I liked the part where the shield effect completely obscured every single detail of the fight choreography because what this movie's performances really needed was LESS performances -R
Have you read the book? The fight sequences in the book were bad. The slow blade wins the duel WHAT A CRAP IDEA THAT WAS. There was no way have good details in that kind of fight, it would look even dumber. I think covering it up was the best thing they could other than the whole idea. Hey that would have been good, dump the whole damn movie.
@@ethelredhardrede1838 i think you seriously misunderstand the dueling in Dune. You don't literally have to be slow, it's more about precise timing and accuracy, you need to know how to be fast enough to land the blow but patient enough to get the timing right. speed and power won't get you anywhere against a shield.
@@petriew2018 " You don't literally have to be slow, " Yes you do. The shield blocked fast attacks because, Herbert. Now it has been a while since I last read it. I think three or 4 times total, including serialized in Analog. But I am pretty sure I have that right. Its the practice fight with Gurney and the future Mud Dauber that describes it. And the Freman are not good people. I remember thinking all the time that Paul was making a BIG mistake depending on them. Well that is ignoring the fact that he had no real choice. Oh and I think some of the over the top disgusting stuff with the Harkonens was to externalize the Barons personal sexual preferences, his own sons. And the Bene Geserit were not nice people either. Bunch of power mad users that only got worse as the series went on.
@@ethelredhardrede1838 With the Duels, the whole point is to make the fighting styles unique. You can attack quickly, but no quick attack can ever pierce through the shield, so those can only be disruptions and harassing moves. If you want to go in for a wound, you have to slow down your strike, meaning that you have to either fatigue your opponent or deceive your opponent into letting down their guard. If done correctly, it can lead to some interesting and intense fights. Unfortunately, that takes a lot of skill to be able to choreograph effectively. As to the point of everyone being power-hungry evil people that no person in their right mind would trust, welcome to politics. I hope you enjoy your stay.
Underrated comment. This movie was all practical effects. Models, rotoscoping, rear-projection and other tricks. It was straight up a technical feat for its time. The movie The Last Starfighter came out that same year. It had the most advanced CGI of its time. Go watch that. See the difference. Computers were just not that good yet.
Yeah, what we think of now as CG FX really didn't exist before Jurassic Park in '93. Look at Total Recall, which came out in '90. It's a lot of old-fashioned techniques: mattes, models, prosthetics, rear projection, rotoscopes, stop-motion.
Words cannot describe how much I love this universe. I love how Daniel hit on the 80s movie with the duct taped rat!! LOL its hard to get through now that I'm used to the modern cinematic cgi. I remember they came out with a TV show of it, but I cannot for the love of me find it anywhere at all. I never watched it when it was airing and I have no idea if it's any good or not. I cannot wait until the new one came out.
David lynch says that he didnt have final say about the movie. "Dune’ is a huge gigantic sadness in my life" he said in a interview"."I did not have final cut on that film. Total creative control, I didn’t have it. The film is not the film I would’ve made had I had that final control. It’s a bit of a sadness.”
Restraining creative control with some people (Hideo Kojima, George Lucas), is pretty much necessary. But from Lynch? It's like forcing Nolan to make a movie about something other than Time.
Yeah... I his semi auto biography Lynch said that his cut of the film was about 3-4 hours long... now just imagine how much they had to cut down. For example - the voice over wasn't in the movie originally. They had to add that in later because they cut it all down. And it really hurt David Lynch alot, so much, that he decided that he would never ever do another movie where he didn't have the final cut. It was one of those situations where art is restricted by business and marketability.
I'd hesitate to believe Lynch having done REAL research into it - he loved it and was devoted to it. The producers had most control but he didn't mind and liked that Frank approved of it. But when the movie failed he's basically tried to rewrite its history. Which is his right but don't believe much of what he says now. He's just embarrassed.
@@SinginVampireBlog I don't think the voiceovers were added later. Well, maybe the Irulan stuff, but the internal monologues feel very Lynchian, not like an afterthought. Also, you shouldn't take the extended version as any indication of Lynch's original intentions. Remember, that's the version he took his name off of, not the theatrical cut.
I like how was pretty open to a movie that deviated from his work. I love Allen Moore but him going out of his way to not be credited in movies based on his work seems petty to me. Like I get it. Nothing they make will never amount to your genius and DC screwed you over but you don’t need to be a prick about it.
I saw this movie as an adolescent, and never read the book until I was an adult. I have a deep love for this movie that actually made me even more excited to read the book. And yes, the book is a thousand times better, and showcases the glaring mistakes that were made in the movie, but I still love the movie. I’ve rewatched it numerous times lol. That being said, I’m very excited for the new movie (if the pandemic doesn’t just kill it, and with it any hope of the second half being made).
Exact same situation with movie and book. I just remember my dad quoting the movie all the time, like using the voice to tell me to pass the butter, lol. It's the definition of a cult classic.
Completely agree! So glad you said this, I was coming to the comments to say the same. I was definitely able to follow the story (although I obviously learned a lot more when I read the book.).
Space Pug has become a staple of this fandom, I still love that when the Gurney photos for the new movie came out, people photoshopped him wearing a pug in a baby bjorn to pay homage to the Patrick Stewart moment 😂
I thought the Spacing Guild depiction was good - ominous and weird, edging into the Uncanny Valley. Can't fault the rest of your points (but I still have a great nostalgic affection for it).
Lol I also like the design for the Spacing Guild. Idk why, maybe because they are supposed to look weird and it reminds me of other creatures in other David Lynch's films, like the baby in Eraserhead
And now I'm imagining a timeline where David Lynch explicitly showed the Ewoks eating the Stormtroopers after the battle. Why am I not objecting to this?
