Episode 82 – 'Dune's
We finally (finally!) have a good cinema version of Dune! Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel has been the beneficiary — often “of a doubt” — of many film adaptation attempts over the years, all trying to nail its details and maximalist world-building, only to be left with the accusation of being “unfilmable.” But was this complex narrative always destined to be this way? Ted Haycraft is back for this episode to examine Dune’s many big-screen attempts and iterations over the years. We discuss:
- What an Arthur P. Jacobs produced, David Lean version would have looked like;
- how Alejandro Jodorowsky’s infamously epic pre-production, made famous by the Jordorosky’s Dune documentary, would’ve led to the greatest incomprehensible, 16-hour Holy Mountain spiritual sequel;
- and what Ridley Scott’s abandoned late-’70s streamlined, Rudy Wulitzer-scripted version might have accomplished.
Also:
- Why did visionary filmmaker David Lynch end up being a material mismatch for such an imaginative, world-bending narrative;
- what does the 2000 SyFy Channel Mini-Series nail in terms of narrative with its budgetary sacrifice of scope?;
- and why is the recent theatrical Villenueve Part One the most promising explanation of not only previous influence — Star Wars, Neuromancer — but, also, of Herbert’s galaxy-wide political and power explanation?
The documentary Jodorowsky's Dune is available on DVD/Blu-ray and digital. David Lynch’s 1984 Dune is available to stream on HBO Max, and also on DVD/Blu-ray; its “Alan Smithee”-authored “Extended Edition” is available on DVD/Blu-ray and digital; its “Alternate Extended Redux” fan edit is available on YouTube. The 2000 SyFy mini-series Frank Herbert’s Dune is available only on DVD, though bootlegs pop up on YouTube. Denis Villeneuve’s Dune (Part One) is currently in theaters and streaming on HBO Max through November 21.