The first time I've watched this was likely on the SciFi channel sometime in the late 90s or early 2000s. I had heard of it, of course, even knew the ending through pop culture osmosis.
So watching it was one of those odd experiences of knowing all the edges of the culture jigsaw pieces but not the center.
Let's watch!
Now, this is a late 60s film, although you'd swear it was a 70s film given Heston and the greasy Technicolor we later find in the likes of Omega Man or Soylent Green.
Surprisingly, this film was written by the same scriptwriter for Bridge Over the River Kwai, and co written by Rod Serling.
That Rod Serling. Really.
In doing some research this morning, I also found out it's based on a French novel. It would have been the Eiffel Tower and not the Statue of Liberty.
I do admit the cinematography of the opening scenes are great. The small, cheap, but somehow real enough feeling space ship, followed by the brown mesa hardness of the "alien" planet.
All these deliciously widescreen shots are some real eye candy.
The film really seems to be going out of it's way to make Taylor (Heston) into a colossal jerk. He's mean to his shipmates, bitter about being stranded some 2000 years into the future.
Is this his arc? Are we supposed to empathize with this toothy jackass?
@socketwench - His arc certainly starts that way, yes. The idea that this paragon of human virtues starts out as hating humanity....
