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Film Discussion => The Vault => Topic started by: Capote on September 15, 2019, 04:59:02 AM

Title: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: Capote on September 15, 2019, 04:59:02 AM
https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/dune-cast-release-date-trailer-reboot-denis-villeneuve-timothee-chalamet-a8787931.html

How is there no thread for this yet LOL
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve
Post by: ForTheHungryBoy on November 24, 2019, 12:03:26 PM
This is gonna be fuggin amazing
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve
Post by: jenkins on September 11, 2020, 07:25:38 PM
...a side-by-side comparison between the trailer for this movie and...the David Lynch movie...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcZPZGq3Zy8&feature=emb_title
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve
Post by: Sleepless on September 14, 2020, 08:51:56 AM
Set report from Empire.
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: jenkins on September 16, 2020, 03:13:19 PM
Jodorowsky Says Denis Villeneuve's 'Dune' Looks "Very Well Done" But Is "Predictable" & "Industrial" (https://theplaylist.net/jodorowsky-critiques-villeneuve-dune-20200916/)

Speaking to the French outlet, Le Point, Jodorowsky not only talked about his vision for "Dune," but also why he can't help but be disappointed in the forthcoming Warner Bros. film. The filmmaker said his version of "Dune" would have been "a bit like André Breton's 'Nadja.'" He further explained that his "Dune" would have lasted 14 hours and would have felt like Breton's work in the sense that it would have been "a manifesto to penetrate the minds of individuals and cause a pandemic, but which is focused on life and not on death like the one we know today."

[...]

"I saw the trailer. It's very well done," Jodorowsky said. "We can see that it is industrial cinema, that there is a lot of money, and that it was very expensive. But if it was very expensive, it must pay in proportion. And that is the problem: There are no surprises. The form is identical to what is done everywhere. The shape of it, the lighting, the acting, it's all predictable."

He added, "Industrial cinema is incompatible with auteur cinema. For the former, money comes before. For the second, it's the opposite, whatever the quality of a director, whether my friend Nicolas Winding Refn or Denis Villeneuve. Industrial cinema promotes entertainment, it is a show that is not intended to change humanity or society."

The filmmaker does say that he "has no doubt" that Villeneuve's film will be viewed as a success. But clearly, Jodorowsky has other ideas for what would have made a truly great "Dune."
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on July 19, 2021, 05:27:56 PM
https://twitter.com/Nick_Newman/status/1417187020733026314

https://twitter.com/stefabsky/status/1417228761909669890
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: WorldForgot on July 22, 2021, 09:49:43 AM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8g18jFHCLXk

Likin' the close-ups. David Lynch's suit-shields can't be topped, though. Plus, that one had a pug in space.
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: Drenk on July 22, 2021, 10:22:32 AM
Nope.
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: pynchonikon on September 03, 2021, 11:33:07 AM
LMAO

https://twitter.com/joshrothkopf/status/1433818553849876518

I mean, of course I want Dune to be great and Villeneuve to succeed, but reading such statements from professionals is ludicrous.
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: wilberfan on September 03, 2021, 11:48:25 AM
Quote from: pynchonikon on September 03, 2021, 11:33:07 AM
LMAO
reading such statements from professionals is ludicrous.

Whew.  That was my first reaction, too.  Actually, my first reaction was "Bet it isn't!"
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: Robyn on September 03, 2021, 12:23:06 PM
https://twitter.com/OasisAwais/status/1433715113404608520

https://twitter.com/marvinius1/status/1433768296600461392

https://twitter.com/KevinMcCarthyTV/status/1433833426084372488
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: Drenk on September 03, 2021, 01:52:49 PM
Festival Brains are something else.
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on September 03, 2021, 02:30:52 PM
Did you not like Blade Runner 2049? I'd be very surprised if this isn't great.
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: pynchonikon on September 03, 2021, 02:41:57 PM
Quote from: Jeremy Blackman on September 03, 2021, 02:30:52 PM
Did you not like Blade Runner 2049? I'd be very surprised if this isn't great.

