Frank Herbert's DUNE Director's Cut: Worth a blind purchase? (1 Viewer)

[Sam Davatchi]

just found it at a local store for $14.99 and have just watched the first 40 minutes of it.

Shame on you! Don’t you know that Lynch wants his films to be viewed from start to end in one viewing without chapter stops!

 

[Todd Terwilliger]

Adam,

It's my understanding that Herbert based the fremen off of the Arabs. I know there are great similarities between fremen and Arabs. I used to live in Morocco and it was these similarities that initially fuelled my interest in the books. I just find it very disheartening that no one thought to capitalize on this.

 

[AmitS]

Why, oh why did they not put the trailers on this DVD?
They lent a unique, moody, epic atmosphere that the series did NOT capture as a whole!
Anyone have an idea why DVDs sometimes leave such easy-to-include extras off?

 

[David Lambert]

Anyone have an idea why DVDs sometimes leave such easy-to-include extras off?

I criticized that omission in my review!

 

[Eric T]

Are Herbert's books as dead-pan and biblical as the films seem to try to be? Or am I misreading something?

You didn't misread anything. Herbert's books are deadpan and biblical. I can't think of one humorous passage in the entire series.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

That's EXACTLY the problem. When adapting a novel if it says "Paul said "I will kill you Harkonnen!" I want to see

PAUL

I will kill you Harkonnen!

in the script

I really don't see how you can shoot down the miniseries for one fabricated story element and praise the Lynch version, which added many things for no apparent reason... the Weirding Weapons, the rain at the end, etc. none of which had any apparent purpose. For instance, where did the Fremen get/find time to make those Weirding Weapons? They're constantly on the brink of survival. The knives from the worm teeth are much more logical, IMO.

 

[Coressel]

Shame on you! Don’t you know that Lynch wants his films to be viewed from start to end in one viewing without chapter stops!

Yeah, but I had to pee and while I was at it I wanted to share my thoughts with all you wonderful people.

 

[Todd Terwilliger]

Adam,

I think a desert people such as the Fremen should be Mediteraenean in skin tone at the bare minimum, if not Arabian. In both films, some, if not all, of the Fremen are white as ghosts. I just think they dropped the ball badly.

 

[Mark-W]

Oh, puleese...the "Alan Smithee" version of Dune
is trash. They reuse several shots over and over, and
the introduction narration is as horrible as they get.
The only good things added were the fight between Paul
and the Fremen, and the extended showing of the young
worm being drowned...even the prints of it are HIGHLY
uneven, and the Navigator comes off like a total schitso.
More is not better; sometimes is just more.
However, I just finished watching the new version of
the Sci-Fi channel version, and it is even better than
it was.
I love Lynch's version for its style, but he might as well
have abandoned calling it Dune, since it resembled the
book very very little: people running around with
heartplugs, the Wierding way, as someone already mentioned,
becomes about technology and guns, and none of the issues
that made the book so amazing are..--even the religion and
use of native legends to manipulate people-- missing.
Still, I cannot imagine trying to take on Dune in
2 hours, and Lynch did well considering the task.
I am thrilled I can now own both versions, and don't have
to decide which I perfer. I like them both for different
reasons.
Mark

 

[Todd Terwilliger]

Mark,
It may be Lynch invention (I can't remember), but my friends and I get alot of mileage out of the heartplug concept even today! Leave the heartplugs alone!

Ah, Thufir, I see you've got your heartplug. Don't worry, everybody gets one here.

 

[David Lambert]

Ah, Thufir, I see you've got your heartplug. Don't worry, everybody gets one here.

I notice Feyd didn't have his...

 

[Todd Terwilliger]

Well, the baron did have a special relationship with Feyd...

 

[Trace Downing]

It's my understanding that Herbert based the fremen off of the Arabs. I know there are great similarities between fremen and Arabs.

