DUNE (1984) Retrospective / Review
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- Опубликовано: 26 янв 2013
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DUNE (1984) Retrospective / Review
Get DUNE on Bluray goo.gl/7fh2hh
DUNE Soundtrack available here goo.gl/gx4yCm
Let's Play Channel
/ retropodcasts
Great youtube channel for DUNE information / duneinfo
"The movie is a mess. But it's a beautiful mess"
Well said and great summary.
"A beautiful mess." How fittingly Lynchian.
@@pickledegg1989 I agree with him - The movie is a mess, but it is a beautiful mess!
@Jimmy Greene Good day to you sir!
I might agree with that sentiment if I had never read the book. However, as a fan of the novel I'd only agree with part of that statement. I'd stop with "The movie is a mess."
"She sounds like a middle-aged woman doing an impression of a child."
Which is fitting to Alia, considering she has access of the memories of all her ancestors.
+Remicas The lisp is also in the book
+Remicas The little girl (Alia) is actually played by Alicia Witt in her first role.
+Remicas But that wouldn’t change her vocal tract would it, she would
still sound like a child, but she doesn’t in the movie, she sounds like an
adult woman doing a voice over for a cartoon child.
obadiah normal In the book, she talks exactly like a child, but has all the memories of her ancestors, so acts like a adult.
And, it is fitting for the movie that she sounds really eery.
I saw the movie as a child and it changed me as a person. It awakened by imagination. The story was beyond me, but the imagery and symbolism was so powerful it struck me to the core. I can't explain it. For me, it is one of the greatest films ever made.
+U PC Bro? I tend to have a similar experience. I saw it as a kid, and although I couldn't understand what the hell was going on for most of it, I was in awe of its epic scope and dark serious tone and I knew that maybe I just didn't understand it because the story was beyond me as well. But I did know that I loved it. As opposed to StarWars and StarTrek that were fun to watch and easy to digest, this movie was orders of magnitude deeper and more serious and actually took some thinking on the viewer's part. It was ugly and magnificently beautiful at the same time. It took me a couple of viewings (and maturity) to fully understand the plot and how all the characters come into it, but the movie was so appealing that it made that journey worth while and made it immediately one of my favorite movies of all time. I haven't read the books so I don't know what the film gets "wrong" as far as mapping to the books, and even with the movies own stand-alone weak points, it still remains for me, an example of one of the most impressive, imaginative and epic sci-fi movies ever produced.
#1 on my list.. from that first day to this day.
Don't hold out much hope for the new one.
I feel the same, although I first saw it as a Teenager, it has stuck with me for years and I just love the set designs and overall feel of the film. I still think it's amazing it got made the way it did. It just has a lot of deep layers to it that I love to unravel.
Same here. Dune always has a place in my soul.
I even to this day have the video games.
I also use to play the phophecy theme when daughter was new born to help her sleep...and it worked a treat 👍
Over the years, this film just gets better. I genuinely love it.
When I saw Dune in the theater all those years ago, I thought it was a weird film with weird production design and weird casting choices. But this “weird” film has grown on me like no other. Now, decades later, Dune is one of my favorite films.
"There's a kind of homosexual nature to his character.". Actually in the novels, the Baron is in fact homosexual.
+JayDee284 Yep, you're correct. He likes young boys and men because they reminded himself of what he was like when he was younger, before he gained a metabolic disorder from Reverend Mother Gaius Mohiam, who was a simple sister at the time. While technically he is homosexual, it primarily is because of a narcissistic quality rather than a true homosexual tendency.
+MisterTutor2010 And a murderous one at that, he's like John Wayne Gacy if he was the head of a "great" noble family.
+Chris Chu details details why do I always miss these small details In this damn book, where you get that from?
David Ayarra Brian Herbert openly said it in his prequels, I believe House Atreides was the specific one. The Duniverse is ginormous. Truly one of the best book series's of our time.
laflugantabastardo Some people regard the canonical differences differently, which is understandable, but I am citing these books because they are based off of Frank Herbert's notes that he never got to incorporate in the books before his death. While it may not have been in his exact image, the Expanded Universe covers Frank's general idea of what he wanted to occur.
This intro still sends chills down my spine.. watched the movie more times then i can count...
Since it was all Princess Irulan's account of what happened, it's only fitting she do the preface to her own story in the original movie.
I've watched the Irulan intro numerous times.
Lynch's movie is the reason why i read the book. I love both. Always will.
I saw the movie as a kid before reading the book, I've read it 16 times now and it never gets old (read the next 5 as well around 7 times). I still love the movie, it's really nostalgic for me
@@cloudbloom you read it 16 time ?? you got a serious problem.
@@InvadersMustDie1918 have you read the book?
@@InvadersMustDie1918 I have books that I've read more than 16 times, still have no problem serious or otherwise.
I love this movie too, and similarly watching the box office bomb Ender's Game I loved that movie and that's how I got into the Ender books!
I appreciated that you treated this film with respect. You managed to criticized in your critique with out being critical. You acknowledged its faults and still highlighted its virtues. This is the third review of yours I've seen, I like your style of presentation. Bravo, sir.
"You managed to criticized in your critique with out being critical"
If I was an english teacher an you were my student, I`d throw you out of the nearest window.
