I was reading one of the recent Geeks of Dune, er Geeks of Doom newsletters when I hit a quote from the new director of the upcoming new Dune movie translation.
From the article, quoting Pierre Morel:
Like many people, I was not fully satisfied with David Lynch’s movie in 1984. I do respect David, and I think his interpretation and vision was interesting, but not what we [fans] expected. And I thought I’d give it a chance, try to do this, make it faster and more modern. I think that now, in 2010, we have the technology to achieve much more than David could do twenty-five years ago. I think it will be cool to try something different.
Say what?
Who are these “many people” who were “not fully satisfied”? What’s WRONG with them? Did they not see the same movie I did at 14 years old?
I MEAN COME ON! LOOK AT THIS!
And that’s just how the movie started. It proceeded to include awesome alien beings, huge-scale artwork, sound effects that blew my mind, spaceships, fighting (both technological and hand-to-hand), killer beasts in the desert, Ming the Merciless, flying fat bastards, STING!!!!, blue-within-blue eyes and was interwoven delicately with complex overarching concepts I wouldn’t come to understand for many years later.
To say Dune transformed my love of sci-fi cinema is an understatement of pre-folded-space proportions. I didn’t read the books until after the movie, and I especially enjoyed the books that came later by Herbert’s son (some of them were enjoyed as audio books).
Now I feel like reading the whole thing again.
I would guess that seeing the movie before reading the books makes a significant difference in your appreciation of each of them. It’s a theory I’ve been formulating.
For some reason, I’ve never been a big fan of the books or the movie. Of course, given that, I’ve not read very many of the books. I’m not even certain I’ve read beyond than the first one.
.-= Ren´s last blog ..Wordless Wednesday Diptych #3: Yellow =-.
And this, my friend, is why you will never, ever be honored with the blessed invitation to join the royal circle of the brotherhood of the sci-fi/fantasy circle of geekdom.
.-= Absurdist´s last blog ..Why Your Money Is In Good Hands In Banks =-.
I saw the movie when I was a kid. I remember practicing sitting as still as possible in case anyone sent a hovering assassin needle into my bedroom one day, like they did to young Paul Atreides. Read the book later when I was 17 or so, and again when I was 19, and then I think I’ve read it just about every other year since then.
I like the original David Lynch movie, but if someone else wants to give it a crack and thinks they can do better, I’ll definitely watch it. (I’m also going to ignore the second half of Ren’s comment. Doesn’t like Dune?! What the–?!)
Never read the book, but I DID like the movie!
Am I cool now?!!
I don’t know if I ever saw the whole Dune movie. I saw the entire Children of Dune movie because that came out a few years ago. But I think I only ever saw the first half.
I think I need to remedy this.
Oh, and thanks for reminding me.
I am a huge, huge, mega-huge fan of the books. I’ve read the original “Dune” more times than I can count. That being said… I loved the Lynch film. I think it captured the SPIRIT of “Dune” more than the television mini-series did (which was kind of bland). Because of my love of the source material, I am definitely up for another movie adaptation. The Spice must flow.
I won’t say I didn’t like Dune. But I will admit I never saw it (movie or TV version) and I’m kinda afraid to. I loved the book. Fantastic! But Lynch has never been one whose work I’ve enjoyed and I remember being freaked out by the images from that movie as a kid. Maybe I should continue my pattern of avoidance?
I love that movie… but the book was so boring. I’m a huge fan of science fiction, but Dune just didn’t do it for me.
.-= marilyn´s last blog ..Random Things on Thursday =-.
I guess that Scifi channel Dune miniseries that was filmed entirely in orange and had Nintendo Gamecube-level CGI doesn’t count.
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