The New Dune movie *holly &^%$ this could be good or bad*

[Darkwolf71]

I've only seen the film, but I thought it was irredeemably horrible, riding roughshod over many of the most important facets of the book...

So out of interest, what did you think were strong points in that film?

Well, 1) I enjoyed watching it as a kid. I hadn't yet read the books, so had no idea how off-base it was. 2) I enjoyed seeing it again several years ago probably more for nostalgia then anything else. But really, except for the terrible 'shield suit' fight scene it isn't as horrid as people make it out to be.

 

[Frostmarrow]

I don't see the need for a remake of Dune. I love what we've gotten so far. I'd rather see more Chronicles of Riddick. I'm not kidding.

The best stuff in the old movie was "We're finding these sabotage devices too easily..." Onionesque intrigue. And bushy eyebrows.

 

[Panamon Creel]

I generally agree we don't need another Dune movie . . . unless it is going to be done with the right people and have a huge budget for special effects. It could be very cool. And yes I'm a huge fan of the books. The original movie was awesome at the time (I was about 12) and the scifi series was fairly well done (though could have used some better and bigger sets and effects).

Do we know anything else about when this could come out or who is directing?

 

[William drake]

I generally agree we don't need another Dune movie . . . unless it is going to be done with the right people and have a huge budget for special effects. It could be very cool. And yes I'm a huge fan of the books. The original movie was awesome at the time (I was about 12) and the scifi series was fairly well done (though could have used some better and bigger sets and effects).

Do we know anything else about when this could come out or who is directing?

The Director is the guy who did the the last Jamie Fox movie, forgot the name but the one where they go to Afganistan to find out who blew up the car killing the local U.S citizens there. Which, was a good movie; however, I just found how he is the same guy who does Firday Night Lights...the stupid TV show. So I don't know what to make of that, I also heard that either he, or someone on the project is a huge huge huge fan. I hope for the best.

Side note: they are also going to be making a Chung Lee movie using the girl from WB Superman Show Smallville; LAMEEEEEEE.

 

[Storm Raven]

3) The film does an admirable job doing the impossible; compressing Herbert's convoluted, Machiavellian story of feudal-future Messianic intrigue in an incredibly detailed universe into a feature-length film, and it does so in a very interesting way; through baroque visuals courtesy of Lynch.

However, Lynch felt that he had to add a bunch of material to make the job of compressing the story into a movie even more difficult. There is probably 20 minutes to a half an hour of totally extraneous added material that has nothing to do with the story. Adding this was stupid, and made difficult task (compressing a long novel into a movie) even harder.

 

[Storm Raven]

Well, 1) I enjoyed watching it as a kid. I hadn't yet read the books, so had no idea how off-base it was. 2) I enjoyed seeing it again several years ago probably more for nostalgia then anything else. But really, except for the terrible 'shield suit' fight scene it isn't as horrid as people make it out to be.

You are right. It is worse.

 

[Mallus]

However, Lynch felt that he had to add a bunch of material to make the job of compressing the story into a movie even more difficult. There is probably 20 minutes to a half an hour of totally extraneous added material that has nothing to do with the story.

What parts did you find extraneous? And no, I'm not kidding The last time I watched it, the only parts that really dragged were the big battle sequences, because Lynch had absolutely no idea how to film them. He was out of his depth.

 

[Darkwolf71]

Blah blahblah blah.

You bet, sport.

 

[Hypersmurf]

I've only seen the film, but I thought it was irredeemably horrible, riding roughshod over many of the most important facets of the book...

I tried reading Dune as a kid. Couldn't get past the first chapter.

Tried again. Same thing.

Watched the movie, read all six books.

Came back a few years later, and thought "Hey, I should reread Dune!" Couldn't get past the first chapter.

Rewatched the movie, read up to about halfway through book four, and then got distracted... came back a week later, picked up the book, and was completely lost. "What? Who are these characters? What's going on? ... I give up."

Haven't tried reading the books again since.

-Hyp.

 

[Plane Sailing]

What parts did you find extraneous? And no, I'm not kidding

For me the most obvious extraneous things (and I'm digging back in my memory here) were:

1) wierding module ?!? (i.e. rather than the fremen being surprisingly and fanatically good fighters they just had a magic superweapon)

2) heart plugs installed in people ?!? (and the whole business with the turning of Thufir seemed strange).

3) magic rain falling from heaven?!?

If I watched it again I'd probably recollect more. I don't mind the necessary compression and changes needed to make a book suitable for a screenplay, but I dislike it when good bits of a book are removed and new things are made up that the director thinks are cool but which, IMO, are unnecessary additions.

Cheers