Standing my ground: The new Planet of the Apes films—starring Andy Serkis as a motion-captured Caesar—are brilliant, sensitive creations that actually eclipse the original series. Last year’s staggering War for the Planet of the Apes made this abundantly clear to anyone with eyes. And if you remember slogging your way through some of those Heston-less sequels of the early ’70s, you’ll know I’m right about this.
Still, there’s no denying the cumulative power of the first five films—a quintet that kicked off with 1968’s still-shocking Planet of the Apes (“You blew it up!”) and ended with 1973’s Battle for the Planet of the Apes. You can see all five of them, in chronological order, beginning at 1pm Sunday 26 at Quad Cinema, for the low price of—no monkey business—$30. The films will be presented in all their Nixon-era glory in crisp digital 4K restorations. Plus, the recently renovated Quad boasts some of the comfiest seats in the city. If you’re an Apes fan, it’s time to prove it.
We’re not seeing any incentivizing prize for completing all five films. But of course, our gears are spinning (please take any of these ideas, Quadsters): How about free Gorilla coffee for anyone who stays beyond the first movie? A bowl of bananas for the assembled crowd in between titles? What if you show up for the movies wearing this? Wouldn’t that be worth a free admission? At the very least, Quad could pony up with some sweet Apes–related merch, to be divided among those who make it to the bitter end.