What the fuck are you smoking? polyester socks?
@@afrog2666 not everyone you encounter online can claim English as their first language, nor that they are free of language disorders like dyslexia. Relax and have a little compassion; you'll enjoy your day more.
I think that after Jodorowskyi's attempt to make Dune, the media knew the book story was too big to be translated into a movie. Dune is so dense that you probably can make a trilogy out of the first book. However, David Lynch was audacious and courageous enough to make an amazing film. The set, the props, the visuals, the atmosphere, they just don't make it that way anymore.
And now they're halfway through a trilogy of just the first book
@@thegreatzinetari believe the trilogy is going to be the first 2 books
Dune is more Game of Thrones than Star Wars.
MisterTutor2010 Ned Stark is practically a middle ages version of Leto.
MisterTutor2010 It's ironic that if this had been a mini-series at the time it would have been seen as the Game of Thrones of it's day and probably would have been excepted. Tastes change over time and perhaps if they tried it today as a mini-series it would be seen as that (not counting the Sci-Fi Channel series which got a very niche audience). As a film it just has too much to cram in.
Actually the opposite... There are a lot of similarities.
Dune is somewhere in a matrix between Game of Thrones, Star Wars and LOTR. It is more in line with LOTR in terms of thematic weight and the characters are more archetypes like Star Wars and LOTR.
Steven Baal Lord of the Rings
This movie defined my childhood. I never saw it as having any flaws and I'll just continue with that view.
Poor thing- if this movie “ defined” your childhood that’s a little sad isn’t it?
@@lsimon343 The only sad thing is that you would think so.
I love this film beyond all reason. I think Lynch should be proud, rather than embarrassed. At the time, I was starting my career in journalism and I worked at a small newspaper in which the staff critic gave this a glowing five-star review, and I'm almost certain she was the only critic in the world who rated it so highly upon release. I agree that it is a beautiful mess. Even Lynch's messes are more interesting than most of the more respectable hack narratives that get all kinds of acclaim and after winning their awards are subsequently forgotten. This film has legs. It took me four views to understand the plot, but I found it so mysterious and compelling and operatic -- just as Harlan Ellison says, it draws you in -- that "learning" the story did not seem like a chore. I find even the bad effects charming; the budget was high but still relatively low by today's standards, and the film looks fantastic. Sean Young was a local girl, who, as is well known, imploded her career. The points you make about the blue screen work should be assessed in light of Lynch's uses of it in other films. The Space Guild's space scenes actually look like a lot of blue screen work in other Lynch films, such as Eraserhead and the Elephant Man. I think it is a technique that Lynch used consistently in those films to lend an off-kilter and unsettling tone. I see them as an intentional choice and not as a "cheap" device -- much in the same way that Hitchcock used obvious looking back project to give that sense of unreality. The Blu-ray of Dune is a marked improvement over the DVD, and is highly recommended. I used to call this film a guilty pleasure, but I think I can now drop the guilt. Thanks for the fine review, as always.
I've always loved this movie, great actors, sets, costumes, music. No CGI at the time, so the effects were about as good as they could do at the time. I've never understood why it was so underrated. Granted, if you hadn't read the book, it would have been difficult to follow. But the same thing was true of 2001: A Space Odydesy, and that always ranks as the #1 sci-fi movie ever made. 2001 was more of an art film than Dune ever tried to be. I think it's only flaw was that Dune is too complicated and elaborate a story to be crammed into a 2 hour movie. I've heard that a lot of footage was cut out, it's probably why it feels to a lot of people like a "mess". If the studio had supported rather than hindered Lynch, it would have been excellent. He tried his best and has nothing to be ashamed of.
If it were to be given the Game of Thrones treatment on TV by HBO, it would be excellent. It's a similar sort of story, and in that medium, it would find a big audience, the way Game of Thrones has. I think the general public is now ready for this sort of story. It had a very limited audience 30 yrs ago. It definitely was ahead of its time, since only diehard Sci-fi fans like me loved it.
This movie has legs....that's what I thought, but could never put it into words....even 30yrs after seeing it, although I can't say I loved it, I certainly didn't dislike it,
I'm still thinking about this wacky movie.
Compare 1980s dune to the shite in the cinemas 2018. Dune is a classic in comparison to all the sci-fi movie crap in 2018, I don't think I went to the cinema in 2018 even which was unthinkable back in the 1990s early 2000s.
I do as well. I saw it at a very young age, I think there was a VHS dub of the TV version at my grandmother's house. Unlike many other movies which I adored as a child though, this one has held up. I can watch it countless times. I still hope that somehow the Duke won't get killed, or that the tooth will get the Baron every time I watch it.
Sorry man this movie sucked ass
This films greatness is only discovered when viewed more times than once. The music and atmosphere is so very palpable. It has also inspired such great franchizes as Warhammer 40K and more. Not a small feat.
It’s an interesting film but let’s face it, it’s also a complete disaster.
@@peterp2153 The TV edit might be, the real Lynch version of this story, that was said to be "unfilmable" is a damn masterpiece if you take everything into consideration.
In my oh so very VERY humble opinion of course ;)
I agree. Movies are a different medium from books and here atmosphere is everything and David Lynch did this masterfully. One of the most underrated films ever!