The water on Leto's hand was not sweat, it was salt spray, Calidan has huge, violent oceans and the Duke's palace was built on the cliffs overlooking them. Also the shot was not of his hands, it was of the signet ring.
I used to watch this movie quite a bit when I was a kid, with my dad. I liked it, though I didn't quite understand it. I should give it a rewatch. And I should probably read the books hehe.
I saw this in the theatre when it came out. They actually handed out a one page syllabus to explain the some of the words used in the movie, when you bought your ticket.
Truth, it was extraordinary for its time - I remember being blown away in the theater, stunned by the richness and world-building of the film. It's nearly impossible to retroactively be objective about films from another era, we can't rewind our perceptions to see them as they looked to the eyes of that time.
Lynch's Dune is for me what tasting coffee for the first time was like; "that was not great but I like it!" - and now I am hooked. On another note: referring to the brilliant Kyle MacLachlan as "the dude from Twin Peaks..." how dare you! ;-)
I remember Frank Herbert, at a Worldcon before the release, saying that it starts where Dune starts, and ends where Dune ends, and he hears his words in between. Which shows that authors may not be the best people to ask about film adaptations.
I have a love/hate relationship with this movie as a Dune fan and a David Lynch fan...i think the biggest travesty in the movie is a misunderstanding of the novel's themes and the awful ending (and the unintentionally hilarious death of Baron Harkonnen)
I do think the whole third act after paul has met with the fremen (although incredibly rushed - that se whole second half of the story is turned into a fast forward climax) makes Paul ominous and authoritarian, so that's kind of successful at conveying the themes - it's just that the movie's pace is baffling. Also that movie is incredibly claustrophobic : Arakeen is the main set of the story and it's all narrow and dark corridors, the desert is clearly a small set with a dark sky - It's fun and interesting but it does not do much justice to the gravitas and scale of the novel.
Now imagine what Return of the Jedi would have been should Lynch have accepted the request to direct it. And respect the fact that Lynch had the foresight to turn it down.
I rewatched it recently after having just read the book, and to be honest, knowing the book for once (I've seen it like 4 times in my life I think), I actually thought they did a pretty good job. I thought the internal narration stuff fit with the book well. Sorry if I'm not one of the "COOooOooOOl KiiIidDs" who hate it.
😂 I agree! So much of the characters' interactions - especially their interactions with Paul - are layered; there are layers to how they view each other and how their view changes, and they rarely if ever say what they really think. Even if it wasn't exposition, or the person thought something I already knew, those inner monologues told me something about that character.
If you want a fever dream, read Gene Wolfe’s THE BOOK OF THE NEW SUN. He really doesn’t get enough credit for the mad genius he was. It’s one of my all-time favorite fantasy series and I never hear anyone talking about it.
@@aprilkhaito There's a podcast that talks about the books here: The Gene Wolfe Literary Podcast, www.claytemplemedia.com/the-gene-wolfe-literary-podcast. I think it talks about some other stuff than just Gene Wolfe, but he should be in there (it's in the name!). I haven't listened to it yet...
I watched this movie repeatedly as a kid, its what sparked my love of science fiction. Its great, and I absolutely love it! However, years later, when I finally read the book, I was shocked at how different they were. I'm still disappointed that there was no sound weapons in the book, but impressed because that made the Fremen that much more badass.
I'm one of those people who genuinely loves this movie, massive flaws and all. I absolutely love the campy crazy visual look & design of the movie, I love the soundtrack, and ALL the Lynchian weirdness. You need to see more Lynch films -- Dune's weirdness ain't got nothin' on most of his other work. :)
I watched this movie at 8 years old, along with the Matrix and Ghost in the Shell. It had an invaluable impact on me creatively, and despite being a godawful adaptation it still manages to be a good film despite it's problems. David lynch's dune shows how important it is to let creators experiment and not design by committee because the entire movie is chock full of scenes that stick with you forever and in a good way.
Hard agree! I thought it was so creative and gave another layer/more emphasis to his Fremen names. Also I may get killed for this, but I was honestly a little disappointed when I finally read the book and it was just... regular fighting. A special technique, like Daniel said, more martial arts style, but still, hand-to-hand combat.
The Baron Harkonnen is Paul Atreides Grandfather, he's Lady Jessica's father, that makes them the Baron's actual heirs. Glossu Rabban is the Baron's nephew and Feyd-Rautha (Sting) is Glossu's son, I always thought they were brothers.
I saw the movie a few times before ever having read the book. The movie actually works better as a stand-alone than as an adaptation. Without the baggage and expectation of what Dune truly is, it’s easier to understand and somewhat enjoy the film. It’s by comparison that it really fails almost completely.
At 10:02, the "sweat" on his hand wasn't sweat; it was moisture from the sea. It was meant to show how Paul would be deprived of what he found everywhere easily on his homeworld: water.
I recently watched this movie just after finishing the book. This movie was a mess. It completely missed the point of the book with Paul actually being a messianic figure in the movie. The one thing I liked about the movie is Patrick Stewart as Gurney. Patrick Stewart automatically makes anything better.
I watched Dune Part 2 with my girlfriend’s dad. Afterwards, he said he enjoyed it, but was disappointed since he was confused where the voice guns went because of how important they seemed in the original plot.
This was so fun to watch! I love the 1980's Dune film even though it does not accurately represent the book. "fever dream" is the perfect tag line. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Worst. Hats. Ever. Also, I hated the cinematography on those... it looks so fake to me. Admittedly I had just taken courses at film school covering the technique used, and because of that I could not stop seeing it... it's like that scene in Fight Club that points out the burn marks at the end of the reel, and then you can't stop seeing them.
