‘Planet of the Apes’ and Its Marathons, Masks and Music

I was outraged and disappointed at “I Survived an ‘Apes’ Marathon” (by Greg Braxton, July 25).

Outraged that the article denigrated and disparaged the original “Planet of the Apes” series seemingly based on the fact that the writer struggled to watch all five movies in one sitting.

Disappointed that Braxton appears incapable of even making it through a double feature without grousing and grumbling about how uncomfortable he was. This makes a mockery of the thousands of people every day who sit through double and even triple features at their local multiplex or in the comfort of their own home theaters. It didn’t seem to matter what films Braxton was watching (it could have been James Bond movies, “Star Wars” films or Adam Sandler epics). Unfortunately, his discomfort colored his judgment of the movies.

Also, to correct the record, “Escape From the Planet of the Apes” (the third in the series) is generally considered to be the best sequel by aficionados (not “Conquest,” the fourth entry, as stated in the article)--by a wide margin.

JOE STEMME

Culver City

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Just recently, my wife and I, being avid “Apes” fans, hosted a similar event for a group of our friends. We called it “Damn Dirty Ape Day” and, like Braxton, watched all five films in order. But we went a step further: We showed “Apes”-related “short subjects” in between each feature. We ran the “Saturday Night Live” sketch in which host Charlton Heston discovers the entire SNL cast and studio taken over by apes. We played an excerpt from “The Simpsons” episode featuring the hilarious “Planet of the Apes: The Musical” parody. All snacks and drinks were also “Apes”-related, and we supplied cheesy gorilla masks for all our guests.

Regardless of how good, great or bad Tim Burton’s new take on “Planet of the Apes” turns out to be, I consider the original movie franchise to be remarkably imaginative and highly entertaining. Some of the sequels are better than others, and maybe the films’ budgets and effects are modest compared to today’s high-tech blockbusters, but the idea of talking, intelligent apes subjugating mankind is a fascinating concept and, as the latest version validates, a highly durable one.

SHAWN SHERIDAN

Los Angeles

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We all know that one of the most interesting and often amusing things about the Internet as “news source” is that absolutely anyone can say anything based on everything from true facts to jealousy and alien intervention. I’ve read about my own death, sex change and conversion to Islam .... I’ve read about how I used trained orangutans to write my music and numerous other tidbits, but I’m amazed that The Times would pick up some bit of nonsense off the Net, not check up on it and print it (Morning Report, July 18).

At a “Planet of the Apes” press junket in New York last week, I was asked about 100 times about the story printed in The Times of my forced “rescoring” of the music. I’m absolutely amazed. Not that the story appeared on the Net but that you printed it verbatim without checking on the validity.

The facts are these: If anyone was unhappy in any way, they never told me. We not only didn’t rescore anything, but I canceled two sessions that I had been holding just in case we did need extra time and we actually finished ahead of schedule.

DANNY ELFMAN

Malibu