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Alexandra DuPont's DUNE 2K 2-Disc DVD Review

What's wrong with... by Jonte	Mar 5th, 2001 06:28:00 AM
... Max von Sydow, Alexandra?!
Liet by Tripper	Mar 5th, 2001 07:09:58 AM
Nothing with von Sydow, just he's too old for Liet (now especially). I would have loved to see him as the Emperor (ala Ming). But the fellow who played Leit, whooo! Dead, solid, perfect!
I thought the 'Dune' mini-series was very good, however, I still by Uncle Jay	Mar 5th, 2001 07:23:35 AM
....so, why don't they put out a special edition, remastered, full director's cut DVD of Lynch's version. I'm sick of seeing all these imported laserdisc transfers (pan & scan no less), w/Japanese subtitles on the bottom!
Lynch's Dune was the best by joekun	Mar 5th, 2001 07:42:07 AM
They need to go back and give Lynch's film the treatment it deserves. It is an insult to even compare the Sci-fi version to it. Oh, and a word to those who want this DVD from thedigitalbits.com: "Fans waiting for Artisan's 2-disc DVD release of Frank Herbert's Dune are going to be a little disappointed by it. Early information was that the set was going to feature anamorphic widescreen (it doesn't, even though Artisan's little "aspect ratio" grid on the back says it is)"
Reality by Achilles	Mar 5th, 2001 09:47:46 AM
Dune is a lot like LotR, in that to successfully bring it to the large or small screen, you need two things: 1) a fanatical director, completely devoted to translating the words onto the screen; and 2) a sh*tload of money. LotR has both, and we all have very high hopes for it. Dune had the first, but it was hurting for money and it shows. Well acted and beautifully adapted (except for expanding the Irulan role), Harrison tried his absolute best and deserves a lot of credit. But overall, the telefilm looked cheesy, with cheap effects and ridiculous looking indoor "desert" shots. I liked the look of Lynch's film much better, but Harrison's version has him beat by a mile in terms of content. It is a shame that Harrison did not have more cash on hand. Hopefully they will float him some more for his Dune Messiah/Children of Dune sequel.
Lynch's Dune by Wolfsbane	Mar 5th, 2001 10:27:19 AM
The theatrical version is the one which has Alan Smithee as director, instead of David Lynch. His cut was more than 5 hours long, and he refused to cut farther, so the studio did it without him. I would love to see the version Lynch wanted.
the various Dune versions by ron2112	Mar 5th, 2001 11:50:18 AM
Okay, here's the scoop on the various versions of Lynch's Dune, as culled (read: stolen and then edited a tiny bit) from imdb... The theatrical version, which has Lynch's name on it, is 140-minutes long. The theatrical release features a brief introductory narration spoken by the "princess". The network TV version, disowned by Lynch, is 190 minutes long and features outtakes and additional footage. The TV print credits "Allen Smithee" as director. The TV version has a longer spoken introduction by a narrator, with still paintings and drawings used to bring the viewer up to speed on the story. The TV version (available on Japanese Laserdisc) lacks the blue color in the Fremen's eyes, indicating that the scenes were cut before special f/x were added. A third version of "Dune", seen on KTVU in San Francisco in 1992, is the only one that edits together footage from both the theatrical and TV versions, putting back the violent scenes (such as the "heart sucking sequence") and theatrical versions of some scenes (such as Paul and Jessica running from a thumper). Also, Lynch's name is restored at the end (watch for the "Assistant to Mr. Lynch" credit). Contrary to popular rumors, no 6-hours long director's cut, ever existed. The only "director's cut" of the film was the one shown theatrically; Lynch never had a hand in any other version of Dune. Lynch's original intention was for Dune to have been about 3+ hours long. To that end, about 5 hours was shot. This is also confirmed by author 'Frank Herbert' (qv) wrote in the introduction to the book "Eye". It would be impossible for a 6-hour version to exist and even a 5-hour Dune would mean the inclusion of many scenes never intended for the final version (for reasons of redundancy, etc.). It is only necessary to read any of the final scripts for the film to realize that there was never any intention of making Dune more than 4 hours in length at the very most: the script for anything more just was never there. There are two theatrical versions available in Europe, the only two differences between being the short scene in which the Navigator can be seen "at work" folding space; and a very short clip showing the cheek of Duke Leto torn open. The Region 2 DVD version, billed as 'TV extended version' is 180 minutes long and contains the extended intro and scenes. Lynch's name has again been removed and re-credited to Allen Smithee due to his objection to the extended intro.