He was also a serial killer he murdered almost all of the people he had sex with.
You really need to read up on the characters and the story to get a full understanding of what's happening. But once you get the plot and can follow along it is actually an excellent movie. I didn't like it when I first saw it as a kid but I'm glad I gave it another chance.
Frank Herbert himself attended it's premiere
at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, December 3, 84 and he loved the movie!
So that should tell you something.
Even though there's a new Dune coming out this old movie from 1984 made by David Lynch will always have a good play in my warm heart no matter what.
I'm glad David Lynch made this.
I watched Dune in the movies and liked it a lot. It is one of my all time favorite movies.
I watched it in 1984 at the age of 12. As you walked into the theater, they handed you a lexicon of words to help you understand some things. I don't think I read it until after the movie. I may have glossed over things I didn't understand but I don't know why there would have been too much of an issue. Sci Fi often has weird names and such. We learn and adapt. I never thought it didn't do well. I loved it from the start, but as I think about it, I think my mom didn't appreciate the value of the show as much as I did.
I could not find the soundtrack at the time. Luckily, I found it in 1992 and played the heck out of it. I am still proud to have the CD. Toto's combination of guitar power cords, orchestra and chorus is amazing.
I was 10 at the time. Never saw it in the day, but I remember it's advertising and thought it looked cool.
That's because it was an awful movie that just sort of went from A to B rather than exploring the philosophy of the book.
***** Of course that would have got the film even more money at the Box Office?! No, it had so much plot for a movie Dune needed all the simplification it could get.
busi magen It's a very good soundtrack but I wish they would re-release it in more complete form.
I have the "PEG 015" Arrakis Music re-release on CD. It is pretty darn good. I got it a few years ago. There at 30 tracks.
I will always adore David Lynch's Dune. It is an absolute feast for the eyes, ears and emotions. - Gandalf the Grey.
I think this is a classic. The visual effects are awesome. The cast and crew, including David Lynch, should be proud of this film.
I would agree. For a project having so much going against it, it's a great outcome.
I dunno. Extreme financial flop and disastrous critical reviews, and becoming an infamous/notorious film isn’t probably something I’d find much pride in.
well apart from the base concepts introduced by the film - which are incredible - the sets are mind blowing
Dam right I love this movie!
I wish I could talk to David and tell him how much I appreciate this film. He doesn't deserve the hate he received for it.
I saw Dune (theatrical cut) sometime before I read the book and I found it easy enough to understand. It made much deeper sense when I saw it again after reading the book however. I do agree with the guy interviewed in your piece, Dune is a novel that utterly defies the format of a feature film. My only real dislike of the film is the "over-evilisation" of the Harkonnens, particularly the Baron, that made them one dimensional adversaries. In the novel there was a complex dynastic struggle and millennia-spanning grudge behind the feud between them and the Atreides.
Wow, great analysis!
Good comment bro! Well done, and i am with you, saw the movie and after reading almost all of the books (some where really terrible) i saw it in a different light. But! But i still like the movie, saw it as a kid and it was awesome!!
leakycheese it's not easy to understand, the amount of names of things thrown at you in the first ten minutes alone makes things impossible to follow properly until about an hour in when it's been told to you again and again until you finally get it
bob bill impossible to follow? speak fo yourself man.....
I first saw this movie when I was probably around 14 years old and I had no trouble understanding it.
The movie pretty much spells out the entire situation in the opening monologue and then pertinent information is repeated often in exposition dialog and there is even "internal dialog" where we can hear characters' thoughts. I have a hard time understanding how people found this film confusing.
If anything the extended TV cut adds a lot of redundant and cringe worthy exposition dialog where characters repeat a lot of information that other characters should already know like the Emperor turning to his aids and generals and telling them that Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam is a Bene Gesserit like these guys wouldn't know who the Imperial Truthsayer was.
Saw this movie when I was 7 years old, has been one of my favorites ever since, 'm 36 now.
If you are familiar with the book, it's a good film because it makes you a witness to the key moments in the story. As a companion for book, Dune is great.
Yes I also found the same with 2001 the book and film really work together.
I saw the movie on TV back in the day before reading the book and I didn't think it was that hard to follow. It is kind of messy but it's more weird than complex. I'm surprised Oliver Harper said he still couldn't figure out who the traitor was even after watching the movie a few times.
David Lynch's 1984 DUNE was what propelled and inspired me to read Frank Herbert's classic. I watched it on the big screen back in the early1980s and was both amazed and overwhelmed by it. What really drew my attention even more was that, as a history buff, I noticed most of the ambiance (the Emperor's palace at Kaitain and House Atreides home world of Caladan) was quasi Victorian-era, right down to the soldiers' uniforms (except for the Sardaukar), and then there were the dystopian Harkonnens in their own garb and dismal , industrialized environment of their home world, planet Geidi Prime. Even the ships were distinguishable--Atreides, Harkonnen, Imperial (my favorite, and I still own the Revell model, was the Harkonnen Ornithopter). I also now own the entire book collection including the much highly-appraised DUNE Encyclopedia, aside from the 1984 film DVD...plus a few collectibles from LJN! Lololol. I shall always rate this film 5 star and still believe David Lynch admirably did an impeccable job! Kudos to "A Beautiful Mess".