I remember it being played alot when I was young. I didn't really get it but I did remember the basic plot His family is attacked he run away with his mom. They get chased by BIG FING WORMS then find some desert people with weird blue eyes. He gets a new sister and a girlfriend. Then gets revenge and marrys the princess but keeps his girlfriend. I vaguely remember the Baron i may have blocked him mostly out I read the book when I was 15 and barely got all of it. I had to reread it a few times to really understand everything because there is so much.
The Cat and Mouse joke was in the books, it creates a anti venom, that keeps fufuer alive, the venom that fufer has broke his mentat training. so its viscous cycle.
My favourite part is when the SFX team was subjected to mountains of lung ripping crushed glass as the ‘sand’ so they had to wear full on 80’s ventilators and HOPE, instead of using like….flour.
It is by will alone I set my mind in motion. It is by the juice of Sapho that thoughts acquire speed, the lips acquire stains, stains become a warning. It is by will alone I set my mind in motion.
Like most David Lynch projects it's weird and strange and uncomfortable but for some reason i really, really like Dune. I've seen it many times and even though I cringe at some moments the overall story is so good and the weird stuff is still kind of kitchy and fun.
The producer, Dino DeLaurentis, demanded the movie be cut to under two hours. So that’s why there’s so many jumps and monologues and Lynch hates it. There’s an original version out there on a cutting room floor somewhere.
I read the book -because- of this movie. I grew up watching this movie as a child after seeing it in theaters, and loved it. Does it have problems? Sure. But I absolutely LOVED it.
I had by the time this movie hit theater screens had read the book twice. So while confused by some of the aesthetic decisions, I was able to follow along with the plot. My friends, who had not read the books, weren't able to and left the theater very confused and a little angry that I had dragged them to see it.
Weird, kinda surreal, silly, but with moments of...well, fascinating profundity and atmosphere ("Tell me of your homeworld, Usul." "Father, the sleeper has awakened!") I still like it even if it is a mess of a film, because I am a Lynch fan, aaaand Dune is a great story anyway ! The Spacing Guild is weird. The Mentats are weird. The Fremen are strange. Good. The inner dialogue stuff is just like the internal thoughts (in italics) with lots of characters in the actual Dune book(s) which is part of Herbert's narrative style and way of character development and worldbuilding. You read a lot of folks' thoughts during dialogue, and this works well with the theme of telepathy actually. But in the film it doesn't translate too well, however I like it (I also kind of prefer the version of Bladerunner (an utterly different movie and a masterpiece really) where you hear Deckard telling parts of the story.) But things like Princess Irulan's voice going "Paul's love for Chani grew" come out of nowhere and are simply terrible. The weirding way becomes in the film a sonic weapon, which is more sci fi raygun that producers thought would be more actiony and prolly easier to pull off. The worm is a big plastic bag, very funny. Rain, yeah, no. The summing up rushed thing with Alia is pretty terrible too. But Dale Cooper having a knife fight with Sting, come on!
Absolutely agree with every point made, especially the unnecessarily gross things. This movie is also responsible for so many people thinking Paul is a hero.
I grew up on this movie, first saw it when i was just a kid, and so had no idea the book even existed. One thing to note: effects were mostly optical in that day and age. Getting blurry boxes was state of the art at that point. The rest is physical models, puppets, etc. I always get a kick out of the sandrider sequence, especially the music, despite how bonkers it is... and maybe because it IS bonkers. Hell, they’re riding giant alien worms. Fuck yeah I want a guitar sting for that! I’m looking for the next adapatations to kind of be more faithful like the miniseries, but have high production values and original visuals like the Lynch film.
I was shocked. Just shocked after watching this film and having read the Dune series. I guess everyone had to eventually make a video about their experience after watching that wreck of a film. Edit: Lynch had a 3.5 h cut which had emphasis most likely on the most important scenes... like heck the journey through the desert of Paul and Jessica is like rushed and gets 4 minutes...
I'm always amazed when I hear people don't like this film. I saw it ages ago without knowing everyone else's opinion and was all, "HOLY COW THIS IS AWESOME!" and only later read that I was meant to hate it. Which confused me. And you know what? It's fine that I like it. It's a good film. It took a huge amount of effort from everyone involved. And just because Dune isn't EXACTLY like the book doesn't mean it's awful. I hadn't read the book when I first saw it, and didn't know the story...but didn't find it confusing in the least. I understood the plot and was able to follow it. And when I read the book afterwards I really enjoyed the book. Both are great. I like them both.
The movie Still Suits were nowhere near book accurate, but their design was amazing. The personal shield effects were fantastic and never seen before at the time this movie came out. In 1984 no-one had seen shields like that before.
I’m an obsessive Dune fan. I watched this movie, then the fan edit of this movie (better), then the SYFY adaptation. Please watch the SYFY miniseries. Its surprisingly good and extremely watchable. It nails the vibes of early 2000s Star Trek/TV-sci-fi quality, complete with silly hats. It’s even available free on RUclips (with Portuguese captions, of course). Weirdly SYFY barely acknowledges it exists despite it breaking all of their broadcast records at the time and actually pulling them out of a rough financial period. It’s basically a trilogy length and after watching it I had a much improved outlook on how feasible it was to make Dune as a modern film.
My grandpa showed me this movie when I was a kid out camping with him in his RV. I remember liking it but all I really remember about it was how gross the Baron was lol.
I imagine that the White Walkers of the Ice and Fire novels are somehow zombie Fremen and that's why they have blue eyes. The Night King is just undead Paul Atreides, undoing his son's Golden Path somehow. Bran and the 3-eyed raven have the last stockpile of spice. Melisandre is the last Honored Matre. The House of Black and white are the last Face Dancers of the Bene Tleilax. the Targaryen dragons are advanced/evolved Shai-hulu worms! I could go on and on LOL
Well, the inner monologues always add something - a unique tone. this movie is different, it is supposed to be different. Lynch maybe distanced himself from the movie or even said it's his worst movie - that's because he knows he could make it even crazier... And crazy Dune I'm craving for, Dune is crazy, always was. It should never have been mainstream.