Saw it twice, liked it, but didn't love it. [and I'm a huge fan of the original]

Liked Arrival more than BR49, though my favorite Villeneuve remains Enemy fwiw.
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: wilberfan on September 03, 2021, 03:17:42 PM
QuoteIt's something dreamier and weirder, a movie that straddles the line between auteurist art-film and studio blockbuster so provocatively that even after watching it, I can't quite predict how "Dune" will fare when it comes out in theaters (and on HBO Max) on Oct. 22. When I left my screening, the first critic I spoke to was totally besotted. The second fled the theater as if Villeneuve had planted a bomb there.

Source (https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/03/movies/venice-film-festival-dune-questions.html)

I liked Arrival, gave up half way thru BR49, fwiw.
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: Drenk on September 03, 2021, 03:23:40 PM
I've never liked one of his movies.
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: Robyn on September 03, 2021, 05:42:39 PM
Two quotes:

QuoteThe biggest problem, though, is Hans Zimmer

QuoteHans Zimmer's best score.

Anyway, I am excited about this one. Wasn't before but I am now. Hopefully it will be the first villeneuve that I'll love.
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on September 04, 2021, 01:09:55 AM
I unironically loved Zimmer's bombastic score in 2049. I hope this one's even louder.
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: WorldForgot on October 13, 2021, 03:02:54 PM
Hilarious photo shoot. (https://ew.com/movies/getting-dune-right-cover-story/?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=entertainmentweekly_ew&%0Autm_source=twitter.com&utm_content=video&utm_term=20211013)

QuoteNone of that deterred Villeneuve, who still remembers the moment he first found a copy of Dune in his local library growing up. He was so captured by it — by Paul's journey from noble privilege to finding true community with the Fremen people who inhabit Arrakis, by Herbert's scientifically-informed creation of planetary ecosystems, by the vividly psychedelic cover art by Wojciech Siudmak — that he even carved "Muad'Dib" on the inside of his school ring. That artifact has unfortunately been lost to the sands of time, but Villeneuve's obsession with Dune has never left him. As he became a film director, carving out a distinguished career with smaller films like 2010's Incendies and Enemy before moving on to big-budget sci-fi like 2016's Arrival and Blade Runner 2049, Villeneuve's answer to the question "what's your dream project?" never changed.

[...]

"Every room I was in with him, I'd try to put myself in his eyeline or just try to make him familiar with me," Chalamet, 25, recalls. "He hadn't seen Call Me by Your Name yet, but once he did he asked me to come meet him at the Cannes Film Festival where he was president of the jury, which did not feel casual at all. So I went out there and just had one of the coolest meetings ever with him, where I felt he was already treating me as a potential collaborator."

Chalamet had previously auditioned for Villeneuve's 2013 film Prisoners, but didn't make the cut.


I'm into this Hallmark Channel-esque mood considering the source material couldn't be farther from this 'basic tee' + autumn field aesthetic.

Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on October 13, 2021, 04:34:47 PM
EW always manages to produce the wildest publicity photos.
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on October 14, 2021, 10:29:39 AM
https://twitter.com/davechensky/status/1448652239095021576
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: Alethia on October 14, 2021, 11:39:31 AM
Chalameh
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: wilberfan on October 18, 2021, 12:37:50 AM
We're not the only ones griping about posters.

New 'Dune' Poster Is Bad Art But Smart Marketing (https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2021/08/09/new-dune-poster-is-bad-art-but-smart-marketing/)
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on October 22, 2021, 06:55:53 PM
Dune is a miracle. It's CINEMA with a capital C. It's also a Theatrical Experience. It's the best movie I've seen in years.

The film opens, it grabs me by the throat, and for an hour straight I'm weeping, almost shaking, my body unable to process the magnitude of the beauty that's being continuously infused into my soul. It's images and sound, but it's also a deep mystical feeling — perhaps a cinematic realization the type of thing Frank Herbert was trying to reach.

What movies have ever even done something like this for me? I think of Avatar, Fury Road, Titanic, The Last Jedi. But Villeneuve's DUNE does "the chosen one" better than any Star Wars movie. I'm not even one for prophecies, but this... this does prophecy like it should be done.

Timothée Chalamet and Rebecca Ferguson are the beating hearts of this film, and they elevate it far beyond anything Villeneuve accomplished with 2049. This is not austere court intrigue. Ferguson and Chalamet are at all times boiling with emotion, anticipation, and longing for destiny.