Ummm, the reason that Baron Harkonnen had a homosexual vibe to him was because BARON HARKONNEN WAS GAY IN THE BOOK AND THE MOVIE!!!
Yeah!
He was more like omnisexual. Back when the book was written villains were sometimes made gay because it made them seem more vile with a touch of the exotic or macabre.
No, he was gay. True he raped Mohiam, but it wasn't out of sexual desire on his part. He had no interest in her at all and was originally coerced into siring a daughter for the Kwizatz Haderach breeding program.
I hasten to add this in no way makes the rape ok. It doesn't it. My point is he went about it that way as a means of punishing the Bene Genessirit, to which she responded by manipulating her body chemistry to give him the disease. He initially tried to resist participating, but then got blackmailed.
that rape did not take place in Frank Herbert's books,but in a prequel written by his son.
Long story short: Vladimir was a sick fuck. x3
Lynch's "Dune" is a brilliant work of art, on so many levels. Sure in a few scenes the FX were a tad rough around the edges, but overall the FX, set design, costuming, soundtrack, casting, acting, and screenplay were amazing, and overall this unique film is a masterpiece. Harlan Ellison's comments were spot-on. The idiot critics were basically upset because it wasn't yet another simple-minded "Star Wars," which is why they were wrong.
drglebov I agree with you 100%. And if the studio hadn't put their hands on the film, it would have been an even greater alien masterpiece.
The way I see Lynch's film and the mini-series is this - each one had good points to it. The mini-series was a bit more faithful to the books, but the Lynch movie gave it that "weird" look as it should have as it takes place so many millennia in the future - it shouldn't look familiar at all. It should look weird. At least that's what I tell myself. I can still watch both, even though neither is very good in the end, IMHO. :-D
This is a film I really began to appreciate over time with repeat viewings. I love it and can easily overlook it's flaws. You can tell a lot of blood, sweat, and tears went into it.
When I tuned in to watch Dune on TV I nearly screamed - I absolutely love the opening narration by Virginia Madsen - her beauty, her remarkable voice and the vocal cadence combine for a hypnotic sensation. I wouldn't be so affected until the ASMR videos of the past decade especially those featuring OneLilium.
Oliver, wonderful work here. I shall watch more of your explanations/reviews after seeing how nicely done this was. Bravo.
+Timothe Doran Thanks Timothe!
Most underrated movie ever!
This is not a bad movie. Not even close! I feel bad for David Lynch. A true director's cut would be incredible.
Always liked this odd, beautiful film, despite the 'flaws' many associate with it.
Saw it in a theater the summer in was released, they handed out little brochures that contained all the terms, like an index, and I remember thinking, 'Oh, that's not good...too complicated and demanding for a mainstream audience', LOL...
Still, the art direction, overall imagery, direction, wonderfully epic and over the top performances, and a haunting, perfect musical score make it unique and memorable.
"The film is a mess...but it is a BEAUTIFUL mess"
Perfect summation, Oliver...just perfect.
I wanted to like this film, I really did, but its just too disjointed an experience for me to truly enjoy it, which is too bad because I love the visual tone, the art direction, and the aesthetics as well as the soundtrack.
BiscuitHead Have you watched the extended version? I just watched it, and it actually has a narrator that tells you a bit more about what the hell is going on. Unfortunately it's 3 hours long, which is why that wasn't shown in the movies. I'm not going to say it's better, but I will say it helps the disjointed thing to watch the original vision.
Well, it would be somewhat inconvenient to me if you did, lol.
I chose this as my sn here because I was tripping on the nostalgia thinking about a friend I had when I was a little kid who'd call everyone a 'damn biscuit head'. Back then, I thought it was the perfect insult and I still do to this day.
I
even made this for fun (I imagined how horrifying this version might be...;)
karcreat.deviantart.com/art/Disney-s-DUNE-Final-Version-473496080
Ive always liked Dune my friend saw it in the movies and he also said they gave out a booklet about the characters and the back story behind the film so you could understand it.
I remember alot of people saying they liked the movie but couldnt understand alot of what was going on
Its a great movie
The pug is seen with Gurney Halleck charging into battle and then no further appearance until Paul returns to the palace after the battle of Arrakeen. So tell me this; who looked after the pug in the meantime? It would have to be either Gurney, in the company of the pirates, or the Harkonnen. Either way I would like to see a spin-off based on the pug
haha I was thinking that also ! that's one lucky hound.
SPACE PUG!
The Pug was undergoing training by Count Dankula during the period you mention.
Quite successfully I might add!
Pugsley Halleck, Space Pug Extraordinaire! SEE him run through the Arakeen Dunes dodging war fighters! WITNESS him hiding in a cave after a giant sandworm almost had him for a snack! HEAR him grunting wildly when he is reunited with his master Patrick "Gurney" Stewart after that battle!
For real though. That’s the first thing I thought, why is that pug being carried into war?🤣
Great review. I've seen a three hour fan cut of the film that just adds both introduction prologues, plus most if not all of the cut scenes, plus narration from both versions. The soundtrack and production design is great. I love the little girl with the tripped out voice.
