Wayne Parham Messages: 18801 Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)
Kelly and I went to see Dune this weekend with some friends. One of the friends was an avid Dune fan, having read all the books. Kelly had seen the 1984 version of the movie and was familiar with the characters and the plot. The others were like me, unfamiliar with the story. So we had a mix of expectations.
I must admit that I tried to watch the 1984 movie when it came out, and it was just too cheesy for me. Too slow-paced too. It was like watching a black-and-white "Flash Gordon" in slow motion. So I probably only saw a few minutes of the film and could only tell you it was set on a desert planet.
So for me, the bar was set pretty low and I expected the modern movie would probably be much better.
Now having explained the mental environment I had going into the movie, I must say I was more than pleasantly surprised by the movie. I thought it was fantastic, and I am now a huge Dune fan. Can't wait to see the sequel, and I hope the studios expand upon it to cover all the various plot spin-offs I'm told are in the books.
Rusty Messages: 1212 Registered: May 2018 Location: Kansas City Missouri
Illuminati (3rd Degree)
I've read Dune, the first novel. I thought the 84 David Lynch movie followed rather well the contents of the book. And even though the special effects of the time are dated now, they holdup next to the oddly baroque and steam punk looking spacecraft and interior sets used to describe different worlds clashing to control the spice. Lynch's avant-guarde approach is always controversial, putting off many. Not me. Just the same, I ought to catch this remake to compare.
Kenneth McMillan's Barron Harkonnen for me is unsurpassed.
LoveJB Messages: 174 Registered: October 2011 Location: Cali
Master
I keep seeing previews for the movie but honestly hadn't ever heard of it before. I'm more of a "read the book first" person. I thought that maybe I would be lost by watching the new movie first. After reading this, it seems that I would not be lost. Thanks!!
johnnycamp5 Messages: 354 Registered: June 2015 Location: NJ
Grand Master
I began watching it on HBO max until I fell asleep after about 1/4.
I hate when I do that, I must try not to start watching too late.
I liked what i saw though, ill have to start over and see it through.
I liked the original as well even with all its cheesiness....
but Ive always been a real fanatic of sci-fi......it has to be more than terrible for me not to enjoy it
I won't give any spoilers, but I will tell you that the movie clearly relates what is a fairly complicated set of relationships, and that's not always easy. I think that is what made past movie attempts difficult. The audience sometimes couldn't follow all the details, and the plot became murky. Not this time.
Doug is an avid Dune fan, having read the books. He tells me that the movie is true to the book, in as much as it relayed the story faithfully. He told me it did glaze over a few details, but he felt it did so appropriately - keeping enough to maintain the story and only dropping details that might have made things murky when portrayed in a movie format.
johnnycamp5 Messages: 354 Registered: June 2015 Location: NJ
Grand Master
Wayne, I'm curious.
You didn't comment on the sound. Was there anything remarkable about the overall acoustic experience?
Was it an IMAX theater? About where in the theater was your family seated?
Did you notice any surround effects?
Wayne Parham Messages: 18801 Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)
I rarely comment on sound in theaters 'cause it's so venue-specific. Some theaters are pretty bad, but that's not the fault of the producers of the movie. Most tend to be decent, some are even pretty good but none are as good as what I'm used to. So I don't usually comment on sound.
Having said all that, the theaters I tend to go to use Klipsch speakers throughout, so they're pretty good. The Dune film used the surrounds to good effect, and I think they did a pretty good job of making the audio work with the video in a way that made you feel like you were there. That's the goal to me, so they hit the mark.
Rusty Messages: 1212 Registered: May 2018 Location: Kansas City Missouri
Illuminati (3rd Degree)
I'm somewhere where I can watch this remake on Prime. I watched some of the 2nd of this series. Yes the CGI is impressive and I'm sure with surround sound even more so. Frankly though, I became bored with the melodrama and started fast forwarding. I'll stick with the 80's version as my reference. It's twisted weirdness felt more authentic to the novel. Kwisatz Haderach
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