Dune

Jeremy Ordan

Jeremy Ordan

Major Contributor
So I watched this last night... Never seen it before, never read the book, and knew pretty much nothing about it.

I didn't get it. Maybe something just went over my head but I feel like Tom Hanks in 'Big'.

I just didn't get it.

This movie made no sense and was like trying to follow someone's bad acid trip.

I just didn't get it.
 
I have to admit to loving that movie (assuming we're talking about the David Lynch film and not the Sci-Fi channel version).

The film (and book for that matter) really throws you into a completely different world with little to no grounding, so you have to just go with it. If you're watching a movie and "2015" appears at the beginning, you feel like you'll be able to associate with the material quickly. When Dune begins with the narration of being in the year 10,191, the perception of the audience needs to change a little bit. Personally I love that kind of Science Fiction, but it's not for everyone.

I think Lynch (a directory I normally don't like) did a wonderful job taking a huge book and condensing it into a 2 hour movie that still mostly encompassed the story.
 
I think you pretty much had to read the book to get the full scope. Dune is inherently a quixotic and alien story, and a movie is never going to make it easier to get without bastardizing it beyond recognition. Still, Lynch still did a passable job giving the feel.

I thought the sci-fi channel version was horribly acted in spots, but it was entertaining, and perhaps did a better job of creating the world behind it. It
s been a long time since I watched either, though.
 
Dune definitely should be read before viewing the film. It'll make way more sense.

I'm waiting for the director's cut of Lynch's Dune. His original cut was somewhere in the neighborhood of 5 hours long, and I have seen a longer version on television.

OK, just did a search on Amazon and there is a dvd with an original and extended version of the film, but in that version Alan Smithee is credited as Director. According to Amazon, Lynch didn't want anything to do with the extended version. Weird, IMDb has nothing about an Alan Smithee version. I'll have to do some digging...

EDIT; Oh yeah, Alan Smithee, I know that guy...:cheesy:
 
The thing is, if you're telling me I have to read the book in order to understand the movie... and I'm all for reading, trust me... but I don't know if I'm that interested in order to read the book.

This movie just throws you into this world, you don't know what is going on other than they are looking for some spice and there is a floating fat ass who yells a lot and cheesy 80's haircuts.

I just don't get it...
 
Lynch's cut is the 2 hour version. And in my opinion it makes more sense and is a better movie than the 4 hour TV cut. Frank Herbert is the one who wanted the longer cut and Lynch removed his name from it.

For my money you don't have to read the book to get the movie. I watched the movie several times before reading the book and after you first couple of viewings you find that Lynch gives you everything that you need to understand his story. Maybe not everything to understand Dune as a whole sci-fi work, but enough for the movie. But if the movie didn't mean enough to you on your first viewing to make you want to watch it a second time, there's probably not much there for you.

My two cents.
 
A little strong, there, nevertheless.

You'd still have to be paying an awful lot of attention, and without the book it's still a hard movie to "get".
 
Dune is a really good book. The theatrical cut of the 1984 movie is so weird and 80'sed out, like the cheesy guitar rock when they ride the spice worms. I've never seen the longer cut. I recommend reading the book, but if I had to recommend a version to watch, Sci-fi channel's version is better overall.

Also, fear is the mind killer.
 
uhrgl said:
Dune is a really good book. The theatrical cut of the 1984 movie is so weird and 80'sed out, like the cheesy guitar rock when they ride the spice worms. I've never seen the longer cut. I recommend reading the book, but if I had to recommend a version to watch, Sci-fi channel's version is better overall.

Also, fear is the mind killer.
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I agree that the sci-fi channel mini-series easier to follow and therefore more enjoyable for the uninitiated. But I think the 1984 film definitely looks better. The costumes, sets and cinematography were amazing. I can't say the same for the mini-series.
 
MojoTrancer said:
The costumes, sets and cinematography were amazing.
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Dune...a guilty pleasure. :) "The Spice must flow..."

DuneFrame4.jpg

DuneFrame1.jpg


Who can forget this guy? ;)
DuneFrame5Sting.jpg
 
arrakis...dune...desert planet :)

you want to kill yourself? Read "God Emperor of Dune" where Leto II is melded into a giant philosphical sandworm hybrid that keeps reincarnating clones of Duncan Idaho :)

But man, the first book is genius. The movie... well.. like Ladyhawk, it is or an era. And remember, it WAS NOT a success.
 
...I saw it when it was released... and honestly the only things I remember about it were that there was a fat guy that floated around...and that Sting was in it.
 
You'll find that that the movie and the book make each other more understandable.

The Sci-Fi version is a more faithful adaption of the story. But the Lynch version captures the feel of the book better.

I'd recommend the book simply on the basis of being one of the great, great achievements of sci-fi.
 
David Jimerson said:
You'll find that that the movie and the book make each other more understandable.

The Sci-Fi version is a more faithful adaption of the story. But the Lynch version captures the feel of the book better.

I'd recommend the book simply on the basis of being one of the great, great achievements of sci-fi.
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Damn well articulated. Exactly. :) There's nothing more to say.
 
Chris Stearns said:
Dune definitely should be read before viewing the film. It'll make way more sense.

I'm waiting for the director's cut of Lynch's Dune. His original cut was somewhere in the neighborhood of 5 hours long, and I have seen a longer version on television.

OK, just did a search on Amazon and there is a dvd with an original and extended version of the film, but in that version Alan Smithee is credited as Director. According to Amazon, Lynch didn't want anything to do with the extended version. Weird, IMDb has nothing about an Alan Smithee version. I'll have to do some digging...

EDIT; Oh yeah, Alan Smithee, I know that guy...:cheesy:
Click to expand...


The theatrical release is the Director's cut and Lynch approved. Most features are a 3-4 hours long on the first cut.

The studio added more footage into it, thinking Lynch's version was too esoteric, and Lynch hated it and had his name taken off the extended version, replaced with Alan Smithee.
 
Dune was one of my favorite movies growing up. I didn't read the book until years later and thought it was great. The movie know is a bit cheesy and the sfx are a bit dated but it's still a guilty pleasure of mine. Really, it's a story of good (basically rebels fighting for their lives) versus evil (basically greedy corporations that want to control the spice) and just when evil looks like they are winning Leto discovers his destiny and rises up to take down evil.

I agree the sci-fi version makes more sense but the Lynch version is so much better in mood, acting, and capturing the feel of the book... the madness of the characters, the creepiness of the "witches", etc.
 
I never read the book, but I have to admit that I enjoyed the movie on several levels, but it is very flawed (lame Sting cameo, some bad acting, obvious effects that ran out of money, etc.) but if the book is that strange, then who better to direct it? Lynch is synonymous with strange. Who else would create some cat grafted to a rat that needs to be milked to provide an antidote for "Mr. Eyebrows"?

I often quote the movie, even in jest, which is another sign of liking the movie.
"The worm is the spice, the spice is the worm."
"My name is a killing word."
"The sleeper has awakened!"
... and all of the gratuitous whispering for the internal monologues or thoughts. Good stuff.

The score does have a few nice tracks, especially by Brian Eno. I think the costumes were done by Versace or someone similar. The art direction is quite nice. It's definitely an 80's movie, but as a child of the 80's that's OK with me.

Hell, it's certainly better than Eraserhead or Lost Highway.
 
KingVidiot said:
The art direction is quite nice. It's definitely an 80's movie, but as a child of the 80's that's OK with me.
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Definitely had some interesting art direction goin' on.
DuneFrame8-1.jpg
 
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