I love your review, excellent! This being said, my experience with the film was far different. I first saw this iteration of Dune on VHS, not long after the theatrical film left theaters. For me, this film was a life-changing event, having watched it with the Star Wars saga firmly embedded in my brain, and then watching Dune! Being in my early teens, I appreciated the more serious tone, amidst the at times, bizarre visuals, and perhaps it was a result of when I watched it, but David Lynch's Dune prompted me to read and reread the Frank Herbert novels. From research I've done on the film, and this information is reasonably, widely available, David Lynch had wanted to split the film into two separate films, however when this idea was rejected, and he turned in an almost 3 hour cut of the film, control was taken away from him. Hence the inner monologues being added in post production, along with the introduction and random narration from the Princess. I can honestly say though that, watching it as an early teenager, I not only loved David Lynch's Dune, but I also understood it with no difficulties the first time watching. It also became my favorite film of all time, which I know may seem strange, but it is true. The film isn't what David Lynch wanted it to be, and control being taken away from him was the worst mistake that was made.
I watched this movie as a child and I was so confused that it kept me from reading the book, even though I had heard great things about the book. I finally read it this year because the new movie trailer intrigued me enough to read it and I am glad I did, because it is a great book.
The cat milking 😂 I don’t think I’ve laughed this hard watching RUclips. Lynch’s Dune movie was my gateway to the book series so I’m thankful for that - but boy, was there some strange stuff to unpack and you nailed it. The only thing I disagreed with you on was that the 2 hour run time was substantial enough to tell the story well. There were significant character-building plot points that were cut out like Feyd’s time in the gladiator ring, the Paul vs. Jamis fight as an initiation into the Fremen tribe and tragically Jessica was such an afterthought. I hope Villeneuve can work those scenes into his two films. Please review Jodorowsky’s Dune next! Would love to hear your take on his creative vision for the film.
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Rory is pregnant by Logan.
I liked the part where the shield effect completely obscured every single detail of the fight choreography because what this movie's performances really needed was LESS performances -R
Modern Classics Summarized: Dune confirmed?
Have you read the book? The fight sequences in the book were bad. The slow blade wins the duel WHAT A CRAP IDEA THAT WAS.
There was no way have good details in that kind of fight, it would look even dumber. I think covering it up was the best thing they could other than the whole idea.
Hey that would have been good, dump the whole damn movie.
@@ethelredhardrede1838 i think you seriously misunderstand the dueling in Dune. You don't literally have to be slow, it's more about precise timing and accuracy, you need to know how to be fast enough to land the blow but patient enough to get the timing right. speed and power won't get you anywhere against a shield.
@@petriew2018
" You don't literally have to be slow, "
Yes you do. The shield blocked fast attacks because, Herbert.
Now it has been a while since I last read it. I think three or 4 times total, including serialized in Analog. But I am pretty sure I have that right. Its the practice fight with Gurney and the future Mud Dauber that describes it.
And the Freman are not good people. I remember thinking all the time that Paul was making a BIG mistake depending on them. Well that is ignoring the fact that he had no real choice.
Oh and I think some of the over the top disgusting stuff with the Harkonens was to externalize the Barons personal sexual preferences, his own sons.
And the Bene Geserit were not nice people either. Bunch of power mad users that only got worse as the series went on.
@@ethelredhardrede1838 With the Duels, the whole point is to make the fighting styles unique. You can attack quickly, but no quick attack can ever pierce through the shield, so those can only be disruptions and harassing moves. If you want to go in for a wound, you have to slow down your strike, meaning that you have to either fatigue your opponent or deceive your opponent into letting down their guard. If done correctly, it can lead to some interesting and intense fights. Unfortunately, that takes a lot of skill to be able to choreograph effectively.
As to the point of everyone being power-hungry evil people that no person in their right mind would trust, welcome to politics. I hope you enjoy your stay.
The shields were not CGI! They were rotoscoped; this is hand-drawn animation!
Underrated comment. This movie was all practical effects. Models, rotoscoping, rear-projection and other tricks. It was straight up a technical feat for its time. The movie The Last Starfighter came out that same year. It had the most advanced CGI of its time. Go watch that. See the difference. Computers were just not that good yet.
Yeah, what we think of now as CG FX really didn't exist before Jurassic Park in '93. Look at Total Recall, which came out in '90. It's a lot of old-fashioned techniques: mattes, models, prosthetics, rear projection, rotoscopes, stop-motion.
Either way the shields look goofy and its hard to tell how the people are fighting in it
@@Railstar1976 Yeah, but the Last Starfighter was still a much better 80's sci fi film.
@@1perspective286 Totally agree.
I love it when Paul is so powerful that he makes Arrakis rain, killing the worms, stopping the spice, and ending the universe because of it.
how can this be?... .For he is the Kwisatz Haderach!!
Words cannot describe how much I love this universe.
I love how Daniel hit on the 80s movie with the duct taped rat!! LOL its hard to get through now that I'm used to the modern cinematic cgi.
I remember they came out with a TV show of it, but I cannot for the love of me find it anywhere at all. I never watched it when it was airing and I have no idea if it's any good or not.
I cannot wait until the new one came out.
Lmao, it's almost as if his threat to destroy the spice in order to take the imperial throne didn't really matter
The universe doesnt end because of it, only the space travel, the worms and the spacing guild ends becausr of it
@@souvikdas3636 If the spacing guild ends, then there is no longer planetary communication therefore collapsing the galactic society.
David lynch says that he didnt have final say about the movie. "Dune’ is a huge gigantic sadness in my life" he said in a interview"."I did not have final cut on that film. Total creative control, I didn’t have it. The film is not the film I would’ve made had I had that final control. It’s a bit of a sadness.”
