Geek-O-Rama On The Planet of the Apes

Somebody over on Facebook posted this page from April 28, 1968 Albuquerque Journal yesterday. Being a huge movie buff I found the page to be rather interesting because it shows all the films that were being exhibited at local movie theaters. Several of these advertisements jumped off the page because they are some of the most iconic films produced in the 1960s. 

Needless to say, if you wanted to go to the movies in late April 1968 you had a lot of quality movies to choose from! If only the choices were so good today right.

I decided to take a more in depth look at the films featured here and to perform an excercise on choosing just what movie I would pick for an inaginary movie night with my girl.

Well I think the first choice is obvious, we will be heading over to Bob's on Central for that $1.95 Rib Eye Steak dinner. You really have to give some credit to the folk's over at Bob's for one the best newspaper add placements of all time. Anyone looking to go to the show is going to see this. Of course the low price jumps out at anyone looking at it today. Adjusting for inflation that steak would cost you about $10 dollars today, but then again, where are you going to find a Rib Eye dinner for ten bucks?

Okay, now that we are full on steak we can head out to the show. There are so many great choices ... what are we to do?

Let's take a look:

For me this is a real no brainer, I'm heading over to Winrock to see Planet of the Apes. This is one of my favorite movies of all-time and there is no way I'm going to miss seeing it on the big screen!

In case you have never heard of the movie Planet of the Apes:

Based on the novel of the same name by Pierre Boulle, the film centres on a group of astronauts—led by George Taylor (played by Charlton Heston)—who crash-land on a strange, seemingly distant planet ruled by civilized apes. Captured and caged, Taylor eventually persuades the chimpanzee scientists Zira (Kim Hunter) and Cornelius (Roddy McDowall) to help him escape. The shocking ending—in which the remains of the Statue of Liberty are found, revealing that the supposedly unknown planet is really Earth—ranks among the most famous in film history. - Encyclopedia Britanica 

Now here's where things get a little tricky because another of my all-time favorite science fiction movies, Five Million Years to Earth, is playing across town at the State. Again, it would be a thrill to see this one in a theater on the big screen.

Workmen building an extension to the London subway discover skulls and skeletons of what appear to have been subhuman creatures. Investigation by Dr. Roney and Barbara Judd of the Natural History Research Institute uncovers a strange missile, thought at first to be an unknown Nazi weapon of World War II. As work continues on the missile, rocket expert Professor Quatermass studies the history of the area and learns that it has always been associated with demons, dating as far back as the Roman invasion. Opening the missile, the scientists discover the bodies of locust-like creatures, which Quatermass maintains are dead Martians. Furthermore, despite the passage of millions of years, Quatermass believes that their evil force is still present. His theory is verified when a monstrous horned creature materializes above the excavation pit. This creature's sinister power is such that the mind of any human being approaching it becomes controlled and redirected by the Devil. Knowing that the future of mankind is threatened, Dr. Roney drives a large crane into the creature, causing it to disintegrate. In so doing, however, Roney sacrifices his own life. - TCM

Then again how can you resist seeing Sidney Poitier in his famous role as Virgil Tibbs in The Heat of the Night over at the Highland?

Then there's Gone With The Wind over at the Sunshine.

Who can forget Dustin Hoffman's randy exploits in The Grduate which is playing over at the Lobo.

Spaeaking of bein randy, there are a couple of not so classic grindhous films (Hellcats and Big Enough N' Old Enough) playing at the Tesuque.

If that's not enough quality cinema entertainment for you there is:

Sweet November at the Cinema East

A Stranger in Town at the Kimo

Bonnie and Clyde/Al Capone double feature at the Cactus

A Good Time with a Bad Girl at the Guild

Plus your drive-in choices:

The Happiest Millionare at the Terrace

The Taming of the Shrew at the Wyoming

The Last Challenge/Fastest Guitar Alive double feature at Duke City

and

To Sir With Love over at the Silver Dollar

I think that it goes without saying that you would have never seen me back in 1968 because I would have spent all my free time eating Rib Eye Steaks and going to the movies. I can honestly say that I would have loved to see just about every single one of these films. It truly was a magical time for movies wasn't it.

Check Out:

Geek-O-Rama On The Planet of the Apes

Retro Sci-Fi: Quatermass And The Pit (1967)

Beneath The Planet Of The Apes (1970)(20th Century Fox)

THE BLUES BROTHERS - Do You Know?

A Cinematic Turkey: The Giant Spider Invasion (1975)

The Perils of Gwendoline in the Land of the Yik Yak

Barbarella: Queen of the Galaxy - Hello, Pretty Pretty