Dune - dir. Denis Villeneuve

[Shippou-Sensei]

Just re-watched the first one ahead if part 2 .

Much better the second time around. The subtitles helped as well as my good speakers.
Didn't have my full sub on but still feel the bass and the rest was realky clear. Slight compression to the video on the night stuff on a Netflix stream.

The ending point feels a lot better too.

 

[tommers]

Just saw the second one at an IMAX. I guess I'll spoiler my thoughts.

Spoiler

Completely different to the first, much slower, but I really liked the religious, spiritual themes that run through it. Also, it's fucking beautiful. Obviously. Did a great job of making Paul into somebody who has few choices, who is manipulated like everybody else. Like the fremen are. Like the Emperor is. And great set pieces. The battles are as amazing as you would expect. Proper blockbuster.

 

[Shippou-Sensei]

Also on second watch spotted that Jamis was played by the doctor from Star Trek SNW.

Now we know how Bones gets his job.

 

[Shippou-Sensei]

My freind who has just seen it said the audience reaction when the shoe drops about the nature of this movement is priceless.

 

[tommers]

My freind who has just seen it said the audience reaction when the shoe drops about the nature of this movement is priceless.

Stilgar has some very good moments.

 

[Shippou-Sensei]

Just chatting shitbwith a mate but is Anikin Skywalker just Paul with bad PR.
Dessert planet. Chosen one. Galaxy wide war destroying countless people. Has a twin boy and girl who's mother dies just after bitrh and the boy goes onto be milked by the franchise while also having uncomfortable chemistry with his sister who isvalso a space wuzard but kinda sidelined by the story.

 

[Santino]

Just chatting shitbwith a mate but is Anikin Skywalker just Paul with bad PR.
Dessert planet. Chosen one. Galaxy wide war destroying countless people. Has a twin boy and girl who's mother dies just after bitrh and the boy goes onto be milked by the franchise while also having uncomfortable chemistry with his sister who isvalso a space wuzard but kinda sidelined by the story.

Dune was undeniably one of the ingredients in the original pastiche that became Star Wars. On Tatooine there's a region called the Dune Sea. The royal/imperial titles, the magic order of warriors, the Spice mines - all borrowed from Dune.

 

[Cerv]

Dune was undeniably one of the ingredients in the original pastiche that became Star Wars. On Tatooine there's a region called the Dune Sea. The royal/imperial titles, the magic order of warriors, the Spice mines - all borrowed from Dune.

as Herbert put it in the 80s

Lucas has never admitted that they copied a lot of Dune, and I’m not saying they did,
I’m just saying there are 16 points of identity between the book Dune and Star Wars. Now you’ve had stat — what is it? It’s 16 times 16 times 16 times… over 1, the odds against that being coincidence? There aren’t that many stars in the universe.

we've booked tickets for the Science Museum Imax but not until the end of the month. hope I can avoid spoilers for this 60 year old novel I've read a dozen times until then!

 

[kalidarkone]

Sadly there is no longer an imax in Bristol. However I have booked a solo ticket for Monday late morning. Actually really looking forward on my own.

 

[braindancer]

Rewatching Part 1 tonight ahead of Part 2 tomorrow

 

[Kevbad the Bad]

Haven't seen the films at all, but have read the book a couple of times. Would anyone unfamiliar with the book be able to make sense of Part 2 without seeing Part 1? Any views?

 

[PursuedByBears]

I'll wait until it's out on netflix, I'm not sitting through a nearly 3 hour film in the cinema

 

[ska invita]

 

[Winot]

Rewatching Part 1 tonight ahead of Part 2 tomorrow

Rewatched this morning on Netflix. It’s even better than I remember it - when I saw it in the cinema I thought the section with Paul and Jessica going into the desert was rushed but on rewatch it seemed better paced. Watched it on a big iPad with Bluetooth headphones and the sound was excellent.

Really looking forward to Part 2 (next Sunday in the Odeon imax, Leicester Square).

 

[Gromit]

Saw part 2 earlier.

They changed it up a bit.
Visually great but I wasn’t a huge fan of the changes. Felt dumbed down for the sake of brevity. Ironic as it’s so long.

 

[baldrick]

Haven't seen the films at all, but have read the book a couple of times. Would anyone unfamiliar with the book be able to make sense of Part 2 without seeing Part 1? Any views?

Yeeeeeeesss maybe but it would be unsatisfying I think

I didn't get on with the first book, never finished it so only knew a bit of the story

Watched part 1 last night - thought it was brilliant, gripped the whole way

Just come home from seeing part two. I did think it was a bit long tbh, but it was very very good.

 

[Elpenor]

I put my thoughts in the what films you have seen thread but I felt it was simultaneously too long and at
times quite rushed - the editing did not help. I will concede it’s not really my sort of film though and I have not read the book. Part 1 felt better.