Restraining creative control with some people (Hideo Kojima, George Lucas), is pretty much necessary. But from Lynch? It's like forcing Nolan to make a movie about something other than Time.
Yeah... I his semi auto biography Lynch said that his cut of the film was about 3-4 hours long... now just imagine how much they had to cut down. For example - the voice over wasn't in the movie originally. They had to add that in later because they cut it all down. And it really hurt David Lynch alot, so much, that he decided that he would never ever do another movie where he didn't have the final cut. It was one of those situations where art is restricted by business and marketability.
I'd hesitate to believe Lynch having done REAL research into it - he loved it and was devoted to it. The producers had most control but he didn't mind and liked that Frank approved of it. But when the movie failed he's basically tried to rewrite its history. Which is his right but don't believe much of what he says now. He's just embarrassed.
@@SinginVampireBlog I don't think the voiceovers were added later. Well, maybe the Irulan stuff, but the internal monologues feel very Lynchian, not like an afterthought. Also, you shouldn't take the extended version as any indication of Lynch's original intentions. Remember, that's the version he took his name off of, not the theatrical cut.
I low key kinda love this movie more and more the further I get from it. It’s such an enjoyable mess!
Ikkkkk it’s the best parody of anything out there
You're a busy man, but try giving the Dune miniseries a shot as well.
In its own way, it is also fascinating and flawed.
The guilty pleasure of all Dune fans.
The slimeball nipple tubes are slowly getting repressed, I see
This movie is hilarious, I gotta say.
Also, for the record, Frank Herbert said he likes the movie and thought it was faithful to the spirit of the book despite the changes.
I really feel that as many mistakes as the film has that it really gets that weirdness and vibe that the book has
I like how was pretty open to a movie that deviated from his work. I love Allen Moore but him going out of his way to not be credited in movies based on his work seems petty to me. Like I get it. Nothing they make will never amount to your genius and DC screwed you over but you don’t need to be a prick about it.
David Lynch was on spice while doing this movie
Is it possible in the Dune universe to actually do that. I haven't read it yet.
When is Lynch not on drugs?
*This* movie? Have you seen his other works?
@@cybersketcher1130 Not really. At best you'll learn about how the film will be received when you finish making it.
"The guy from Twin Peaks. Really notable names." -Daniel 2021
I saw this movie as an adolescent, and never read the book until I was an adult. I have a deep love for this movie that actually made me even more excited to read the book. And yes, the book is a thousand times better, and showcases the glaring mistakes that were made in the movie, but I still love the movie. I’ve rewatched it numerous times lol. That being said, I’m very excited for the new movie (if the pandemic doesn’t just kill it, and with it any hope of the second half being made).
Exactly my thoughts
Exact same situation with movie and book. I just remember my dad quoting the movie all the time, like using the voice to tell me to pass the butter, lol. It's the definition of a cult classic.
+100%
Completely agree! So glad you said this, I was coming to the comments to say the same. I was definitely able to follow the story (although I obviously learned a lot more when I read the book.).
that's me too, it just such a beautiful mess
DANIEL GREENE: "Granted, they gave themselves two full hours. That's a good amount of hours to handle Dune."
DENIS VILLENEUVE HAS LEFT THE CHAT.
Not gonna lie, I was just there for Mostly Naked Sting when I saw it in theatres back in the day.
A-men!
Dang, Daniel hit my mans Kyle MachLachlan with the "That guy from Twin Peaks" slam... damn...
Space Pug has become a staple of this fandom, I still love that when the Gurney photos for the new movie came out, people photoshopped him wearing a pug in a baby bjorn to pay homage to the Patrick Stewart moment 😂
I thought the Spacing Guild depiction was good - ominous and weird, edging into the Uncanny Valley. Can't fault the rest of your points (but I still have a great nostalgic affection for it).
Lol I also like the design for the Spacing Guild. Idk why, maybe because they are supposed to look weird and it reminds me of other creatures in other David Lynch's films, like the baby in Eraserhead
I bought the DVD for this at a garage sale a couple of years back, It was a VHS rip and probably the best way to watch that movie
I second the motion that you watch the documentary Jodowrosky's Dune.
It's so strange that David Lynch made this lmao. Fun fact, George Lucas wanted David Lynch to direct Return of the Jedi.
That is my favorite movie. So the one redeeming quality of Dune, is that Lynch rather executed his ideas in here.
And now I'm imagining a timeline where David Lynch explicitly showed the Ewoks eating the Stormtroopers after the battle.
Why am I not objecting to this?
@@bretsheeley4034 trust me, in that timeline. Can imagine Jabba in Leto II form?
Palatine is revealed to not be "real". He's a manifestation of the antagony between Vader and Luke.
I'd watch it.
That'd be like the Last Jedi of the og trilogy.
All I can say is "FATHER THE SLEEPER HAS AWAKEDED"
And how can this be!? For he is the Kwisatz Haderach!!!
The water on Leto's hand was not sweat, it was salt spray, Calidan has huge, violent oceans and the Duke's palace was built on the cliffs overlooking them. Also the shot was not of his hands, it was of the signet ring.
I used to watch this movie quite a bit when I was a kid, with my dad. I liked it, though I didn't quite understand it. I should give it a rewatch. And I should probably read the books hehe.
I saw this in the theatre when it came out. They actually handed out a one page syllabus to explain the some of the words used in the movie, when you bought your ticket.
My girlfriend sends me gifs of the Baron to retailiate for bad jokes. I send her Sting gifs.
This film is a lethal weapon.
Truth, it was extraordinary for its time - I remember being blown away in the theater, stunned by the richness and world-building of the film. It's nearly impossible to retroactively be objective about films from another era, we can't rewind our perceptions to see them as they looked to the eyes of that time.
