David Lynch's DUNE--new DVD (merged thread) (1 Viewer)

[Mark-W]

News at eleven, hell is now frozen over.

I am so happy, but I PRAY that Lynch just does his thing regardless of fans in tizzies.

 

[TravisR]

The funny thing is that if Lynch is involved, it'll take a long time for him to finish working on it. Maybe we can look for it on May 10, 2008.

 

[Bill Williams]

Bill, thank you so very much for providing the latest information about the status of "Dune". As a fan of the film and of other David Lynch works, this one, among his most mainstream in terms of subject matter along with the biographical "The Elephant Man" (as many of his other film and TV projects, including "Eraserhead", "Blue Velvet", "Mulholland Drive", and "Twin Peaks" [I still love that series even after 15 years!] have his unique storytelling perspective that's evident from the get-go, though both "Dune" and "Elephant Man" have a number of those signature elements in them as well), and the first fully adapted work of the Frank Herbert novel, obviously got held under lots of scrutiny from the fans of the novels. While the 3-hour "Alan Smithee" TV version is a little closer to the novel, there's obviously lots more material that remains unseen to date that Lynch had intended, and given the fan base of the TV version, it's quite obvious that Lynch wants to satisfy the fans of the film, the fans of the book, and his own fans, which is why he wants to do it right and put his final stamp on it. I'm like you, I believe it can be done right, and if it means waiting a bit longer for it, I don't mind.

 

[Felix Martinez]

Lynch has been pretty honest about things in his chats with DL.COM members. If he doesn't want to talk about something, he'll say that. If it's a point of contention with a studio re a DVD release and/or inclusion of deleted scenes (i.e. Fire Walk With Me), he's been pretty open about it. He's even discussed new transfers and audio mixes he did years ago when certain DVDs were delayed (Wild At Heart), or still MIA (Lost Highway).

This, added to his extremely vocal disinterest and disinclination to revisit Dune - and the comment above saying he knows "nothing about Dune" in reference to the DVD - makes me now doubt this is a done deal.

But I hope Bill and his Uni source are right!!

 

[Bill Hunt]

Just to let you all know, I've followed up on this with our sources at Universal, questioning them in more detail. Lynch's involvement is apparently still in discussion - it's not a done deal yet. This is, however, definitely the reason the disc was delayed. The studio is trying to work out the details with Lynch to make it happen. We've updated our original post on The Bits accordingly, and we'll post updates as things firm up. So cross your fingers.

 

[Jack Johnson]

Lynch will probably insist on absolute, top-flight quality presentation...and that's likely to be very expensive for the studio. Beyond that, they'll have to pay handsomely for Lynch's involvement above and beyond the costs involved in re-cutting, restoring the film itself.

The Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me dvd went through a similar delay process. Ultimately, New Line didn't want to pony up for Lynch to do the job he wanted to do on the deleted scenes.

I'm guessing the same's likely to happen with this dvd as well. But it'd be great if it happened. I can't watch that Smithee cut; it's a disaster, aesthetically. Music endlessly re-tracked again and again and again. It's all very disjointed, with amateurish naration, etc. The Lynch cut is more distinctively his own work, despite its problems, and that's the cut I watch. Who worked on the existing extended cut anyway?




--Jack

 

[DaViD Boulet]

That looped score *really* is lame. You're the only other person besides me who I've ever heard complain about it...always wondered how other folks could stomach that Smithee version...watched it once (p/s laserdisc) and that was more than enough! (though that added scenes were cool...but just made me want a *real* director's cut all the more...)

-dave

 

[Jay Pennington]

A 59-year old man using leet speak? c'mon.

 

[Jeffrey Nelson]

Man, if this does come out, Universal is going to sell about fifteen hundred gazillion copies...so I'd think they'd want to give David Lynch everything he asks for.

 

[Elijah Sullivan]

I wouldn't be surprised to hear that Lynch is denying it, and continues to deny it. Him signing into a chat-room full of his most die-hard fans and admitting that he is currently re-cutting Dune... is roughly equivalent to dosing yourself in tuna-bits and throwing yourself in a shark-tank.

Universal seems to be pretty smart about what kind of DVD Lynch's fans want. And I have a feeling Lynch feels strongly enough about this film that he won't be able to let this thing rest until he has had some form of director's cut released. That's the only possible end to his Dune nightmare. I think everyone is going to win with this DVD... it's just a question of time.:frowning:

 

[Felix Martinez]

Not so much trying to be cool; moreso "hunt 'n peck" typing skills. A running joke in chat is the "HEKKO" greeting.

 

[DaViD Boulet]

 

[Hans M.]

...and money. But, I'm 100% in support of Lynch's involvement, and I sincerely hope things play out OK for fans and Lynch and even Universal.

 

[Mikah Cerucco]

So, it'll be one chapter stop now?

 

[Jay Pennington]

I wonder if there are any lost scenes showing Paul and Chani falling for each other. The narrator telling us they fell in love over a brief montage just doesn't cut it from a storytelling POV.

It's also regrettable that the Fremen, who in the novel beat the Sadakar warriors using their own superior skills and discipline, were reduced to just having a better weapon in the movie, what with that silly "sound gun". I'm sure there's no cutting around that, even if he wanted to.

 

[Fredric]

We can't get rid of the camp, though. "Paul and Chani's love GREW!" POWER CHORD! You can't beat that cheese. Gotta love it.

 

[Vincent_P]

I believe "SK8" was the person who asked the question Lynch was responding to.

Vincent

 

[Vincent_P]

WILD AT HEART, TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME, and BLUE VELVET were all done with Lynch's involvment, and all of them have multiple chapter stops.

Vincent

 

[Steve Christou]

Could a mod add a "Maybe" and "(Cross your fingers)" to the topic header, cheers.

Lynch hates the film why would he want to revisit it? Let's see what happens but I'm not holding my breath, I can but only for a couple of minutes, my girl on the other hand... sorry I faded out there for a second, I'll just carry on alternating between Lynch's and Smithee's Dune as I've been doing for years now, oh and the looped music on the Smithee doesn't bother me in the slightest. Did I mention I love Toto's score? Wow what a ramble.

 

[Kevin M]

Yeah, I was also going to mention that I thought TOTO actually did a pretty good job, great opening theme....having Brian Eno contribute a bit didn't hurt either.