anyone catch the original dune last night?

[bouyantman]

and what version do you like better?...i love the original!

[Antrobus]

I like the original too - even though it got panned so badly. I think what I liked about it most was the feel and look of the film.
I loved some of the casting choices too.

I

[La Bomba]

I prefer the original, although I thought the skiffy version was well done. I'm a big David Lynch fan. I really like the extended "Alan Smithee" version of the original film. It's about 3 1/2 hours long, and does a lot more to define the characters.

[bouyantman]

the one that was on wed.night was the 4hr one....

[La Bomba]

Yeah, that's the one... I love that version! I wish they'd release it on dvd. Maybe as a 2 disc set with the theatrical version.

[bouyantman]

Originally posted by La Bomba
Yeah, that's the one... I love that version! I wish they'd release it on dvd. Maybe as a 2 disc set with the theatrical version.
that version isn't on dvd??...which one is?

[Darth Buddha]

The Skiffy Mini Had the Edge

I liked some things about the Lynch version, but I think the Skiffy mini has the edge.

The biggest problem with the Lynch film is the damned "weirding modules"... even though Herbert was a consultant to the film, I understand a great deal was done over his objections.

I like Francesca Annis as Jessica (too gorgeous), though Alice Krige as an older Jessica in Skiffy's "Children of Dune" was also excellent. The role is better written for the mini.

Patrick Stewart as Gurney Halleck was of course a stronger casting than the fellow from the Skiffy mini's. The role was better written for the mini, though, except for the scene where Gurney and Paul are re-united when the Fremen hit a pirate band instead of Harkonnens... that scene really had impact.

I thought that John Hurt played Leto I like a man on drugs, but even that was superior to Jurgen Prochnow as Leto I. I think Prochnow is a brilliant actor, but grossly miscast in that film. Again, the role was better written for the mini.

The feel? Well, the architecture and the influence of H.R. Giger on the sets was phenomenal on the Harkonnens. On the other hand, I felt the palace was better done in the mini. The guild navigator in the Lynch film was more provokative than the mini's. But the mini had better ornithopters, guild ships, etc

Sean Young as Chani? Better casting. Better written for the mini (in the film she was a non-character).

Thufir Hawat? Better acted and better written for the Lynch film.

Duncan? Richard Jordan was a bit old for the part, but far more believable.

Helen Mohiam? Better written and cast in the Lynch film.

Shaddam? Better cast and written in the mini. Jose Ferrer wasn't even close... brilliant actor, but miscats.

I actually liked the casting of Stilgar better in the Lynch film, but there was a far better role in the mini.All in all, I'd have to give the edge for story, characterization, and overall special effects to the mini. I have to give the Lynch film a slight edge on casting. Of course, I'm a rabid Herbert fan from way back, so my opinion isn't really a "naive" one.

[La Bomba]

Originally posted by bouyantman
that version isn't on dvd??...which one is?

As far as I know, only the theatrical version, which is maybe about 2 1/2 hours long, and with a totally different opening.

[bouyantman]

damn budda!...a simple old or new would have been fine.:aok:
but,i still think the original one was better:ewink:

[bouyantman]

Originally posted by La Bomba
As far as I know, only the theatrical version, which is maybe about 2 1/2 hours long, and with a totally different opening.
what's diffrent with the beginning?....and i take it that the one that's out now really isn't worth buying??

[La Bomba]

Originally posted by Darth Buddha
[b]The Skiffy Mini Had the Edge

I liked some things about the Lynch version, but I think the Skiffy mini has the edge. [b]

Wow, that is an excellent breakdown, buddha!

I agree with you on just bout everything you said, but I still give the edge to the Lynch version, for a couple of reasons.

I wasn't bothered as much as you were by the weirding module thing. When I first saw it way back when, I remember thinking that Lynch was taking a large liberty with the wierding way concept, but I came to accept that it would be a very difficult concept to get across in a movie, and I thought it was sort of a clever substitute. Having said that, I though skiffy did a decent job getting the idea across.

