Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site cadre.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!mcnc!idis!cadre!geb From: geb@cadre.UUCP Newsgroups: net.jokes,net.sf-lovers Subject: Re: Dune Message-ID: <124@cadre.UUCP> Date: Mon, 31-Dec-84 10:11:59 EST Article-I.D.: cadre.124 Posted: Mon Dec 31 10:11:59 1984 Date-Received: Tue, 1-Jan-85 06:27:57 EST References: <171@uw70.UUCP>, <334@utai.UUCP> Organization: Decision Systems Lab., Univ. of Pgh. Lines: 22 Indeed, the movie of Dune was a joke. Dino de Laurentis strikes out again. I wasn't as disappointed, since I hadn't expected much, given the pre-release hype and all the books, etc. release before the film, to try to make some money before everyone found out how badly it stank. Frank Herbert wasn't turning in his grave, since he's still alive and most of the books he turns out now are of the same ilk as the movie. I guess he's the type of author who only really has one good book in him. It is extremely difficult to make a great movie out of a great book. Look at Ralph Bakshi's abortion with Lord of the Rings. But really, how could you make a movie out of LotR or Dune unless the movie ran 20 hours in the case of Dune and maybe 100 hours in the case of LotR. Who would finance it? What theaters would book it? The charm is tied up with all the rich detail, that can't be shown in a movie. The detail is not just in the sets. Something like Star Wars succeeds because it was conceived as a movie (or series) and tailored accordingly, but lacks the depth of meaning of LotR, or even Dune (which though good, shouldn't really be considered in the same galaxy with Tolkein, or even Gene Wolfe).