Dune Miniseries

[Gobalopper]

Has anyone taken a look at the Dune miniseries pages at SCIFI.COM? It looks like this could be even better then the movie...

[Mahdi]

That isn't very exciting. The dune movie sucked.

[mechadragon]

Oh... I see we have another one who isn't bright enough to fallow David Lynch's movies or articulate enough to express his pent up childhood angst with words beyond "suck"!!! Actually, I kind of think that prospect of the new series is scary. The director has a lot on the line. I don't like the new design of the sandworms, but the Fremen eyes look awsome at least from the small glimpse we get in the pictures. I am particularly a David Lynch fan, DUNE was the first movie to ever catch my eye (after Star Wars... I was 7 come on!) and I feel that many of us came to be fans because of the it. Even though I shall remain loyal to Lynch's vision (which Herbert was proud of!) there was a lot of room for improvement. However some of us like things like the Harvester, Sandworms, and Stillsuits the way they were in Lynch's and fear that the new mini-series will come off as another ridiculous made-for-TV movie to embarass us all with cheap props and bad acting. Basically, this movie will make or break the next generation of DUNE fans I think. In any event, I doubt that the mini-series will be as artistic a work as the Lynch version, but will hopefully be more coherent and maybe a little closer to the book(s).

Um... did anyone notice that they are using the Ordos symbol under one of the JPGs? Since when did they appear in the books or movies?

[Guest Acumen]

I see what you mean about the Dune 2000 House emblems. I'm surprised there weren't copyright issues. Maybe a sign of things to come? We can only hope.

It's difficult to judge the new movie from the screenshots. I can say that the Eyes of Ibab were quite chilling, more than just strange. They had an impressive otherworldly horror-movie-esque look to them. They remind me of some film that I don't quite recall now. Children of the Damned, maybe?

I also have to congratulate them on the casting of the actor for Gurney Halleck. I can't speak for his acting ability, but his appearance is just about exactly as I imagined him when reading the book -- "an ugly lump of a man", I believe was the description? Even the inkvine scar has been recreated. I always felt that Patrick Stewart, though a brilliant actor, was a little too refined and handsome for the role. In fact, this new Gurney reminds me of his counterpart in the first Dune game.

I can only hope that this is a suggestion that they'll be more true to the literature in this incarnation. For all of its merits, the Lynch movie's bizarre and illogical invented representations of the Harkonnen, telepathy, the severe melodrama and especially the downpour ending really ruined the experience for me.

Why oh why did Westwood have to re-introduce the heartplugs in Dune 2000? *Sigh*

Well, at least they left out the cat-milking. *What* the *smeg* was that all about? I've watched the Lynch movie more times than I can remember, but there are still some scenes that will forever remain a mystery ...

[Gobalopper]

What does everyone think of the cast so far? I think the actors playing Gurney and Stilgar fit their role well, the stillsuits look believable too. Also, the "blue-within-blue" eyes are much better done then in the original movie.

[Mahdi]

I don't like paul. He doesn't look like someone who is small for his age. Isn't he supposed to be thin and wiry? In the pictures I saw he was more like I would have pictured Feyd. To the guy who insulted me: Compared to the books, Dune the movie did suck, and I could use bigger words but "sucked" expresis it perfectly. I mean, come on, the movie was as far off from the book as dune2000, except that it seemed more insulting. Still suits without hood? No jubba robes? those little throwing knives as weapons? (There blades weren't even white!) The cat milking? The heart plugs? Sting as Paul? Patric stewart as Gurney? The shield wall an actual shield? Paul drinking the water of life in the middle of the deseert and sandworms surrounding him? Maud'dib being in the moon? Read the book; the first time they speak of maud'dib it is a constellation and its tail points north wich is why it is called "the one who points the way" I know in the latter books, and even in the glossary in the end of Dune it is in the second moon, (a fist is in the first) but it was originally a constelation, and I think that it is best that way. There are a million other differences between the mmovie and the book, and the book was much better. I know that no movie can ever even come close to being as entertaining and engrousing as the novel, but this new mini series has to be better and more true to form than the movie. If the book comes first, it is always the best, while if the movie comes first it is better. Seeing as DUNE is the best novel I have ever read I do not think any movie can compare to it.

Mahdi-DLA

[mechadragon]

I'm sorry if you felt that I have insulted you. I have a thing about unconstructive criticism. I am a fan of both Dune and Lynch, you kinda have to appreciate his style to overlook the idiosyncracies of the book and the movies. Lynch goes strictly for the visual impact of the scene. You have to take it on a purely aesthetic level. I didn't get the cat milking myself, but the Stillsuits are my favorite part. I dispised the "weirding way" as used in the movie, a total bastardization of the intent of the term. The movie was more Lynch than Herbert, but from what I have read, Herbert was very pleased with the final result. Keep in mind that the movie was my first encounter with both Lynch and the Dune universe, it is rather a gaurded treasure to me.

On a more personal note, thank you for taking the time to discuss what you feel are the movies shortcomings in a more mature way this time. Constructive criticism goes alot farther and makes you seem more of an intellectual at the same time.

[Duke_Alex_Atreides]

no but i think the miniseries is cool anyway