Troy and David return to Lake Dalek, in an undisclosed location in the Muskoka Region, in Ontario cottage country. This is PT. 2 of their look at SIMIAN CINEMA!!! [PT. 1 dropped on August 31] It is August of 2026 when they settled down into their Muskoka chairs, had a few brewskies, and talked about apes in genre movies. There was a lot to talk about, so, they split this into two episodes. This episode will reveal Troy and David’s top 5 Ape films. And there may be some overlap…

They previously were at Lake Dalek when they recorded their Size Matters episode(s) and Shrinkage episode(s).

In this episode, Troy and David, compare their lists of the greatest genre ape films, starting with #5 through #1. It was in PT. 1 of the Ape-isode, where Troy and David revealed their #10 through #6.

Which movies will appear on both of their lists?
Will the obvious #1 genre ape film of all time, be #1 on both Troy and David’s lists? Listen to find out.

CAST OF RAMPAGE (2018)

Dwayne Johnson (Davis Okoye)
Naomie Harris (Dr. Kate Caldwell)
Malin Akerman (Claire Wyden)
Jeffrey Dean Morgan(Harvey Russell)
Jake Lacy (Brett Wyden)
Joe Manganiello (Burke)
Marley Shelton (Dr. Kerry Atkins)
P.J. Byrne (Nelson)
Demetrius A. Grosse (Colonel Blake)


CAST OF KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES (2024)

Owen Teague (Noa)
Freya Allan (Nova…)
Kevin Durand (Proximus Caesar)
Peter Macon (Raka)
William H. Macy (Trevathan)
Eka Darville (Sylva)
Travis Jeffery (Anaya)
Lydia Peckham (Soona)
Neil Sandilands (Koro)
Ras-Samuel (Lightning)
Dichen Lachman (Korina)




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We hope you enjoy the show!

Troy and David return to Lake Dalek, in an undisclosed location in the Muskoka Region, in Ontario cottage country. It is August of 2026 when they settled down into their Muskoka chairs, had a few brewskies, and talked about apes in genre movies.

They previously were at the lake when they recorded their Size Matters episode(s) and Shrinkage episode(s).

What makes a film, an ape film? Simian Cinema, anyone?

Can a gorrilla disco?

In this episode, Troy and David, compare their lists of the greatest genre ape films, starting with #10 through #6. PT. 2 of the Ape-isode, Troy and David will reveal their top five.

Which movies will appear on both of their lists?
Will the obvious #1 genre ape film of all time, be #1 on both Troy and David’s lists? Listen to find out.

And what are the films that you cannot believe were made, that were so awful, they were good. How about:

Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla (1952).
Rated 3.6 on IMDB.

Robot Monster (1953).
Rated 3.0 on IMDB.

Troy reads the back cover of a VHS copy he has of Robot Monster.
Here is some info from a google search:.

The back cover of the classic Rhino Home Video VHS release of Robot Monster (1953) features a short synopsis describing the alien invader’s mission to wipe out humanity.

The Synopsis Summary

The Complication: Ro-Man faces a dilemma when he captures the professor’s daughter (played by Claudia Barrett) and finds himself hesitating instead of completing his orders.

The Invader: An alien creature named Ro-Man—who resembles a gorilla wearing a deep-sea diving helmet—is sent to Earth as the vanguard of an invasion.

The Mission: Armed with a destructive “calcinator death ray,” Ro-Man has successfully wiped out nearly all human life on the planet.

The Conflict: A small handful of survivors, including a professor and his family, remain immune or hidden, and Ro-Man is tasked with hunting them down.

CAST OF KING KONG (1933)

Fay Wray (Ann Darrow)
Robert Armstrong (Carl Denham)
Bruce Cabot (Jack Driscoll)
Frank Reicher (Capt. Englehorn)
Sam Hardy (Charles Weston)
Noble Johnson (Native Chief)
Steve Clemente (Witch King [as Steve Clemento])
James Flavin (Second Mate Briggs)

CAST OF KING KONG (2005)

Naomi Watts (Ann Darrow)
Jack Black (Carl Denham)
Adrien Brody (Jack Driscoll)
Thomas Kretschmann (Captain Englehorn)
Colin Hanks (Preston)
Andy Serkis (Kong/Lumpy)
Evan Parke (Hayes)
Jamie Bell (Jimmy)

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We hope you enjoy the show!

