For the first time ever, the complete, provocative history behind the motion picture series that began a new tradition in science fiction film sagas. Planet of the Apes Revisited is the colorful, factual account of the science fiction milestone Planet of the Apes and the series of movies and TV shows it inspired. Through exclusive interviews with cast and crew and access to the personal archives of Arthur P. Jacobs, the producer and originator of the first film and all its spin-offs, Joe Russo and Larry Landsman present a fascinating, in-depth look at the entire Apes canon, featuring: Rare, behind-the-scenes photographs Deails on special effects and makeup Story and screenplay developments On-the-set changes and post-production edits Behind-the-scenes anecdotes A chapter on Tim Burton's "reimagining" of the classic Planet of the Apes The book also serves as an invaluable reference volume on Hollywood filmmaking and the many personalities who are part of the legend and lore of this outstanding adventure series. The most comprehensive guide available, Planet of the Apes Revisited vividly re-creates the history, the sticky studio politics, and the fascinating creative process that resulted in this unprecedented science fiction phenomenon. Apes fans, this is it: aside from an early '70s article that appeared in Cinefantastique , nobody but nobody's paid much attention to the making of the groundbreaking Planet of the Apes saga. The wait is over, though--and how. Unapologetic fanboys Joe Russo and Larry Landsman (and, later, Edward Gross) have been laboring over this exhaustive, fact-packed, behind-the scenes record of all five movies, the TV show, and the cartoon for the better part of 17 years. The effort shows, with countless on-set pictures, unprecedented access to the estates of Rod Serling, Roddy McDowall, and producer Arthur P. Jacobs, and extensive quotes from virtually everyone associated with the project, from screenwriters to actors to makeup artists to the special effects crew. (To give you an idea of the devotion we're talking about, Russo actually wrote his first "making of" Apes book back in the fifth grade. It was hand stitched with a plastic cover.) Deserving of special note is Charlton Heston, who contributed not only the foreword for this book but scores of entries from his swaggering personal journals. ("A helluva long day, in the course of which I was finally brought to earth as Taylor. Having evaded clubs, whips, horsemen, crowds, they tripped me ass over teakettle into a thrown net and hoisted me high.... Upside down in a net, a man isn't worth much.") But even more interesting are the minutiae that inevitably emerge in any close examination of a production this complicated: that Marlon Brando had been considered first for the lead, that there were racial casting concerns in the wake of the Watts riots, even the fact that Planet of the Apes hit the small screen in an attempt to knock off Sanford and Son . This account may sprawl a bit in spots, with some quotes that overlap overmuch and minutiae that's awfully minute, but any fan who has even an ounce of Russo and Landsman's enthusiasm will be hard-pressed to complain. --Paul Hughes Timed to coincide with Tim Burton's remake of the popular film, this volume competes with similar efforts available over the summer: The Legend of the Planet of the Apes (Boxtree), The Planet of the Apes Chronicles (Plexus), Planet of the Apes: An Unofficial Companion (ECW), and Planet of the Apes: Re-Imagined by Tim Burton (Newmarket). Like its rivals, Revisited offers interviews with key figures from the original movies and television series, plus production anecdotes, information on makeup and special effects, reviews, and other contextual information. Russo and Landsman are freelance writers who have published articles on the Apes media in magazines like Starlog, and, unsurprisingly, their book is a solid behind-the-scenes account. Worlds removed from Eric Greene's more scholarly Planet of the Apes As American Myth (Wesleyan Univ., 1998), this volume should please fans and belongs in any public library trying to attract readers by means of Hollywood hype. Neal Baker, Earlham Coll., Richmond, IN Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. The Planet of the Apes movies are being revisited, if not exactly revived, this summer in anticipation of big-deal film fantasist Tim Burton's variation on their simian theme; hence, Russo and associates' chronicle of the cycle, published to ride the new flick's expected tidal wave of commercial viability. Apes challenged Hollywood's aversion to "sci-fi" at the time (1968) and arguably launched the sf boom that has continued to this day. The book limns the simian saga from producer Arthur P. Jacobs' purchase of the rights to Pierre Boulle's novel and through each of the subsequent films right up to Burton's, which the director insists isn't a remake. Russo and friends, dedicated aficionados,