Dune 2021

[DavidMcRoy]

To reiterate: I don't believe the unpleasantness I hear has anything to do with distribution bitrates, since I don't normally encounter enough dialog distortion in movies to complain about it. I suspect that something peculiar was done to the dialog audio in the post production process, possibly intentionally, that creates this irritating effect in this particular movie. Maybe I'm just abnormally sensitive to whatever this is.

 

[krabapple]

To reiterate: I don't believe the unpleasantness I hear has anything to do with distribution bitrates, since I don't normally encounter enough dialog distortion in movies to complain about it. I suspect that something peculiar was done to the dialog audio in the post production process, possibly intentionally, that creates this irritating effect in this particular movie. Maybe I'm just abnormally sensitive to whatever this is.

If so, others should be able to hear it and corroborate.

 

[Matias]

 

[killdozzer]

I'm not a huge fan of the books as it's more fantasy than sci fi.

True. There's a lot of genre confusion if a fantasy occurs in space. People see a space-ship and go; it's sci-fi. A starting definition we used while I studied was that sci-fi is a fantasy that is based in science. Closer to Interstellar and far, far away from Star Wars, and the far, far galaxy where it occurs. Nothing was ever science in Star Wars. "Epska fantastika", what we use in my language. Translates to Epic Fantasy, but here, it is used as in a classical genre divison in literature where 'epic' stands for a long form of a tale depicting famous, mythical battles and lives of generations of heroes who took part in them.

 

[killdozzer]

It's simple: if they try to explain it, it's sci-fi. If they don't bother, it's fantasy.

"The Force" in Star Wars is similar. It's explained via midi-chlorians, microscopic organisms living in the cells of force carriers. Although the Sequal Trilogy seemingly wholly ignores the concept and favors more a fantasy approach, once again showing that the people running the show do not know how to make good sci-fi.

It was completely the opposite for me. It looked like a lazy after thought and it opened the door for uber-mensche interpretations all over again. I didn't really care for that.

Putting tastes aside, I never came across this thought of trying to explain vs. not trying to explain. If you're trying to explain non-existing jedi powers with non-existing midi-chlorians, you're not closer to science.

 

[krumpol]

.. The best recent science fiction movie for me was "The Martian". It was, I thought, true science fiction.

Yep, that's "hard science fiction", sci-fi subgenre focused on logic and scientific accuracy. Interstellar was another one.

 

[Berwhale]

To reiterate: I don't believe the unpleasantness I hear has anything to do with distribution bitrates, since I don't normally encounter enough dialog distortion in movies to complain about it. I suspect that something peculiar was done to the dialog audio in the post production process, possibly intentionally, that creates this irritating effect in this particular movie. Maybe I'm just abnormally sensitive to whatever this is.

There was a lot of manipulation of the human voice and instruments in the sound track...

 

[Rottmannash]

If so, others should be able to hear it and corroborate.

I feel the same-I listened to a very large rip and noticed no distortion but very low dialog volume. Irritating but didn't feel it was distortion (not sure it could be as I was watching a BR rip so not streamed.

 

[OldenEars]

True. There's a lot of genre confusion if a fantasy occurs in space. People see a space-ship and go; it's sci-fi. A starting definition we used while I studied was that sci-fi is a fantasy that is based in science. Closer to Interstellar and far, far away from Star Wars, and the far, far galaxy where it occurs. Nothing was ever science in Star Wars. "Epska fantastika", what we use in my language. Translates to Epic Fantasy, but here, it is used as in a classical genre divison in literature where 'epic' stands for a long form of a tale depicting famous, mythical battles and lives of generations of heroes who took part in them.

interstellar is fantasy in fact, it disgusts me that scientists were rolled out to say how scientific it was, when it was laughably bad.

 

[killdozzer]

interstellar is fantasy in fact, it disgusts me that scientists were rolled out to say how scientific it was, when it was laughably bad.

Bad has nothing to do with it. It was a perfect example of sci-fi. It's not the director's nor scientists' fault that people today think it has to be a documentary (it has to also be fictitious). I bet today's audience would sh**t all over 2001 if it came out this year. It's the sign'o'times.

I'm not a huge fan, but it is textbook perfect example. So is Ad Astra. Sci-Fi doesn't mean good or bad. Nothing in it defies the rules of the genre.

 

[killdozzer]

I agree. The best recent science fiction movie for me was "The Martian". It was, I thought, true science fiction.

The problem is that the vast majority of the theater-going public wants escapist products. Fantasy is exceedingly escapist. The studios are profit-driven, so they give the public what the public wants.

Jim

I agree. And that's a great example.

