@RUTGERS.ARPA,@MIT-MC:ASP@MIT-OZ (01/10/85)
From: Jim Aspnes <ASP%MIT-OZ@MIT-MC.ARPA>
From: Bob Larson <BLARSON%ECLD at ECLA>
The only way to have a comprehensable 3 or 4 hour Dune movie would be to
reduce the number of characters... but then again, we wouldn't
really have Dune anymore.
Oh, but getting rid of characters is so much fun. Out of those that made
it to the movie (alas, Count Hrasimir Fenring, my long-standing favorite
minor character, didn't make it) I'd vote for the following to get the ax:
1. Feyd.
2. The Shadout Mapes.
3. Stilgar Naib. (Liet-Kynes is vastly more important)
4. The Princess Irulan.
5. Duncan Idaho.
6. Gurney Halleck.
7. Chani.
8. The Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV
9. Assorted Spacing Guild skinheads, punks, and navigators.
This leaves: Leto, Liet-Kynes, Paul, The Lady Jessica, Thufir, The Baron
Harkonnen, Dr. Yueh, The Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohammed, Piter de Vries,
(The Beast) Rabban, and Alia, surely enough characters to act out many of
the intrigues woven into the book.
Complaints? Flames? Counter-suggestions? I'd much rather see some good,
healthy second-guessing than some of the reviews that have been dribbling
into my mailbox lately.
JImcjn@calmasd.UUCP (Cheryl Nemeth) (01/12/85)
Save Chani. Paul has got to have some kind of interest other than power.
Of course if you save Chani the princess should stay also. On the other
hand you have a point about the Emperor. His Highness was so totally
unimpressive that I wouldn't have missed him at all. (Where in Dune did
it say that he was a puppet of the Spacing Guild?) Following him into the
sink are Gurney and Duncan. Their parts were so miniscule and unimportant
that I almost missed Duncan's last stand (I didn't realize what was going
on until after someone else said "Oh, that was Duncan.")
On the gadget side, the person who thought of the weirding modules should
be executed by them. Slowly. They removed almost all of the importance of
the Fremen; essentially they became convient warm bodies for Paul's neat
new guns. _Dune_ was essentially about a battle; at least give the battle
some kind of flavor. Ten seconds could be spent on the Saudaukar to
at least give everyone an idea of why they were so feared.
I don't think we needed to see Paul training on Caladan.
Toss the spice harvester's destruction and rescue of the crew.
Agreed, the Shadout Mapes wasn't necessary.
Good effects when the Guild navigtor moved the 'liner, but totally worthless
to the plot.
There must be a better way to get background information to the audience than
the intro they used.
The rain at the end was mindless. Get rid of that scene right away.
In short: less special effects, more character development and plot.
Parting shot: I didn't like the way they handled the sandworms. I was
impressed, but I wanted more. I wanted to see a greater size difference
between run of the mill worms, the worm that Paul rode, and the worms
at the end. I also couldn't stand the dialog. It sounded like a bad gothic
novel. Because of that, and the shortness of everything, I hated the movie.
I still have hopes that with the cut material it could be salvaged.
Cheryl Nemeth
All opinions are my own...loverso@sunybcs.UUCP (John Robert LoVerso) (01/17/85)
> Toss the spice harvester's destruction and rescue of the crew. > Cheryl Nemeth I thought one of the more subtle points (but very relevant) was that Paul's father cared more about the men inside the harvester rather than the harvester or the spice they had collected. In the end of the book (right after the big battle) Paul asks about how much destruction to the house there was, and somebody (Gurney, i think) remarks that his father would have cared more about the men lost. This would seem to be a big lead on into the Jihad that follows and to the billions killed by it, in _Dune Messiah_. -- John Robert LoVerso @ SUNY Buffalo (716-636-3004) LoVerso%Buffalo@CSNET-RELAY -or- ..!{watmath|rocksanne}!sunybcs!loverso
preece@ccvaxa.UUCP (01/22/85)
> I thought one of the more subtle points (but very relevant) was that > Paul's father cared more about the men inside the harvester rather > than the harvester or the spice they had collected. In the end of > the book (right after the big battle) Paul asks about how much > destruction to the house there was, and somebody (Gurney, i think) > remarks that his father would have cared more about the men lost. ---------- Actually the parallel is even closer. The exchange comes after the fremen have captured Gurney's smugglers and their harvester, killing half the smugglers in the process. Paul says it's a shame they couldn't have saved the carrier, too, and Gurney replies that his father would have said it was a shame they couldn't have saved the men. scott preece ihnp4!uiucdcs!ccvaxa!preece
preece@ccvaxa.UUCP (01/29/85)
> .... His Highness was so totally > unimpressive that I wouldn't have missed him at all. (Where in Dune > did it say that he was a puppet of the Spacing Guild?) ---------- p488, Ace 17261 Paul turned back to look at the Emperor, said: "When they permitted you to mount your father's throne, it was only on the assurance that you'd keep the spice flowing. You've failed them, Majesty. Do you know the consequences?" scott preece ihnp4!uiucdcs!ccvaxa!preece