World of Blue - Archived Forum 2007-2022

So I knew nothing about Lynch and Frank said he thought this 'new young Director' was doing a great job. He said it was not his vision, but after all a movie is an interpretation of a book, not THE book.

Slowly but surely, I'm still checking out all the threads on Dugpa. I'm so glad to read that Mr. Herbert was open enough as an artist (thank you for sharing the story, John) to appreciate that the film version of Dune was one person's take on his source material.

Dune the film will always be special to me. It brought to life out of my head one of, if not the, finest science fiction novels I've ever read and one that lives in my heart to this day. And if I can get personal for a moment, Paul's internal speech,

I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.

helped me get through a horrific childhood and teenage existence. I don't think there's a day that goes by that those words don't help me or pass through my head, and particularly recently, when I did some fairly major writing on a subject that I in some ways agonized over needlessly.

I don't mind that people don't like the film. I myself thought the TV version on Sci-Fi was just awful while others may find some virtues in it. But my hackles do tend to rise when DL is criticized about it and sorry he doesn't like it more. Is there a definitive book out there where David talks about this subject? I never got into the back story much.

[Edit] - I also meant to say that it's very interesting when you don't watch a favorite film for a long, long time and then when you do see it again with fresh eyes so to speak, a whole other perspective can wash over you or new revelations pop out at you. Dune the book and film came to me (as have certain films and people) at a time in my life when I really needed to experience it/them. So to test this theory, I'll rewatch the film soon and tell you what I think.

Thanks Tonya. That's pretty much how I feel about DUNE. Plus, it introduced me to David Lynch and Frank Herbert. I believe the best resource where David talks about it is in the book, Lynch on Lynch. He does mention it a few other places, even in Catching the Big Fish, but he's usually reluctant to talk about it because of his supreme disappointment in not having final cut.

Yep, Herbert and Dickens, stories of people who faced great adversity, were the major players in my salvation, such as it was. There were a lot of other books and authors that helped, but those were my favorites as far as identifying with.

I'll have to get my hands on those two books of David's when I've got some more cashola.

Hey, try your local library! You'd be surprised what they have (supposing you live in a place at least as big as I do (pop.~200,000).)

Heh, I bought the dvd like two months ago, and I have not yet watched it

Hey, don't you think it's about time?

I love Lynch's Dune! It introduced me to Lynch's work and to Frank Herbert's. So, in other words, it introduced me to one of my favourite directors and one of my favourite authors.

Lynch's Dune is amazing. On a design level, it is never less than remarkable and, with the likes of the whispered voiceovers, it feels genuinely otherworldly. So much in the novels goes unsaid and is based on minute observation of body language and speed of thought that it's impossible for any visual medium to depict more than a sliver of what's there.

Lynch's film's main problem is that the first third of the film is all there, then it jumps to the end, whizzing through the middle bit, which is clearly a hacking job by the producers.

In choosing to use Irulan's voiceover, Lynch adds another level of ambiguity to the film. Does Paul really make it rain or is that hyperbole generated by Irulan in the midst of Paul's jihad? Lynch's Dune fascinates and frustrates me. I love it as it is, but would love to see more of it. The TV version is best regarded as a deleted scenes reel.

Herbert's novels had a huge impact on me, philosophically, politically and pragmatically. They made me consider things I'd not thought of before about society, the people around me, the behaviour of those I work with. Herbert's books are there to make you think.

As for the Kevin J Anderson and Brian Herbert books . . . they're shocking. A disgrace. If Star Wars was third-rate-Dune, then the KJA/BH books are third-rate Star Wars, devoid of any literary, philosophical or intelligent merit. They're just ill-written dross. The Prelude trilogy gets so much wrong that they can't have read the books properly. Where is Duncan Idaho's sister? Why write a huge portion of House Corrino telling the tale of Paul's birth on Kaitain, only for the first paragraph of Dune to state Paul was born on Caladan (in this case I do take what Irulan writes as genuine.) And the Butlerian Jihad was about a dead kid and killer robots? Give me a break!

I always wanted to see the saga completed, but the thought of even going near Hunters of Dune and Sandworms of Dune fills me with terror. Put it this way, in the space of about 16 years Frank Herbert wrote six novels, each quite daring in the directions they took the saga. In a decade KJA and Herbert Jr have penned eight Dune novels, along with The Road to Dune and all the other work Kevin does, including the epic Seven Suns Saga, and have four more Dune novels on the way. There isn't a hope of anything of quality in that lot!

Given the new books are being squeezed between Frank's novels, the BH/KJA team have pretty much strangled a great sci-fi saga in weeds! I might be called an 'Orthodox Herbertian,' but I just consider myself to be someone who likes good writing.

Yay, Gabriel! I totally agree with you on most of your points about Dune. Although I did like the sense of history in the Legends books, but could barely stomach the Preludes. And I read Hunters and Sandworms out of "loyalty?" Terribly disappointing. At one point I wrote on the Dune boards that they need to stop, especially with all the new "prequels" coming out!!! Well, my post just got poofed (Byron Herbert is a very dictatorial administrator.)

Any thoughts about the upcoming movie???

Just about every cinematic work has a few cringe moments for most people. Maybe Dune crossed a line. Nevertheless, there is a lot to love about it, including the filter-like device used to get those red/blue shadows. Patrick and the Pooch charging into battle made me want to die! Oh well, laugh it off! I read Sita based on Rossellinni's interview from the Blue Velvet DVD. I think I know why she said it was so awful that she never finished it. I was expecting a torture/abuse yarn or something else.

Nice to see people still have opinions in here on the movie. I'm kind of anticipating the new one but have doubts as to whether it will even be worth it.

I don't dislike Dune at all. It's incredibly hard to understand at first, but you soon get into it after they leave their planet for the one with all the spice.

I find the parts with the woman narrator to be very cheesy, but I can imagine David smiling about it. Everything else is cool, but I hate Toto. Love Eno, hate the terrible guitar tone of Steve Lukather. It's so dated.

Did you ever read the original book/books??

I regularly hang out at the Dune forum.

Annie wrote:Did you ever read the original book/books??

I regularly hang out at the Dune forum.

No, I'm not sure if I'd like to. I'm more into Fantasy novels than Science Fiction. Phillip K. Dick is about as far as I have gotten in that direction.

Well, I suggest at least reading the original DUNE. And anything by Frank Herbert..not those new prequels and sequels by Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson.

Wow, John, great stories! Any chance of the audio interview with you and Herbert being made available to hear?

quote="John Neff"]I lived in Maui at the time that Dune was made, and Frank Herbert had a home there. I was doing a morning radio show at the time, and knew that a movie was being made of Dune (some friends of mine were doing the music), so I called him up (he was LISTED). I introduced myself and told him I would like to interview him about the book and the movie currently in production. He agreed, but said I would have to come out to his place (near Hana-other side of the island) to do it. So, on a Saturday morning I drove the rough backside of Maui and came to Frank's place. He welcomed me in, I set up the recorder and the mic and we had at it.[/quote]