The casting of Chalamet is absolute genius and works better than I ever could have imagined. His lanky eagerness and odd angst are precisely what the character needs. I so thoroughly respect their decision to not cast a Default Man in this role.

I know I'm setting impossible expectations, but I have to be honest. Dune is incredible.
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: Robyn on October 23, 2021, 06:48:33 AM
Yay! That makes me excited.

I'll wait for the VOD, so I can watch it on my phone.
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: pynchonikon on October 23, 2021, 07:46:25 AM
Quote from: Jeremy Blackman on October 22, 2021, 06:55:53 PM
The film opens, it grabs me by the throat, and for an hour straight I'm weeping, almost shaking, my body unable to process the magnitude of the beauty that's being continuously infused into my soul. It's images and sound, but it's also a deep mystical feeling — perhaps a cinematic realization the type of thing Frank Herbert was trying to reach.

I didn't love the movie as much as you did, but this paragraph describes pretty close how I felt in the cinema as well  :yabbse-thumbup:
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: WorldForgot on October 23, 2021, 11:23:14 AM
Hoping this wins the costume design Academy Award, but if not, I'll just have to print out screenshots or buy an artbook and chew into myself, I guess.

Still kind of sorting my thoughts out for this film because - having read the book - it feels like a faithful and earnest adaptation. Political dynamics from the novel are here re-interpreted to be nearly a coming-of-age thriller about what our family hides vs presents and the danger of destiny meeting you before you're ready.

Rebecca Ferguson iz gonna get a nom for this right? It sorta feelz like she's the mana here.

In themes surrounding Paul and prophecy, the edit and script are effective. In its representation of cultures, I'm not so sure right now. How does this feel to someone that's not read the novel? I expect that it's all too quick? But maybe that's okay because it will inspire people that dug into the aesthetic to read the source material? Its exposition is handled so well that I'm not sure it's 'handled' in so far as how the Freman are portrayed.

Putting in more work on that front than the script - Hans Zimmerman's score. Compositions, aesthetic and aural, feel like they accomplish what Jodorowsky was aching for in that original design. That iz, as JB put it, a translation of mystical sensation - doubt and epiphany both.

Spoiler: ShowHide
the bag pipes did make me laugh - though


Okay and the true elephant in the room:

Spoiler: ShowHide
It's disingenuous how they marketed this right? I won't be surprised if general audiences are frustrated by the loose threads and how little Zendaya truly interacts with the plot. From the marketing, they'd have you think that Zendaya is in this movie and not just part of the promo for the second part.
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: jviness02 on October 23, 2021, 12:17:50 PM
None of my normal friends with lives even knew it was only half of the book.


The pacing is wonky as fuck, but I sort of give it a pass because it is only half of the book. The climax is anticlimactic and the third act is weird for the same reason.

Overall, good film with great visuals.
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: polkablues on October 23, 2021, 12:38:39 PM
Quote from: jviness02 on October 23, 2021, 12:17:50 PMThe climax is anticlimactic and the third act is weird for the same reason.

That's the biggest deficit of the film, that it quite literally is only half a movie. The third act is weird because there is no third act; it ends midway through act two. Normally when you split a story up like this, you would structure it so that each individual part has its own three act structure within the greater narrative, but Villeneuve didn't bother, he just took the story as a whole, filmed half of it, and said bon appetit. Which will be fine if and when the second part gets made and people can watch the whole thing as one complete five hour ( :shock:) movie, but for now we're left with the story of people moving vaguely in the direction of a goal and stopping halfway.
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: HACKANUT on October 23, 2021, 01:14:50 PM
I didn't quite feel that lack of third act like you guys describe. I totally get where it's coming from but I felt satisfied when it ended in the same way I didn't mind when Fellowship of the Ring was over back in the day.
Of course it's gonna benefit from part 2 being available in the future, but:
Spoiler: ShowHide
if the throughline is Paul finding his own way to being a leader and discovering "desert power"then it checked all the boxes for me.


Very much looking forward to a second viewing on this one. Just a beautiful, beautiful film.

Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: jviness02 on October 23, 2021, 01:47:32 PM
Fellowship definitely has a satisfying conclusion in and of itself. It ends with a big battle that breaks up the fellowship in multiple ways. Totally makes sense. Also, they filmed all three films at the same time, so we know the story continues. The fact that a lot of sources close to WB aren't very confident Dune will make the money to guarantee a sequel definitely added a psychological aspect to my viewing where I was like "well if that's it, that sucks".
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: HACKANUT on October 23, 2021, 02:15:57 PM
The narrative that there isn't gonna be a sequel is ridiculous at this point. When asked about the sequel the CEO of HBO recently said something to the effect of "if you see how the film ends, it's pretty obvious what the answer to that question is."
It's doing well with critics, it's doing well at the box office already, there's a tv show on the way, denis is working on the part 2 script right now...
Nothing seems iffy about that to me.

So with that in mind, we know there's more story coming.

Honestly I think a part of their marketing strategy is to make it seem iffy publicly to drive people to the theaters to vote with their dollar, so to speak.
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: jviness02 on October 23, 2021, 02:30:05 PM
There was a show for Blade Runner 2049, critics liked it, it made $260 Million dollars, Scott and Villeneuve were working on a sequel...and it was deemed a flop and everything in the future was canceled. Right now, Dune is on track to make about the same amount of money on a similar budget. I'm not convinced.
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: HACKANUT on October 23, 2021, 02:38:25 PM
That's fair. I remain optimistic tho. I think they're looking to build a franchise and are willing to take a hit on the first movie to get it off the ground. They said as much about the recent Sopranos movie. It didn't do great numbers in theaters but Sopranos is back in the top 10 on MAX and they're already talking about doing more prequel stuff based on this.
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: jviness02 on October 23, 2021, 03:07:28 PM
Quote from: HACKANUT on October 23, 2021, 02:38:25 PM
That's fair. I remain optimistic tho. I think they're looking to build a franchise and are willing to take a hit on the first movie to get it off the ground. They said as much about the recent Sopranos movie. It didn't do great numbers in theaters but Sopranos is back in the top 10 on MAX and they're already talking about doing more prequel stuff based on this.

I hope you're right. I'm not trying to be overly pessimistic. Also, you are right that Dune is a better "franchise" builder than 2049. The only reason I compared the two is it's the same director doing a big budget sci-fi film.

Regarding the film itself:


Oops. I don't know how to post spoilers
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: HACKANUT on October 23, 2021, 03:17:06 PM
It's a completely fair comparison. But I do think we're looking at a different industry than 2049 was faced with.

Back then they ruled with box office power. In 2021 they must cultivate streaming power.😎

For spoilers use the "Sp" icon, I wanna hear what you've got to say!
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on October 23, 2021, 03:34:34 PM
Yeah, click the (https://xixax.com/Themes/SunRise20/images/bbc/spoiler.gif) on top, or copy this:

[spoiler]text[/spoiler]
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on October 23, 2021, 04:27:19 PM
Just briefly on the sequel greenlight question... Dune has so many advantages over 2049. It's providing value on Warner Media's streaming service. It's already more of an "event" than 2049 ever was. It has franchise potential, prequel potential, spinoff potential. The sequel has Zendaya potential, a resource studios are eager to mine.

Also the movie is straightforwardly a success so far:

'Dune' Seeing $17.5M Opening Day, Best For Warner Bros HBO Max Day/Date Title & Denis Villeneuve (https://deadline.com/2021/10/dune-weekend-box-office-1234860683/)

Another Deadline article says Dune will cross $200M worldwide on Sunday. Not bad for also being on HBO Max, torrents, etc.

Quote from: WorldForgot on October 23, 2021, 11:23:14 AMRebecca Ferguson iz gonna get a nom for this right? It sorta feelz like she's the mana here.

For sure. There's this mysteriously omnipresent slow-churning emotion through the entire film, and I think it's mostly her creating that all the time. Incredible work.

Quote from: WorldForgot on October 23, 2021, 11:23:14 AMIn themes surrounding Paul and prophecy, the edit and script are effective. In its representation of cultures, I'm not so sure right now. How does this feel to someone that's not read the novel? I expect that it's all too quick? But maybe that's okay because it will inspire people that dug into the aesthetic to read the source material? Its exposition is handled so well that I'm not sure it's 'handled' in so far as how the Freman are portrayed.

My only exposure to Dune had been the Lynch movie and cultural osmosis. I know there's more to discover, but I didn't feel like I was missing out on anything, really. At first I wasn't sure how technologically advanced they were, but that was enumerated as we learned about a few of the technologies they invented.

