<P>Hollywood's summer of revolution<BR>"Rise of the Planet of the Apes" and other hits build upon the rage of the oppressed underclass </P>
<P><BR>Our oppressed underclass rises up and rebels against inhuman treatment -- well, at least in some of Hollywood's biggest current blockbusters.</P>
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<P>While Tim Burton’s 2001 "Planet of the Apes" remake didn’t seem to have much on its mind, "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" is far more engaged with the culture of the moment -- as was the original, widely seen as a response to the civil rights movement. It's the only recent American film with even metaphorical relevance to the Arab Spring movement. And it shares some interesting resonance with Tate Taylor’s "The Help" and British director Joe Cornish’s "Attack the Block."</P>
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<P>"The Help" falls into a long line of "problem pictures" running from Elia Kazan’s "Gentleman's Agreement" and "Pinky" to Paul Haggis’ "Crash." They’ve proven popular with Oscar voters, but while they purport to expose racism and other prejudices, they often subtly reinforce stereotypes in the guise of dismantling them. Whatever their virtues (usually as showcases for actors), such films tend to suffocate on their own earnestness. That can’t be said for "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," which falls into another tradition. It’s no B-movie, but it moves along like one. Its depiction of the fine line between humanity and the animal kingdom owes a lot to George Romero’s "Living Dead" trilogy and David Cronenberg’s films. Genre films benefit from being irresponsible, which I mean in the most positive sense. By talking about animals and monsters rather than speaking more directly about race and class, they have the freedom to escape from received wisdom about the latter subjects.</P>
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<P>Scientist Will Rodman (James Franco) injects several chimps with a wonder drug he believes has the potential to cure Alzheimer’s, a disease his father, Charles (John Lithgow), suffers from. He adopts the baby of a chimp named Bright Eyes, who was killed in a rampage through his bosses’ offices. Charles names the chimp Caesar. Caesar proves to be quite smart, and Charles, after receiving injections of his son’s drug, recovers from Alzheimer’s. However, this happy state of affairs doesn’t last.</P>
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<P>Questions <BR> </P>
<P>1. What is your all-time favorite movie? </P>
<P>2. Are there any kinds of movies you dislike?</P>
<P>- Why do you dislike them?</P>
<P>3. Do you like to watch horror movies? </P>
<P>4. Do you prefer fiction or nonfiction books? How about movies? </P>
<P>5. Do you usually watch movies at home or at a movie theater? </P>
<P>6. Have you ever seen the same movie more than once?</P>
<P>- If yes, name it (or them).</P>
<P>7. If a book has been made into a movie, which do you prefer to do first, see the movie or read </P>
<P> the book? Why? </P>
<P>8. What do you think of people who talk during movies at a movie theater? </P>
<P>9. What is the best movie you have ever seen?</P>
<P>- Who was in it?</P>
<P>- Why did you like it?</P>
<P>- Who was the director?</P>
<P>10. What is the worst movie you've ever seen? </P>
<P>11. What was the last movie you saw?</P>
<P>- Was it good?</P>
<P>- Who did you see it with?</P>
<P>12. What movie star would you most like to meet? </P>
<P>13. Who's your favorite director? </P>
<P>14. Do you like to see a movie many times? </P>
<P>15. Do you think action movies are bad for children? </P>
<P>16. Which do you prefer to watch movies or to read books? </P>
<P>17. Can you remember the name of the first movie you saw that made you cry? </P>
<P>18. Have you ever seen a movie in another country? Describe the experience. </P>
<P>19. What things happen too often in movies? </P>
<P>20. Would you like to be a movie extra? </P>
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