Saw "DUNE" Last Night

[JoeB131]

he miniseries was closer to the novel ... if only because they had more time. Although, the mini-series was burdened with SciFi Channel special budget effects that didn't match the epic scope of the book.

The other problem with "Dune" in a visual medium is that much of the book consists of character's inner monologue. Something Lynch attempted to work with his annoying voice overs in the Director's Cut.

That's the problem with "Dune" as a movie in general, it doesn't lend itself well to the screen or to modern movie-goers (who demand an explosive car chase in "Jane Eyre"). In that case, you only have two choices... make a weird, awkward film that is visually stunning but need to be explained ... OR ... cut out all the literature and just film the cool bits.

We should just consider ourselves lucky that Jodorosky's "Dune" never got made.

I don't know, man, Jodorosky's Dune would have had a soundtrack by Pink Floyd...

But you have a point... Actually many good points.

When you read a book and enjoy the book, then you've already done a lot of the work in your head visualizing the world the author describes. When you get a bunch of artists and effects specialists in there, you will find they couldn't make it as cool as you imagined it.

With few exceptions, the books is always better.

 

[fncceo]

I don't know, man, Jodorosky's Dune would have had a soundtrack by Pink Floyd...

Exhibit One --- "The Holy Mountain" (or any other of Jodorosky's movies from the '70s / '80s) -- while visually appealing, the movies are unwatchably bad, with no coherent plots and nonsensical dialogue -- even in the original Spanish.

Exhibit Two -- Jodorosky originally hired, then fired Doug Trumbull, arguably the best Effects Director of the era because he "didn't share in the dream".

Exhibit Three -- Giraffes

Exhibit Four -- The planned Jodorosky finale of his "Dune" would have ended with Paul Mu'dib literally (not figuratively) impregnating The Universe.

We dodged a cinematic bullet there.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Already a thread in review forum

 

[miketx]

Au contraire. All action and bulging muscles doesn't compete with a good story, well developed plot lines, excellent dialogue, great casting, and pacing.

 

[mudwhistle]

I won't say too much since it's so early, but well worth seeing. For those who haven't read the book, the necessary expository is handled naturally and you'll pick up the glossary as you go.

Acting is quite good. The film closely follows the novel but some sequences are shuffled. Visually stunning at times. The friggin' ornithopters are tres-neato.

The first time Mohiam used the Voice in the Gom Jabbar test made me chuckle. No shuffling around.

Anyway, a different approach from the Lynch version, expected because Lynch after all is Lynch. For all its faults and added weirdness the 1984 version remains a fun and beautiful film to watch.

Villeneuve's is more a straight shot. No dumb weirding modules. Unfortunately, no Francesca Annis either, but it's visually stunning in its own way.

If he can pull off the second half, he'll have the definitive film version of Dune.

​

I heard that David Lynch....who is from my hometown....walked off the production in the 84' version. Not sure how true that is.
Dune has always been a little hard to watch at times.
Some of the sequences are so corny it made me want to gag. The voiceover for Alia was ridiculous.....because they used a child actor....who was supposedly 2 years old in the book.
But over all it was quite an accomplishment for when it was made.

I felt that the anticipation or expectations of the film was more than it could stand up to.
I watched it a second time and it is remarkably void of action at times....choosing to focus on dream sequences to develop the back story in the book.

 

[mudwhistle]

Thank you. I won't waste my time on the movie.

How on earth the integrity of the story can be maintained by omitting/minimizing the characters and concepts you identified is beyond me. I saw Aquaman and GOT, that's enough Momoa beefcake pour moi.

The 2000 series will remain my favorite version of Dune.

This version is only part of the story.....and they haven't even decided whether or not to film the rest of the book.
I haven't read the book BTW....

My primary beef was this movie leaves you hanging.
They also killed one of the best characters (Duncan Idaho).....but then I read he's reincarnated later and his returned memories are part of the plot-line in later books. As a matter of fact....they made several clones of him.....so he never is completely killed off.
But this version better explains the deception that took place that led to the death of the Duke and Duncan Idaho than the 1984 version did.
Course I did have issues with the sex change job they did on one of the main characters as well as making her black. Just another example of Hollywood going too woke to fit into the original plot-line. They also made the navigators all black.

 

[boedicca]

This version is only part of the story.....and they haven't even decided whether or not to film the rest of the book.
I haven't read the book BTW....

My primary beef was this movie leaves you hanging.
They also killed one of the best characters (Duncan Idaho).....but then I read he's reincarnated later and his returned memories are part of the plot-line in later books. As a matter of fact....they made several clones of him.....so he never is completely killed off.
But this version better explains the deception that took place that led to the death of the Duke and Duncan Idaho than the 1984 version did.
Course I did have issues with the sex change job they did on one of the main characters as well as making her black. Just another example of Hollywood going too woke to fit into the original plot-line. They also made the navigators all black.

I've read all of the books, the first three multiple times. This version sounds a bit too PC for my tastes.

 

[AzogtheDefiler]

It was on HBO Max to my surprise. Long and boring....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

How can a movie with Rebecca Ferguson be bad. This one was.

 

[mudwhistle]

I've read all of the books, the first three multiple times. This version sounds a bit too PC for my tastes.

It's an interesting movie.
Not the new Star Wars like they claim.

Maybe Star Wars for the weirdos in Hollywood.

 

[boedicca]

It's an interesting movie.
Not the new Star Wars like they claim.

Maybe Star Wars for the weirdos in Hollywood.

Hollywood these days lacks imagination, produces derivative dreck, and is too consumed with virtue signaling to produce movies that are worth watching. It's very rare that a new movie matches the quality of even an average film of the 1950s.