All the politics and worldbuilding were crystal clear, somehow, with exposition sprinkled in organically, and not a single lore dump to be found.

This is in stark contrast to the Lynch Dune. My first viewing was a very long time ago, but I don't remember anything outside of the visuals being all that interesting. But here, I want every morsel.

Spoiler: ShowHide
The fall of House Atreides had such an impact here — I really got a sense of everything they were losing. I literally don't remember how this development happened in the Lynch movie. In fact, I didn't even remember that House Atreides fell, so that came as a surprise to me in Dune 2021.


Quote from: polkablues on October 23, 2021, 12:38:39 PM
Quote from: jviness02 on October 23, 2021, 12:17:50 PMThe climax is anticlimactic and the third act is weird for the same reason.

That's the biggest deficit of the film, that it quite literally is only half a movie. The third act is weird because there is no third act; it ends midway through act two. Normally when you split a story up like this, you would structure it so that each individual part has its own three act structure within the greater narrative, but Villeneuve didn't bother, he just took the story as a whole, filmed half of it, and said bon appetit. Which will be fine if and when the second part gets made and people can watch the whole thing as one complete five hour ( :shock:) movie, but for now we're left with the story of people moving vaguely in the direction of a goal and stopping halfway.

MINOR SPOILERS

I went in knowing this stopped halfway through the first book (or so I've been told), so I was fully prepared for the story to stop where it did, pretty much where I assumed it would.

I would agree this doesn't have a three-act structure...

Spoiler: ShowHide
I can view it as either a one-act story, "adjusting to Dune," or two-act story, split at the Harkonnen invasion.

Actually, the more I think about it, the more I'm convinced it works. Once Paul started seeing visions of Zendaya, I thought it became clear that she was the destination. So the fact that that's exactly where the movie ended felt perfect, not truncated at all.

The end also has a solid "this ending is a new beginning" feel.

It's unconventional I guess, but I didn't feel it lacking at all. "Deficit" would not occur to me.


Quote from: WorldForgot on October 23, 2021, 11:23:14 AM
Spoiler: ShowHide
It's disingenuous how they marketed this right? I won't be surprised if general audiences are frustrated by the loose threads and how little Zendaya truly interacts with the plot. From the marketing, they'd have you think that Zendaya is in this movie and not just part of the promo for the second part.

Spoiler: ShowHide
Yeah, super misleading. Thankfully I caught onto this pretty early and realized she would mostly just be in visions. (I wasn't necessarily clamoring for Zendaya screentime either.) But yeah, super misleading marketing. Not only marketing, but press, which makes it feel slightly unethical tbh. They clearly just wanted the Chalamet/Zendaya combo to create good press tour content, which of course it does. Paul palling around with his mom would not have fit the mold, I guess.

https://twitter.com/VinnieMancuso1/status/1451589133462392836
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: jviness02 on October 23, 2021, 04:34:08 PM
Quote from: HACKANUT on October 23, 2021, 03:17:06 PM
It's a completely fair comparison. But I do think we're looking at a different industry than 2049 was faced with.

Back then they ruled with box office power. In 2021 they must cultivate streaming power.😎

For spoilers use the "Sp" icon, I wanna hear what you've got to say!
Spoiler: ShowHide
Oscar Isaac's death scene was really cool. I did not read the book, so I was surprised so many big name actors died in Part I. For those who read the book, is Josh Brolin dead?

Also, the middle section really is phenomenal. The film certainly has flaws, but that middle section is what big budget filmmaking should be. It's a visual feast, unlike so much of what we get nowadays from major productions *cough* Marvel *cough* .

Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on October 23, 2021, 04:45:39 PM
Spoiler: ShowHide
Yeah. The "action scenes" are really their own thing in this movie. You don't have spaceships whizzing by and shaky cam barely keeping up with kinetic movement or whatever. Instead, everything is enormous, slow, and heavy. Like that super wide shot of the Harkonnen ship firing off hundreds of missiles. Man does Villeneuve know how to create SCALE.
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: HACKANUT on October 23, 2021, 04:47:31 PM
Quote from: jviness02 on October 23, 2021, 04:34:08 PM
Spoiler: ShowHide
Oscar Isaac's death scene was really cool. I did not read the book, so I was surprised so many big name actors died in Part I. For those who read the book, is Josh Brolin dead?