The only way Dune could ever get a proper adaptation is in series format like Game of Thrones. There's just WAYYY too much stuff to try and cram into a 2 or 3 hour film and even a mini series like the Sci-Fi Channel version.
alucard624 Gotta hope the show ends at book 4, because the rest of the saga never got finished...
alucard624 Sounds like it needs an OVA then.
+alucard624 They tried that, it didn't work well either, in fact, people liked the movie better.
Yat Nami Very true. I pretty much prefer the Lynch movie over the mini series due to a variety of things, especially the cast.
+alucard624 Also, because despite the numerous faults that make it a poor adaptation of the actual book, and the inherent issues with bringing the actual literary work to the screen (Dune is basically built on internal monologues) it still manages to FEEL like the Universe of the book. The actual set design is phenomenal, and taking little parts of the film on their own, they feel like vignettes straight out of the book. As such it makes a nice companion piece for the book even where it fails at being a stand alone work. It's almost like the movie version of a coffee table art book.
Beautiful review oliver.
and that's where u succeed over all other retro reviews.Your review formula is simple standard across all movies
and this review prompted me to write.
Also you are an actual geek not a fake geek or a fame seeker which is evident because I still dont know your face.
Totally hooked since I found ur site .
Excelsior.
+evan smith Thanks for your great feedback Evan. I do turn up on camera in a number of videos. Check out my video specials.
a review ? lol He does talk a lot about the background and technical aspects and spends a lot of time summarizing the film...but reviewing the actual film? hrmmm not so much. If i like a film i can talk a great deal about what i like and *expand* upon why i like something. Oliver never never does that here. Critical Drinker does good actual reviews of films and talks about motifs, symbolization etc and expands upon just describing what is happening.
ruclips.net/video/XNdUDLvvNR4/видео.html
Harlan Ellison summed the whole thing up PERFECTLY in that little interview snippet you included ....
The people involved deserve all the praise in the world for attempting it ... and it's pleasing to see that these days it gets a lot of love.
I once asked David Lynch how much different the film would've been if he'd had final cut. He laughed and exclaimed, "I don't even like to *talk* about Dune!" then admitted that he no longer remembers what his version would've been like.
That's too bad. I wish he knew that alot of his fans do appreciate this film.
"Feelings are for cattle and lovemaking!" Gurney Hallick (Patrick Stewart)
I think it's 'moods' not 'feelings'.
NewsRedial
I believe you're right! I tried to watch it a couple of years ago but found it unwatchable. Just way too weird. I read the book four times as a teenager.
And it's lovePLAY not lovemaking. Dude you've got to try harder.
mark aaron
You're right, I've got to brush up on my Gurney Hallick quotes!
On the other hand, I believe in the book, he DOES in fact say "love making." If so, you're "mistake" is understandable since you read the book four times. I only read it three times.
Not surprised that films like Alien 3 and Dune didn't do well in the US but done well in Europe. Both have a very different feel in terms of atmosphere and art design to most movies that do well in US. Would love to see a remake of Dune one day but given the budget and scope to match that of the book/s.
A remake would be good
Every movie review you make is of a beloved movie of mine and is done extremely well. You are a kindred spirit! Keep up the fantastic work!
Great work, I stumbled across your channel yesterday and Am working my way through your reviews. Keep it up.
I remember trying to watch this as a kid and being SOOOO confused AND SO AMAZED BY THE SPICE WORMS! Lol. My Dad loves this and I bought the DVD for him a few years back as a bday gift. Maybe I should borrow it and watch it
Buy the books. Seriously. It's a small investment and they're brilliant.
Always loved this version, it certainly captured the feel of the book.
Very interesting and thoughtful retrospective. Thank you. This is my all-time favorite movie. I understood every beat, every desire as a fourth grader (I saw it when it came out). I watched it almost every weekend. Our VHS had Dune then The Last Starfighter and then Silver Bullet. It was my favorite tape. I knew every line of dialogue, knew every choreographed move. I have given my son the name Maud'dieb. This is my favorite. Of ever.
Talking from having seen the movie when it came out: watching it in the cinema I was blown away by the scale of it, the incomprehensible vastness and implications of it all. I was young and impressionable then. This movie made me love Sci-fi for the rest of my life. The fact that it was difficult to understand only made me wanting to know more and started reading all Herbert’s books, then Heinlein’s then Asimov’s… so for me this is a masterpiece. Thank you for this retro.
"Where there was war, Muad'dib would bring peace"
Seriously, that line at the end made me half-stand out of my seat and almost shout "Are you KIDDING me??"
I love this movie, me and my dad would watch it from start to finish anytime it was on TV. I don't know how old I was or where I was the first time I saw it, but afterwards I caught on as to who was who what was going on. Dune is not one of those movies you watch one time, several viewings are required to appreciate it for what it is. As for it's soundtrack, it sends chills down my spine just with it's first few chords, I always turn up the volume during the opening credits. I also turn it up when the sandworms make their appearance. 😁
Excellent, concise summary of information that other reviewers stretch out unnecessarily.
Thanks for this review. I actually started reading the book for the first time this week after being fascinated with how you described the movie and the actual story. The book is SO FANTASTIC!!!!!! Seriously, such great characterisation, world building and dialogue. Ironically, your review made me want to know more about the world based on the movie.
