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I'm Stephen Metcalf, and this is the Slate Culture Gab Fest, Hail Caesar Edition.

It's Wednesday, August 10th, 2011.

On today's program, the surprisingly robust performing the rise of the planet of the apes.

And whither the book review, does it need more or less malice?

And Carl Wilson finally joins us to talk about nostalgia for the decade of the 1990s.

Julia, hello.

Hi, Steve, you're back.

Hi, I am back.

It's so exciting.

Really?

Yeah.

You turned that on 100% when the mic came on.

That is so not true. It was a wall of total indifference. That is a lie. I gave you a bright and chirpy smile this morning. That's what that was. Well, ask me how my vacation was. How was your vacation, Steve? You don't care. Dana. How are you? Nice to see you.

Very well.

Thank you.

I'll keep a neutral expression.

I'm going to begin with you because Julia's dead to me.

Steve, actually, before we start, we just want to let listeners know it is difficult to spoil a movie, which is a prequel to an existing franchise with an iconic closing scene. However, we are going to get into some details of scenes from Rise of the Planet of the Apes.

...