Dune

[AZRedhawk44]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9xhJrPXop4&feature=youtu.be

I'm optimistic about this one.

I just watched Villeneuve's Blade Runner 2049 this last weekend, and he did a marvelous job preserving the ambiance of the original film, giving us new facets of a Replicant world to consider.

Lynch's 1984 Dune is a favorite of mine despite its flaws. I hated the SyFy channel Dune miniseries done in 2000. If Villeneuve can pay respect to the power of the mind in Herbert's original work, and keep Paul and his Atreides/Fremen cohorts on track as the stoics they are (Paul in particular...the religious/philosophical roots of the book demand it), this will be a monumental accomplishment. Dune has been described many times by many great filmmakers as "unfilmable." Villeneuve may have schooled them all.

[Kingcreek]

As a big fan of the original book, I never expect much from a movie. They can only present a summary of a literary work like that in a movie length production. Same for Lord of the Rings, etc.

[Ben]

AZ and me must be one of the few people on the planet that didn't have a big problem with the original movie. It wasn't the greatest, but I didn't think it was that bad either. I still rewatch it every couple of years or so.

Trailer for the new one looks pretty good. A few thoughts:

IMDB has the Paul character as third billed. Maybe they're doing "order of appearance" or something.

The new Paul, according to IMDB, is 25, but he looks like he's 15. Not sure what I think of that casting.

Several interesting choices of actors for other characters.

[dogmush]

I also liked the original movie.  It's not perfect, but it's OK, and I watch it happily when I find it.

I really like the book Dune, but as long as they tell a decent story with good characterization and dialogue that is internally consistent, it's OK if they change a few things.  That's why it's called an "adaptation".  It's also where so many remakes go wrong these days.  Tell a good story, and people will like it.  Be lazy and pray nostalgia carries your movie?  That's rolling the dice.

[K Frame]

I saw Dune in the theater when it first came out. I only had the vaguest idea what it was about. My friends wanted to go, as they were far more into sci fi than I was at the time, so sure, whatever.

I knew we were in for trouble when they passed out a glossary sheet as we entered the theater. WTF?

Despite its flaws, I have to admit... I liked it. I really did. It's pure 80s big hair filmmaking, but I still watch it occasionally, and I still enjoy it.

I only finally read the book maybe 5 years ago. Almost 600 page, IIRC, in the paperback I had... I finished it in less than 3 days. Unbridled awesomeness is the only way I can put it.

[Ben]

I think the last time I read Dune was in 1980 or so. I need to read it again before I see the new movie. Though like others, I'm not expecting "true to the novel", nor will I be upset by the lack thereof.

[WLJ]

The new Paul, according to IMDB, is 25, but he looks like he's 15. Not sure what I think of that casting.

Been a long long time since I read the book but IIRC Paul was around 15-16 or so in the first half of the book

[Ben]

Been a long long time since I read the book but IIRC Paul was around 15-16 or so in the first half of the book

Casting a 15 year old looking actor can make sense if they're looking at more than one movie.

[WLJ]

Casting a 15 year old looking actor can make sense if they're looking at more than one movie.

That's along the lines of what I'm thinking. They wanted someone who could look young in the first half but then appropriately older in the second.

[lee n. field]

Been a long long time since I read the book but IIRC Paul was around 15-16 or so in the first half of the book

And Jessica wouldn't have been too much older than thirty. 

[AZRedhawk44]

That's along the lines of what I'm thinking. They wanted someone who could look young in the first half but then appropriately older in the second.

Villeneuve's Dune is addressing the first book of Herbert's series, but it is doing so as two movies.  This movie is only part 1 of the book, up to where Paul flees into the desert and joins with the Fremen.  It'll probably include his romance with Chani, and his rise in Fremen leadership.  Unsure if it will end before or after he transmutes the sandworm bile.

There's a few years between parts 1 and 2 of this first book.  Enough time for Paul's sister to grow to somewhere around 6 to 9 years old, but I think she had accelerated development.

And of course having Chalamet available for a possible 2nd and 3rd book in the series to play Paul again, as an older man, is helpful.  Though I doubt Chalamet could play Paul from the 3rd book.  But... it might be neat to have Kyle MacLachlan play that particular Paul.  Especially 5-10 years from now.

