Dune - dir. Denis Villeneuve

[Wilf]

as Herbert put it in the 80s


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!

Yes, I'm the same. Seeing it tomorrow, but have read the books and heard the 1st 3 on audiobook + seen the mini series and the Sting's undercrackers film. I've even read some of the piss weak books by Herbert's son.

 

[Wilf]

The 1984 version handled explaining the world fairly badly by shoehorning it in as characters internal thoughts in voice over, not great. I've not seen p2 yet.

I'm in a minority because I loved that film. Same time, I'd have struggled with it if I hadn't read the books.

 

[Shippou-Sensei]

I like it too. Mainly as it feels proper nuts.
I had read the book before seeing the movie though.

 

[Idaho]

does the image of the wall trophy of what looks like a bison signify anything more than just imperialism? Everything seems invested with great significance, seemingly at the expense of a coherent plot

I haven't seen the film yet, but in the books, Paul's grandfather entertained the crowd by bullfighting and was killed by a bull, who's head was put on the wall as a complex reminder of duty and folly.

 

[ska invita]

I'm beginning to realise that the only SF universe that is any way compelling is Star Trek. Firstly, it's sort of plausible as we are directly connected to the Star Trek universe; it's explicitly an extension of our world.

too much like a shiny version of standard US(European) hierarchical militarised society... the new Abrams films are appalling on that score, at least Next Gen has some utopianism from time to time... I want my scifi to challenge and push the boundaries of what we think of as reality not just reinforce existing order

Someone needs to try and make a film of some Ursula Le Guins scifi

 

[Orang Utan]

I haven't seen the film yet, but in the books, Paul's grandfather entertained the crowd by bullfighting and was killed by a bull, who's head was put on the wall as a complex reminder of duty and folly.

Ah of course, i think it’s mentioned in just one line about his grandfather fighting bulls. It’s in one of those scenes like you get where one character meets another character on a picturesque promontory for no particular reason and has a brief expository conversation with them whilst some overblown Icelandic rock music plays.

 

[DotCommunist]

I'm in a minority because I loved that film. Same time, I'd have struggled with it if I hadn't read the books.

I like it still for a few reasons, but its flawed.

 

[Idaho]

I liked the lynch film. It was a decent attempt. I am not convinced the story is really suited to a feature film format

 

[Gromit]

I liked the lynch film. It was a decent attempt. I am not convinced the story is really suited to a feature film format

I really like the Lynch film.

The weirding modules weren’t in the book but it actually worked as an addition.
The guild navigators were truly freaky which also worked I felt.
The mysticism felt there. Other adaptations don’t really deliver well on the mysticism.

Redo the Baron Harkonen bits and it be a bang up job.

 

[Orang Utan]

Just seen part 2.
Enjoyed it but it’s too short on exposition and on character backstories. I need to find out more about the Harkonnens (and everyone else tbf). Isn’t one of them an F1 driver?

I think any film with more than four characters, and especially if they have silly made up space alien names, should be properly subtitled (ie with each speaker identified), or, failing that, should make everyone wear name badges with a brief role description under the name.

 

[Idaho]

Just seen part 2.
Enjoyed it but it’s too short on exposition and on character backstories. I need to find out more about the Harkonnens (and everyone else tbf). Isn’t one of them an F1 driver?

I think any film with more than four characters, and especially if they have silly made up space alien names, should be properly subtitled (ie with each speaker identified), or, failing that, should make everyone wear name badges with a brief role description under the name.

Yes let's make entertainment really lame to help out the slow witted, and those with no attention span

 

[Orang Utan]

Yes let's make entertainment really lame to help out the slow witted, and those with no attention span

Get fucked. Let’s make new entertainments instead of adapting complex literary works into movies.
(Though subs on everything should be the standard by now, with a minority of screenings for people who only like to form vague impressions of films instead of actually paying attention to them)

 

[kalidarkone]

I saw it yesterday and absolutely loved it!

