I absolutely loved everything about War for the Planet of the Apes. It’s one of those rare and special films that is not only a huge commercial Hollywood blockbuster but also a thoughtful, powerful drama. As you watch the film I promise you’ll feel like I did: like you’re watching real apes on screen. While I could go on and on about Andy Serkis’ amazing performance as Caesar and how he absolutely needs to be recognized come Oscar season, I need to also point out the groundbreaking digital effects from WETA, the amazing production design, the seamless editing and the sweeping score (paired with the performances) are also what make this such an incredible achievement in filmmaking. Trust me, War for the Planet of the Apes is easily one of the best films I’ve seen this year. For more read Matt Goldberg’s review.
As most of you know, the sequel finds Caesar (Serkis) on something of a revenge mission against The Colonel (Harrelson), who has amassed a human army at a compound deep in the snow. The film also stars Steve Zahn, Amiah Miller, Karin Konoval, Judy Greer, and Terry Notary.
So why have I been going on and on about a movie that’s now available on Blu-ray and DVD?
It’s because on November 6th at the ArcLight Hollywood, we’re offering our readers the chance to see War for the Planet of the Apes again on a movie screen and after the screening ends we’ll have senior visual effects supervisor Joe Letteri, composer Michael Giacchino, production designer James Chinlund, and editor Stan Salfas doing a Q&A! The screening will begin at 7pm.
If you’re wondering how you can get in, we’ve got you covered. To see this screening you need to email thecollidermailbox@gmail.com with the subject line “I Want to See War for the Planet of the Apes!”. You need to include your name in the body of the email and if you’d like to bring a guest. We’ll be accepting emails until November 2nd around noon PST and we’ll contact the people that won passes with specific info about the screening soon after.
Finally, I’ve been to a lot of movies theaters around the world and I can honestly say ArcLight Cinemas is easily one of the best theater chains on the planet. Every single time I go see a film at an ArcLight theater the picture and sound is perfect and I never have to deal with problems like the lights being on inside the theater or the sound not in stereo. If you live near an ArcLight, I strongly recommend checking them out. For more on ArcLight, follow them on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Hope to see some of you that night!
Here’s the official synopsis for War for the Planet of the Apes:
By turns, serious war movie and epic adventure, this soulful saga sees Caesar and his followers forced into a deadly conflict with an army of humans led by a ruthless Colonel. Both leaders have to face their darker instincts in a thought-provoking meditation on what it means to be human, and humane. Breathtaking state of the art effects married with powerful performances and a poignant narrative create a measured and timely study of war and intolerance.
