Films

Just watched Dune Pt1. Unpopular opinion perhaps but what a fucking snooze fest. Every scene was exactly the same, the plot makes zero sense (OK, exposition/setting things up but even so…)

It’s just a weird mash up of Star Wars/Lord of the Rings/Prometheus. Seen it alllll before…

And yet another film where key points of the plot are fucking mumbled AND whispered. Absolutely infuriating.

That was a real struggle to get through.

(Best bit for me was the Emporer dude looked like Syd Barrett when he’d got really fat and gone batshit. And I quite enjoyed him floating around like Vic Reeves in the Masterchef sketch. But I don't think I was supposed to be laughing)

It’s just a weird mash up of Star Wars

The fucking irony of that statement lol.

Yeah but you get what I mean

I did think that Dune 2 lost a lot of originality and weirdness, was more basic and fighty compared to the book. Also toouch Zimmer wump wump in the soundtrack.

Still loved the worms though and design.

But I'm not sure now about dune 3, cos if it's continuing in this style it might just end up being a very long amazing MTV clip ;)

One honking one of all the unreal films he's done is no bad.

Yeah, I agree, everything about it is very beige and in retrospect I didn't understand all the negativity towards the David Lynch version when it turns out the story is indeed dull and it wasn't his fault he just tried to make it look interesting.

I feel like the books inspired people differently 40-50 years ago, now it just runs through the
same standardized film industry like any other Sci-Fi film.
Maybe it's more for the Harry Potter/ Lord of the Rings crowd and people who use the word lore a lot.

I really like Arrival and Bladerunner 2049. Was really quite looking forward to seeing it (never quite got around to it until today).

If there’s one shot of some oval shaped craft hanging in the CGI sky with lens flare there’s a thousand...

Arrival is fantastic, but its the story that really makes it stand out.

Visually Dune 2 was still amazing.. But everything else, nah. Hope they dont make a pt 3

I watched the '84 Dune yet again the other night (I do this every couple of years or so), it's so fucking good, one of my fave films. The whole thing is so fucking creepy, great vibe.

Edit: unintentional ‘@‘

Not good sound?

I watched Dune 84 for the first time last night.

The first things that caught my attention were “Music by Toto”, and the Anthony & Cleopatra feel at opening credits. Dune 1 & 2 both copy quite a bit from this film, either adapting ideas or occasionally stealing a complete line of dialogue (I’ve not read the books btw). The effects have a Flash Gordon Saturday cinema feel to them. Paul’s sister was my highlight of the film.

Overall it was an enjoyable watch but, for me, not a patch on Dune 1 & 2.

Poor things was wonderfully weird.

@marcomarcos It's been a while since I saw Dune 1 and I haven't seen Dune 2 yet, I also haven't read the books but I got the feeling the new movie was just an update of the '84 version.

I think the art direction on Dune '84 is just spectacular, wonderfully weird, totally Lynch. And the sightly awkward, playing with a straight face acting makes the whole thing even weirder.

The new one is great and all that but, for me, it comes over as just another big budget special effects fest. I love those kinda movies but it lacks some special sauce that the original has in absolute spades.

Yes, totally loved it. Emma Stone was fantastic!

If you haven't read the 14 books how can you say that...the same way as I haven't and was so meh.

Seems a thing we should all admire as the press and people tell us we should like it.

I liked to original dune movie, but didn't move me to read the many books.

I loved the characters and acting (except for Kyle M., Sean Y., and Sting) and costumes and design of Dune '84 so much that I forgave the special effects. Dune 1 seemed so bland and pointless that I stopped watching after half an hour.

Finally got round to watching The Train yesterday with Burt Lancaster. Took a minute to get past the gruff American accent but otherwise very enjoyable. Old fuddy duddy alert but the excellent action scenes reminded me of why i've taken such a dislike to Masters of the Air and all its CGI polish.

And noise cancelling headphones really are the best for daytime movie watching. My girlfriend, sensing i was about to mansplain why it was a "well made film" Homer Simpsoned out of there and dropped my Christmas present onto my lap so she could get on with her day.

Yeah exactly and I suspect there's a lot of goodwill towards the films purely because people have read the books.

I didn't read any Harry Potter books and moderately enjoyed a couple of the films, same with LOTR and The Hobbit

sound was decent to be fair. not amazing though. recently saw Zone of Interest in the same cinema where the sound blew me away

I suspect there's a lot of goodwill towards the films purely because people have read the books.

I sort of had the opposite experience. I've read and enjoyed the first Dune book, the one both of these films are based on and felt absolutely nothing about the first film (not seen the second). I think the interesting aspects of the film are the world building and plot, which are tied to the book and I would argue are watered down in the film version (probably to avoid making 5 or more 3 hour long films based on a single book). If you're not experiencing those things for the first time the impact is reduced and you're left with some fun special effects and not much else.
I've got friends who rave about the film but I don't think any of those friends have read the book.
I'm probably talking bollocks but that was my experience!

Oh yeah? That’s good to hear. I worked on the post sound on Zone of Interest.

I ask about dune cos I’ve heard a lot of people on the sound post forums loving it and wanted to listen in cinema for this reason. I’m sure it’s really good / perfectly crafted Hollywood stuff

Just out of the Zone of Interest. Ooft. Symbolism is gonna take a while to sort out in my head...

Brilliant film and one of John Frankenheimer's best.