Special Guest: Ed NahaLet all eyes turn to Arrakis as Mike and Mondo Justin defend David Lynch's flawed gem, Dune.
This much-maligned 1984 sci-fi epic was panned upon its initial release, expanded for television, and swept under the rug by all those involved. We look at the wild history of Dune and defend it against its detractors as a film that deserves a second chance.
Links:
Buy David Lynch's Dune on Blu-Ray
Buy Dune by Frank Herbert
Listen to our episode on Jodorowsky's Dune
Buy Jodorowsky's Dune on DVD
Buy The Maknig of Dune by Ed Naha
Buy The Dune Storybook by Joan D. Vinge
Buy The Dune Encyclopedia by Frank Herbert and Willis E. McNelly
Find out more about Dune Fan Edits
Visit Dune Info
Music:
Featuring tunes by Shiryu, Peachy, and Astral Projection.
Listen/Download Now:
Listen to "Episode 4: Dune (1984)" on Spreaker.
Bonus: Mike on the Kulturecast
Listen to "Dune (1984)" on Spreaker.
Bonus: Stephen Scarlata on Jodorowsky's Dune
Listen to "Special Report: Jodorowsky's Dune (2013)" on Spreaker.
Watch:
A bad, very bad movie that I like to watch and even I am not sure why
ReplyDeleteThis episode is kind of the ultimate podcast/documentary on Lynch's Dune. Great job. Loved the movie since I was a kid and never ever got why people hate this flick. When folks say that the movie is incomprehensible and not easy to follow I listen to these complaints completely baffled. What is there not to get. The story can't be more basic (with some cool original twists of course). The only critics I do get are the fans of the book(s), who hate Lynch's flick because it's not the adaptation they imagined while reading the books. I disagree with these people, but I get them. Anyway, this Lynch's flick was always more interesting and way more quotable to me than even Star Wars and it's an absolute trippy classic, when it comes to epic Sci-Fi projects. Thanks for another great show. And yeah, the SyFy Channel's adaptations may have been more faithful to the book(s), but the cast was from the bottom of TV barrel and the production (and even basic production design) was just not there. Waaay too overambitious for their capabilities at the time. Maybe they could try again now after having some success with their new Sci-Fi show The Exapnse. And I really, really wish we that we could have gotten Dune 2 and 3 from Lynch afterall.
ReplyDeleteAn interesting thing that pops up in this episode is what a couple of knobheads Siskel and Ebert were. It's agonizing for me to go back and listen to many of their reviews, especially Siskel - who's so prudish and squeamish about anything that approaches 'gore' in a film - that's it's embarrassing how square he is. (You gotta listen to his review of The Evil Dead for a startling example!)
ReplyDeleteOne of the first things that took me by surprise once I got accustomed to film fans on the internet - was just how deeply admired Siskel and Ebert were and just how much fondness films fans - and yeah, even 'horror' fans - had for their nauseating antics.
When I first started doing reviews on Rue Morgue Radio, my review partner at the time declared that Roger Ebert had done more to legitimize film criticism than anyone on planet earth - EVER! In the history of time....
Ah, yes. I remember those early days of Rue Morgue Radio well. I often felt like Donald Sutherland in Invasion of the Body Snatchers to be honest.
But like many folks my age, I used to watch Siskel and Eggbert, for the sneak previews of upcoming flicks. The banter that ensued was nauseating more than anything else and I watched it with a fascination more akin to gaping at the aftermath of a traffic accident.
I know it's not nice to speak ill of the dead, but I have to be honest. I'm not a fan. Never was.
I'm sure if I were to go digging through their reviews more diligently, I'd find things to redeem my impression of them but then again, life's too short to slide down the rabbit hole of folks you already have a visceral antagonism towards.