Out of all of the ridiculous things about the movie that completely diverted away from the book, the "Laughably bad middle-aged woman" voice dub on Alia is actually 100% accurate. If you read the book, she was a pre-born and is often referred to as speaking like a fully-grown adult from her earliest age.
She had the speech of a grown woman but her physical voice - her vocal cords - would still have been those of a little girl. I'm not sure how it would be possible to reproduce that onscreen.
Watched it many times, visual masterpiece
I'm very happy to be among your subscribers Oliver. I think your work is just exceptional!
Thanks Matthew!
Dune needs a bloody good reboot. It needed to be a good thriller.
Some of the original cast is gone, but Rereleasing it with improved 3-D visuals, and following it up with Children Of Dune and the other novels.
You nailed. "It's a mess but a beautiful mess."
I'm a huge fan of the film.
The photography, the costumes, the sets, the special effects, the choice of actors, the editing, and the iconic theme...Dune is a unique film that continues to have its supporters who have occasionally revealed themselves in random instances.
Long live the fighters!
Dune truly is unfilmable. Whether it would have been Arthur P. Jacobs, Jodorowsky, or Ridley Scott, I think the film still would have bombed. I love David Lynch's adaptation despite it's bad reviews and my own personal "quibbles" with the film as a fanatic, most which are pointed out in this review. Dune is for the imagination, not the screen, yet Lynch still took on the project with the great ambition, as he does with every film he's ever done and the result of Lynch's adaptation, even though most of it was ‘left on the cutting room floor' as Frank Herbert himself worded it, (the result) was worded perfectly here in this review; a "beautiful mess."
Jodowosky's Dune would have bombed hard but it would have been incredible.
^Fully agreed.
Love Gestapo I think Roger Ebert's review quoted someone who reckoned you might just enjoy it if you let it just wash over you.
Love Gestapo they said that The Lord of the Rings was unfilmable. Denis Villeneuve is making a Dune film
bob bill If anyone can do it, it's Villeneuve.
Few things make me happier than thinking about Patrick Stewart holding a pug, shouting "LONG LIVE DUKE LETO!"
The first time I ever saw this movie was the extended cut very late at night on AFN in Germany when I was in high school in '91. I fell in love with it right then and there.
This is the BEST review of Dune bar none! Excellent explanation of the story of Dune and the film. I'm going to reread it again especially since a new Dune film is about to come in 2019. Great job! Thanks.
After seeing the Jodorowskky docu. I really want that version of the movie to exist. I don't think it's an unfilmable thing. Didn't they also say that about Lord of the Rings? Marketing would be a problem but I think it would have it's audience.
I bless the rains down in Arrakis.
LOL. Arrakeen works better though. Now it's stuck in my head
Nice Toto reference
Your review is as enjoyable as the movie. You are very good at this, keep it up. I especially love your intros and endings where you put in the best bits mixed with the epic score. Have you considered making trailers for a living ?
Holy crap you are one of the most _awesome_ reviewers! I can't fucking believe how _late_ I discovered this channel (bangs head against desk, then keeps watching ...)
I read the book twice and saw the film like two or three times. I loved both for different reasons. I was captivated by the intricacies and the Byzantine political intrigue of the novel. At the same time, there was a visceral Baroque nature to the film. It was lavish, over-the-top, and operatic. All the other stuff: the sound weapons, the rain at the ending, and those little morsels of "David Lynchisms" (sores, puss, slaughtered cows) are forgivable in my opinion. Also, sometimes you'll have to trim the details of a novel for it to properly translate to the screen. I forgive David Lynch of this. Overall, he produced an epic space fantasy (different from science fiction) - something that many filmmakers shy away from in favor of shit that blows up real good, and 20-year-old female love interests. In the top 5 space fantasies of all time, this film is up there. I love Dune.
Actually the rain on dune was just pulled from a later book, dune ends up green and the worms almost die out.
Okay, I just bindged through 20 of your Reviews. Subscription sold. Awesome work. Keep it up!
But one question: How does this channel only has 46.100 … oh, well now 46.101 subscriptions?
haha thanks for subbing Christian. It's always difficult to know why my sub count is lower than people expect. Some folk like short form content or don't like English accents. But also my content doesn't really appeal to kids and young teens who are the main dominating audience for RUclips. My content isn't designed for people with short attention spans lol
have you tried faking an accent. Maybe jamaican?
Oooh, mon.
Um... most Americans quite like English accents. They might be a bit confused when you keep referring to this movie as "June," though. :-D
mikey mofo Did he? So what? I was entertained.
Oliver I have recently subscribed to your great channel, I am surprised u didn't go into great detail re the Dune soundtrack given how much info u normally show re music in ur other reviews. I should point out there is a very hard to get extend version of the music (which have) weighing in at 30 tracks without the dialogue from the movie as it it was in the shorter soundtrack. Also I would love to c u do The Abyss. keep u your fantastic work😉
Beautiful mess is the best way to decribe it. It was one of my favorite movies growing up and I loved the video games that came out after - it has a special place in my heart even with the inconsistencies and changes from the original novel.
