DUNE 1984 REWATCHED

The Guild's Entourage

Dune 2021 is being released in some parts of Europe and people are flipping out about it. Well, that people includes me! Since it's going to take a bit more time for it to reach Malaysia or whatever available to watch it on eg Netflix etc, so yesterday evening, I decided to re watch it. The last time I watched it was in theatre sometimes in 1985 or 1986 (It took approximately 3-6 months movies to reach Malaysia those days after being released in the US ~ I think). That was some-TIME back.

Excerpted from Wikipedia:

"Dune is a 1984 American epic science fiction film written and directed by David Lynch and based on the 1965 Frank Herbert novel of the same name. The film stars Kyle MacLachlan (in his film debut) as young nobleman Paul Atreides, and includes an ensemble of well-known American and European actors in supporting roles. It was filmed at the Churubusco Studios in Mexico City and included a soundtrack by the rock band Toto, as well as Brian Eno."

I never read the novel. However, while listening to the narration about the Spice which can make The Guild to fold time in Space which can make you travel without even moving ...I think it's brilliant knowing that it was written in 1965 or perhaps way before that. Super brilliant Frank Herbert. It mentioned the prophecy and using Arabic terms referring to revolution/war as "Jihad" and Paul Atreides is seen more like a messiah. The emperor's name also resembling some Arab names : Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV 

Arabian theme is widely seen when Planet Arrakis (also known as Dune) are all desert and not a single drop of water (it may seem that way). The spice can only be found on that planet.

General synopsis:

Dune is about Power struggle on who controls the spice mining in Arrakis. Who controls the spice, controls the universe. The Guilds ~ an amphibian / fish look alike alien species suspected that the Atreides are bad news. They have instructed the Emperor to kill the Son of the leader : Paul Atreides.

Thoughts:

Although the movie critiques were so against this movie , I on the other hand quite like it. Yes the visual effect were atrocious given the budget at the time, I'm sure some bad decisions were made during the making of this movie. Even David Lynch retracted his association with this movie during that time.

As a sci-fi nerd, in the 80's apart from Star Wars and Star Trek, I think this was quite awesome.

I love the casts (in Bold & Red)

• Francesca Annis as Lady Jessica, concubine of Duke Leto and mother to Paul and Alia
• Leonardo Cimino as the Baron's Doctor
• Brad Dourif as Piter De Vries, the Harkonnen Mentat - I remember him the most in Lord of The Rings
• José Ferrer as Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV
• Linda Hunt as the Shadout Mapes, the Fremen housekeeper of the Atreides' Arrakis palace - I remember her the most in NCIS LA but of she was in a lot of others....
• Freddie Jones as Thufir Hawat, the Atreides Mentat
• Richard Jordan as Duncan Idaho, a Swordmaster of the Ginaz in the Atreides court I thought he was really handsome LOL but turned out to be Marcia Cross's late husband :(
• Kyle MacLachlan as Paul Atreides, the protagonist ~ Oh wow whaddaya know...In desperate housewives Kyle was Bree (Marcia Cross) ex husband 
• Virginia Madsen as Princess Irulan, the Emperor's oldest daughter ~ Awww she was so damn young in here. I remember Virginia in Highlander II. She also appeared in Star Trek Episode ~
• Silvana Mangano as Reverend Mother Ramallo, a Fremen woman who predicts Paul's arrival
• Everett McGill as Stilgar, the leader of the Fremen that Paul and Jessica take refuge with
• Kenneth McMillan as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, Duke Leto's rival
• Jack Nance as Nefud, the captain of Baron Harkonnen's guard
• Siân Phillips as Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam, the Emperor's concubine and Jessica's Bene Gesserit superior
• Jürgen Prochnow as Duke Leto Atreides, Paul's father
• Paul Smith as The Beast Rabban, Baron Harkonnen's nephew
• Patrick Stewart as Gurney Halleck, a troubador-warrior and talented baliset musician in the Atreides court ~ hahaha Captain Picard in da House y'all
• Sting as Feyd-Rautha, Baron Harkonnen's shrewder nephew ~ Well of course Sting...that Punk look can never escape me when people mentioned Dune. In fact a while back I thought that movie was about a Rock Concert ha ha...I wonder now who plays him in 2021 version? Or no such character altogether?
• Dean Stockwell as Doctor Wellington Yueh, the Atreides physician and unwilling traitor ~most fond of him in Quantum Leap and Battlestar Galactica, 
• Max von Sydow as Doctor Kynes, a planetologist in the Fremen
• Alicia Witt as Alia, Paul's younger sister
• Sean Young as Chani, Paul's lover Ahhh Sean Young used to be the reason I went to the movies...Blade Runner, No way out (with the handsome Kevin Costner), Wall St, Forever and A Kiss Before Dying just to name a few. Then I lost track of her.

Photo credit:

All pics are snapshots from the an old DVD.

Now I can't wait for 2021's version by Denis Villeneuve. Cheers