 

[Orang Utan]

Watching this at a proper I-Max on Tuesday so thought I’d catch up on part 1 this weekend on Netflix.
Have tried 4 times to get past the first half hour and fallen asleep each time.
The plot is rather vague, the characters aren’t introduced clearly so you don’t know even their names let alone their functions.
I enjoyed it at the cinema, but more as an experience than a coherent entertainment.
Think it’s one of those adaptations which requires book wankerdom to get the full benefit, but am gonna try again this evening with headphones and subs to see if it’s just an attention thing.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

Watching this at a proper I-Max on Tuesday so thought I’d catch up on part 1 this weekend on Netflix.
Have tried 4 times to get past the first half hour and fallen asleep each time.
The plot is rather vague, the characters aren’t introduced clearly so you don’t know even their names let alone their functions.
I enjoyed it at the cinema, but more as an experience than a coherent entertainment.
Think it’s one of those adaptations which requires book wankerdom to get the full benefit, but am gonna try again this evening with headphones and subs to see if it’s just an attention thing.

I enjoyed the book as a teenager but found the film pretty dull.

 

[Sue]

Haven't seen the films at all, but have read the book a couple of times. Would anyone unfamiliar with the book be able to make sense of Part 2 without seeing Part 1? Any views?

Don't think so. I haven't read the book but saw part 1 of the film. I'm just back from seeing part 2 and there were bits I still didn't get. So I reckon if you haven't read the book or seen the first film, you've no chance.

 

[Gramsci]

Don't think so. I haven't read the book but saw part 1 of the film. I'm just back from seeing part 2 and there were bits I still didn't get. So I reckon if you haven't read the book or seen the first film, you've no chance.

Which bits?

I've just seen second part and perhaps unless one has read the book its a bit difficult to get.

 

[Gramsci]

Saw the second part at Ritzy today. Benefits from seeing on a big screen.

It covers the second part of the book. But not the second book. Unfortunately. As in the second book its more a critique.

I have read the book and it covers it fairly faithfully.

Second part is the hippy trippy section.

Where the planet being one giant drug bowl comes to the fore.

"Spice" is in everything. The air , the food you eat and also as part of the religious ceremonies.

I thought the film portrayed this very well.

For those who have not read the book. This is set in far future. Where technology was partially banned. So instead using mind expanding drugs and/ or training of the mind ( all very 60s alternative stuff) one could replace computers.

Spice only comes from this planet and is the thing that hold the Empire together. Its needed by pilots of spaceships to see the time streams and guide ship through the Galaxy.

Without spoiling the plot the Bene Gesserit ( the woman only order) have been developing over generations a super human who can foresee the various time streams of the future. A kind of Human God who can rule a Galactic Empire

Yes its barking mad and I preferred this film to the first as it really is off the wall.

The film also , as in the book, starts to being in the dark side of this.

It looks stunning. And the desert is this slightly un real backdrop. With a mixture of ancient advanced technology and fuedalism. Plus the freedom loving Freeman are given a bigger role I think than in the book.

The book gives intimations that the planet is not all that it seems. Maybe I was reading to much into the book but got the impression the planet/ sandworms and spice are possibly some ancient technology gone "native"

 

[Virtual Blue]

Saw the 2nd last night at the IMAX.
It was visually spectacular, and the soundtrack was so good that I had been listening to it nonstop.
Summary - not as good as the first. Disappointed with the final 3rd, especially the 'battle' at the end.
And some of the dialogue was cringe.
Pace could have been better, and the Baron/ Rabban felt like wasted characters.
I am comparing it to the first, but it is still a very good sci-fi film.

 

[braindancer]

Re-watched Part 1 on Netflix on Saturday night. I'd had a busy day and was tired so maybe I wasn't in the best headspace for it but have to say I found it a bit tedious and dropped off a few times....

Saw Part 2 at the cinema last night and loved it though. Much more fun!

 

[Orang Utan]

saw the first half of part 1 with concentration drugs and headphones. Think I get it now.
Still reckon it’s one for the book wankers though. You get the feeling there are 100 pages that explain a certain look Paul’s mum gives to Paul’s dad at the dinner table and there are moments where characters are moving down corridors purposefully but you can’t fathom why.

 

[DotCommunist]

You get the feeling there are 100 pages that explain a certain look Paul’s mum gives to Paul’s dad at the dinner table

theres literally a banquet scene in the book with exactly that level of detail. With count Hasmir Fenrings interior monologuing taking up space.

 

[Orang Utan]

theres literally a banquet scene in the book with exactly that level of detail. With count Hasmir Fenrings interior monologuing taking up space.

Do we know who that is by now?
Is that the funny little old Attreides consigliere with the dainty parasol who’s already on Arrakis?

 

[Santino]

Barons and Baronesses are usually bad guys in stories. Are there any good ones?

 

[DotCommunist]

Do we know who that is by now?

not that I recall. No thats Thurfir Hawat. The 1984 version of the character had dennis healey eyebrows. They're human computers, deep cognitive training. The film also obscures that Paul is trained in the Mentat tradition as well all the prana-bindu combat witchcaft and Voice stuff

 

[DotCommunist]

Barons and Baronesses are usually bad guys in stories. Are there any good ones?

Union Barons