The Spice Must Flow

January 25th, 2007Blog0 comments

Because I’m still on that Lynch kick (just saw Mulholland Drive again, then Lost Highway, then the first disc of Twin Peaks…) I checked out Dune: The Extended Edition. This 3+ hour long version is an “Alan Smithee” cut.

For extra hoots and hollers I also watched the Sci Fi Channel’s Dune Miniseries to compare. Verdict: The Lynch Dune is dripping with style and visual power. It really grabs you by the curlies. The Stillsuits in Lynch Dune are unsurpassed in their awesomeness.

The Dune Miniseries is good in its completeness — and it actually shows the Weirding Way (the Beneges. martial art form) instead of Lynch’s “Weirding Modules”. Some shots and sequences are similar — which is interesting to see how the different teams handled the material.

But the worms in the Dune Miniseries are much better looking due to the technology available at the time (Lynch Dune = 1984, Dune Miniseries = 2000). I think both need to be seen by hardcore fans.

Another thing I noticed is that no one has ever been able to make the Sardaukar look like the badasses that they are. In the novel Frank Herbert had the luxury of giving us backstory, but in both the Lynch Dune and the Dune Miniseries they’re total pussies. Especially in the Dune Miniseries where they have big fluffy hats and dress in purple. These are Artist-Formerly-Known-as-Prince Sardaukar!!!

I think it’s because a fast-moving narrative requires that we only see the Sardaukar when they’re needed, which is when they get their asses kicked by the Fremen. Very sad.