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March 29, 2024, 01:26:04 AM

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Dune (2020)

Started by Dex Sawash, April 17, 2020, 03:07:35 AM

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Dex Sawash


What's the odds it'll be good? Stumbled on some production stills, looks too lighted and high resolution.

Liked Timothee Chalamet a lot in that thing where he was the wan King Henry.

greenman

The still do make it look a little bland, I spose probably suits the desert sections well but the rest of it I'd prefer to be more baroque with a sense of history rather than futuristic minimalism.

phantom_power

Production stills won't necessarily reflect the look of the film itself.

This film is getting some Twitter stick for not having any Arabic actors despite the source material drawing heavily from Arabic history and iconography. Seems a bit of a reach to me but I am no expert

Inspector Norse

Quote from: phantom_power on April 17, 2020, 08:38:29 AM
This film is getting some Twitter stick for not having any Arabic actors despite the source material drawing heavily from Arabic history and iconography. Seems a bit of a reach to me but I am no expert

I would argue that its being set like 5 million years in the future gives them licence to make the actors whatever the hell ethnicity they want.

greenman

Quote from: phantom_power on April 17, 2020, 08:38:29 AM
Production stills won't necessarily reflect the look of the film itself.

This film is getting some Twitter stick for not having any Arabic actors despite the source material drawing heavily from Arabic history and iconography. Seems a bit of a reach to me but I am no expert

Seems like a bit of a mix, some seem like there lit to be shot and others just photographs of the actors in costume.

In terms of the ethnic background/designs I would say that its the Fremen who would be expected to have more of an Arabic look to them, the Atreides are mentioned as having Greek origin if I remember correctly. Theres not really much there showing the wider design either, what Arrakeen looks like for example.

Blumf

Still tentatively looking forwards to this.

They do seem to be going for a minimalist look, which probably isn't right. I wonder if they're trying to put some distance between this and the Lynch film, which would be sad, because, of all the things that got wrong, the look was marvellous.

Puce Moment

I can't stand Villeneuve as a Director, and I find Chalamet almost unwatchable in anything. I also have a massive soft spot for the Lynch adaptation, and Jodorowsky's vision for his film. So why am I so excited for this? I can't wait!

phantom_power

I have pretty much loved every Villeneuve film I have seen (Prisoners, Arrival, BR2049) so despite not being that fussed about Dune I am looking forward to this

Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth

Sicario was very good. Blade Runner 2049 was very meh. This could go either way.

Puce Moment

Quote from: Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth on April 17, 2020, 02:16:25 PMSicario was very good. Blade Runner 2049 was very meh. This could go either way.

Oh that explains it - I forgot he directed BR2049 which I like a great deal. I have been thinking about starting a thread 'Directors you think you hate'

Dropshadow

Apparently this is going to be the first part of a two-part series, and so it'll only cover the first half of the (first) book. So, if it turns out to be shite the last half may never be made.

Herbert's son, Brian, who made a total arse of himself by "writing" what seemed like hundreds of Dune sequels and prequels along with the dreaded Kevin J. Anderson seems to be peripherally involved in the production, unfortunately. At least there doesn't seem to be any sign of Kev. I hope not.

I notice that they're going to be juicing up the whole "woman" thing in the film. Give them a bit more exposure, and all that. There's also going to be a TV spin-off about the Bebe Gesserit sisterhood too. God knows how all that's going to play out.

I'm worried.

loved BR2049 so this stands a decent chance of being good but it could also be shit who the fuck knows

chveik

a big orange and teal mess

PlanktonSideburns

As long as as they get hans zimmer in to make obnoxious synthtrumpet blasts over the endless drone shots of a desert then I'm sure it will be amazing


Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth

I assume this was given the go ahead before BR2049 was a big flop. There must be some nervous executives types at whatever studio is behind it.

PlanktonSideburns

stop making fucking boring films inni

Blumf

Quote from: Dropshadow on April 18, 2020, 01:04:27 AM
There's also going to be a TV spin-off about the Bebe Gesserit sisterhood too. God knows how all that's going to play out.

I'm worried.

Ugh, bet they're itching to get to the Honoured Matres. That'll be non-stop cringe.

Puce Moment

Quote from: PlanktonSideburns on April 18, 2020, 11:39:07 AM
As long as as they get hans zimmer in to make obnoxious synthtrumpet blasts over the endless drone shots of a desert then I'm sure it will be amazing

My favourite content in BR2049 so yes, I totally agree!

greenman

Quote from: chveik on April 18, 2020, 01:29:06 AM
a big orange and teal mess

Didn't really have a problem with it here though, not Bay like orange peel skin tones, more genuine lighting choices.  Helps I spose that I watched it at the cinema on the day we had that Sahara dust turned the sky orange so I was exiting the cinema into the future Vegas environment circa west country 1970's shopping centre.

The main issue for me would be that I think his film struggle to live up to their first act, feeling like the K/Joi plot is dropped rather when Deckard turns up, Sicario drops its own lead character and Arrival moves into heavy sci fi plotting. You could argue I spose Dune might suit him in that regard, especially as the books being spilt in two and is likely going to be very heavy on the scene setting with a relatively straight forward basic plot.

surreal

Quote from: Dropshadow on April 18, 2020, 01:04:27 AM
Apparently this is going to be the first part of a two-part series, and so it'll only cover the first half of the (first) book. So, if it turns out to be shite the last half may never be made.

Possible, but Villeneuve said that he refused to agree to make it if they didn't agree to two movies, so who  knows.  I'm hoping it will be well received, we need some properly epic SF cinema - the SF equivalent of Lord of the Rings, whatever you thought of those as films, they did just drop audiences into an unfamiliar world and were very successful without dumbing down source material very much. 