When you realize the people who didn't understand Interstellar are the children of those who didn't understand Dune...it all comes into focus.
interstellar was hard to understand LOL...wtf are people getting stupider!!! my god half the students that reach my class have the education level of toddlers (HS) they know nothing beyond facebook posts and memes
K Dubs interstellar is easy to understand compared to Dune, a convoluted mess
Haha yup. Both were perfectly follow so to any intelligent 10 year old.
Interstellar wasnt difficult to understand, it was just a bore of a film. Also I think McConaughey was miscast.
I understood both movies. I had read the 1st Dune novel a year before 1984, so I comprehended how difficult it was to compress a 400-page book into 2.28 hours. That was Universal's fault for dwindling down the movie's length, which really messed things up for Lynch & DeLaurentiis when they had enough footage for 3 hours or so, I believe. Interstellar was good, I knew more or less about space-time & astrophysical concepts. It was meant to be more of an introspective adventure rather than an action adventure.
"A beautiful mess..." Indeed I agree. I love the story (read the book) and I love the way that David Lynch went all out with the sadistic nature of the Harkonians. When the Duke and his family are captured and taken before Vlad Harkonen it is one of the most unsettling moments I think I have seen in cinema. All that said the story really needed to be split into two films, the first ending at Pauls escape and the assassination attempt on Vlad.
+ben inglis I just read this book and followed up with the movie. I agree. Some of the dialogue moments just needed time to land. All the scenes with the Fremen were mishandled, and it is easy to forget how old and established this culture is within the Arrakis.
+ben inglis
I couldn0t agree more!
What a really great interview.
I loved watching this throughout my childhood in the 80's. It was on TV a lot and I think I saw it when it came to VHS as well. Having never read the book I didn't have any expectations also seeing through the eyes of a child of 7-10 years old I'm sure played a part. Haven't seen it again in probably 25 - 30 plus years. I'm going to try to find it and give it another watch before I watch the new one that just came out and see if I change my mind at all. Great review as always, can't wait to watch your review of the new dune after I see it for myself.
Can we make a Dune series? on HBO or netflix? and do it properly over the course of many season?
That's a great idea considering how much material there is to adapt, the only problem is that I don't personally see it becoming a hit with ratings. They would need a really talented team of writers and actors to pull off a success.
+cloudtx - Agreed. Perhaps they need another miniseries attempt. I forget, but I think the 2000ish Dune/Children of Dunes were 3 parts each for a total of 6. I feel the length of this was really good, but I found myself really missing the gorgeous style of the 1984 film. The still suits in the miniseries looked paper thin. I honestly don't know if the brighter look of the miniseries hurt or helped the story--I kind of liked it, but I would have probably loved a darker feel as per David Lynch.
Outy Banjo
I never even heard of that miniseries. I'll have to check it out.
cloudtx - You absolutely should. If you like the story from Dune, the miniseries goes pretty deep. My favorite is Children of Dune.
Outy Banjo I watched the first 5 mins of it and they make Paul look like little bitch and I'm like "naw thats not Paul Muad'dib"
Dune is my favorite sci fi film. Even with all of its problems.
Same here.
Mine too. Is amazing!
Love your reviews, you have a subscriber! Keep up the good work!
I love your reviews, congratulations!
I've been obsessed with this movie since the day it came out. It's a flawed baroque masterpiece.
Jack Sprat I heard Warner bro’s are doing dune for 2020. Always wanted to see if they can do it. The cast is good, for example, Josh brolin as gurney halleck and also Oscar issacs as duke leto, Dave Bautista as rabban
"A flawed baroque masterpiece." Very well put.
Brian Messemer the only one missing for the 2020 film is the other nephew of the baron, feyd
Did you say Welding modules? They're called Weirding Modules.
+Trydowave Zod They're
+Trydowave Zod He butchered most of the names. But that's alright - the review is well written.
lol true.
ya those were bad additions, but I guess they could not create the wierdining fighting ways convincingly
"The Weirding Module was written into the film to replace the Bene Gesserit martial art referred to by the Fremen as the Weirding Way. David Lynch's decision to use modules was taken because he found the idea of the Weirding Way unworkable on film, stating he did not want to see "Kung-fu on Dunes". The Weirding Modules was later seen in the computer games Dune (1992) and Emperor: Battle for Dune (2002) as powerful hand-held weapons used by the Fremen Fedaykin special unit. In the games Dune II: The Building of a Dynasty (1992) and Dune 2000 (1998) the Weirding Modules are the inspirations of 'sonic tanks' deployed by House Atreides."
(Source: imdb Dune trivia)
Gloriously crazy film.
First saw it in my early teens on late night TV in the UK. The best part was hearing others talk about it at school the next week and realising that I wasn't the only weirdo watching it at one in the morning!
All great, and this one is legendary, films are more appreciated after decades later :-)
It's really good retrospective Oliver, and I must mention, for you and fans, great Guardian article "50 years of Dune" (title goes something like that)
I wish Alejandro jodorowsky's version was filmed
Shawn Alfaro Not sure if they are planing on doing it soon?
***** looking on the Moviebuisness today i would say. NOT A CHANCE.
Yeah its too much too much
+Shawn Alfaro I am not sure it would be a good movie. But It would have been interesting to see.