In the interview supplement on disc 2, I think titled (On Dune, and Herbert) The interviewee who knew Herbert said as much.
The Fremen did have plenty Arab influence, Paul and his father is a T.E. Lawrence character crossed with Mohammed and/or Jesus. The wasteland of the desert planet, the spice as a plot point being of detrimental importance to civilization is an allegory to oil. Even the planet's name, Arrakis, is derivitive of Iraq.
He also goes into the influences of the worms which are more interesting.
Now if anybody thinks that the acting in Lynch's Dune is good, must've slept through drama class. GAG! Jose Ferrer was so awful, I was embarrassed for him. Everybody just went way over the top with the emoting, and took themselves so seriously, that the performances became charactures of themselves. This was no Greek stage epic, yet the '84 film played out as if it was. It was as if all the Lynch cast had to spend 3 weeks in Jon Lovitz's "Master Thespian school of over-dramatics" to train for the film. Every time I see Lynch's Dune, I see everybody scream..."HEY LOOK AT ME! I'M ACTING!!! AND I'M BRILLIANT!!"
The atmosphere/set design, and costuming was very well done though. But what do you expect for a $50 million film (1984 numbers)? They'd better be, for that much money.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I think a desert people such as the Fremen should be Mediteraenean in skin tone at the bare minimum, if not Arabian. In both films, some, if not all, of the Fremen are white as ghosts. I just think they dropped the ball badly.

I agree they should definitely be tanned, at the minimum. That was a slipup.

 

[Jeff Kleist]

If they're practicing true water discipline, they should only be tanned around the eyes. Everything else is covered
Since that would look silly, they just let it go

I don't understand why everyone always chases after the reused battle footage to discount the Smithee version. That's not enough reason to throw it away, as it was made to be padded for TV

The Water of Life sequence, all the other little things that are extended make for a much better movie. I also don't know what the problem is people have with the opening. It gives tons of background into the film's universe, and doesn't just have Irulan sitting there glowing like the theatrical version

 

[Neil S. Bulk]

I also don't know what the problem is people have with the opening.

Well, for one thing, it's totally incomphrehensible.

Neil

 

[Matt_P]

Well, this engaging conversation, and the praise members here obviously have for the excellence of the story (I'll be unbiased and say "story" so no Lynch and/or Harrison supporters will attack me), I was persuaded to pick this up last night. I just finished watching part 1, and all I can say is wow! I'm rather impressed so far. The quality of the production is certainly high, but ultimately appears to be a TV production. Some of the costumes are quite odd, (is that an army of blue chefs escorting the Princess to dinner?), but overall, impressive. The color pallatte is very vivid, and the backgrouds, though sometimes artificial in appearance, lend themselves to the surreal setting, creating an effective "theatrical" feel that ultimately serves the story. The CGI is easy to spot, but looks pretty good, IMHO. The lighting is interesting, but sometimes switches between cuts during a conversation (see the first thopter cockpit sequence, and the first solitary conversation between Paul and Duke Leto). The lighting sometimes is on a character's left side, sometimes right, depending on the angle. I'm surprised Vittorio didn't spot this...perhaps this was an editing probelm. The DVD itself is first rate. Great picture and sound. The package is attractive, but not very durable...perhaps skimping in this department allowed the set to be offered at such a low price (under $20 regular price at most B&Ms).

In the end, these gripes are small, and easily overlooked considering the scope of the project, and the limited resources available to the filmmakers. I'm really looking forward to the other two parts.

 

[Todd Terwilliger]

In regards to Jose Ferrer, I actually liked his performance quite a bit, though the role is pretty small, at least in the theatrical verison (I've never seen more than bits and pieces of the Smithee version).

 

[Jeff Kleist]

How is the opening incomprehensible? It's extremely clear and straightforward.

 

[CaptDS9E]

Ive seen the miniseries 4 times now. Every time it gets better and better. I didnt read the books before i saw the miniseries so i didnt have any knowledge about the stories universe at all. The first two times i watched off sci-fi channel I got to enjoy the story part. The first DVD release i really liked the miniseries overall. Today i watched the new SE and its excellent with the added stuff. Definately worth the purchase price

capt