Fascinating story about the woman you dated. I was completely unaware of any racist groups seizing on this film. The comparison with what Jesus would think of the Spanish Inquisition seems pretty apt. I'm sure Rod Serling would have been appalled.

My father wasn't massively into science fiction either, so didn't much care for this, or Blade Runner, or 2001, but he loved E.T. and Star Wars, probably because they are fairy tales/fantasy, rather than sci-fi. He did enjoy The Terminator though. And Back to the Future. Maybe he just liked time travel?

That's a hilarious production story about the ape accidental segregation. Also, I confess I give Beneath the Planet of the Apes point for sheer bonkers plot turns - the cult that worships the bomb, the mutants, etc. :)