I felt that there was more detail explained- stuff felt broken down. However I've read the book and seen the 1984 film tons of times.

The cinematography was stunning.

 

[agricola]

Just seen it, thought it was great but not as good as the first film.

My main quibbles were the lack of chemistry between Zendaya and Chalamet, Walken's very strange performance and Butler as Feyd Rautha who just seemed to be doing a mix of impersonating Skarsgard and doing Blue Steel throughout the film. Sting was a better Feyd than he.

 

[Orang Utan]

I thought Walken did a fair impression of a weak ailing patriarch easily manipulated by others

 

[Sue]

Yes let's make entertainment really lame to help out the slow witted, and those with no attention span

Relying on the audience having read the books to understand the films is pretty poor.

I mean i haven't read LoTR but I understood the films fine. Of course there were nuances I didn't get which is fine but they worked as films.

 

[Idaho]

Relying on the audience having read the books to understand the films is pretty poor.

I mean i haven't read LoTR but I understood the films fine. Of course there were nuances I didn't get which is fine but they worked as films.

It's better suited to adaptation. A straightforward story, no internal complexity, completely one dimensional characters in a black and white universe, no novel concepts, no intrigue and no political/philosophical points.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

Get fucked. Let’s make new entertainments instead of adapting complex literary works into movies.
(Though subs on everything should be the standard by now, with a minority of screenings for people who only like to form vague impressions of films instead of actually paying attention to them)

No, we need to move away from the godawful trend of having dialog buried in a mix of sound FX and musical score.

 

[Elpenor]

I also found myself wishing for subtitles, mind you I found that watching Jaws last Sunday at a cinema too

 

[Orang Utan]

No, we need to move away from the godawful trend of having dialog buried in a mix of sound FX and musical score.

But also accompanied with subs

 

[Orang Utan]

I also found myself wishing for subtitles, mind you I found that watching Jaws last Sunday at a cinema too

It should be the default presentation really

 

[Shippou-Sensei]

Also the subs add a bit of humor

Dramatic scene plays out and the score kicks in.
Subs: [Mournful Wailing]

 

[Orang Utan]

Also the subs add a bit of humor

Dramatic scene plays out and the score kicks in.
Subs: [Mournful Wailing]

They never detract from the experience, they always enhance. And at the very least you remember people’s names!

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

They never detract from the experience, they always enhance.

Nah, they can be just as much of a distraction as a help sometimes IME.

 

[Idaho]

Let’s make new entertainments instead of adapting complex literary works into movies

I agree with this

 

[Idaho]

Though subs on everything should be the standard by now, with a minority of screenings for people who only like to form vague impressions of films instead of actually paying attention to them

This is pure nonsense from someone who is deluded in thinking that their own needs and preferences are universal.

 

[agricola]

I thought Walken did a fair impression of a weak ailing patriarch easily manipulated by others

Spoiler

I think he did a fair impression of an old man, but not an ailing patriarch - I know its probably an unfair comparison, but Jose Ferrer did a much better ailing patriarch (one of the defining things there I feel is how they try to keep up with the image of the strong man)

 

[Orang Utan]

Nah, they can be just as much of a distraction as a help sometimes IME.

Which is why we also need to have a minority of screenings with no subs for the slow readers (joke!)

 

[Orang Utan]

This is pure nonsense from someone who is deluded in thinking that their own needs and preferences are universal.

It’s deluded and disablist nonsense to dismiss reasonable demands for more accessibility.
Up to 60% of viewers prefer subtitles, so perhaps a need for accessibility is more universal than you may think.

 

[Idaho]

It’s deluded and disablist nonsense to dismiss reasonable demands for more accessibility.
Up to 60% of viewers prefer subtitles, so perhaps a need for accessibility is more universal than you may think.

Tbf I don't really care that much as I go to the cinema about 3 times a decade. Although having subtitles annoys me as I can't concentrate on the image and just end up reading.