Also, I was irritated with the liberties skiffy took with Herbert's book, adding entire scenes that are nowhere to be found in Dune. Especially when it came to Princess Irulan.

Overall, I thought Lynch conveyed the mystical "feel" of Herbert's book much better than Skiffy did. Skiffy's version left me a little cold, it seemed a little stiff.

[La Bomba]

Originally posted by bouyantman
what's diffrent with the beginning?....and i take it that the one that's out now really isn't worth buying??

It's worth having, because it the only one you can get. It's not awful, but it isn't a full-fledged as the longer version. All of the really important scenes are still there.
The opening is different in that it is narrated by Princess Irulan, and she offers only a very short indroduction to the world of Dune, instread if the in-depth explanation given by the male narrator at the start of the longer version.

[bouyantman]

now that i think about it there was no weirding module in skiffys version was there?

[bouyantman]

Originally posted by La Bomba
It's worth having, because it the only one you can get. It's not awful, but it isn't a full-fledged as the longer version. All of the really important scenes are still there.
The opening is different in that it is narrated by Princess Irulan, and she offers only a very short indroduction to the world of Dune, instread if the in-depth explanation given by the male narrator at the start of the longer version.

thanks dude!:aok: do you know if or when they will release the longer version?

[La Bomba]

Originally posted by bouyantman
now that i think about it there was no weirding module in skiffys version was there?

No, David Lynch added that to the movie, it's not in the book, either.

I don't know of any plans to release the 4 hour version. I'll be first in line if they do!

[bouyantman]

Originally posted by La Bomba
No, David Lynch added that to the movie, it's not in the book, either.

I don't know of any plans to release the 4 hour version. I'll be first in line if they do!
wow!,didn't know that since i didn't read the book...and i'll be 2nd in line!:rollin:

[La Bomba]

Originally posted by bouyantman
wow!,didn't know that since i didn't read the book...and i'll be 2nd in line!:rollin:

If you get a chance, read it. Even though both films have some merit, neither really do justice to the book. It is truly amazing.

[bouyantman]

Originally posted by La Bomba
If you get a chance, read it. Even though both films have some merit, neither really do justice to the book. It is truly amazing.
*just put it on my wish list*

[La Bomba]

:aok:

[vhsiv]

Originally posted by La Bomba
Yeah, that's the one... I love that version! I wish they'd release it on dvd. Maybe as a 2 disc set with the theatrical version. Actually, the longer version is available - only not in the US. The longer 'Alan Smithee' version is available as a Region 2 DVD (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00004Y3Q5/qid=1076086834/sr=1-5/ref=sr_1_11_5/202-9145610-9715825), and of course as a USA/Skiffy over-the-air exclusive.

For the most part, I think that David Lynch has just walked away from that project entirely - Universal chopped his original cut to bits (his initial cut came in at 6-8 hours), and then they went behind his back and added in a bunch of footage to create the 'SciFi Exclusive' version, prefacing the whole thing with that awful v.o. and those lousy paintings, thus the 'Alan Smithee' attribution.

The situation pretty much amounts to the David Fincher 'Alien 3' situation. Perhaps they ought to have retored Lynch's original 'work-print', and broadcast that as a miniseries back in 1999?

Idunno. But it's all water under the bridge, now.

[Darth Buddha]

I'd pay good money for a version of the 8-hour cut.

Too damned bad we can't get it...

[B Sharp]

My opinion is pretty close to a lot of what has been said, but I'll also add that in general, I liked all the sets in the mini includ the Harkonnen ones (as well as the script, as DB pointed out eloquently).

I wish that Skiffy had given the budget that the Lynch film had to the same people that made the mini on the condition that the majority of the money had to go to casting, and that length had to be more like 'Taken'... In both versions, significant sub-plots were cut or edited, and complex relationships were simplified.

