All posts tagged: dune

The Lord of the Rings record that could signify a major Oscar win for Dune 3

The Lord of the Rings record that could signify a major Oscar win for Dune 3

Published by skeptic

Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Dune: Part Two may have only won two Oscars, but it did repeat a very specific feat matched by The Lord of the Rings in 2003, which has fans excited about the future of the franchise at the Academy Awards. The second instalment of Denis Villeneuve’s acclaimed sci-fi epic was nominated for five awards at Sunday’s ceremony (2 March) including Best Picture. However, it walked away with only two gongs for Best Sound and Best Achievement in Visual Effects. In an odd case of history repeating itself, these are the exact same two awards that The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers won in 2003, having also been nominated for five Oscars. This similarity now has fans excited about the prospect of Dune 3, reportedly set to begin production this summer, winning Best Picture just like Return of the King did in 2004. The third …

Hear the Jazz-Funk Musical Adaptation of Dune by David Matthews (1977)

Hear the Jazz-Funk Musical Adaptation of Dune by David Matthews (1977)

Published by José

Even if you’ve nev­er read Frank Her­bert’s Dune, you may well have encoun­tered its adap­ta­tions to a vari­ety of oth­er media: com­ic books, video games, board games, tele­vi­sion series, and of course films, David Lynch’s 1984 ver­sion and Denis Vil­leneu­ve’s two-parter ear­li­er this decade. But before any of those came Dune, the jazz-funk album by key­boardist and band­leader David Matthews. Released in 1977 on the pop­u­lar jazz label CTI Records, it devotes its entire first side to a 20-minute suite osten­si­bly inspired by Her­bert’s nov­el, con­sist­ing of the pieces “Arrakis,” “Sand­worms,” “Song of the Bene Gesser­it,” and “Muad’dib.” You’ll notice that the typog­ra­phy on the cov­er of Matthews’ Dune seems awful­ly rem­i­nis­cent of Star Wars, a film that had come out the very same year. It’s not exact­ly false adver­tis­ing, since the album clos­es with ver­sions of both Star Wars’ main theme and Princess Leia’s theme, sup­ple­ment­ed by the theme from Dou­glas Trum­bul­l’s Silent Run­ning and even David Bowie’s “Space Odd­i­ty.” Accord­ing to jazz his­to­ri­an Doug Payne, the con­cept was the idea of CTI founder …

Why David Lynch’s Dune Went Wrong: A Comparison with Denis Villeneuve’s Hit Adaptation

Why David Lynch’s Dune Went Wrong: A Comparison with Denis Villeneuve’s Hit Adaptation

Published by José

Denis Vil­leneu­ve’s recent film adap­ta­tion of Dune is gen­er­al­ly con­sid­ered to be supe­ri­or to the late David Lynch’s, from 1984 — though even accord­ing to many of Lynch’s fans, it could hard­ly have been worse. In a 1996 piece for Pre­miere mag­a­zine, David Fos­ter Wal­lace described Dune as “unques­tion­ably the worst movie of Lynch’s career,” not least due to the mis­cast­ing of the direc­tor him­self: “Eraser­head had been one of those sell-your-own-plas­ma-to-buy-the-film-stock mas­ter­pieces, with a tiny and large­ly unpaid cast and crew. Dune, on the oth­er hand, had one of the biggest bud­gets in Hol­ly­wood his­to­ry,” mar­shaled by super-pro­duc­er Dino De Lau­ren­ti­is. But could even a mas­ter block­buster crafts­man have made cin­e­mat­ic sense of Frank Her­bert’s orig­i­nal sto­ry, “which even in the nov­el is con­vo­lut­ed to the point of pain”? With its two parts hav­ing been released in the twen­ty-twen­ties, Vil­leneu­ve’s Dune prac­ti­cal­ly cries out for Youtube video essays com­par­ing it to Lynch’s ver­sion. The one above from Archer Green first high­lights their dif­fer­ences through one scene that was mem­o­rable in the nov­el and both …

