Westword: Why are you wearing the costume tonight?
I'm doing this to bring more excitement and awareness to this film series. To see another movie, which will be the sixth movie in this series, is a great opportunity to show audiences the value of classic science fiction and give new ones the extraordinary experience of seeing a classic gorilla character from the movie in person.
Where did you get the costume?
I do charity work with the volunteer group The 501st Legion Mountain Garrison. We have movie replica gear from the Star Wars series, and I decided I wanted to make my own Planet of the Apes costume. I used a full prosthetic latex gorilla mask, prosthetic hair, and created the rifle from wood. This is all homemade.
Are you a big fan of Planet of the Apes?A huge fan. I have two gorilla costumes. One is the General Marcus costume (shown in the picture) and one is a commander costume with a full helmet and everything. I mean, the last movie came out in 2001, ten years ago. To have a reason to show this costume off again and have fun with the people is awesome. They should love it.
What other costumes do you own?
I have a Terminator costume, Predator, Star Wars and some other memorabilia. We do promotional events, so I attend film screenings, comic cons, movie conventions and many other events. The best part is volunteering for kids. They love the costumes, and it's great to put a smile on their faces with the whole get-up. It's taking an artistic hobby one step further and putting it to good use.
Weinreich will be in full costume tonight at the screening, taking pictures with fans while they wait in line for the show.