Also, the middle section really is phenomenal. The film certainly has flaws, but that middle section is what big budget filmmaking should be. It's a visual feast, unlike so much of what we get nowadays from major productions *cough* Marvel *cough* .


Spoiler: ShowHide

I loved the Leto death scene. Beautiful composition with that loooong table. Feasting Baron (ew) and naked Leto just utterly defeated. Great stuff. Also, the reveal of Baron on the ceiling got a gasp out of me.  and those Lynch-ish Hazmat suits! Whew.


Oh and, Gurney Halleck and Thufir Hawat are not dead.
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: polkablues on October 23, 2021, 05:14:33 PM
Quote from: Jeremy Blackman on October 23, 2021, 04:45:39 PM
Man does Villeneuve know how to create SCALE.

100%. The sand worm was one of the most awe-inspiring things I've ever seen in a movie. That was the one moment I was like "Yeah, I probably should have seen this in the theater."
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: WorldForgot on October 23, 2021, 07:10:56 PM
Quote from: Jeremy Blackman on October 23, 2021, 04:45:39 PM
Spoiler: ShowHide
Yeah. The "action scenes" are really their own thing in this movie. You don't have spaceships whizzing by and shaky cam barely keeping up with kinetic movement or whatever. Instead, everything is enormous, slow, and heavy. Like that super wide shot of the Harkonnen ship firing off hundreds of missiles.


Spoiler: ShowHide
Obviously the Desert Storm + Afghanistan allusions are easy to draw, but when I saw this visual though my mind immediately flashed to the footage of Israel's Iron Dome intercepting missiles. And idek how many of those missile "defense" systems there are world wide, could be more widespread than I expect.

Not that it had to be indicative of any specific jihad, as Frank Herbert's Butlerian Jihad iz specific enuff, but its imagery as to real-world international conflict is potent, I think.
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: HACKANUT on October 26, 2021, 02:27:44 PM
Well that didn't take long.

https://twitter.com/legendary/status/1453058884516466691?s=21
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on October 26, 2021, 03:44:25 PM
YESSSSS :bravo:

https://twitter.com/Variety/status/1453077637232988161
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: Drenk on October 26, 2021, 04:00:03 PM
Maybe Chalamet won't be stoned in the sequel.  :yabbse-grin:
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: HACKANUT on October 26, 2021, 04:08:46 PM
Quote from: Drenk on October 26, 2021, 04:00:03 PM
Maybe Chalamet won't be stoned in the sequel.  :yabbse-grin:

If you know the book, I wouldnt count on him being sober  :yabbse-grin:
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: Alma on October 26, 2021, 05:19:32 PM
Just came out of watching this to find out the sequel has been greenlit. I'm so powerful.

I can't believe how much I loved this, just one of the best films I've ever seen at the pictures. Awe-inspiring. I sort of had the idea it would be a bit cold and clinical for some reason but not at all. Genuinely couldn't believe what I was seeing at times.
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on October 26, 2021, 08:31:04 PM
Quote from: Alma on October 26, 2021, 05:19:32 PMI can't believe how much I loved this, just one of the best films I've ever seen at the pictures. Awe-inspiring. I sort of had the idea it would be a bit cold and clinical for some reason but not at all. Genuinely couldn't believe what I was seeing at times.

Exactly my reaction.

I'm not exactly sure how Villeneuve was able to evolve so quickly from Blade Runner 2049, but there was so much emotion in this, constantly.
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: Axolotl on October 27, 2021, 12:30:22 AM
Watching this on IMAX this Friday. First theater experience for me since pre-covid.
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: Axolotl on October 30, 2021, 09:37:54 AM
This is the perfect adaptation of the novel. I mostly agree with JB about the whole vibe around it. It's an amazing experience, it's worth it as an adaptation just for how they did the ornithopters. I'm so fucking happy that there's going to be a part 2.
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: Alexandro on October 31, 2021, 08:26:08 AM
Yep, this was solid. Great, even. I have to watch it again to really know for sure how I feel about it. Honestly I was blown away by Blade Runner 2049 and Arrival but in terms of replay value, I don't know. They're still great, but something about the style is like... I guess not enjoyable is the right term for me.