Callum Skye: Conquer Any Terrain in This £80k Dune Buggy

Callum Skye: Conquer Any Terrain in This £80k Dune Buggy

Published by skeptic

The CALLUM Skye is transforming the world of outdoor exploration by combining innovative electric vehicle technology with unparalleled off-road capabilities. This all-electric adventure vehicle is designed to cater to the needs of those who seek both high performance and environmental sustainability. With a powerful 42kWh battery, the Skye features an impressive anticipated range of 170 miles, allowing adventurers to embark on extended journeys without compromising their eco-conscious values. For those who prioritize efficiency, the Skye offers an ultra-fast charging option, allowing a full charge in less than ten minutes, ensuring minimal downtime during exciting expeditions. Performance Meets Versatility The CALLUM Skye is carefully engineered to excel in both on-road and off-road environments. The on-road variant, aptly named “The Dynamic,” delivers a smooth and refined driving experience while maintaining remarkable off-road capabilities. This variant is perfect for those who desire a comfortable ride on paved roads but also crave the freedom to explore off the beaten path. On the other hand, “The Capable” off-road variant is specifically designed to conquer the most challenging terrains with ease. …

Denis Villeneuve Wants to Make One More ‘Dune’ Movie—but Don’t Call It a Trilogy

Denis Villeneuve Wants to Make One More ‘Dune’ Movie—but Don’t Call It a Trilogy

Published by Sam

If you were looking for Denis Villeneuve this summer, you’d find him hiding out in the woods. After filming and releasing Dune and Dune: Part Two back to back, the Canadian director finally took time away for a real break. Sort of. He may have been sequestered in the wilderness, but, he tells Little Gold Men, he was writing the whole time. That’s because Villeneuve is now juggling several films, including a third Dune film based on the book Dune: Messiah; the sci-fi adaptation Rendezvous With Rama; and an epic about Cleopatra. The director reappeared from his woodland hideout to speak to Little Gold Men this week about the Dune franchise, which has earned more than $1.1 billion worldwide. Dune: Part Two, released in March, was a visually stunning cinematic adventure story that followed Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) on the desert planet Arrakis as he stepped into his destiny to lead the Fremen people and wage war against those who killed his family. Villeneuve has dedicated the past eight years of his life to Dune, …

Karlovy Vary Festival retrospective of Franz Kafka film adaptations

Karlovy Vary Festival retrospective of Franz Kafka film adaptations

Published by Sam

The Karlovy Vary Festival will pay tribute to one of the Czech Republic’s most famous sons with a retrospective of film adaptations of the work of Franz Kafka from some of the greatest names in cinema. To mark the centenary of Kafka’s death, the festival will screen a series of films directly adapted from, or inspired by, the literary master of angst. The retrospective will include such classics as Orson Welles’s The Trial (1962), Martin Scorsese’s Kafkaesque New York dramedy After Hours (1985) and Federico Fellini’s Intervista; Steven Soderbergh’s Kafka (1991) and its 2021 re-edit Mr. Kneff — both starring Jeremy Irons as a set-upon insurance man and writer — alongside lesser-known adaptations, including Jan Němec’s Metamorphosis, a German TV movie version of Kafka’s famous short story. Other highlights include Ousmane Sembene’s Senegalese feature The Money Order (1968) and Kôji Yamamura’s animated short Franz Kafka’s a Country Doctor (2007). “For decades, Kafka’s oeuvre has functioned as a continuing provocation to filmmakers,” said Karlovy Vary artistic director Karel Och and festival consultant Lorenzo Esposito, co-curators of …