Lynch's Dune is for me what tasting coffee for the first time was like; "that was not great but I like it!" - and now I am hooked.
On another note: referring to the brilliant Kyle MacLachlan as "the dude from Twin Peaks..." how dare you! ;-)
All of the sets, costuming, cinematography in this movie are absolutely stunning regardless of what anyone says
And there are some iconic performances, and the music is just terrific!
I love this movie. Is it a weird hot mess? Yes, absolutely but you will never, ever see anything else quite like it.
I remember Frank Herbert, at a Worldcon before the release, saying that it starts where Dune starts, and ends where Dune ends, and he hears his words in between. Which shows that authors may not be the best people to ask about film adaptations.
I consider the 84 Dune akin to Watching Opera on a Rollercoaster.
I have a love/hate relationship with this movie as a Dune fan and a David Lynch fan...i think the biggest travesty in the movie is a misunderstanding of the novel's themes and the awful ending (and the unintentionally hilarious death of Baron Harkonnen)
I do think the whole third act after paul has met with the fremen (although incredibly rushed - that se whole second half of the story is turned into a fast forward climax) makes Paul ominous and authoritarian, so that's kind of successful at conveying the themes - it's just that the movie's pace is baffling.
Also that movie is incredibly claustrophobic : Arakeen is the main set of the story and it's all narrow and dark corridors, the desert is clearly a small set with a dark sky - It's fun and interesting but it does not do much justice to the gravitas and scale of the novel.
@@maximeteppe7627 At least Arrakis actually feels hot in this movie, unlike the Villeneuve version.
Now imagine what Return of the Jedi would have been should Lynch have accepted the request to direct it.
And respect the fact that Lynch had the foresight to turn it down.
I rewatched it recently after having just read the book, and to be honest, knowing the book for once (I've seen it like 4 times in my life I think), I actually thought they did a pretty good job. I thought the internal narration stuff fit with the book well. Sorry if I'm not one of the "COOooOooOOl KiiIidDs" who hate it.
😂 I agree! So much of the characters' interactions - especially their interactions with Paul - are layered; there are layers to how they view each other and how their view changes, and they rarely if ever say what they really think. Even if it wasn't exposition, or the person thought something I already knew, those inner monologues told me something about that character.
People dislike it simply because it's unusual. Most people don't like the unfamiliar.
0:00 I'm guessing the movie isn't as great as the book is it? XD
If you want a fever dream, read Gene Wolfe’s THE BOOK OF THE NEW SUN. He really doesn’t get enough credit for the mad genius he was. It’s one of my all-time favorite fantasy series and I never hear anyone talking about it.
It's more popular among academic circles of literary criticism who also like fantasy I think.
@@marioksoresalhillick299 That’s true. It definitely doesn’t have standard fantasy plotting/style.
@@aprilkhaito There's a podcast that talks about the books here: The Gene Wolfe Literary Podcast, www.claytemplemedia.com/the-gene-wolfe-literary-podcast. I think it talks about some other stuff than just Gene Wolfe, but he should be in there (it's in the name!). I haven't listened to it yet...
The best way I have herd this movie described:
'even when it is bad, it is never boring'.
Highly, highly recommend jodorowsky's Dune. It's one of the best docs I've seen and feels so important now that a Dune remake is near.
I love the weirdness and absurdity of this movie. But I definitely consider it and the book to be two very separate and distinct entities.
OK since you brought it up you need to review "Re-Animator". I mean it is a cult classic too. : )
Everything you say here is why it’s great!
I don’t think there is any cgi in this, it’s optical effects, or animation in the case of the shields.
Yeah, there's no CGI. These kid reviewers have no knowledge of film history.
"Dune is a lot" might just sum up the work better than any other review I've read or heard. Somebody put that on the book cover.
I watched this movie repeatedly as a kid, its what sparked my love of science fiction. Its great, and I absolutely love it! However, years later, when I finally read the book, I was shocked at how different they were. I'm still disappointed that there was no sound weapons in the book, but impressed because that made the Fremen that much more badass.
David Lynch: One of the most creative and intelligent writers of our time
David Lynch: he also made dune 🙃
I have so much affection for this movie. They really, really went for it. LONG LIVE THE FIGHTERS!
I was 16 and buzzing late at night when 1st saw.. Started my sci-fi love
it`s one of my guilty pleasures... and I`m getting guiltier by the year
As a dune fan, I fully acknowledge all its failings. I still love it unironically
yup me too
The only good thing to come out of this movie is that if I ever reread the book, I will imagine Gurney Hallek as Patrick Stewart.
It felt like if you combined youtube movie clips to complete a movie but still you didn’t have 40% of the runtime.
I'm one of those people who genuinely loves this movie, massive flaws and all. I absolutely love the campy crazy visual look & design of the movie, I love the soundtrack, and ALL the Lynchian weirdness. You need to see more Lynch films -- Dune's weirdness ain't got nothin' on most of his other work. :)
See I was going back and forth deciding if I should watch it since it’s on HBO
Max now I gotta see it 🤷🏻♀️
I watched this movie at 8 years old, along with the Matrix and Ghost in the Shell. It had an invaluable impact on me creatively, and despite being a godawful adaptation it still manages to be a good film despite it's problems. David lynch's dune shows how important it is to let creators experiment and not design by committee because the entire movie is chock full of scenes that stick with you forever and in a good way.
Maybe i'm the only one but i thought that the weirding modules were a nice scifi weapon, nothing to do with Dune but a great concept imo
Hard agree! I thought it was so creative and gave another layer/more emphasis to his Fremen names. Also I may get killed for this, but I was honestly a little disappointed when I finally read the book and it was just... regular fighting. A special technique, like Daniel said, more martial arts style, but still, hand-to-hand combat.
