Stilgar of Troon, please post in this thread once you've watched the new Dune movie

[Frozen Fishsticks]

@Stilgar of Troon , are you going to watch Denis Villeneuve's Dune movie? Maybe you've already watched it? If you do (or have), I would like to know your opinion as your a forum member of quality posts - especially in the Random Pics & Gifs thread - and seemingly impeccable taste. Plus, I'm assuming you've read the novels.

Alternate topic for all forum members:

Which King of the Hill character would you like to become real and why?

 

[Sped Xing]

The advertisements for the movie make it look awful.

 

[Stilgar of Troon]

I am absolutely going to watch it, aye; I will most likely venture to the cinema for the first time in years, too. I've read all of the Frank Herbert books, I lost interest in the Brian books pretty quickly when it became apparent that he doesn't know his ass from a hole in the ground.

I've a nostalgic love for the 1984 version (Spicediver Fan Edit ftw, though), but I'm kind of excited to see what they're going to do with it this time around; the casting looks mostly pretty good, and I like Villeneuve's work, so I'm cautiously optimistic.

 

[mr.moon1488]

Watching a modern remake of an 80s movie?

 

[Red Hood]

I am absolutely going to watch it, aye; I will most likely venture to the cinema for the first time in years, too. I've read all of the Frank Herbert books, I lost interest in the Brian books pretty quickly when it became apparent that he doesn't know his ass from a hole in the ground.

I've a nostalgic love for the 1984 version (Spicediver Fan Edit ftw, though), but I'm kind of excited to see what they're going to do with it this time around; the casting looks mostly pretty good, and I like Villeneuve's work, so I'm cautiously optimistic.

I'm curious about how you feel about both Cryo and Westwood's game adaptations.

 

[Stilgar of Troon]

I'm curious about how you feel about both Cryo and Westwood's game adaptations.

I avoided most of them, because I despise RTS games and I'm told they're fairly archetypal examples. I did briefly tool around with "Frank Herbert's Dune" on PS2, but even for the time, that wasn't a particularly fun experience and apparently, my Dune 'tism has some limits.

 

[millais]

Boomhauer, because I don't totally believe that anyone still talks with a regional dialect that thick anymore. I hear hints of similar dialects every now and then, but nothing that unintelligible.

 

[Red Hood]

I avoided most of them, because I despise RTS games and I'm told they're fairly archetypal examples. I did briefly tool around with "Frank Herbert's Dune" on PS2, but even for the time, that wasn't a particularly fun experience and apparently, my Dune 'tism has some limits.

Not just archetypal, they're more or less the genesis of the genre.

Still, you may find some interest in their soundtracks (which are excellent) or the 1992 adventure game which mixes in some management elements (and also has a good soundtrack- which seems to be the one thing most Dune games share). Anyway throwing it out there.

 

[Cat tit bingo]

The advertisements for the movie make it look awful.

Looks like the blandest interpretation possible, it's probably what tax accounts imagine when reading the book.
I vote boomhauer become real cause he's a moral center with a great singing voice.

 

[Sped Xing]

Looks like the blandest interpretation possible, it's probably what tax accounts imagine when reading the book.
I vote boomhauer become real cause he's a moral center with a great singing voice.

Yes, exactly.

Based solely on the advertisements, it's a surface-level adventure story. A version for the speds who think Dune is a "chosen one story," rather than an exploration of the power of myth to motivate human behavior and the powerlessness of even the Messiah to prevent his own holy war.

I've not seen the David Lynch movie, but David Lynch is a lunatic and that's always preferable to a slick, forgettable popcorn movie.

 

[Otterly]

I saw it at the weekend. With trepidation, becasue it’s basically one of my top three favourite books, and it’s unfilmable. It was OK. Not brilliant, but OK. Kynes as a woman doesn’t work at all. Timothy whatsit is alrightish as Paul. The visual is incredibly bleak and so much inspired by the first blade runner I expected vangelis to strike up any moment. The worms were a disappointment. The costumes are good. The word jihad has been quietly erased and they’ve really tiptoed around the religious / baronial perversion aspects which lessens it. Jessica is portrayed as if she’s constantly having a breakdown which is a shame (thought we were all about the strongk wimmin?) they missed a lot out which is a shame becasue ffs they had hours to do a third of the book. The setup needed longer IMo. Gurney and hawat are barely fleshed out, the religious background isn’t mentioned.
The main issue is the book is incredible but unfilmable. It’s not written in a way you can film without really awkward exposition or extremely awkward ‘here’s my inner monologue.’ Many authors wrote as if they’d end up with a cinematic version but Herbert has managed to create a book that gave you a full, rich mental image but doesn’t translate to cinema at all.
I actually think the David lynch version was almost great. It’s David lynch so it was barmy as, but some parts of it were perfect. I haven’t seen the TV series adaptation- is that any good? It strikes me as a better medium for it somehow.
Also I’m getting old but it was too LOUD. I’m getting a bit sick of that Prometheus style brass discordant blaring thing. Harrumph, etc.

 

[God Emperor]

I am, as you might imagine, a massive fan of the original books.

I haven't seen the new film yet, but my main concern after having watched the trailers is the dismal, depressing, grey production design and cinematography.

'Dune' is many things, but an aspect of it which cannot be ignored is that it is a psychedelic exploration of consciousness, exotic alien worlds, far-future culture, decadent courtly intrigue, and religious mysticism.

These costumes and setting should be inspired by the height of the Islamic Golden Age!

The Atreides trooper armour looks like any other plastic sci-fi action film or superhero movie costume, the Fremen still aren't wearing their Bedouin robes or Keffiyeh (tromping around in baggy wetsuits instead), and the Lady Jessica is wearing what appears to be a drab prom dress.