Alexandra DuP. apologizes and corrects: The "Dune" DVD is NOT an by Alexandra.DuPont	Mar 5th, 2001 01:30:23 PM
Apologies all around. The info in my posession said it WAS anamorphic -- and I was on deadline and didn't have my player handy to check. Do please color me corrected. Here's the word straight from Karen Appel, Artisan's lovely PR rep: "I apologize for the misunderstanding, but the Dune DVD is NOT anamorphically enhanced for widescreen televisions." So there you are. I'll try to get El Cosmico to remove the anamorphic reference from my review. -- A.DuP.
This overlong, pathetically boring, and drab version of Dune was by kingink123	Mar 5th, 2001 05:03:09 PM
This overlong, pathetically boring, and drab version of Dune was a waste of time and money. How anyone can blast Lynch's version of Dune is beyond me. I saw Dune in 84 when I was in middle school. I had never read the book. I understood everything just fine. The funny thing about a true Science fiction movie is that it makes you think. And using context clues and abstract thinking, you can easily understand the film. Everything made perfect sense to me, the cultures, the plotting, and also the whispered thoughts were just damn perfect. What better way to convey a character's inner thoughts. Plus, no version of Dune will ever be able to top the production design of that film. THe costume designs in the sci-fi channel's version are just ridiculous. The emperor's terror troops look like a gaggle of gay french chef's on a weekend paintball stint. PLEASE. These are the most feared soldiers in the universe???? I won't even go on to the poor still suit designs and the crappy samurai harkonnen troops. But I digress, after watching the film I read the book, and found that though Dune did not cover everything in the novel, and all the characters, it did manage to capture a feel of the story and the politics that were being played. What amazes me most, is that this new version was so long, and it still didn't cover everything. I was hoping to see the famous "dinner" sequence, and it was reduced to a terribly vapid scene in which nothing of the elegant and vicious plotting was even hinted at. I've rambled enough, but I just have to defend Lynch's version of dune. It is still the highest quality and the best version in my opinion.
Storaro by Lazarus Long	Mar 5th, 2001 10:14:59 PM
I almost want to buy this thing just to read the 42 pages of rambling. This isn't the first time Vittorio has gotten all Tom Hanks-Philadelphia-Acceptance Speech when talking about his craft. As Alexandra put it, it would not be incorrect to call this man a genius. As far as color cinematography is concerned, he is far and away the best of all time. The documentary Visions of Light does contain some interview footage of Storaro, along with clips from his films. The Conformist (dir. Bertolucci) may very well be the best photographed film I've ever seen. The cinematography alone is art, regardless of the acting, story, directing, etc. Storaro helped his reputation by only working with select directors (until recently, it seems) like Coppola, Bertolucci, and Warren Beatty. His three Oscars aren't enough to honor what this guy has done, but he justly won them for Apocalpse, Reds, and The Last Emperor. He should have also won for Last Tango in Paris and Dick Tracy, to name two others.
Alan Smithee by hard120	Mar 6th, 2001 02:20:42 AM
In response to Wolfsbane's post, He mentioned that the 5-hr version of Dune was done by Alan Smithee. Unless I've heard wrong, the name "Alan Smithee" was used in the early days of Hollywood when a director had made a movie they felt was so damagin to thier career. Instead of having thier own name on it, they used the pseudonym "Alan Smithee"... Do correct me if I'm wrong, but that's what I had heard a while back...