Patrick Stewart carrying a Pug into battle is the best part.
I always *liked* the shields, the blocky brown square look was really unique! Looking back on it it could have been done a bit better I guess
It reminds me of Tron. Which to me means it's good.
The Spicediver's fan edit is the far superior version of this movie. Must watch!
I’m surprised you didn’t mention Sting in a speedo 😂
The Baron Harkonnen is Paul Atreides Grandfather, he's Lady Jessica's father, that makes them the Baron's actual heirs.
Glossu Rabban is the Baron's nephew and Feyd-Rautha (Sting) is Glossu's son, I always thought they were brothers.
Watching a modern SFX team watch it, and one guy was just rubbing his face going ‘oh, my GOD what IS THIS STORY?!?”
I saw the movie a few times before ever having read the book. The movie actually works better as a stand-alone than as an adaptation. Without the baggage and expectation of what Dune truly is, it’s easier to understand and somewhat enjoy the film. It’s by comparison that it really fails almost completely.
At 10:02, the "sweat" on his hand wasn't sweat; it was moisture from the sea. It was meant to show how Paul would be deprived of what he found everywhere easily on his homeworld: water.
I recently watched this movie just after finishing the book. This movie was a mess. It completely missed the point of the book with Paul actually being a messianic figure in the movie. The one thing I liked about the movie is Patrick Stewart as Gurney. Patrick Stewart automatically makes anything better.
I watched Dune Part 2 with my girlfriend’s dad. Afterwards, he said he enjoyed it, but was disappointed since he was confused where the voice guns went because of how important they seemed in the original plot.
This was so fun to watch! I love the 1980's Dune film even though it does not accurately represent the book. "fever dream" is the perfect tag line. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
This movie is awesome, if you didn't read the book you will be lost. This movie was made in 84 and the effects are still great.
I had no problem understanding this movie without reading the book. If you pay attention during the infodumps, it's all made very clear.
Dune was done better in the 2000 and 2003 mini series, going thrue the first three books. Made by the Sci-Fi Chanel.
The only issue with the Sci-Fi Channel's version was that it looked like a made-for-tv movie. Which it was.
Worst. Hats. Ever.
Also, I hated the cinematography on those... it looks so fake to me. Admittedly I had just taken courses at film school covering the technique used, and because of that I could not stop seeing it... it's like that scene in Fight Club that points out the burn marks at the end of the reel, and then you can't stop seeing them.
I remember it being played alot when I was young. I didn't really get it but I did remember the basic plot
His family is attacked he run away with his mom.
They get chased by BIG FING WORMS then find some desert people with weird blue eyes.
He gets a new sister and a girlfriend.
Then gets revenge and marrys the princess but keeps his girlfriend.
I vaguely remember the Baron i may have blocked him mostly out
I read the book when I was 15 and barely got all of it. I had to reread it a few times to really understand everything because there is so much.
The Cat and Mouse joke was in the books, it creates a anti venom, that keeps fufuer alive, the venom that fufer has broke his mentat training. so its viscous cycle.
My favourite part is when the SFX team was subjected to mountains of lung ripping crushed glass as the ‘sand’ so they had to wear full on 80’s ventilators and HOPE, instead of using like….flour.
It is by will alone I set my mind in motion. It is by the juice of Sapho that thoughts acquire speed, the lips acquire stains, stains become a warning. It is by will alone I set my mind in motion.
I use to watch this all the time. I'm looking foreword to seeing Dune 2021.
My favorite book, I love the movie too for what it is.
Like most David Lynch projects it's weird and strange and uncomfortable but for some reason i really, really like Dune. I've seen it many times and even though I cringe at some moments the overall story is so good and the weird stuff is still kind of kitchy and fun.
The producer, Dino DeLaurentis, demanded the movie be cut to under two hours. So that’s why there’s so many jumps and monologues and Lynch hates it. There’s an original version out there on a cutting room floor somewhere.
I read the book -because- of this movie. I grew up watching this movie as a child after seeing it in theaters, and loved it. Does it have problems? Sure. But I absolutely LOVED it.
I had by the time this movie hit theater screens had read the book twice. So while confused by some of the aesthetic decisions, I was able to follow along with the plot. My friends, who had not read the books, weren't able to and left the theater very confused and a little angry that I had dragged them to see it.
There is a 4 hour cut of the film that you NEED to see.
Weird, kinda surreal, silly, but with moments of...well, fascinating profundity and atmosphere ("Tell me of your homeworld, Usul." "Father, the sleeper has awakened!") I still like it even if it is a mess of a film, because I am a Lynch fan, aaaand Dune is a great story anyway !
The Spacing Guild is weird. The Mentats are weird. The Fremen are strange. Good.
The inner dialogue stuff is just like the internal thoughts (in italics) with lots of characters in the actual Dune book(s) which is part of Herbert's narrative style and way of character development and worldbuilding. You read a lot of folks' thoughts during dialogue, and this works well with the theme of telepathy actually. But in the film it doesn't translate too well, however I like it (I also kind of prefer the version of Bladerunner (an utterly different movie and a masterpiece really) where you hear Deckard telling parts of the story.) But things like Princess Irulan's voice going "Paul's love for Chani grew" come out of nowhere and are simply terrible.
The weirding way becomes in the film a sonic weapon, which is more sci fi raygun that producers thought would be more actiony and prolly easier to pull off.
The worm is a big plastic bag, very funny.
Rain, yeah, no.
The summing up rushed thing with Alia is pretty terrible too.
But Dale Cooper having a knife fight with Sting, come on!
Absolutely agree with every point made, especially the unnecessarily gross things.
This movie is also responsible for so many people thinking Paul is a hero.
I still love it.
