Tag: Dawn POTA

Oscars 2018: why Andy Serkis has yet again been denied the recognition he deserves

Published on by acchambers1 Comment

Originally posted: January 2018

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Tiffany Haddish (star of Girls’ Trip) and Andy Serkis (War of the Planet of the Apes) co-hosted the 2018 Oscar nominations broadcast in anticipation of the 90th Academy Awards in March. Haddish is the breakout star of one of the summer’s biggest blockbusters, tipped for success this award’s season. Serkis, meanwhile, is a phenomenally successful actor, but one whose face is not always seen on screen – despite a lengthy list of acting credits. Continue reading “Oscars 2018: why Andy Serkis has yet again been denied the recognition he deserves” →

Rise of the Women?: Screening Female Scientists

Published on by acchambers2 Comments

Originally posted: March 2015

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Promotional shots of Cornelia (Judy Greer) and Ellie (Keri Russell) show ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’ only named female characters comforting a baby

One of my major issues with the most recent addition to the Planet of the Apes franchise, Dawn of the Planets of the Apes (Reeves, 2014), were the roles available to women – both human and ape. In my blog on the film I explored some of my thoughts on it and I noted that (the very few) female characters were only ‘represented as child bearers and care takers’. Continue reading “Rise of the Women?: Screening Female Scientists” →

‘Talking Apes with Big-Ass Spears’: Violence, Science, and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Published on by acchambersLeave a comment

Originally posted: July 2014
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By 2011 I had already spent five years of postgraduate study researching the history and cultural interpretations of Planet of the Apes. I was very nervous about seeing Rise of the Planet of the Apes; it was released just a few weeks before I submitted my PhD and I knew I would have to make at least some reference to the film in my thesis. So, I anxiously went to the screening accompanied by my low expectations and a notebook. I was, thankfully, very pleased with the new origin story that was clearly intended as a new beginning for the multiple-decade spanning franchise. It did not try to awkwardly update or rehash the original series’ subtext (oh, Tim Burton) but instead used the science fiction genre and the possibilities of the fall of humanity to explore more pertinent socio-cultural issues.  Continue reading “‘Talking Apes with Big-Ass Spears’: Violence, Science, and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” →