be a work of art to leave an impression. It just has to stand out. Whether it be for the good or bad things about it.
This movie stands out because the twist was amazingly unexpected at the time (nowadays everyone knows it but what do you expect?) The masks were brilliant, it holds one of the most famous lines in film history ('get your paws of me you damn dirty ape!') and one of the sequels contains Sal Mineo's final performance. Although that part's probably only important to a select number of people (which is unfortunate because he was a great actor).

I think to her it's just old. She isn't used to the style of acting Charlton Heston adopts but most of all she isn't used to the overall  method of filming. It was a different world then, the 60s were trapped between the conservative 'innocent' fifties ideals and the realism of the 60s/70s don't BS us era. They tried to keep the more questionable nature of just about any film under wraps but still keep it realistic. That was where i think she didn't like it. She wasn't sure what it wanted to portray, I don't blame my friend for hating this milestone in film making, in fact i feel sorry that she consistently looks for things in old films to take shots at, never looking for the positives.

I call these people idiots. I am hoping to amend her ways and introduce her to a film she knows nothing about just to see her reaction: Raging Bull (1980). I have a feeling that she'll be able to appreciate it much more for it's beautiful cinematography, either that or she'll scoff the minute she see's the black and white. After all, this is the same person who thought Yogi Bear (2011) was clever.

"oh my god i was wrong it was earth all along!" Troy Mcclure (Phil Hartman) The Simpsons.

Ode to a sob story

We have all seen them. We sometimes expect that sad ending (Schindlers List [1993], Romeo and Juliet [1996]) and other times we really don't expect that sudden death or heart melting reunion (Vertigo [1958], Little Women). Yes the sob story aka 'Chick Flick aka 'weepie' is firmly imbedded into the psych of all those scarred by memories of Bambi (1942) and Old Yeller (1957), who never trusted the smiling faces of 'family friendly' movies again. But why do we love them? Why is it that the doomed romances and shots fired in a meadow have held us and gripped our hearts for years and years? How is that people still see Romeo and Juliet even though they know every detail? Besides the good looking leads.

i myself have cried at the odd movie, during every version of Little Women i cry without fail, how is it that these characters make you fall so in love with them that you cry as though they were a real person when they leave/die? i'll never get it. Of course, most of us know when we're about to see a sad story, (we all knew what we were getting into when we saw My Sisters Keeper [2009]) so i guess we sort of prepare for it, but a good one will make you cry anyway. It's so strange. I never really watch tragic love stories because they usually depress me, although some leave me in a good mood because at least my love life doesn't suck half as bad as theirs. Thats not the point. i'm trying to do a good post about sob stories and why we like them.

It could be a different reason for all of us. Some of us like them because there's a sort of mystical beauty when you die for love. Others because it could just be a good story. And then there is the sacrifice for love. The ultimate gesture, not to give your own life, but to let the other person be happy without you. Casablanca (1942) brought this great sacrifice to the forefront of cinema, and while there have been movies that have made a good job of it, there is only one Casablanca.

Little Women is a whole different story. for most of the movie we see the girls trying the make do with what they have while trying to get past their own sibling squabbles, like kids/teenagers have done for years and years, very relatable is it not? But then comes the (SPOILER! SPOILER!) death. That rip your heart out moment that makes you realise that this film has made you love it and you didn't even realise it.

I haven't seen that many sob stories, sure like every teenaged girl i'll watch them with friends or see them just so that i know what the hell everyone is talking about. But there are very few that i will actually watch again. i saw 3 versions of Little Women (1933, 1949, 1994) and loved them all, i think i liked the last two most, the 1933 version, while boasting an impressive cast (Katharine Hepburn!!) fell victim to the obvious fact that most of the girls were too old to play their respective parts. Anyway....
I saw Gone With The Wind (1939), i didn't cry at the end but know that i felt tears coming in some parts. to tell you the truth i don't cry in many movies. i held in my tears when i saw Gallipoli (1981), boy was that hard.

I think that no matter what, the greatest sob stories belong to the classic era, sure we have the odd few now and again but there are these things, they're called: 'Class', 'sentiment' and 'memorable'. Anywhere from Chaplin taking the flower but not the money in City Lights (1931) to Sam playing it again (for old times sake) and yep even Cary Grant finding out why Deborah Kerr didn't meet him that day atop the Empire State Building in An Affair To Remember (1957).

The understated sentiment, the tell tale song and warmth of true love conquer all tragic endings. Few will see a movie to see that tragic ending, the people who saw Titanic (1997) surely hoped that that door could support both Jack and Rose, we want the beautiful ending when we're sure it wont happen, but when it does it can be more memorable than any tragic death or forbidden love.

"i love being home, but i don't like being left behind" Beth March (Claire Danes), Little Women (1994)