 

[Billy_Kinetta]

I've read all of the books, the first three multiple times. This version sounds a bit too PC for my tastes.

Yah, a bit woke. The very important line "Kull Wahad! No woman child ever withstood so much!" following the Gom Jabbar test was stricken. It was the whole Bene Gesserit reason for seeking the Kwisatz Haderach in a nutshell.

 

[mudwhistle]

I've read all of the books, the first three multiple times. This version sounds a bit too PC for my tastes.

 

[JoeB131]

I heard that David Lynch....who is from my hometown....walked off the production in the 84' version. Not sure how true that is.

Not exactly. He finished the movie, but he had some issues when they recut longer versions for TV, which is why those are credited with "Alan Smithee" (The DGA's name when a director doesn't want to be associated with an edit.)

Dune has always been a little hard to watch at times.
Some of the sequences are so corny it made me want to gag. The voiceover for Alia was ridiculous.....because they used a child actor....who was supposedly 2 years old in the book.
But over all it was quite an accomplishment for when it was made.

I think it still holds up.

I felt that the anticipation or expectations of the film was more than it could stand up to.
I watched it a second time and it is remarkably void of action at times....choosing to focus on dream sequences to develop the back story in the book.

Agreed, the movie is slow in places.

This version is only part of the story.....and they haven't even decided whether or not to film the rest of the book.
I haven't read the book BTW....

I've read the book, and all five of it's sequels.

But this version better explains the deception that took place that led to the death of the Duke and Duncan Idaho than the 1984 version did.

Not really... They go into a lot more detail in the 84 movie about why Yueh betrayed the Duke, and why no one really suspected him, being a Suk physician, incapable of causing harm.

Course I did have issues with the sex change job they did on one of the main characters as well as making her black. Just another example of Hollywood going too woke to fit into the original plot-line. They also made the navigators all black.

They made one character black... Um. So what? She still serves the same purposes in the plot, being the person who is the bridge between the Atreides and the Fremen.

 

[petro]

I won't say too much since it's so early, but well worth seeing. For those who haven't read the book, the necessary expository is handled naturally and you'll pick up the glossary as you go.

Acting is quite good. The film closely follows the novel but some sequences are shuffled. Visually stunning at times. The friggin' ornithopters are tres-neato.

The first time Mohiam used the Voice in the Gom Jabbar test made me chuckle. No shuffling around.

Anyway, a different approach from the Lynch version, expected because Lynch after all is Lynch. For all its faults and added weirdness the 1984 version remains a fun and beautiful film to watch.

Villeneuve's is more a straight shot. No dumb weirding modules. Unfortunately, no Francesca Annis either, but it's visually stunning in its own way.

If he can pull off the second half, he'll have the definitive film version of Dune.

​

Just watched it and I can say I was definitely impressed. Been years since I read the novels, but the visuals match what I imagined the story to look like. With the success of this version and now the green light for part two, I believe we may finally get to see more of this story line that spans thousands of years.
I can't wait.

 

[JohnReese]

Dune was so fantastic saw it multiple times!

 

[Billy_Kinetta]

On a second look, a definite yes. Looking forward to an ass-kicking Part 2.

 

[Flopper]

I won't say too much since it's so early, but well worth seeing. For those who haven't read the book, the necessary expository is handled naturally and you'll pick up the glossary as you go.

Acting is quite good. The film closely follows the novel but some sequences are shuffled. Visually stunning at times. The friggin' ornithopters are tres-neato.

The first time Mohiam used the Voice in the Gom Jabbar test made me chuckle. No shuffling around.

Anyway, a different approach from the Lynch version, expected because Lynch after all is Lynch. For all its faults and added weirdness the 1984 version remains a fun and beautiful film to watch.

Villeneuve's is more a straight shot. No dumb weirding modules. Unfortunately, no Francesca Annis either, but it's visually stunning in its own way.

If he can pull off the second half, he'll have the definitive film version of Dune.

​

Saw the new the new version of Dune on HBO last night. After the box-office bomb of the 1984 version, I was surprised to see a 165 million dollar remake and that's just part 1. I though the new version was very good. A better image due to high definition, better graphic, and sound made it a pleasure to watch. It's been a while since I saw the 1984 version but I think Kyle MacLachlan was more believable as Paul than Timothée Chalamet. Timothee was so thin, he looked like he had an eating disorder. I had a hard time seeing him as a great fighter. The first half hour seem terrible slow but that was probably needed to build the background for the film. As the story unfolded. I found myself totally absorbed. I'm looking forward to Part 2.

 

[Flopper]

I heard that David Lynch....who is from my hometown....walked off the production in the 84' version. Not sure how true that is.
Dune has always been a little hard to watch at times.
Some of the sequences are so corny it made me want to gag. The voiceover for Alia was ridiculous.....because they used a child actor....who was supposedly 2 years old in the book.
But over all it was quite an accomplishment for when it was made.

I felt that the anticipation or expectations of the film was more than it could stand up to.
I watched it a second time and it is remarkably void of action at times....choosing to focus on dream sequences to develop the back story in the book.

Various writers and directors have attempted to bring the book to the screen since 1970 and failed. Primary because they were trying to remain true to book but unable to create a project that would attract backers.

The 1984 film was a box-office bomb, grossing $30.9 million from a $40 million budget, the largest movie budget of the time, and was negatively reviewed by critics. Upon release, Lynch disowned the final film, stating that pressure from both producers and financiers restrained his artistic control and denied him final cut privilege. At least three versions have been released worldwide. Lynch had his name removed from certain cuts of the film and was credited under pseudonyms.