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Dune
1984
David Lynch's baroque rendering of Frank Herbert's detailed, complex, and deliberately paced epic science-fiction novel is a muddled but visually stunning affair. It's 10991, and the desert planet Dune has been taken over by the Harkonnens, oppressive conquerors who desire the precious spice that lies beneath Dune's arid sands. .. Read more
| Starring | Sian Phillips, Jurgen Prochnow, Jose Ferrer, Dean Stockwell |
|---|---|
| Director | David Lynch |
| Genres | Sci-Fi/Fantasy |
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Dune
David Lynch's baroque rendering of Frank Herbert's detailed, complex, and deliberately paced epic science-fiction novel is a muddled but visually stunning affair. It's 10991, and the desert planet Dune has been taken over by the Harkonnens, oppressive conquerors who desire the precious spice that lies beneath Dune's arid sands. The story concerns the attempts of a young warrior messiah, Paul Atreides (Kyle MacLachlan), to lead the native inhabitants in an uprising against the evil empire--and battle the giant man-eating worms that guard the coveted spice.
Lynch shot much more footage than ended up in the finished film, but executive producer Dino De Laurentiis didn't want a three-hour-plus sci-fi epic on his hands, so he coerced Lynch into trimming it. The result is one of cinema's most infamous cases of personal vision colliding with studio politics. Nonetheless, Lynch still manages to cram in so many visual ideas and captures the tone of the book so well that these production issues can be easily set aside once the story starts rolling. Refusing to further edit the film for television, Lynch took his name off the director and screenwriter credits. As troubling as DUNE might have been for Lynch, the experience greatly inspired 1986's brilliant BLUE VELVET, for which audiences should be thankful.
| Starring | Sian Phillips, Jurgen Prochnow, Jose Ferrer, Dean Stockwell, Sean Young, Everett McGill, Kenneth McMillan, Sting, Francesca Annis, Kyle MacLachlan, Max von Sydow |
|---|---|
| Director | David Lynch |
| Studio | PRISM LEISURE |
| Run time | DVD: 2 hrs 10 mins Watch now: 2 hrs 10 mins |
| Certificate | DVD: , Watch Online: |
| Genres | Sci-Fi/Fantasy |
| Language | DVD: English Watch Online: English |
| Subtitles | DVD: None |
| Released | DVD: 23 Aug 2004 Watch now: 10 Jul 2009 Production year: 1984 |
| Watch now | £2.49 |
| Format | DVD |
Dune (1984)
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Critics' reviews (4)
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Frank Herbert's mammoth cult novel, about the competition between two warring families for control of a barren planet renowned for its mind-expanding spice, is converted by director David Lynch into a dense, swirling mass of religious symbolism and mysticism. Unwieldy and confusing, it's not as bad as it seemed on release. Lynch was, reportedly, unhappy with the final cut, but his film is visually stunning — the industrial design is truly unique — and many of the scenes are among the most memorable, and original, of the genre. Kyle MacLachlan (in his film debut) stars as the “messiah” alongside an amazing cast that includes Sean Young, Francesca Annis, Sting, Patrick Stewart and Kenneth McMillan (as the decaying, bloated Baron Harkonnen, perhaps the most repellent villain ever created).
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A basically simple space fiction plot is immensely complicated by a welter of characters who are not properly introduced and who indeed are mostly irrelevant. The result, which cost nearly 50 million dollars, is inaudible, invisible (because of dim lighti
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Most helpful member's review
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28 out of 30 people found this review helpful
He who controls the spice, controls the Universe
Dune, based on Frank Herbert?s novel of the same name is widely regarded as a flop. In terms of box office takings then this is true; however, Dune is a remarkable film of epic proportions that has a hard-core fan base around the world. And rightly so.
Dune follows the life of Paul Atreides as he makes the strange transformation of a well-educated son of Duke Atreides to Paul Muad?Dib, fearless leader of the Freeman and the man who brings water back to the arid planet of Arrakis and peace to the Universe. Paul?s task is not an easy one as he takes on the Emperor of the known Universe and the will of the Navigators - those who are able to fold space and thus allow intergalactic space travel.
Although some of the special effects look somewhat dated now, the cinematography, sets and lighting allow the viewer to suspend disbelief. There was some inspired casting with Francesca Annis playing the role of Lady Jessica and the young Alicia Witt as Alia, sister of Paul Muad?Dib.
Dune was and is a groundbreaking achievement for David Lynch to accomplish. This film is quite simply science fiction at its best ? dark; philosophical; set on many worlds and contains characters with costumes as outrageous as their names.
Look out for a great performance by a very young looking Sting!
If you liked Dune you may also like to hire [Star Wars], [Twin Peaks], [Aliens]. -
Most recent members' review
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5 out of 8 people found this review helpful
The Abdul Jabar...
While I am a fan of David Lynch, his production of Dune is more or less a failure. Not only do the special effects look dated (with a definite 1980s feel to the sets), the narrative lacks the spacious pacing one feels in the book. No doubt it would be impossible to make a film of Dune in 2 or 2.5 hours, but there are ways film can adapt and account for this.
Second, the changes Lynch makes (the heart plugs, the wierding modules, etc.) seem without good reason--simply David Lynch being wierd. Of course, if you like that, then you'll like his depictions of the Baron, the Guild members and how space is folded for long distance travel. Finally, the Sardaukar (the fierce troops of the Emperor) look like 1950s alien robots. -
News and features
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David Lynch returns with top marks
- 23 Feb 2007
Fans of David Lynch may be excited to find that his latest cinematic offering, Inland Empire, has been awarded five stars out of five by the latest issue of Empire magazine. Starring Laura Dern, the film is described by reviewer Damon Wise as "a dazzling and exquisitely original riddle", telling the story of an actress who believes her latest project is cursed. But Lynch followers will know that his films often dispel the notion of traditional narrative in favour of fragmented and... Read more
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