I think his version would have been, as my cousin used to call the Clooney Batman flick, Gay Fantasia. Some of the concept drawings for Alejandro's film, in addition to bringing in Giger, would have made it one hell of an acid trip and not terribly serious. Which is fine; creative interpretation and all that. But I love the 1984 version, even for its flaws, and because it's serious.
I never read the book or knew anything about Dune when I saw the movie in theaters and yet I had no problem following the story (and I was a child at the time).I'm not sure how people got confused watching this, it seemed pretty clear cut to me. I loved the movie and still do to this day. Apocalypse Now on the other hand was confusing as hell!
7 years since your review, and Dune is still alive and kickin'
The voice-overs is what makes this movie really capture the essence of the book, its all a collection of thoughts.
A very very good review!!!
Thanks Peter!
I'm here before the remake comes out this weekend
You’re the best Oliver, love your reviews
Very good review Oliver for an unforgettable movie.
Yes it is a difficult movie but also a very captivating movie. That i love to watch again and again due to its character, music, sounds, scenes and story.
Still unfathomable today, but beautifully shot! I think it really WAS more style over substance!
I'm 11 years old and I love this film. Also I just bought the Blu-Ray for this film.
Why did you state your age...
lol
I'm surprised you've even heard of this movie, but that's very cool. You should read the book in a few years-it's very talky so it might bore you now.
Once you get through the first book you'll love the rest of the series. I read Dune as a 4th grader and I felt cool, but it wasn't until I was in my 20's that it actually made sense, and propelled me to read the rest of Frank Herbert's story.
I was in 4th grade when I played Dune 2000. Got me into the movie, then the books. I read the first 4.
December 2020 is when we get the new remake of this epic movie, cant wait! Whos with me ?
Alia has a lisp in the book. She is so young her soft pallet has not fully formed but she has the full consciousness of, and speaks as, an adult Reverend Mother.
I think Dune and Conan the Barbarian probably had the best nad-pumping original scores of the 80s
"A beautiful mess." I think that's the best possible summation of this film. In some ways, I find it works best when it isn't actually seen all together... I find the whole thing impenetrable and even laughable, and even the soundtrack gets tired quickly with the same repeating notes again and again.
But, ah, it makes some of the best trailers I've ever known. The montages at the start and end of this video are thrilling. You don't need to sit through all the hours of epic world building. A few scenes and a bit of the soaring soundtrack are enough to send the imagination flying.
That's how I think this movie can best be digested... like an overly huge meal, it needs to be cut up into bits and thrown together in just the right way. Yes... this is the ultimate example of a film meant for trailers.
+Joe England Something I often say about the film (and why I prefer it to the miniseries) is that although both works fail as adaptations of the book, the movie is a great companion piece for the book if you just consider it a collection of vignettes of varying quality.
The first time I saw this when it was released I loved it. It spurred me on to read the book.
I’ve always been a reader, but seeing the extended version of Dune way back in the 90s on cable and then by subsequent discovery of the novels awakened within me a love of literature that remains with me to this day. Dune is the greatest work of fiction ever put to paper.
they also said that Lord of the Rings was un-filmable. imagine what they could do with this with today's visual technology.
It would be very expensive though and it'd take some talented people to make it happen.
LoTR is unfilmable as a single movie. That was always one of the chied obstacles to its coming to the screen (the others were mostly technical ones - how do you show an army of tens of thousands of orcs unless you have Joe Stalin lending you a few Red Army divisions as extras, and how can you possibly make a Balrog as terrifying as it should be while still being remotely realistic? - that just awaited technical solutions). Beyond that it doesn't have anything like the problem Dune has with the internal dialogue of the characters being so vital to the story. Most of the essential internal POV of the LotR characters, like the effect of the Ring on Frodo, isn't of a nature that makes it particularly difficult to show rather than tell.
After the success of Game of Thrones, I think it might be the right time to do a Dune series since GoT has a lot in common with the Dune franchise, it is a political thriller and philosophical work more then a sci-fi.
+Idgarad Lyracant It was obviously an influence to A Song of Ice and Fire. I'd love to see that, though the change in tone from the fourth book on would be pretty hard for mainstream audiences to digest
When you look at the "shield practice" scene nowadays, it looks like two Minecraft guys fighting each other with sticks.
I love the movie. It feels very unique like a vision of another dimension or something vague like that. It feels very dreamlike. Love your reviews.
I actually like the Sci-Fi Channel TV movie version better. It explains things better to people who are unfamiliar with the novels.
Hey Ollie, have you seen the film Quest for Fire?? A film that definitely needs a retrospective! So unheard of for how good the film is too! Love your reviews mate.
Michael Hughes Hey Mike! Not seen it yet but I will look into it. Thanks for your feedback.
Its a classic! Only watched it first time a few years ago but it blew me away, definitely an 80s classic! Cheers for the reply
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quest_for_Fire_(film)
Oh man, Quest for Fire??? I just saw that like a year ago, still have no idea how it's been under my radar for so long.
Michael Hughes I fourth, fifth, and sixth Quest for Fire. Excellent flick worthy of your analysis.
Sincado
Many thanks oliver, Great reviews,....About 15 years ago i obtained 3 videos around 6 hours of dune different actors and very well made almost identical script can't remember who made or directed them... videos long gone :{
Love this film. Absolutely amazing visual, custom and soundtrack