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

[David Lambert]

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.

During the commentaries a bit and in one of the featurettes ("Lure of Spice", I'm pretty sure) it is discussed how in scenes they would change the lighting and/or the coloring in order to "change the temperature of a scene as it played out". I'm not saying ALL of what you are commenting on is intentional, but perhaps much of it is.

 

[Steve Schaffer]

If I recall, the commentary says that the cinematographer used a theater-style light board to change lighting intensity and even color as a scene was being shot. This probably led to some inconsistency from one take to another of any particular shot. This would make it virtually impossible to edit bits from different takes into an entire scene without some lighting inconsistency.

 

[David Lambert]

Ach, Steve, I think you hit it dead-on. I certainly can't recall verbatim what was said, or even where!

 

[Aaron Silverman]

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

You know better than that! Novels and movies are two different media, and what works for one doesn't necessarily work for the other. Next time you're reading a novel, try reading some of the dialogue out loud and see how it sounds. A lot of times it just sounds ridiculous.

 

[Todd Terwilliger]

What is the proper pronunciation for "Harkonnen" is it HAR-kon-nen as in the Sci-Fi channel production or har-KON-nen as in Lynch's. Personally, I much prefer Lynch's pronunciation. It sounds much more fitting of that brutish people than the other.

 

[Mark-W]

As a side note, I listened to the commentary track today,
and one thing I would like to see die is the CONSTANT
reference to how special effects shots were done.
How many times can they say,"This crowd scene was created
by using 12 people over and over again."?
YAWN.
But, I am impressed with this version of Dune
and look forward to Children of Dune.
Mark

 

[Dome Vongvises]

Man, I'm becoming less and less inclined to buying this thing sight unseen. I love the Dune books (read all six of them), and actually liked Lynch's version, althought the whole Weirding modules addition was "weird".

 

[Todd Terwilliger]

My name is a killing word...

 

[David Lambert]

Todd: Yep, that was silly!
Mark Walker: It DID get a bit old, didn't it? I think they were campaigning for a bigger budget for Children of Dune, perhaps!

 

[CaptDS9E]

Well i sure hope the budget is bigger. Its going to be 2 books into 1 miniseries which is going to be 6 parts instead of 3.

Capt

 

[Coressel]

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.

It's interesting you say that, because as I stated earlier I hadn't seen Lynch's DUNE in 10 years. I just watched the DVD of it the other night and was suprised at how much I enjoyed the acting. I'm a stage actor and director myself, and while Ferrer and others may be over-the-top, it's my feeling that at least they HAVE character as opposed being carboard cut-outs and even made me laugh (intentionally or otherwise), which the tv version doesn't do.

As for the beginning of the Smithee cut, I found it to be convoluted and boring, but the opening of Lynch explained much more to me in half the time... Again, I'm someone who has never read the books.

The longer Smithee cut actually reminds me of the shorter cut of Brazil, in which Universal put stuff in and took stuff out thinking they were clarifying or improving the film. The result was confusion and boredom.

 

[DanHaya]

Personally, I prefer the Smithee version. I like the alternate opening simply because it gives the average viewer a little more background information (although the illustrations suck! lol). Don't get me wrong, I didn't mind watching Virginia Madsen for a few minutes (she was definitely underused in the film), I just feel that the original opening didn't set the scene as well.

I didn't care much for the miniseries, but I think that I've gotten so used to the Lynch and Smithee versions of Dune that I couldn't see anyone besides Kyle MacLachlan as Paul (not to mention everyone else). It is superior in that it tells more of the story, but the sets were too fake and the acting was flat. I should rent it, however, and watch it again.

I found a website that is selling the Smithee version on VHS...Revok Videos. I'm thinking about grabbing a copy...has anyone checked them out? I'd love to get the Lynch version on DVD, but I've heard that the transfer was nonanamorphic...I may get it anyways since I doubt that Universal's gonna put out a SE.

 

[Damin J Toell]

I found a website that is selling the Smithee version on VHS...Revok Videos. I'm thinking about grabbing a copy...has anyone checked them out? I'd love to get the Lynch version on DVD, but I've heard that the transfer was nonanamorphic...I may get it anyways since I doubt that Universal's gonna put out a SE.

We don't discuss purchasing illegal bootlegs on this forum.

DJ

 

[DanHaya]

I'm well aware of the rules, Damin...I don't need them quoted to me!

 

[Damin J Toell]

I'm well aware of the rules, Damin...I don't need them quoted to me!

Great. So follow them and don't ask for people's opinions on a bootleg dealer. It'll just get this thread closed.

DJ

 

[Coressel]

Maybe he didn't know it was a bootlegger.

Anyway, even as an average viewer I found all the didactic stuff at the top of the Smittee cut to be boring and strangely uninformative. Lynch's opening with Virginia Madsen gives me, a viewer never before introduced to the world of Frank Herbert, plenty of info to get started.

 

[David Lambert]

As has been mentioned elsewhere, the DVD for Lynch's Dune is non-anamorphic.

 

[Jeff Kleist]

Actually, the Smithee version has been released on video and DVD in UK and Japan(which also got an LD)

 

[DanHaya]

Maybe he didn't know it was a bootlegger.

No, it didn't dawn on me until after I had posted my comments...but by then it was too late to pull back. My point was simply that I wish I had a good copy of it. I taped it the very first time it was aired (probably back in the late 80s-early 90s) in syndication and I've worn it out. Unfortunately, the SciFi Channel doesn't air it anymore.

If anyone knows where and when it might be aired again, please let me know.

[rant]Oh, and Damin...cool your jets! You don't need to be going around like Lt. Saavik quoting regulations...that's what the moderators are for. It only annoys people.[/rant]

 

[DanHaya]

Thanks for the info, Jeff! I'll check into it and post my findings!