▲
3
0
▼

DUNE! First time at theater in years, totally worth it!


 invite response                
2021 Nov 3, 12:13pm   777 views  12 comments

by Automan Empire   ➕follow (1)   💰tip   ignore  

I was VERY impressed with the movie! The exposition and pacing were pretty good for the learning curve of the "Dune" universe. The Ornithopters were interesting if unlikely. Main complaint was all the long slow vision sequence shots of Chani, which felt contrived to give the eye candy character screen time out of proportion to her part in the story.

Theater was strange, went to a 7:50 Tuesday showing. The ticket counters were completely vacant, they had devices at each window to choose your own movie, pay for it, and get your ticket. I would have bypassed the concession stand, GF wanted something so we waited. There were 2 workers, each serving a couple in front of us, literally nobody else in the vast lobby. After 3 minutes of it not being clear whether they were actually buying stuff or not we went in. There were 4 other people in the whole place.

A story I like telling from the 80s. My high school GF and I went to a Worldcon in Anaheim, Ca. One of the events was the world premiere screening of footage from Lynch's DUNE which was under production. VERY long line outside in the heat for 2 hours to get in, and it was standing room only. There was some Q&A with someone from the production, then they started screening with the mediocre convention center projector which threw barely enough lumens to really see the picture. The audience was rapt, and I swear 1000 orgasms busted when the sand worm was shown. Then some usher opened the back door, FLOODING the screen with outside light. It was like a switch was flipped and thousands of people roared, "CLOSE THE FUUUUUCKIIIIINNGGGG DOOOOOOOR!" A minute later, the same usher opened the door again with a quicker and louder response. A minute later, that fucker opens it again, and this time everyone seated sprang to their feet and all in attendance whirled and shouted CLOSE THAT FUUUUCKINNGGG DOOOOOOOR! with a passion and frenzy that suggested the entire crowd was about to run over the seats to beat the guy up if it happened again. Luckily they ran the film a second time.

Comments 1 - 12 of 12        Search these comments

1   AmericanKulak   2021 Nov 3, 1:10pm  

Worth the money? Story good? No forcing characters into new genders?
2   Shaman   2021 Nov 3, 1:22pm  

I watched it as well. Well done! Better than the 80s version. However the story stops in the middle. I assume there will be a sequel. Perhaps more than one. This was always a story that required more screen time, not less.

On a related note: anyone stoked for the release of Wheel of Time on Amazon Prime? Probably the longest and best fantasy series ever, and they’re doing it tv episode style for some unknown number of seasons. Should run about double the time as Game of Thrones. Release is November 19th, and there are a few nice trailers out.
3   Tenpoundbass   2021 Nov 3, 1:27pm  

When I was kid, if it were a Space movie and there weren't a lazer shoot out every five minutes they put me to sleep. The biggest problem is they tried to hard to shoehorn epic telling story into an action movie. To this day Terminator stands up as a better movie than the first Star Wars. Star Wars put me to sleep every time I ever tried to watch it as a kid. I never saw the whole thing until I was in my late 20's and it aired on Network television with commercial breaks to snap me out of dosing off.
Dune never held my interest either, even with the righteous analog Synth VCO and filters.
4   indc   2021 Nov 3, 2:16pm  

All I got from Automan's comment is he had GF in 80's and 40 yrs later he still has a GF :). I like Sifi movies and for some reason I did not like Dune. All I remember is sand hence the name Dune. It was most boring Sifi movie for me.
5   NuttBoxer   2021 Nov 3, 2:58pm  

I figured I shouldn't watch the new one without seeing the original. I wouldn't watch 80's Dune again, but it was enjoyable, although the story was a bit scattered.
6   Automan Empire   2021 Nov 3, 3:39pm  

Tenpoundbass says
Star Wars put me to sleep every time I ever tried to watch it as a kid.


I was 10 when it came out. The family went to a weeknight showing that was sold out, line around the theater. When we got home it didn't matter it was approaching midnight on a school night, I was wide awake beat boxing Tie Fighter and R2D2 noises while dogfighting two quite non-spaceship looking toys.
7   RC2006   2021 Nov 3, 4:02pm  

80s dune
+better cast
+better music
+better feel for world
-not long enough
-change story a bit

2021 Dune
+better story because its being spread out
+better effects
-mentats glossed over.
-cast changes for quotas against story
-some of the characters were not written well like Lady Jessica way to weak.
-Harkonens toned down I'm guessing to keep from getting an R rating.

Didn't really get into the retro tech feel like old Dune movie because thinking machines are banned.

Surprised no trannies or gays.

I'd give it a 7 out of 10
8   richwicks   2021 Nov 3, 4:10pm  

RC2006 says
-Harkonens toned down I'm guessing to keep from getting an R rating.


As I recall, the Harkonens regularly engaged in child rape and murder for pleasure. I think bringing up that concept may be forbidden today.
9   Automan Empire   2021 Nov 3, 4:37pm  

HunterTits says
All I can think while watching it is: How Do They Expect People Not Familiar With The Story Follow This?


I thought they did a damn good job of exposition, especially compared to the final cut of the 84 version. This was good, because on the way I asked my GF if she was familiar with the Dune universe in order to give her a 2 minute primer on it. She responded, "No, if it's a good movie it shouldn't need explanations." I just left it at that, remembering that she's not the brains of this operation.

I think the leave-off point was pretty good. The movie was just long enough, and covered just enough ground, to stand well on its own considering the complexity and volume of the source material. Reportedly the sequel has been greenlighted.
10   RC2006   2021 Nov 3, 4:43pm  

Automan Empire says
HunterTits says
All I can think while watching it is: How Do They Expect People Not Familiar With The Story Follow This?


I thought they did a damn good job of exposition, especially compared to the final cut of the 84 version. This was good, because on the way I asked my GF if she was familiar with the Dune universe in order to give her a 2 minute primer on it. She responded, "No, if it's a good movie it shouldn't need explanations." I just left it at that, remembering that she's not the brains of this operation.

I think the leave-off point was pretty good. The movie was just long enough, and covered just enough ground, to stand well on its own considering the complexity and volume of the source material. Reportedly the sequel has been greenlighted.


Same with my wife she didn't like old dune movie but she also never reads books or likes complicated movies.

Im a huge dune fan read every book including the ones his son "wrote"

Sci-fi channel made best one so far. I really wish HBO remade Dune.
11   richwicks   2021 Nov 3, 5:46pm  

RC2006 says
Same with my wife she didn't like old dune movie but she also never reads books or likes complicated movies.


@RC2006 - Can a suggest a film for her? Memento. If you've not seen it, I think you'd enjoy it. It's a film that is about a man that can't form long term memories due to an attack, hunting down the man that murdered his wife. Well, not exactly that, but that's the premise. The film is shot from HIS point of view, in that it's shot backwards, so you experience the same disorientation he would.

It's not an overly complicated film, but it is one of my favorites.
12   RC2006   2021 Nov 3, 6:11pm  

HunterTits says
@RC2006 did you ever see the Director's Cut of the miniseries?

You can't buy anymore (but can buy the not-as-good sequel, Children of Dune) because it was pulled over a year ago so it wouldn't 'compete' with the new film (which was also supposed to be released over a year ago but COVID).


I have the sci-fi series on DVD, bought it years ago. It includes children of dune.

Please register to comment:

api   best comments   contact   latest images   memes   one year ago   random   suggestions