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From: preston@ut-sally.UUCP (Randal Preston)
Newsgroups: net.movies
Subject: DUNE: judge for yourself
Message-ID: <503@ut-sally.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 17-Dec-84 13:53:30 EST
Article-I.D.: ut-sally.503
Posted: Mon Dec 17 13:53:30 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 18-Dec-84 07:09:41 EST
Distribution: net
Organization: U. Texas CS Dept., Austin, Texas
Lines: 75

This is in defense of Dune, the movie, after seeing Brad Templeton's TWO
flames about how bad the film was.

To all net-landers who enjoy movies (i.e., readers of this newgroup):
Go see DUNE, and *judge for yourself*  !!

Several responses to this film have been posted:
     Some readers of the book liked the film (myself included);  some didn't.
     Some sci-fi lovers liked it (myself included); some didn't.
     Some movie-goers/critics liked it (myself included);  some didn't.

I have all the previously-posted articles/reviews on Dune, if you want them
by e-mail.  (from Steve Dyer, Steve Upstill, D. Mitchell, Dwight Ernest,
Brad Templeton)

++++++++++++ MY DEFENSE OF "DUNE", the movie (spoiler/review)

As Elaine C. Dimpelfeld  (while criticizing 2010) nicely put:

> To me there are three kinds of art:
> EPIC - A tale larger than life and individual persons,
>        trying to make some sense of it all.
> DRAMA - A tale about life and characters.
> MELODRAMA - A tale emphasizing plot and action, sacrificing characterization.

DUNE (the book, the movie) IS AN EPIC.  To try to condense the entire book
into a 2-1/2 hr. movie is a major task, especially considering the depth of
character development, and intricacies of plot and subterfuge ("feint
within feint within feint").  But as Frank Herbert himself said in an
interview:
> "It's as close to the book as a movie can get."
(quoted from wanttaja@ssc-vax.UUCP)
  
First, let me state that I re-read the book for the 2nd time (1st time was
5 years ago), preparing myself for the film.  I liked the books, but I am
*not* a Dune-freak.

The movie *is* an honest attempt to simply change the *medium* from novel to
screenplay, as accurately as possible, and yet provide a good movie.
With respect to this:

1)  "DUNE"'s BIG-BUDGET WAS WELL-SPENT, on realistic sets,costumes,and effects. 
    A couple of viewers didn't like/understand the sandworms.  I was not *awed*
    by them, but *this* special effect was at least adequate (how *do* you
    capture (on film) the magnificence of a GIANT mouth swallowing up 1/4 of a
    square mile of sand?)  I was pleased by the film's interpretation of
    "the Baron strapped suspensor-globes to himself to hold up his layers of
     *fat*  [preston-paraphrase from book]".  I was also *very* pleased with
    the film's depiction of "body-shields", which deflect fast knife-thrusts,
    but allow slow knife-penetrations.

2)  THE MOVIE SUMMARIZES THE PLOT WELL, in a form which I *think* would be
    understandable to the non-Dune-reader, if he/she pays attention.  I was
    slightly disappointed by some plot nuances that were left out, and some
    minor changes to make the *movie* more cohesive/understandable (e.g. Paul
    *drinking* the Water of Life with an audience, instead of privately).

3)  THE MOVIE DOES A DECENT JOB OF CHARACTERIZATION.  In the book, the
    characters have depth/perception, use secret signals/languages, etc.
    The movie deals with these character nuances by:
       a)  Outright explanation/narration
       b)  Overdubbed thoughts (of the characters)
       c)  Good acting, costumes !!

4)  THE MOVIE IS SERIOUS SCI-FI, NOT "STAR WARS" REBORN (little humor).
    (The book was a serious EPIC also).

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I understand that it was planned as a 4-hr. film/saga, and is being released as
4+ hrs. outside the U.S. (??)  Any Canadians out there to confirm this??
2-1/2 hrs. just *can't* do the book full justice.

	 Randal Preston
       (preston@ut-sally  .ARPA, .UUCP)