Sheila
"The Spice MUST FLOW!!! David Lynch's Dada-esque "DUNE" Finally Given A Respectable DVD Release"
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The Spice MUST FLOW!!! David Lynch's Dada-esque "DUNE" Finally Given A Respectable DVD Release
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Feb 10, 2006
- by Sheila
Rating:
The "Spice Melange" extends life and existence as people know it in the year 10191 AD. However, this precious spice is only available on one planet and that is planet Arrakis. Also known as DUNE!
+5
There are two families who want to gain control of spice production because the one who controls the spice, will, indeed, control the whole universe! The spice is mined on Arrakis but there are HUGE sand worms that try to guard it for themselves. Be careful of WORM SIGN!
The families that war it out over the spice are: House Atreides, home of Duke Leto (Prochnow), Lady Jessica, a Bene Gesserit handmaiden & their son, Paul (MacLachlan). The Atreides reside on planet Caladan. House Harkonnen, comprised of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (McMillen), Feyd-Rautha (Sting) & The Beast Rabban, reside on planet Giedi Prime.
On planet Kaitain resides Jose Ferrer as the Emperor of the Universe, Shaddam & his daughter, Princess Irulan played by Virginia Madsen.
This story is focused on intergalactic warrior, young Paul Atreides & his messianic rise to leadership by coming into his own, so to speak. Due in part to an old prophecy regarding a man that will be above all other men.
The circa 1984 visual/special effects are STILL stunning even by today's standards, the soundtrack is by Toto, and some of the monsters created for this film, like "The Guildmaster" were by the likes of E.T.'s Carlo Rambaldi.
This film heads an all-star cast with the ones mentioned above plus - Sean Young as Chani the Fremen, Linda Hunt as Fremen Shadout Mapes, Brad Dourif as Piter De Vries, Patrick Stewart as Gurney, Max Von Sydow as Dr. Kynes, and even David Lynch makes an appearance as a Spice mining worker!
Even a 5 or 6 year old little girl by the name of Alicia Witt from "Urban Legend" & "Two Weeks Notice" gets her first big movie role, her SAG card as Paul's little sister, Alia, and one of the best lines in the film - "And how can this be? For he IS the Kwisatz Haderack!"
The alternate 2 hour 57 minute version on the flipside of the theatrical cut was the cut for television. As many fans of Dune know, this 'extended' version was disowned by Lynch, who insisted his name be replaced by that famous Hollywood pseudonym "Alan Smithee" the name used by directors whose films were taken away and recut against their wishes.
PROS: The extended version is FINALLY released in DVD widescreen format. The circa 1984 set design and special effects are still, indeed, SPECIAL!
CONS: Lynch's version of Dune is either a "love it or hate it" epic film. If viewers are expecting the mythic 4 hour "David Lynch preferred" version that is rumored to be sitting in a vault, don't get your hopes up. This version is indeed, a MYTH.
Deleted scenes include the highly debated and much removed Thufir death scene where Thufir is administered a lethal dose of poison by the Harkonnen's and has a kind of sexually orgasmic death.
Regardless, if you like Lynch, sci-fi or just weird set design and effects, I highly recommend this film to you!
Happy Watching, Unpleasant Dreams & May The Spice Be With You!!!
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ornleifs
September 10, 2010
I love this film, it's unusual and has a very unique visual style, Lynch is a Genius anyhow even though he sometimes makes difficult films, but this one is just a Great Sci Fi Fantasy. I've read the book shortly before I saw the film and I loved it and I was not dissapointed with the film even though certain things are changed.
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I like Dune, but this David Lynch version of Dune (Extended Edition) is somewhat old and odd. It's probably too foreign and freaky for most audiences. It's not always faithful to the book, in the worst possible ways. In one infamous scene, Baron Harkonnen kills a boy-servant by pulling his heart plug. What does that add to the movie? I recommend Frank Herbert's Dune (Sci-Fi TV Miniseries) (Special Edition Director's Cut) (3-Disc DVD Set) over this version. The computer-generated … more
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Decent but darker treatment of Frank Herbert's Dune. A remake is in the works! Must read the book first!
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review by Sheila.
March 02, 2009
The "Spice Melange" extends life and existence as people know it in the year 10191 AD. However, this precious spice is only available on one planet and that is planet Arrakis. Also known as DUNE. There are two families who want to gain control of spice production because the one who controls the spice, will, indeed, control the whole universe. The spice is mined on Arrakis but there are HUGE sand worms that try to guard it for themselves. Be careful of WORM SIGN! The … more
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About the reviewer
Sheila Chilcote-Collins (Sheila)
Ranked #8
Ranked #8
I enjoy writing my own reviews, listmanias, 'So You'd Like To's' on Amazon and love reading other people's thoughts. I own in excess of 1000 movies, 800+ albums, & 500+ books. … more
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About this movie
Even more than most of David Lynch's deliberately bizarre and idiosyncratic movies,Duneis a "love-it-or-hate-it" affair. An ambitious, epic, utterly mind-boggling--and, let's admit it, all-out weird--adaptation of Frank Herbert's classic science fiction novel,Duneremains one of the most controversial films in the director's exceedingly provocative career. The story (ifDunecan be said to have just one story) is complex and convoluted in the epic tradition; it has 
Kyle MacLachlan as Paul Usul Muad'Dib Atreides something to do with political intrigue and a planet that is home to a precious spice and gigantic sand worms. Think Shakespeare'sHenry IVwith a dash ofTremors, and set in another galaxy. But despite plenty of strangely whispered voice-overs that explain the characters' thoughts (and endlessly detailed exposition), storytelling is not really among the film's strong points. There are, however, a lot of memorably fantastic/grotesque images, an extraordinary cast, and a soundtrack featuring Toto. I told you it was weird. Among the stars are Kyle MacLachlan, José Ferrer, Dean Stockwell, Brad Dourif, Sting, Kenneth McMillan, Patrick
Sting as Feyd-Rautha Stewart, Sean Young, and Linda Hunt.--Jim Emerson
view wiki
Kyle MacLachlan as Paul Usul Muad'Dib Atreides something to do with political intrigue and a planet that is home to a precious spice and gigantic sand worms. Think Shakespeare'sHenry IVwith a dash ofTremors, and set in another galaxy. But despite plenty of strangely whispered voice-overs that explain the characters' thoughts (and endlessly detailed exposition), storytelling is not really among the film's strong points. There are, however, a lot of memorably fantastic/grotesque images, an extraordinary cast, and a soundtrack featuring Toto. I told you it was weird. Among the stars are Kyle MacLachlan, José Ferrer, Dean Stockwell, Brad Dourif, Sting, Kenneth McMillan, Patrick
Sting as Feyd-Rautha Stewart, Sean Young, and Linda Hunt.--Jim Emerson
DVD features
Melange fans have a lot to be excited about with this impressive edition of Dune, though the "Extended Edition" label is a bit misleading. If you are expecting the mythic 4 hour "David Lynch ...
Cast:
Linda Hunt,
Virginia Madsen
Director:
David Lynch
Genre:
Sci-Fi,
Fantasy
Screen Writer:
David Lynch
DVD Release Date:
January 31, 2006
Runtime:
137 minutes
Studio:
Universal Studios
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