[MechAg94]

The trailer looks good.  Looks like it will get into all the politics.  The shields look cool.

[fifth_column]

I loved the Dune series, absolutely devoured them when I was a kid.  The movie came out when I was 16 or 17.  I recall walking out of the theater after maybe 20 minutes.  I've tried watching it as an adult, thinking I was too immature at the time, but I don't think I watched all of it even then.  I don't think David Lynch had a good grasp of the material, or he got entirely something else out of the book than I did.

This one looks promising, though.

[WLJ]

I loved the Dune series, absolutely devoured them when I was a kid.  The movie came out when I was 16 or 17.  I recall walking out of the theater after maybe 20 minutes.  I've tried watching it as an adult, thinking I was too immature at the time, but I don't think I watched all of it even then.  I don't think David Lynch had a good grasp of the material, or he got entirely something else out of the book than I did.

This one looks promising, though.

While it had it's good points he was trying to cram too much book into one movie plus I got the impression they were aiming, and failed, for a summer big money blockbuster popcorn movie, ie Star Wars. Dune requires the hard sci-fi treatment, far more time to be told properly, and requires a studio willing to sink a ton of money into it knowing they may not see much of it back, ie Blade Runner 2049.

[JN01]

I saw Dune in the theater when it first came out. I only had the vaguest idea what it was about. My friends wanted to go, as they were far more into sci fi than I was at the time, so sure, whatever.

I knew we were in for trouble when they passed out a glossary sheet as we entered the theater. WTF?

Despite its flaws, I have to admit... I liked it. I really did. It's pure 80s big hair filmmaking, but I still watch it occasionally, and I still enjoy it.

I only finally read the book maybe 5 years ago. Almost 600 page, IIRC, in the paperback I had... I finished it in less than 3 days. Unbridled awesomeness is the only way I can put it.

I tried reading the book as a teenager, but didn't make it very far with all the flipping back and forth to the glossary.  Guess my attention span wasn't up to it.  Later, I thought I'd go see the movie, wasn't any better. It's one of the few movies where I walked out in the middle of it.

[BlueStarLizzard]

I actually liked the Mini series. It followed the books more closely that the movie. I also hated the books. Hubert's writing is as dry as the planet he writes about. It took me a few attempts to get through it.
I really like the casting for The Beast and I'm interested in seeing Stellen Starsgard as the Baron. However, I have fairly low expectations. It could be awesome, but considering the material and modern Hollywood, it's very possibly going to be crap.

[Perd Hapley]

I get the appeal of Dune, but I find it difficult to buy into those 87-volume franchises. If I need a corpus of literature that extensive, I'll go with the Bible* or the Icelandic sagas, or Journey to the West or something.



*the real one, not the Orange Catholic one.

[WLJ]

Apparently the SJWs think feel it's too white and cultural appropriation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8RvVQcXGj4

[dogmush]

Apparently the SJWs think feel it's too white and cultural appropriation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8RvVQcXGj4

That's a good sign.

[Pb]

The trailer looks excellent!

One of my favorite books.

I remember checking out the original Dune movie on VHS.

I'm not sure if I was more horrified or gobsmacked.

When I saw Patrick Stewart charging into battle holding a lapdog, I thought I was hallucinating. 

[Angel Eyes]

The trailer looks excellent!

Indeed.  Plus Pink Floyd on the soundtrack. 

Been a fan of the novels for years.  Looking forward to seeing this film.

[K Frame]

Finally got to watch the trailer...

Holy balls that looks good.

[MillCreek]

Wow. This may call for going to the theater and seeing it on the big screen and sound.

[K Frame]

Exactly what I'm thinking.

The last movie I saw in the theater that DEMANDED to be seen in the theater was Blade Runner 2049.

I also saw Deadpool 2 (very good) and Solo: A Star Wars Story (pretty crappy) in the theater because I was visiting friends and they wanted to see them. But neither one demanded to be seen in the theater.

[WLJ]

For hard Sci-Fi fans Foundation is coming up too.
Hopefully they won't screw this one up and give it the woke treatment. Unfortunately from what little we see in the trailer they may have.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZd3xUDudy8

For those unfamiliar with Foundation. Many consider it the daddy, or grand daddy depending on how you look at it, of modern hard Sci-fi including Dune
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foundation_(Asimov_novel)