If I have to choose, I'll still watch the Skiffy version before looking at any version of the Lynch film. The former is an engaging story, the latter is a spectacle without the substance that made the book such a good read.

It's a huge challenge to make a film version of such a complex book, but the fact that two versions of Dune are done gives me hope that my favorite books by the world's best sci-fi author (IMO) might be made into films in my lifetime:
Gene Wolfe's 3 interlocking series called 'The Book of the New Sun', 'The Book of the Long Sun', and 'The Book of the Short Sun' - each are 1500 pages of prose of absolutely magnificent quality that I believe should be ranked with the best literature ever written.

[darius]

The biggest problem with the Lynch film is the damned "weirding modules"... even though Herbert was a consultant to the film, I understand a great deal was done over his objections.

I thought they were a cool part of the movie. I read the books and understand why they created that though. It saved them alot of time in explaining why the Emperor conspired against the Atreides. Maybe they thought that people who didn't read the book wouldn't understand the idea that he wanted the Atreides destroyed because he feared how well they could train a fighting force.

[Zantar]

I thought the david lynch film was well trash. he took far to much allowances with the DUNE plot, and the acting wasnt even that great. All of it felt far to "rushed", and besides that the overall presentation of the film just failed compared to the mini.

[bouyantman]

Originally posted by darius
I thought they were a cool part of the movie. I read the books and understand why they created that though. It saved them alot of time in explaining why the Emperor conspired against the Atreides. Maybe they thought that people who didn't read the book wouldn't understand the idea that he wanted the Atreides destroyed because he feared how well they could train a fighting force.

i thought it was because of all the popularity that duke leto was gaining with all the house's?....and i did like the weirding moduals,i liked the idea behind them!:aok:

[bouyantman]

Originally posted by Zantar
I thought the david lynch film was well trash. he took far to much allowances with the DUNE plot, and the acting wasnt even that great. All of it felt far to "rushed", and besides that the overall presentation of the film just failed compared to the mini.
:eh: :g2f: :whip:

[the_cadpig]

Have to say I liked the mini better than the Lynch version.

I wrote a review of the movie at Amazon.com way back when, and I still stand by what I said then.

When I first heard that a movie of Frank Hebert's "Dune" was being made I was very intrigued. My first thought was how in the world would they pull off the sandworms? And I was very excited when I first went to see the movie in the theatre... but warning bells went off when they started passing out flyers with explanations of Dune terminology in the lobby. You shouldn't need a cheat sheet to see a movie.

Turns out the sandworms were one of the few elements of the book that the movie managed to display fairly well. Much of the rest, however, was a huge disappointment. A lot of major characters were turned into nothing but footnotes. And you just couldn't get a sense of the immense psychological and spiritual journey that led Paul 'Maud'Dib' Atreides to realizing his destiny. I have to give David Lynch kudos for trying, though. The visuals were facinating. A lot of concepts were wonderfully realized (such as the aforementioned sandworms, the Fremen stillsuits, the appearance of the Bene Gesserit sisters, even Arrakis itself). But the story was sadly lacking, the characters were not fully fleshed out (though decently acted), and the pacing seemed all over the place. And I just couldn't get past Sean Young as Chani. She just didn't fit to me. That was only a slightly better bit of casting than picking Molly Ringwald to play Fran Goldsmith in "The Stand". (Nah, I take that back. The latter example is just too horrible to mention. I've really tried to block that out. *shudder*)

Anyway, there were some crucial scenes that should have been in there but weren't and quite a few that didn't need to be there at all. And the ending, though I imagine necessary, was a bit of a copout and way too pat.

It would be extremely hard for anyone to make a movie that would do Hebert's book justice and those who have not read the book will probably be more impressed by the movies. However, the epic scope of the novel, IMHO, makes it more suitable for a mini-series. I'll take story over style any day. And if you can get 'em both in one package...

If there truly is some 8hr cut of the movie out there, I definitely wouldn't mind having a look at it. Could be that most of the problems I had with movie were caused by some editor with quick scissors.

~cp