 

[Shiva]

There was an actor in the Dune movie whom I've never seen before, who played the Herald of the Change . He had an interesting look and wanted to know where he came from.
His name is Benjamin Clementine

 

[MoreWatts]

Recommended an album by Dune 2021 film scorer Hans Zimmer's bass player, Juan Garcia-Herreros, or The Snow Owl, here in the jazz thread. It's excellent Latin jazz. Have a look and a listen.

Juan Garcia-Herreros is a Colombian 6-string electric contrabassist also known as The Snow Owl. He’s led ~4 albums since 2006, leads his band ‘Totem Warriors’ on film and game scores, and records and tours with film composer Hans Zimmer, recently on the new ‘Dune’ film score.

The moods swing from frenetic to introspective on his 2013 album Normas. A sextet, of guitar, trumpet and tenor, play with an array of percussionists, with the result a Latin Grammy Best Jazz Album nomination. Way more melodic overall than the 1st tune would have you expect. A very nice prog-Latin-jazz fusion.

Snow Owl, Normas, full album: YouTube link ; Spotify link

 

[Berwhale]

There was an actor in the Dune movie whom I've never seen before, who played the Herald of the Change . He had an interesting look and wanted to know where he came from.
His name is Benjamin Clementine

But that's clearly Paris in the background!

 

[Repdetect]

It's been out for more than a month already here in the Netherlands and many other European countries.

It's well worth the watch!

Agree. I watched the Lynch version again last night. Some of the scenes are just jaw dropping, especially compared to PT 1-2021. But he obviously couldn't direct the action scenes, they're laughable in my opinion.

 

[Shiva]

But that's clearly Paris in the background!

Yes, but he's feeling the call to go back to London.

I dug the book Dune and have read it several times, including the rest of Herbert's Dune novels.
In the second movie, i was quite impressed with this scene. The scale of the ship, the staging and the soundtrack in the background.

 

[Blumlein 88]

Bad has nothing to do with it. It was a perfect example of sci-fi. It's not the director's nor scientists' fault that people today think it has to be a documentary (it has to also be fictitious). I bet today's audience would sh**t all over 2001 if it came out this year. It's the sign'o'times.

I'm not a huge fan, but it is textbook perfect example. So is Ad Astra. Sci-Fi doesn't mean good or bad. Nothing in it defies the rules of the genre.

I hated 2001 back when it first came out. I loved Kubrick movies, and especially Clarke novels and stories. Word of mouth was thru the roof. When I saw it I was very much not a fan of it. Still detest it to this day. An overwrought and over rated movie according to my opinion.

 

[DJBonoBobo]

I hated 2001 back when it first came out. I loved Kubrick movies, and especially Clarke novels and stories. Word of mouth was thru the roof. When I saw it I was very much not a fan of it. Still detest it to this day. An overwrought and over rated movie according to my opinion.

The part with Hal9000 was good, but Kubrick obviously did not know how to end it and decided to make it artsy fartsy, hoping everyone thought he knew what he was doing and had something intelligent in mind.
Dune at least had some kind of moral and in some ways okayish ending (after book 6). I always liked the 5th and 6th books most, 4th was ok too. First three were boring for the most part. I read the books a few times but skipped the first after i read it once. I wonder how far the new movies will go.

 

[Gorgonzola]

I'm watching Dune 2021 for a second time on Netflix. The thing is that I'm enjoying it much more the second time around.

I've read Herbert's novel several times though the last time was probably 20 years ago. I have the bad habit of criticizing movies that don't conform closely to the novels they're based on, and that was the reason for my mixed feelings on watching the latest Dune, Part 1, flick for the first time. Not that this movies is a radical departure from the novel, but I was very nit-picky on first viewing. Now I'm enjoying it on its own terms.

To reiterated what I said earlier in this thread, my favorite Dune version in terms of overall adherence to the novels (-- of my mental concept of them --) is the 2000 TV mini series. That series also had the well-done sequel series of 2003, Children of Dune.

One can always quibble about choice of actors in any given movie version. I that regard, e.g. I questioned the choice of Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides in the new version: he seemed a tad whimpy for the role but then checking back with the novel, I was remembered that Paul was described there as rather slight. So on this second viewing I no longer have that impression. The other thing that was irksome at times was the necessary, slavish tribute to diversity the current films must observe, but then that is what it is.

Something I've missed in the lastest version is the characters, Feyd Harkonnen and Princess Irulan Corrino but then I suppose they must inevitably turn up. I'll be looking forward to the forthcoming Dune, Part 2 scheduled for November. I hope the latest series will eventually to all the way forward to cover Herbert's Dune Messiah and Children of Dune novels -- and stop there: subsequent Dune series novels become boring déjà vu all over again..

 

[bo_knows]

Stoked to see it!