Say what you will about Jodorowsky's Dune, but at least it was fucking creative.

The Baron Harkonnen should be wrapped in baroque excess, the Reverend Mother Mohiam should be a terrifying old crone with metal teeth, the Lady Jessica should look like beautiful royalty (instead of the bare faced housewife she appears to be in the promotional photos).

 

[Sped Xing]

Leto II did nothing wrong.

Why the fuck did we never get Guillermo del Toro's Dune? Honestly I would be happy to skip aheag the GdT GEOD.

 

[Stilgar of Troon]

Okay, so I finally watched it. Honestly, I'm pretty happy with it, overall.

Overall, I really liked the look of the film; the architecture and vehicles being particularly good. Ditto the stillsuits, which look much more practical than the original version's, and I'm glad the robes actually made an appearance this time. The score is excellent throughout, too.
The casting, for the most part, is pretty decent, particularly Chalamet, Bardem and Momoa, who both (IMO) gave excellent representations of their respective characters. I did think Rebecca Ferguson was a so/so choice for Jessica, a little plain-looking for a character noted to be a great beauty, but that's a very minor gripe. Kynes as a woman? Unbothered, since it didn't impact the narrative. I was glad to see the Harkonnens not being made cartoonishly evil as they were in the 1984 version.
Yueh's role was quite cut down, but again, not with any real detriment to the story. I was sorry to see much less of Piter De Vries in this version, especially since David Dastmalchian looked somehow even creepier than Brad Dourif did in the original.

The one thing that really did bug me was (mild spoiler) the part where the sandworm almost has Jessica and Paul and then just... stops and "looks" at Paul, before being called away by a thumper. That little feat of sandworm standoff didn't make an appearance until Sheeana in Heretics/Chapterhouse. No real need for that, IMO.

I'm as happy as I think I could be with this version; I think the book in it's unmodified form is unfilmable, but this is a decent stab at it. Not perfect, but certainly not bad.

 

[Realistic Elephant]

The one thing that really did bug me was (mild spoiler) the part where the sandworm almost has Jessica and Paul and then just... stops and "looks" at Paul, before being called away by a thumper. That little feat of sandworm standoff didn't make an appearance until Sheeana in Heretics/Chapterhouse. No real need for that, IMO.

I'm as happy as I think I could be with this version; I think the book in it's unmodified form is unfilmable, but this is a decent stab at it. Not perfect, but certainly not bad.

It sounds like a worthwhile watch based on your analysis, I'll need to check it out.

I'm thinking that scene was a primer for an entire series of films based on the novels. However, I do like the idea of this kind of foreshadowing...it's never really explored whether the kind prescience on the scale of Leto II's combined with his worm nature could also extend backwards. All I have to say on the sequels, though, is that Hwi Noree better be irresistibly attractive.

I'll need to re-read the originals again to confirm that since it's been nearly two years since my last read. GEoD and Heretics are my two favorites of the entire series.

 

[Michael_Jordan_Peterson]

I liked it I thought it was good. I would go get lost in the desert and marry Chani too.
It was also cool when he embarrassed and then murdered the black guy. This is the kind of diverse casting I can get behind

 

[Shidoen]

I fell asleep 3/4 into the movie. I never watched the original movie or read the books, however I did like the fat guy.

 

[Shaka Brah]

The one thing that really did bug me was (mild spoiler) the part where the sandworm almost has Jessica and Paul and then just... stops and "looks" at Paul, before being called away by a thumper. That little feat of sandworm standoff didn't make an appearance until Sheeana in Heretics/Chapterhouse. No real need for that, IMO.

What about the part where they kept firing lasers down at shielded ships and people? I felt autistic for being upset with that, but it's a core element of the Dune universe that you don't put those two things together. It seems like a weird thing to complain about too, but they went to great lengths to be accurate about things like ship to ground missiles firing a fast burn to slow down to pass through grounded ship's shields, and projectiles slowing down to kill shielded people, but not that.

 

[Stilgar of Troon]

What about the part where they kept firing lasers down at shielded ships and people? I felt autistic for being upset with that, but it's a core element of the Dune universe that you don't put those two things together. It seems like a weird thing to complain about too, but they went to great lengths to be accurate about things like ship to ground missiles firing a fast burn to slow down to pass through grounded ship's shields, and projectiles slowing down to kill shielded people, but not that.

You know, I must have missed that; I'll have to re-watch it and pay more attention to that bit. I'd have assumed that given the strong taboo against shields on Arrakis, there wouldn't have been any shields in play, even in Arrakeen, but I guess I'm going to have to check that part out again. Good catch!

 

[Shaka Brah]

You know, I must have missed that; I'll have to re-watch it and pay more attention to that bit. I'd have assumed that given the strong taboo against shields on Arrakis, there wouldn't have been any shields in play, even in Arrakeen, but I guess I'm going to have to check that part out again. Good catch!

That was something a friend brought up to me after we both saw it, though I think it can be rationalized away somewhat. The Sardaukar for sure and I believe also Duncan use shields during their fight in the ecological outpost. A Sardaukar (presumably with a shield) kills Kynes on the sand at the end but it's supposed to be her pounding on drumsand that attracts the worm? There were definitely some off parts, but like you said it's way better than most of the renditions over the years.

The part that specifically bothered me about shields in my first watch was during the fall of Arrakeen ships are firing lasers down onto the planet, including at the ornithopter but well within range of hitting shielded combatants on the ground and the shielded Atreides dropships in the landing field. Since space-based lasers are verboten due to not being able to use them when shields are powered on without causing your ship to go thermonuclear, it seemed odd that the Harkonnens would use them at all. Especially since they have perfectly good space to ground missiles.