Lynch's cut by joekun	Mar 6th, 2001 08:34:46 AM
Okay, I took this from "The Cut List" on dvdfile.com and edited a bit for space, check it out, great site. Frank Herbert wrote an introduction to a book called "Eye" that most of this footage shouldn't be used and was never intended to be seen anyway. Mr. Herbert is pretty clear that at most "maybe" four hours of footage would work. But, as of now, only the theatrical cut bears the Lynch stamp, and he has disowned the TV cut. Universal's David Shin publicly stated in a recent live chat that Universal will "most likely" revisit Dune on DVD sometime in the future. I believe the only way to really do this right would be to get David Lynch involved extensively, and if no new cut of the film is made, then get the director to consent to adding deleted scenes as supplements. But, until then, the theatrical cut is the way to go, as it most closely adheres to the director's vision (and is cheaper than the Japanese laserdisc!).
Stillsuits and liberties by holyRoller	Mar 6th, 2001 09:12:02 AM
If you look at the stillsuits in the two movies from a scientific standpoint, there is no way the Fremen are going to wear the suits in the Lynch version. Who would live on a desert planet where water is so vital and fail to have a part of the suit around the head? PLEASE. Talk about serious water loss. The suits in the Sci-Fi version may not have looked quite as cool, but at least they were thought through a bit more. I do like Lynch's version, however, and loved some of the non-Dune things he added, like the weirding guns and that Paul's name was from a moon instead of a desert mouse. But the suits really needed a revamp, even if they would hide pretty-boy Kyle's face.
best of both and smithee answer by darmal	Mar 6th, 2001 01:43:21 PM
I think the new DUNE would have been fantastic if included the following from Lynch's" -The Baron -Piter -RM Mohiam -the costumes -the sets -the inner voices I like the new Feyd better than Sting..this one is hunkier...would have loved seeing him in the jock strap! the Smithee version is 3+ hrs and is often seen on TV...it includes the historical background at the beginning and extra scenes (the SFX weren't dont yet so the eyes aren't blue) like Gurney with his Baliset....the studio did this cut and Lynch told them to remove his name
Wow, I might just buy it for that Sottaro dude by Mr_Intimidation	Mar 7th, 2001 03:45:17 AM
or whatever his name is. yes, yes, i'm so lazy i won't backspace to actually get his real name. but all that pretentious stuff sounds just about up my alley. heh heh. maybe i can still some and put them in my thesis. fuckin' film professors love nothing more than pretentious shite.
Euro DVD will be DVD by InfraMan	Mar 7th, 2001 02:00:40 PM
The European edition of the DVD (which will be released later this year) will have more documentaries, the 'director's cut version', and a whole boatload of extras -- including Q & A sessions, a large picture gallery, an audio commentary, etc. A much better product. InfraMan is glad he owns a multi-regional DVD player!
Euro DVD will be a much better DVD by InfraMan	Mar 7th, 2001 02:07:24 PM
The European edition of the DVD (which will be released later this year) will have more documentaries, the 'director's cut version', and a whole boatload of extras -- including Q & A sessions, a large picture gallery, an audio commentary, etc. A much better product. InfraMan is glad he owns a multi-regional DVD player!
I liked both versions, for different reasons by BigW	Mar 7th, 2001 03:05:19 PM
DUNE the mini-series was certainly closer to the story (it had the time to go over it), and actually had Duncan do something other than say hi and get killed. Duncan WAS the Attreides top badass, and he was pretty much cut out of the movie. On the other hand, why they would cut out the Thufir and Pieter, and effectively use the time to add a new plot thread with Irulan, just doesn't make sense (except that it allowed them to try to apease the women-libbers out there, I suppose, since the book could be viewed as fairly sexist). Also, the TV version doesn't have Patrick Stewart. However, the mood and costume of the movie just can't be beat. And the inner dialogue really explained the imprtance of the "plans within plans". But when you watch the movie, you really get the feeling that too much was left on the chopping block. Conclusion: Lynch must be convinced to retrieve the scrapped material and add it to a new DVD release, or someone will have to remake the movie as a 3 hour epic (and get Patrick Stewart back: he's old, so he could play Liet now).
