which movie version of Dune should I watch?

[drix]

I plan on watching Children of Dune afterwards, so I was wondering which version of Dune I should watch? The 1984 movie or the 2000 miniseries?

[Freakzilla]

There is only one movie version of Dune. I suggest you watch that.



The Dune miniseries is closer to the book than the movie but it has very low production values and way too many hats.

The Dune movie however is a big budget Hollywood movie but it has David Lynch's bizzaro world twist on it.

Have you read the book?

[SandRider]

dang.
he got this first post on @ 4:20 ...
and his first response was Freakzilla w/the crack head smiley ...

[Freakzilla]

It was 5:20 here, but I'm pretty sure I was still high.

[Nekhrun]

Why not watch both? Also, there's a 4 hour Lynch version.

[SandChigger]

I agree with Nekhrun: watch both.

Just keep in mind that all of the adaptations vary in differing degrees from the books.

(Watching everything will probably be less damaging to your understanding of Dune than reading any of the crappy new books! )

[drix]

No, I haven't read the book. I know there's a lot of stuff left out in book-to-movie adaptions but I don't think I'm interested enough in Dune to sit down and read what would be an undoubtedly long ass book. I can watch the movie a lot quicker and get a grasp on the basic plotline. Good enough for me.

I don't think I'd enjoy watching them both so I'll just go with the 1984 movie. Thanks.

[Nekhrun]

I suggest you shove a kja prequel up your ass while watching it then. I think you'd get a lot more enjoyment out of anything you try considering your last post.

[TheDukester]

... I don't think I'm interested enough in Dune to sit down and read what would be an undoubtedly long ass book.

Jesus wept, did you pick the wrong forum or what, dumbass?

[merkin muffley]

I was gonna suggest you should definitely read the book to be able to enjoy the film adaptations, and go into an explanation of why I think it's especially necessary for the David Lynch version, but then I read this...

No, I haven't read the book. I know there's a lot of stuff left out in book-to-movie adaptions but I don't think I'm interested enough in Dune to sit down and read what would be an undoubtedly long ass book. I can watch the movie a lot quicker and get a grasp on the basic plotline. Good enough for me.

I don't think I'd enjoy watching them both so I'll just go with the 1984 movie. Thanks.

..and decided to just suggest that you go jizz on an egg sandwich and eat it.

[Omphalos]

Using an anonymizer with an unused e-mail. Probably a skirmisher from the douchenet.

[A Thing of Eternity]

I was going to say, obvious troll, didn't even put in much effort.

[merkin muffley]

Probably a skirmisher from the douchenet.

The dreaded General Rubicon Benitoid Polpotamus?

[TheDukester]

Using an anonymizer with an unused e-mail. Probably a skirmisher from the douchenet.

Ah, the Douchenet sent over a troll ... had themselves a bit of a larf, did they?

I'll bet it took weeks of planning for the geniuses over there to coordinate the whole thing ...

[inhuien]

Why not watch both? Also, there's a 4 hour Lynch version.

The Alan Smithee clocks in at just under 3 hours and of-course the theatrical is shorter than that, has a new fanedit popped up or a new official cut?

[Nekhrun]

I'm not sure. The Disney channel used to play a version that was 4 hours. It was on quite often for about a year when I was in college. The strange thing was that there were scenes cut out of it that were in the shorter version.

[Freakzilla]

And don't think there weren't GOING TO BE hats in the movie. They spent SIX MONTHS designing hats for Fremen and didn't even use them! Which is good.

[inhuien]

I'm not sure. The Disney channel used to play a version that was 4 hours. It was on quite often for about a year when I was in college. The strange thing was that there were scenes cut out of it that were in the shorter version.

Aha, I guess 3 hours plus commercials would make 4.

[Serkanner]

I noticed Drix found his way home to Dumbnovels.com

[TheDukester]

Which, if he was being even half-serious, is the very height of irony: a guy with no intention of reading the Dune novel ...

... joining a forum literally called "Dune Novels."

[SandChigger]

Well, he'll be in good company over there, where most of them didn't read the books or didn't understand them, either.

Or their lips moved while they read.

[lotek]

Well, he'll be in good company over there, where most of them didn't read the books or didn't understand them, either.

Or their lips moved while they read.

and they're not moving very fast at that...

[Hunchback Jack]

Well, even if he was a troll, I wouldn't be surprised if we get an occasional person lurking who wants to know more about the movies rather than the books, and here is not a bad place to ask. We have a "Dune Media" category, after all, and the movies aren't nu-Dune, even if they aren't canon (or good, particularly).

Personally I'd like to see us help these wanderers, and *strongly encourage* them to read the books if they liked the movies. And maybe suggest they might not be interested in most of the discussions here, given that we focus almost solely on the original series.

Not saying we should tolerate trolls, but I wouldn't want to chase away people who come here in good faith, just because they're intimidated by the first book and want to see the movie.

HBJ

[Lolronica]

Is the talk of the four-hour (and longer) versions based on Lynch's take true (can anyone here vow that they've seen one longer than the three-hour version)? After a fair bit of searching, the most convincing description I could find said that it is just a very early rough cut with just about no effects and no soundtrack. The four-hour version Nekhrun mentions is almost certainly the same as the three-hour version, but broadcast in two parts, with recaptitulations from part I in part II, and the same title sequence repeated in both. There are also variations in length because of 'violence' (much like with Bladerunner) and who defines that in the place a given copy comes from.

That said, the three-hour version has much better flow than the original theatrical release. Lynch has disowned it on more than one occasion, though (probably more to do with being peeved at Hollywood and not getting final say than anything else). Also agree with Lynch's choice of favourite setting in his movie--Giedi Prime. It's a natural for Lynch's industrial fascination.

Anyone stumbling into this topic who hasn't seen them should also beware that the cable TV miniseries makes the Fremen out to be almost exactly like the slaves on the other side of the Stargate in the pretty crappy movie Stargate. There may have been an underhanded reason for that subtext, but it's definitely irritating.

Has its good points though, Hurt as Leto and Reeves as Jessica aren't at all bad (from memory most of the Atreides crew are not bad, with the major exception of the actor who plays Paul himself), the Baron isn't bad either (but heavily influenced by the Lynch take, and not quite as good). Ornithopters are realized quite nicely.

[inhuien]

There are a couple of good fanedits out there. Have a look at fanedit.org for more details.