Frank Herbert's Dune... what's the scoop? (1 Viewer)

[David Tolsky]

Can someone fill me in on this? Don't recall ever seeing it on tv or theatrically. Is it animation? How does it compare to the fairly bad film with Kyle What's-His-Name? How is the quality of the dvd sound and picture wise?

 

[donovan_chin]

This was the live action mini-series shown on the Sci-Fi channel.

 

[Jeff Kleist]

It is non-anamorphic widescreen and Dolby Surround (should have been anamorphic/5.1 but there was some infighting)
The first part is a total trainwreck of blasphemy. The second part's not much better. The third part is virtually spot-on with the book. Overall, the Smithee cut of the Lynch version is still the closest to the book
Jeff Kleist

 

[Hendrik]

...ahh... the German 2-disc release is anamorphic 1.78:1 and does have (English and German) DD 5.1 soundtracks...
http://discshop.com/dvdstation/product_body.asp?pf%5Fid=500392 . . .

 

[John CW]

Jeff what did they change from the beginning?? I thought it was all pretty spot on this time (haven't seen it, but I've read the book).
Shame! I thought this was the penultimate version!!

Dang!
~ John
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[Andrew 'Ange Hamm' Hamm]

I thought this was an all-around superb rendition of the Dune story. Yes, things were cut and things were changed, but FAR less than Lynch's version, and it seems to me that the cuts were for the purpose of taking out book-material that wouldn't have worked on the screen. The acting is understated and superb, as are the effects. But the whole set is worth buying just for the costumes.
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Andrew Hamm's new album Link Removed is available now!

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

John, the only thing I can recall off hand is the addition of Irulan to the banquet there. And I agree, I find this to be a more more acurate (and enjoyable) adaptation of the book.
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My DVD Collection

 

[Henry Carmona]

The acting is understated and superb

I must have seen a different movie.
i thought the acting by some of the characters was dry and without real emotion.
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"Charlie don't surf."

 

[Andrew 'Ange Hamm' Hamm]

I thought the acting by some of the characters was dry and without real emotion.

Well, I can certainly see how a viewer would feel that way. But, being an actor, I guess I'm looking for different things.
I think that the big reason Frank Herbert's Dune seemed cold to many people is how very European the production was, both in design and performance elements. I felt that the director found the perfect balance of passion and calculation in Paul and Jessica's characters especially, and left the furniture-chewing to the threatened powers; the Emperor, the Harkonnens, the Guild, etc. This is a story of intrigue and slow planning, it grows and progresses over time, and big Hollywood acting performances would not have worked for such a long, strange film. For a similar kind of reference point, see the performances in HBO's From the Earth to the Moon, which I felt had a similar vibe.
Of course, if you didn't like it you didn't like it. That's cool. This Dune was made with some real artistic goals in mind; it was not made to be a crowd-pleaser.
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Andrew Hamm's new album Link Removed is available now!

 

[Dave F]

Content-wise, it's very subjective. I prefer this version, others hate it. Disc-wise, I think everyone can agree it's a let down. As Jeff noted, infighting between companies resulted in a sub-standard release: non-anamorphic & no Dolby 5.1. The consumer got screwed on this one.

-Dave
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[Damin J Toell]

first off, i will admit that i only watched the first 2 parts, as i could not justify the waste of time of the 3rd part. anyway, all of the scenes that took place out in the desert had the production values of a bad high school play. this, combined with the needless and muddled story modifications and generally poor acting (Baron Harkonnen aside), made the miniseries verge on the unwatchable.
DJ

 

[Jeff Kleist]

I am an actor, and the acting was POOR. Too many people trying to hide their accents. Also, when the BACKDROP(that's right, too cheap for bluescreen) is waving during battle scenes, that should be a warning light to you. The Baron was good, but the rest, bleh.
The Lynch cast was superb, and the Lynch version captures the spirit and characters of the book. Outside of the sound guns, the Lynch keeps the story intact, and doesn't add, only subtracts.
As for the costumes, again the Lynch version was better, This one has the Reverend MOTH-er and her cowgirl entorage, as well as the Pastry-chef Saudaukar(OK, it was betterthan the trashbags from the Lynch movie) "Do not threaten me, or I will bake you into a fine crust!"
Jeff Kleist

 

[ErichH]

I'm shure it's just a LOCAL OPINION - but around here , this series
has been renamed Frank Herburts DUD . ................. Thump .........
Some Of Us Even Own Guilty Pleasure Movies
Just Our Opinion - We could be wrong .......
e

 

[Andrew 'Ange Hamm' Hamm]

Actually, as I read about the production, the backdrops were a bit more expensive than their bluescreen counterparts, and they were not chosen for cost purposes but for design reasons.
To each his own, I guess. It's a little brash, IMHO, for an artist to refer to another artist's work as "poor."
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Andrew Hamm's new album Link Removed is available now!

 

[John CW]

Jeff: Lynch changed a LOT of things from the book! And certainly added things too! Still, overall the tone does manage to keep with the book, although it never quite reaches the level it should have.
I'm intreged by this new version though: The most watched TV on the sci-fi channel ever, but with bad acting and awful back drops..... eek! That would REALLY grate!
I wish they'd show it over there (the UK) so I could make up my mind without having to import the German Anamorphic 5.1 version!
~ John
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[Jeff Kleist]

Seriously, I found the backdrops to be incredibly distracting. They should NOT be allowed to wave! I've taken to calling this the "stage version" of Dune.
Mind you, I love dry, series European style things. But the guy playing Paul was just BAD. William Hurt just failed as Leto, and I never really bought Stilgar at all(fine actor, bad casting). Oh for a chance to transport the Lynch cast 20 years into the future and have them on this. Perhaps they could have saved it