This one takes some time to take off but once it does is pretty much one terrific set piece after another. I was a bit impatient during the first hour, not with exposition or quiet conversation scenes but with what felt like endless shots of spacecrafts landing, taking off, arriving, leaving, and so on.

I didn't feel it was incomplete, the main character's journey clearly starts at one point and ends in another, completing the cycle for the time being. And it's nicely set up for more evolution in the next installment. Which is refreshing actually, in a film of this scale, to feel so centered on the spiritual arch of the character. Total Lawrence of Arabia vibes all around.
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: HACKANUT on November 01, 2021, 03:11:59 PM
Saw this for a second time in IMAX last night. Fourth viewing in total. Still such a stunner. Really opens up with multiple viewings. Soo much of the storytelling here is visual language in lieu of exposition and I'm so thankful for that. Leaves a lot of meat on the bone to pick at during future viewings but leaves you stuffed with what you're able to gather each time.
I'm a huge fan of the books and it's hard to describe the joy I get from seeing such expert choices being made at every step of the films journey.
The ending has solidified itself as definitely the perfect place to call it for Part One. Any more and it's bloated, any less and it's lacking. Again: expert choices.

There's only a couple moments that irk me on each viewing having to do with awkward sounding line-reads from Mamoa and Duncan-Brewster, but they aren't the worst. Just awkward to the ear.

Now, that being said. (And this may not be the proper place for this, but) I had been holding off on watching the Lynch version until this version was out, so I sat down to watch the 1984 film earlier this week. I don't wish to be offensive here because I LOVE Lynch and I LOVE Dune. But... that film is a complete and utter train wreck. I very quickly went from worrying this film would color my feelings for the new one in a real way, to viewing it as a total joke. I'm astounded that THIS is many peoples first experience with Dune. Big ole yikes for me. I think most of the issue is In the edit tho, and not with Lynch. The sets and costumes are beautiful, but the pacing is a dead sprint through the source material so none of that seems to matter in the end. It's also quite an issue for me that they both gloss over important plot points AND make up some random Sound Guns that in no way fit into the plot. The wonder of the Dune books is how every piece has its purpose. Nothing is wasted. Like an ecosystem, everything is woven together. But those Weirding Modules.... Jesus Christ. Wrong choice guys.

Anyways, here's to Dune: Part Two and finally a proper telling of the whole tale.

Read the books if you haven't.
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on November 01, 2021, 06:39:13 PM
Yes, this makes me want to read the books in a way the Lynch Dune certainly never did. Calling the Lynch Dune a "joke" isn't even too harsh. While some of the character design is legendary, everything else is really just phoned in and completely inert compared to what Villeneuve accomplished.

It's nice to see people here are loving this. I've been surprised to see a few critics say it didn't work for them at all. I kind of get that. Dune casts a spell, and if that spell fails to enchant you I'm sure the experience quickly falls apart.
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on November 03, 2021, 01:09:15 AM
Saw this again tonight to catch an IMAX screening. Surprisingly packed auditorium for a Tuesday. The word of mouth has worked for sure.

Of course it holds up as a stone-cold masterpiece. I had basically the same experience this time, which was honestly a surprise. I said Ferguson and Chalamet are the beating heart that carries this movie, and I will double down on that. Their performances certainly don't get less rich on second watch. Rebecca Ferguson has this superpower where she can guide us through the entire emotional journey of the story just through her reaction shots. Chalamet's superpower is naturalism; much of his dialogue isn't even good, but he sells it effortlessly and embodies the character with ease. He's just so perfect for the role; I never saw him as anyone except Paul Atreides.

The music. Good God the music. This score reminds me of Magnolia in how shamelessly bombastic it is, but not throughout, just in the moments when you want everything to be so gloriously heightened.

Spoiler: ShowHide
The Gom Jabbar (pain box) sequence will go down as one of the greatest scenes in film history, on par with the shower scene in Psycho. It's a masterwork of filmmaking and editing, essentially a super-dense montage that unfurls the entirety of Paul's being and the potential of his power. Chalamet's incredible performance here is matched by the potency of the images and the insanely flamboyant music and sound design. It's just everything working flawlessly together to create absolute magic.