2001: A Space Odyssey.

This is the second part of our look at the film.

We realized that, with two guests, and a big movie like 2001, we would need two parts to do the movie justice.

In Part 2, Troy and David and Mark and Rob spend more time on the film, doing a deeper dive than in Part 1.

Rob refers to the film as “a paradigm shift.”
Mark refers to the film as “a landmark.”

Stanley Kubrick wanted to make the first great SF film.
Mark and Rob mention other films that predated 2001 that were great SF films.

Would Star Wars have happened without 2001?

The Schrödinger’s Cast is looked at, which is taking the cast from the original film, and replacing them with people you may not suspect.

Mark Askwith is a writer and Television Producer. He has covered the Science Fiction genre for over 30 years.

Mark is the creator of the award-winning Prisoners of Gravity, and he is one of the Founding Producers of SPACE, Canada’s National Science Fiction and Fantasy Channel.

He has also produced dozens of half-hour television movie specials, featuring interviews with stars like Tom Hanks, Christian Bale, and Sigourney Weaver. As well, he has interviewed dozens of scientists and astronauts including Neil deGrasse Tyson, Buzz Aldrin, and Chris Hadfield.

Neil Gaiman called him The Secret Master of Science Fiction. So, I guess that’s no longer a secret.

Robert J. Sawyer is one of only eight writers in history—and the only Canadian—to win all three of the world’s top awards for best science-fiction novel of the year: the Hugo, the Nebula, and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award.

The ABC TV series FlashForward was based on his novel of the same name.

His latest novel is The Oppenheimer Alternative.

A member of both the Order of Canada and the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame, he lives in Mississauga, Ontario.

2001: A Space Odyssey.

This film is arguably the whitest film since Birth of a Nation. White actors playing white astronauts in a white spaceship trying to discover, on board a spaceship called Discovery One, the secrets of a black monolith.

Many consider this the greatest science fiction movie of all-time, despite its lack of diversity.

The movie itself did not get a great reception. Many walked out of the premiere screening. For those who left early, and those who stuck it out to the end, many thought “What the hell was that about?”

Most reviews were harsh.

Stanley Kubrick cut 20 or so minutes from the version of the movie that opened, and over time, the shorter (but still long) film found an audience. The film was far ahead of its time, and, like most films that are revolutionary and cutting edge, people just didn’t get it.

The amazing special effects, that still stand up today, and the classical music, the sets, the story, all added together to make something that many would not soon forget.

Troy and David will look at the movie, and discuss it with two special guests: Mark Askwith and Robert J. Sawyer.

Rob was the special guest for Season 1 Episode 2: Planet of the Apes
Mark was the special guest for Season 1 Episode 4: The Prisoner Series

Troy and David welcome back Mark and Rob, who had both listed 2001: A Space Odyssey as their fave genre movie.

We realized that, with two guests, and a big movie like 2001, we would need two parts to do the movie justice.

In Part 1, Troy and David ask Mark and Rob to provide answers to their favourite genre things that were not asked of them before (over the past year more categories were added), and review their previous answers.

Mark and Rob talk about their first experience seeing the film.

The Dream Casting will look at these roles, played by these actors:

Mark Askwith is a writer and Television Producer.

He has covered the Science Fiction genre for over 30 years.

Mark is the creator of the award-winning Prisoners of Gravity, and he is one of the Founding Producers of SPACE, Canada’s National Science Fiction and Fantasy Channel.

He has also produced dozens of half-hour television movie specials, featuring interviews with stars like Tom Hanks, Christian Bale, and Sigourney Weaver.

As well, he has interviewed dozens of scientists and astronauts including Neil Degrasse Tyson, Buzz Aldrin, and Chris Hadfield.

Neil Gaiman called him the Secret Master of Science Fiction. So, I guess that’s no longer a secret.

Robert J. Sawyer is one of only eight writers in history—and the only Canadian—to win all three of the world’s top awards for best science-fiction novel of the year: the Hugo, the Nebula, and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award.

The ABC TV series FlashForward was based on his novel of the same name.

His latest novel is The Oppenheimer Alternative.

A member of both the Order of Canada and the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame, he lives in Mississauga, Ontario.