I grew up on this movie, first saw it when i was just a kid, and so had no idea the book even existed. One thing to note: effects were mostly optical in that day and age. Getting blurry boxes was state of the art at that point. The rest is physical models, puppets, etc. I always get a kick out of the sandrider sequence, especially the music, despite how bonkers it is... and maybe because it IS bonkers. Hell, they’re riding giant alien worms. Fuck yeah I want a guitar sting for that! I’m looking for the next adapatations to kind of be more faithful like the miniseries, but have high production values and original visuals like the Lynch film.
There is no CGI in Lynch's movie.
I was shocked. Just shocked after watching this film and having read the Dune series. I guess everyone had to eventually make a video about their experience after watching that wreck of a film. Edit: Lynch had a 3.5 h cut which had emphasis most likely on the most important scenes... like heck the journey through the desert of Paul and Jessica is like rushed and gets 4 minutes...
I'm always amazed when I hear people don't like this film. I saw it ages ago without knowing everyone else's opinion and was all, "HOLY COW THIS IS AWESOME!" and only later read that I was meant to hate it. Which confused me.
And you know what? It's fine that I like it. It's a good film. It took a huge amount of effort from everyone involved. And just because Dune isn't EXACTLY like the book doesn't mean it's awful. I hadn't read the book when I first saw it, and didn't know the story...but didn't find it confusing in the least. I understood the plot and was able to follow it. And when I read the book afterwards I really enjoyed the book. Both are great. I like them both.
The movie Still Suits were nowhere near book accurate, but their design was amazing. The personal shield effects were fantastic and never seen before at the time this movie came out. In 1984 no-one had seen shields like that before.
I’m an obsessive Dune fan. I watched this movie, then the fan edit of this movie (better), then the SYFY adaptation. Please watch the SYFY miniseries. Its surprisingly good and extremely watchable. It nails the vibes of early 2000s Star Trek/TV-sci-fi quality, complete with silly hats. It’s even available free on RUclips (with Portuguese captions, of course). Weirdly SYFY barely acknowledges it exists despite it breaking all of their broadcast records at the time and actually pulling them out of a rough financial period. It’s basically a trilogy length and after watching it I had a much improved outlook on how feasible it was to make Dune as a modern film.
My grandpa showed me this movie when I was a kid out camping with him in his RV. I remember liking it but all I really remember about it was how gross the Baron was lol.
I didn't like David Lynch's Dune before I read the book, and really don't like it now that I have.
I honestly thought the score was amazing though.
Also I thought Irulan was the best cast character in it.
Every second of this movie was spectacular. I have no idea what you're talking about.
Idk i had a blast watching it
Made me wanna read the book to see how different it is
I imagine that the White Walkers of the Ice and Fire novels are somehow zombie Fremen and that's why they have blue eyes.
The Night King is just undead Paul Atreides, undoing his son's Golden Path somehow.
Bran and the 3-eyed raven have the last stockpile of spice. Melisandre is the last Honored Matre.
The House of Black and white are the last Face Dancers of the Bene Tleilax.
the Targaryen dragons are advanced/evolved Shai-hulu worms! I could go on and on LOL
There's some strong Terry Gilliam vibes in there, it's like if Brazil forgot not to take itself seriously.
The title ‘Dune (1984)’ sounds like it would make for an epic crossover.
I'd watch it
Well, the inner monologues always add something - a unique tone. this movie is different, it is supposed to be different. Lynch maybe distanced himself from the movie or even said it's his worst movie - that's because he knows he could make it even crazier... And crazy Dune I'm craving for, Dune is crazy, always was. It should never have been mainstream.
Watch the spice divers redux version. Its adds in a lot that Lynch was forced to cut and makes it a lot more cohesive.
I love your review, excellent! This being said, my experience with the film was far different. I first saw this iteration of Dune on VHS, not long after the theatrical film left theaters. For me, this film was a life-changing event, having watched it with the Star Wars saga firmly embedded in my brain, and then watching Dune! Being in my early teens, I appreciated the more serious tone, amidst the at times, bizarre visuals, and perhaps it was a result of when I watched it, but David Lynch's Dune prompted me to read and reread the Frank Herbert novels. From research I've done on the film, and this information is reasonably, widely available, David Lynch had wanted to split the film into two separate films, however when this idea was rejected, and he turned in an almost 3 hour cut of the film, control was taken away from him. Hence the inner monologues being added in post production, along with the introduction and random narration from the Princess. I can honestly say though that, watching it as an early teenager, I not only loved David Lynch's Dune, but I also understood it with no difficulties the first time watching. It also became my favorite film of all time, which I know may seem strange, but it is true. The film isn't what David Lynch wanted it to be, and control being taken away from him was the worst mistake that was made.
I'm downloading this movie now.
I'm looking forward to David Lynch's movie where he examines Gen Z's refusal to understand why the term "CGI" does not mean "special effects"
I watched this movie as a child and I was so confused that it kept me from reading the book, even though I had heard great things about the book. I finally read it this year because the new movie trailer intrigued me enough to read it and I am glad I did, because it is a great book.
You were probably confused because you were a child, not because of the movie.
The cat milking 😂 I don’t think I’ve laughed this hard watching RUclips. Lynch’s Dune movie was my gateway to the book series so I’m thankful for that - but boy, was there some strange stuff to unpack and you nailed it. The only thing I disagreed with you on was that the 2 hour run time was substantial enough to tell the story well. There were significant character-building plot points that were cut out like Feyd’s time in the gladiator ring, the Paul vs. Jamis fight as an initiation into the Fremen tribe and tragically Jessica was such an afterthought. I hope Villeneuve can work those scenes into his two films.
Please review Jodorowsky’s Dune next! Would love to hear your take on his creative vision for the film.
The inner monologue is supposed to mimic their prescience deductions
But it was weird