As with most things in Dune, its greatest power comes from character, in this case the specific angle Villeneuve took on the scene. He involves Jessica, having her recite the Litany Against Fear ("fear is the mind-killer") and then, if I'm not mistaken, her words infuse into Paul and give him strength as he subtly recites the Litany along with her. Just... wow.
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: HACKANUT on November 03, 2021, 07:13:39 AM
That scene really is masterful. You might enjoy this breakdown by the man himself, if you haven't seen it already:

[youtube] https://youtu.be/GoAA0sYkLI0

So much insight! I'm gonna need a marker-on-screen commentary of the whole movie now, Denis.

[EDIT] this is a fascinating watch as well

https://youtu.be/jfgZMmoYvdE
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on November 03, 2021, 08:07:14 PM
Quote from: HACKANUT on November 03, 2021, 07:13:39 AM
That scene really is masterful. You might enjoy this breakdown by the man himself, if you haven't seen it already:

[youtube] https://youtu.be/GoAA0sYkLI0

So much insight! I'm gonna need a marker-on-screen commentary of the whole movie now, Denis.

That was incredible! Thank you.

I love how Chalamet sort of crosses his eyes at 14:38. What a brilliant performance. Crazy to learn that's the first scene they shot.
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: HACKANUT on November 07, 2021, 08:18:57 AM
https://twitter.com/joshencinias/status/1457142561575817224?s=20
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: WorldForgot on November 07, 2021, 10:10:49 PM
Quote from: Alexandro on October 31, 2021, 08:26:08 AM
I was a bit impatient during the first hour, not with exposition or quiet conversation scenes but with what felt like endless shots of spacecrafts landing, taking off, arriving, leaving, and so on.

When I was watching this, the grammar of all those processionals, ceremonies, and culture intros were heavily reminding me of Attack of the Clones. Then this last week I rewatched Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers extended cuts. I think something that Jackson and WETA/the entire SFX team accomplished that sort of falls short for sci-fi is a personality to its mechanics.

In LOTR there's countless shots of departures and arrivals that could feel like landscape photography with add-ons they're each given an illustration that doesn't just establish geography and aesthetic of the culture, it progresses an understanding of how people live & survive under their conditions therein, be it Rivendell or Rohan or even Isengard and in the case of the script these conditions imply the theme. For Fellowship it's the clash and synergy of different species and cultures finding a common banner and in The Two Towers and sort of nostalgic grief.

In Dune, the illustrations are mostly functional. Its script conveys the theme while the visual storytelling remains mainly functional.
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on November 07, 2021, 10:49:08 PM
Interesting points. I think the first hour is easily the best part, and the 2049-style shots of landscapes and architecture and spacecrafts are actually somewhat central to my enjoyment of it. For me, there's more than enough meaning in the glances between characters, as they all take deep breaths, plunging into dark territory, knowing what's at stake – not only their lives, but their entire house, legacy, and future. The gargantuan size of the ships and the eerie slowness of things so effectively portend the events that follow. The music adds enormous weight and bridges the gap between a human feeling and an alien feeling. But more than anything, the cinematography is constantly overwhelming. I can't imagine ever being bored or impatient in the first hour; I could barely keep up with the magnitude of the beauty I was witnessing, and that goes for both watches.
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: HACKANUT on November 09, 2021, 10:58:49 PM
Interesting notes on the sound mix and design.

Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on November 11, 2021, 07:55:16 PM
https://twitter.com/bigblackjacobin/status/1458891075578441735

I don't know whether to be pleased or dismayed that this is a hugely popular meme format now, but this one is pretty good.
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on November 22, 2021, 02:25:15 PM
https://twitter.com/davefranklin/status/1462874509422256133
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on November 29, 2021, 03:29:52 PM
https://twitter.com/ScottWamplerBMD/status/1465424744182919173
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: WorldForgot on January 04, 2022, 11:24:27 AM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_L2MzJKWAuQ

documentary featurette on how Dune's sound design philosophy was more of a "documentary" process done alongside filming than in Post-Production

(https://i.ibb.co/9vBN5pr/dune-sounddesign.png)
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: HACKANUT on February 08, 2022, 08:18:09 AM
https://youtu.be/UZ21aGy99nw

And 10 Oscar noms!
Title: Re: Dune (Denis Villeneuve)
Post by: HACKANUT on March 10, 2022, 09:22:42 AM