Babs Olusanmokun on Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, Dune 2

Babs Olusanmokun on Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, Dune 2

Published by Sam

The mark of a successful actor goes beyond top billing, box office draw, trophies and name-dropping headlines. Perhaps the purest indicator of an actor’s success is when they show up on screen and the audience immediately trusts that they’re going to add something genuinely interesting to the story being told. Well, Babs Olusanmokun has belonged to this category of actor for quite some time now, and Guy Ritchie’s latest film, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, makes excellent use of the Nigerian-American actor, including his innately enigmatic presence and the mellifluous rasp of his voice. Olusanmokun and Ritchie previously worked together on the Jason Statham-led Wrath of Man (2021), and they nearly worked together again in Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre (2023). Instead, Ungentlemanly Warfare became their second go-round, and Olusanmokun received a major promotion, jumping from 26th billing on Wrath of Man to sixth billing. His undercover spy character, Heron, is a member of Winston Churchill’s Special Operations Executive (SOE), a covert organization of unauthorized commandos and spies who would color outside the lines in …

‘Dune’ was considered unadaptable. Then came Denis Villeneuve

‘Dune’ was considered unadaptable. Then came Denis Villeneuve

Published by skeptic

Denis Villeneuve wasn’t the first person to adapt Frank Herbert’s 1965 science fiction novel Dune for the big screen, but he is the first to have done so successfully. In the 1970s, the Chilean-French filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky came close. He handed art design to renowned comic book artist Mobius, who produced hundreds of pieces of concept art, bringing the desert planet of Arrakis to life. He managed to cast the legendary Orson Welles in the role of the antagonist, the obese Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, by promising to hire the retired actor’s favorite Parisian chef as his personal cook. Musician Mick Jagger was brought on to play secondary antagonist Feyd-Rautha, the Baron’s psychotic nephew, while Shaddam IV, the Emperor of the Known Universe, would have been played by none other than surrealist painter Salvador Dalí. Jodorowsky’s vision seemed too good to be true. It was. Unwilling to compromise on the film’s whopping 14-hour runtime, Jodorowsky’s Dune languished in development hell, where it remains to this day. Another iconic filmmaker, David Lynch, the director of Mulholland Drive, …

Dune and Greek Mythology: What’s in Common?

Dune and Greek Mythology: What’s in Common?

Published by skeptic

  Dune, a science-fiction novel written in 1965 by Frank Herbert, follows the story of Paul Atreides, a young man whose family accepts stewardship of the planet Arrakis for the interstellar empire. The planet is a harsh desert wasteland that is sparsely populated but is the only source of a valuable resource known as “spice.” As such, many of the empire’s factions desire control of the planet and are often at odds with each other. Paul’s father, Leto Atreides, was betrayed by the emperor and a rival faction, setting Paul off on a journey to avenge his father. How does this story connect with Greek mythology?   Leto: Parent of the Divine Twins Latona (Leto) and Her Children, Apollo and Diana (Artemis), by William Henry Rinehart, 1874. Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York   Leto Atreides was the Duke of the ocean planet Caladan and the father of Paul Atreides. His role in Dune is mostly to serve as a plot device, his death being the catalyst that sets his son off on …

Why Dune Might Be the Saddest Film I’ve Ever Seen

Why Dune Might Be the Saddest Film I’ve Ever Seen

Published by skeptic

If you’ve seen Dune Part 2 already, read on, but this commentary will include some spoilers, so beware for those who have yet to witness Denis Villeneuve’s visually stunning adaptation of the 1965 classic by Frank Herbert. I read Dune a couple of years ago, and enjoyed it, but J.R.R. Tolkien’s rumored distaste for the book soured some of my reception. Seeing the new films, though, illustrates why this story is so deeply tragic. Herbert drew much of his world and mythology from religion, and Dune is rich in religious allusion. Young Paul Atreides is the “Messiah” figure, and he “resurrects” after drinking the poison of the sandworm (a.k.a., the “Water of Life). There are fanatics in southern Arrakis ready to die for the prophesied Messiah. There are the Bene Gesserit, somber priestesses bent on controlling political outcomes and maintaining the balance of power in the universe. And there is, lurking behind the scenes, the concept of jihad, or holy war, which Paul fears he will instigate once he summons the allegiance of the southern …