Dune, the books and movies...

[Jynks]

I just found out that my little cousin is studying DUNE the book for her HSC... (That is a end of school test used for sorting applicants into UNI in Australia)

Anyway.. I was woundering if anyone has any thoughts upon that book and the movie / TV versions.

Anyone know any movies that pre date it but have that kind of "copper/metalic" looks etc etc.. any pre coursors that you can think of or any thoughts on how DUNE has infulenced others?

[John_Doe]

well this looks kinda like that: viewtopic.php?t=115&highlight=

Been a real long time since I read the books, but I remember there was a major point which was completley lost in the movie. Can't remember what it was though.

Giving Lynch a sci-fi was a totally wacko idea anyway IMO. Ridley Scott more than proved that he was the man for the job with Blade Runner.

[d0c]

Ridley Scott is more than weclome to make a new version of dune, alot of other remake of other classic is done now, i wonder why he aint doing it? is he dead or do he think lynch version of dune is more than good enuff....

[GingerWarrior]

DUNE should get the LOTR treatment and come out as a 9 hour epic. The story's good enough to hold people's attention and it couldn't be any worse that the original movie.

[d0c]

DUNE should get the LOTR treatment and come out as a 9 hour epic. The story's good enough to hold people's attention and it couldn't be any worse that the original movie.

okay then lets make an e-mail and send it to Ridley Scott and say we want an 9 hour epic that are splitet in 3 movies....

[barry]

I thought the recent mini-series was fairly close to the books, far more so than the older movie. Even a LoTR style epic series thingy couldn't cover everything, there's something like six books by Frank Herbert himself, and another 6 or so pulp cash-ins by his kid and some hack. Shame though, the themes water/oil/political power/religion are still as relevent today as they were in the late seventies. Then again do you really want to see pictures of Maud'dib on the front of cereal boxes, as a LotR epic cycle would surely bring.

[spudthedestroyer]

Giving Lynch a sci-fi was a totally wacko idea anyway IMO. Ridley Scott more than proved that he was the man for the job with Blade Runner.

Actually it made perfect sense, when you note that H.R. Giger was meant to do the sets. That would have been stunning! A real through the looking glass on Dune. However, with the departure of giger, and other problems (read about them, its always interesting), the project was very troubled.

The Mini-series are far more accurate than the lynch piece which is too stylised... the ending is all messed up too. On one end its gritty and harsh, on the other it seems to gloss over the novel.

The thing about Dune that doesn't come out in the movies that all the leaders are as bad (okay not as brutal as one another, but still not ideal) as the rest. Even Paul doesn't seem ideal, hence why the freman bugger off back to the desert in children. It's like cool he's the chosen one, but does that really change anything? No because its all politics, which is a lot at the heart of the Dune

If you want whack, see paul's son in the sequel to children of dune (yes even more whack... read the book or if you have no intention
*spoiler*
giant slug with a human head
*spoiler*)

I really hope Sci-Fi channel make it, they owe it.... they cancelled farscape!

Star Wars was influenced by Dune, obviously, (Tatooine for geeks ) Tremors is cited as one of the 'copies'.

I read Dune a long time ago in a galaxy far far away, so am not the best source for info I'm afraid


A note about Ridley Scott, I think he's been in a rutt for a while. Gladiator was 'okay', matchstick men was 'okay', etc. and this is the man who did Blade Runner and Alien. He really needs a bold series. I would however voice a word of caution about the coherancy of Dune as a single movie. It is very hard to do faithfully, and can only be done by polishing the edges, or translating the book exactly. It would be a hard project for anyone.

[GingerWarrior]

with so many books (only read dune so not sure of the timelines) perhaps a proper series could be made as opposed to a mini series. with the kind of budgets star trek has had over the years in its various incarnations there's money out there. plus think of the merchandising, giant inflatable sand worms!!

[John_Doe]

A note about Ridley Scott, I think he's been in a rutt for a while. Gladiator was 'okay', matchstick men was 'okay', etc. and this is the man who did Blade Runner and Alien.

True, but that can be said about all the directors who brought us the biggest classics in the 70's and 80's. It's the times, I tell you. Cheepness engulfs.

[spudthedestroyer]

Roman Polanski is still top class (although he simply doesn't seem to make as many films now adays), stephen speilberg did some of his better works in the 90s, Terry Gilliam still does top films.

Kubrick is dead, but I'm sure he could still bat out top class movies if he hadn't snuffed it.

John Carpenter's more recent ones are significantly poorer, Wes Craven is as crap as always. Tim Burton's last 2 were naff, but prior to that they were still great! His newest one looks like a return to form

Maybe it is to do with the decline in cinema in general? Studios don't want big projects by talented directors if they don't have explosions and slow motion...
I do think that Ridley is struggling to find a really great project though, so his latest ones don't reflect what he could acheive with alien and Blade Runner.

The note of caution with Dune is, its extremely difficult. Its very political, which is hard to put on the screen, its extremely discriptive, which needs to translate as visuals, acting and subtlies, and its very long.

[John_Doe]

Its very political, which is hard to put on the screen

True, but I don't feel that is it's strenght. A long, complicated political blabberring would get boring; with or without spaceships.