It's all about how it is marketed at the end of the day - I think when all this lockdown is over the on-going effect it has on cinema audience attendance will have a huge bearing on what is made.

I'm really looking forward to them anyway, must get around to reading the book.  I started but got a bit bogged down early on.

mjwilson

I know this is a vaguely heretical opinion but I don't even think the book is that great

Head Gardener



action figures out already

Puce Moment

Quote from: mjwilson on April 18, 2020, 03:39:48 PMI know this is a vaguely heretical opinion but I don't even think the book is that great

I sort of agree. For an SF hungry 14-year old moving away from teen SF lit it was a godsend for me. I loved it. I can't imagine reading it as an adult, but I have confidence that a decent filmmaker could successfully film any novel/s - good or bad.

greenman

Quote from: surreal on April 18, 2020, 02:56:56 PM
Possible, but Villeneuve said that he refused to agree to make it if they didn't agree to two movies, so who  knows.  I'm hoping it will be well received, we need some properly epic SF cinema - the SF equivalent of Lord of the Rings, whatever you thought of those as films, they did just drop audiences into an unfamiliar world and were very successful without dumbing down source material very much. 

It's all about how it is marketed at the end of the day - I think when all this lockdown is over the on-going effect it has on cinema audience attendance will have a huge bearing on what is made.

I'm really looking forward to them anyway, must get around to reading the book.  I started but got a bit bogged down early on.

Marketing wise I'd say the made the same error with Blade Runner 2049 as they did with stuff like Ghost in the Shell or the Tron sequel, assuming that a relatively cult property which was well known in entertainment circles was as popular with the general public. These aren't properties were you can flash a few characters or bits of design infront of the general public and get acknowledgement the same way you can with say Starwars.

phantom_power

Quote from: mjwilson on April 18, 2020, 03:39:48 PM
I know this is a vaguely heretical opinion but I don't even think the book is that great

I struggled through the first 100 or so pages the other month. It is just people in rooms talking to each other about more interesting stuff

Old Nehamkin

#25
I'm about two thirds through the book at the moment and I'm enjoying it a good deal even though - like a lot of classic sci-fi/fantasy - the very intricate world-building and conceptual depth seem to come as a trade-off for an extremely workmanlike prose style. Still, Herbert's wild imagination and storytelling verve are infectious enough that you can forgive him when he hits you with a sentence like "The Baron felt himself to be within a sudden personal cone of silence produced by his own shock."

One thing that's struck me in reading the book is that it must surely have been a big influence on George R R Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series. Both series share a lot of very similar plot and character beats and they're both, to me, very consciously post-Tolkien works which aim to subvert the tenets of heroic fantasy via a milieu of cynical feudal intrigue and dynastic conflict, while also indulging and even fetishising the concept of the hero's journey and being very preoccupied with prophecy and destiny. I'm really not sure if the new film will be a success, but I wonder if it might strike a certain chord with modern audiences who fell in love with the early seasons of Game of Thrones.

Quote from: Old Nehamkin on April 18, 2020, 07:10:19 PM
I'm really not sure if the new film will be a success, but I wonder if it might strike a certain chord with modern audiences who fell in love with the early seasons of Game of Thrones.

Dune would be like Game of Thrones if 80% of Game of Thrones was about Daenerys (i.e. the boring desert stuff). Dune is chiefly concerned with detailing the Fremen religion and culture, much of which is tedious and dry. It doesn't have anywhere near enough campy court intrigue to satisfy the GoT crowd.

evilcommiedictator

I can't wait, it was almost enough to put off topping myself for a year just to be disappointed by this!

I'm thinking if you split it halfway, where do you do it? After drinking the Water of Life seems like the logical point, but that leaves a lot of story in the first half and a lot of politics in the second.
Hopefully they get it right, a decent adaptation would be great. Still no idea though how you show Paul seeing all the futures, being such a big part with an easy lead in with Jamis' fight

A scifi writer was imagining what he wanted to see as the first teaser trailer. A wide shot, lone cloaked man in the desert. A soft rumble starts. Voiceover, "Fear is the Mind Killer...." the rumble gets louder and you see the worm appear, dwarfing the figure as the camera zooms in from the back. "I will turn my inner eye" and the camera pans around to show the blue-on-blue, with the worm reflected in Paul's eyes as the rumble drowns out everything......

greenman

Quote from: evilcommiedictator on April 19, 2020, 01:52:35 AM
I can't wait, it was almost enough to put off topping myself for a year just to be disappointed by this!

I'm thinking if you split it halfway, where do you do it? After drinking the Water of Life seems like the logical point, but that leaves a lot of story in the first half and a lot of politics in the second.
Hopefully they get it right, a decent adaptation would be great. Still no idea though how you show Paul seeing all the futures, being such a big part with an easy lead in with Jamis' fight

A scifi writer was imagining what he wanted to see as the first teaser trailer. A wide shot, lone cloaked man in the desert. A soft rumble starts. Voiceover, "Fear is the Mind Killer...." the rumble gets louder and you see the worm appear, dwarfing the figure as the camera zooms in from the back. "I will turn my inner eye" and the camera pans around to show the blue-on-blue, with the worm reflected in Paul's eyes as the rumble drowns out everything......

I'd guessing the spilt will be somewhat similar to the book around the point they escape from the Harkonnen's attack and are accepted by the Fremen? maybe leave the latter to the second film?

That the whole thing is an embellished heroes story does arguably make it an easy adaptation than a lot of big sci fi novels if you can handle the world building and how internalised a lot of it is.

Mister Six

I hope there's a bit where a man has to milk a cat.