Thank you Alex and On Irulan by vox8	Mar 7th, 2001 04:07:45 PM
I would like to take a moment to thank Alex for the first coherent review of what I also felt was a very strong intrepretation of Herbert's masterpiece. Thank you. As for Iruan and Feyd - the countess Fenrig seduced Feyd in the book to perptuate the Harkonnen bloodline when they felt that it would be lost. In the ScFi version they substituted the character and the intent to provide us with a better relationship with Irulan. The goal is to make the first 3 books into movies. In the first book Irulan was almost nonexistant except for as the narrator, BUT in the next two she was an integral part of the plot. We had to see more of Irulan than her just showing up at the end as the prize. If we had not gotten to know her in the additional scenes her prescence in the subsequent movies would have little or no weight. -Vox
Mrs. DuPont Review by Stanazgul	Mar 8th, 2001 09:00:21 AM
Mrs. Dupont and AICN, Great review! I dont have a dvd, right now but I caught the Dune series on Sci-fi. BTW,Would u agree, that the lighting from Lynch's movie would be a good pluck from to the other. Adapting movie lighting to tv could have a great affect to. CU, Stan
RE:Alan Smithee by Redbeard_NV	Mar 10th, 2001 02:10:17 AM
Alan Smithee is the Director's Guild's pseudonym for a director who wants to opt out of any responsability for a film, usually when it's been taken over by a producer or studio when in conflict with the director. Since Lynch wanted no part in the hack job performed by Universal in their bzarre re-edit, including the God-awful opening narration and illustrations, as well as splicing together scenes where the digitally enhanced blue eyes of the Fremen where not in place, he went the Smithee route. My favorite Alan Smithee film? "Solar Crisis", with Chuck Heston, Tim Matheson and Paul Williams as The Bomb. Alan Smithee, the name just reeks of dubious quality...like Joel Schumacher or Avika Goldman.
I liked the Lynch version. . . by Sith Lord Jesus	Mar 10th, 2001 06:27:43 PM
. . .but I will at least rent this one just to give it a looksee. I'm a fool for old-skool Trek style interiors. But you know, it seems kind of obvious to me that DUNE, if ever brought to the big screen again, should be broken up into at least two films. It's a pity the theatrical movie version was done back in the '80's instead of now, when triolgies/franchises are all the rage. We could have had an excellent triolgy from the first book alone, and Iluvatar only knows how many films from the subsequent novels.
All your bases belong to us by razor	Mar 12th, 2001 02:23:18 PM
"Bases" is the plural for "basis" so the [sic] isn't correct, monkeybrain.
I just got the dvd and, well ..... by Rico_Escobar	Mar 21st, 2001 01:02:26 PM
the extras aren't as good as i had hoped. There are pictures of the costumes are that o.k., but the production pics kinda suck. There pretty much pictures of drawings wich are on a wall, you can see the thumbtacks! Some are even pics of a fat boy on his computer working on a rendering of the imperial palace. Pretty lame. What is good is that you get to see the miniseries without the last minute editing the network suits do to allow for more advertising (low ranked networks that cant make promises to their advertisers do this, like UPN.) But there are no deleted scenes on this dvd, and I know that the part where Lady Jessica is fondled by Piter exists, but its not on the region 1 dvd, also I think there's another version of footage when Leto blows out the poison from his mouth. can anyone tell me if there going to be any deleted scenes on the european dvd? is there another website that tells us of this? I went to amazon.co.uk and I couldn't find it.

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Alexandra DuPont's DUNE 2K 2-Disc DVD Review

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