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The Syfy Version of Dune is Actually Pretty Good
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ส.ค. 2024
- In December of the year 2000, the SyFy channel aired a new adaptation of Frank Herbert’s Dune. Dune 2000 was actually the first mini-series that the Sci-Fi Channel had ever released and a whopping 20 million dollars was spent on 3 episodes which were a pretty decent amount for a tv miniseries at the time. But this was still a pretty small budget considering that the david lynch film when adjusting for inflation spent nearly 4 times as much. Regardless, Dune 2000 was a huge hit doubling all viewership records for the network at the time and receiving an average of 4.4 million households over the course of the three nights in which the mini-series aired.
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Back when Syfy was Scifi and actually had interest in attempting decent programming.
I am just happy that they started the Expanse TV show.
@@akrybion They've had a few decent shows since 2008/9, but the quality and support of those shows has driven right off a cliff. The Expanse is a good example, if not for Amazon, it was canceled.
@@akrybion - I also enjoyed Dark Matter for what it was.
I liked Z Nation. Well, seasons 1 and 2, since there was clearly a plan for those and it should have stopped then. 3 is good, for what it is. I don't recommend 4 or 5, but if you like the characters then it's worth it just for more Doc.
@@simondaniel4028 I watched the first episode of Z Nation when it premiered and thought it was one of the dumbest shows I'd seen. Then I sat down and binged the first 3 seasons and it was still corny as hell, but there was also a pretty good show in there. I do agree that it did start to go downhill after season 3. I think they just ran out of ideas. Even a few of their other shows aren't terrible, Van Helsin was watchable, mainly for Christopher Heyerdahl, I find him to be a marvelous character actor, but they just don't seem interested in really committing to content anymore, either exceedingly long gaps in seasons or outright cancelled like Dark Matter and the Expanse.
The fact that this mini-series came out nearly 20 years ago makes me feel very old right now.
Seems like only yesterday lol. time flies after you hit 21
I read the initial serialization of Dune in Analog Science Fiction magazine in 1963. Guess how I feel. 😉
I was 10 when the miniseries came out, and will be 30 when the new adaptation is released.
I recorded it on VHS when it premiered.
Yep. So olde it has an 'E' on the end.
Robert Raffealli ok you definitely win 😂
Dune miniseries and Children of Dune are my favorites because we used to watch them with my father. I still remember it airing on TV here in Czech Republic both of us being confused and interested at the same time. Every year I give it a re-watch because of the nostalgia and the memories that it brings back. Rest in peace Dad.
I actually preferred their version of the Guild navigator. It actually looked like it could have been a human at one point.
It’s a fantastic design. I dug it too.
Me too. David Lynch films have always just been a little too strange for me. I had a friend in high school who got me into film hard core. He adored everything David Lynch made. Things like Eraserhead were his cup of tea. I just couldn't get into his films.
Same here ! The "creepy mermaid"-like design is something I really, really like.
In the first miniseries, that's actually a practical puppet, only the surroundings are CGI. Apparently, the puppet was made by Carlo Rambaldi, the same man who designed the puppet of E.T. the Extra-terrestrial. Great get for the production design of the miniseries.
The navigator design in the series didn’t match anything close to what’s in the book (not that Lynch was spot on either).
There was also a lot of what too much like computer displays and holograms that could be from “thinking machines” so kinda overlooked the entire reason humanity diverged into so many almost not human groups, to compensate for the dictates of the Jihad from 10k years earlier.
Overall, yes the series hit more points in the book, but it was just not very Dune in my opinion. More of a interpretation of some ideas in Dune.
The human guild people looked like they would kidnap your children. LoL that one main guild guy was the worst it reminded me of that ricky bobby/will ferral race car movie where he doesn't know what to do with his hands and is just awkward.
"History is a series of funny hats" is why there are weird hats in this. Humans, for some reason, respond to funny hats.
That's because of the elongated skull aliens that seeded us on this planet to be their worker bees ;p
Looking at military uniforms and religious garb throughout human cultures and across the ages...Holy shit you are right!
Where have I heard that before?
@@kbg12ila I think that was from Matt Colvile
@kbg12ila It reminds me of The Old Ones and their genetically engineered servants that rise up to them in H.P. Lovecraft's At The Mountains Of Madness.
Take a moment to realize that they had James McAvoy staring in the Children of Dune TV mini-series, and they didn't even put his name on the cover because he was such a no-name. That shows how old that series was, and I often wonder if that didn't help springboard his career because it showed people his talent.
I can honestly say that I had deliberately looked out for films with James McAvoy in them based on his performance in Dune and I've not been disappointed by this.
If you watch it, even short scenes, his acting talent far eclipses those in the scenes with him. There's a huge difference, especially in the scene where he's talking to his father after riding on the worm.
I think his name is on the cover of the U.K. version
Kind of like the mini series Band of Brothers, where Tom Hardy, Michael Fasbender and James Mcavoy have such small parts that they are barely in the credits
graham schmidt Simon Pegg is in Band of Brothers as well
Ian McNeice's performance was excellent. He actually made Baron Harkonnen likeable. He gave the character a psychopath's charm.
And the Harkonnens weren't bald albinos.
Children of Dune mini-series had a phenomenal soundtrack.
Totes
It really did.
Amazing soundtrack. Still moves me to this day, nearly 20 years later.
No kidding! That montage scene was incredible.
Yup. Amazing soundtrack.
My favorite is the bene gesserit scene where they are talking in one conversation, but having a 2nd conversation in sign language.
No wonder I couldn't remember that scene, because I haven't seen it yet.
Awesome
@Wretch Gunk Things like this when stuff is going on in the characters minds, will be one of the hardest things for Denis Villeneuve to make, I fear it could be hit or miss.
I really liked the final dual scene.
The funniest example occurs when Count and Lady Fenring speak to Baron Harkonnen, and he gets annoyed with the way they keep hemming and hawing throughout the conversation, while constantly saying things that could be interpreted several different ways. The extraneous sounds and gestures were a code they used to talk privately in the presence of others.
Finally, a review that tells how accurate this adaptation was to the original book. Thank You !
I can't get over the guild navigator scene. 😂
The SyFy version is STILL my favorite live version! "Tell me about the waters of your homeland Muad Dib"
Me too. I haven't even seen the new one. Although it looks great, syfy channel one will kind of always be my Dune.
I actually loved the costumes in this. It contributed to the production having the feel of a stage performance rather than a TV show.
I mean, if you see the desert backgrounds, yeah, it really does actually
I like it reminds me of the lexx episode brigadoom
Same, actually. The consumes added to the alien futuristic feel of it.
I also loved the costumes since they feel like something humans would actually wear. Even the Bene Gesserit hats don't bother me. I mean they're pretending to be a religious order, and all religious orders have weird headgear.
bahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahhaha *tears
I thought the insane costumes were meant to show how alien this future civilization would appear to our modern expectations. How even though they are human, the society they exist in might as well be that of another species.
They still looked pretty cheap and tacky, especially on Kaitan where the Empire's most powerful and influential citizens looked like they came dressed for a Halloween party rather than a auspicious ball.
I felt the costumes, while not great, were good and acceptable. I liked David Lynch's costumes better, but SyFy couldn't just go ahead and copy him. I thought SyFy's take was decent in light the obvious budget restraints. For me, the fact they looked so strange to the point of distraction ended up being a strength. It added to the immersion that that the Dune universe is a completely alien one to our reality.
@@barbiquearea yup, it was pretty embarrassing
So much Harkonnen red...
Completely agree with you, the broad range in colours also was breathtaking
The mini series was my gateway into the Dune universe and getting me to read the books.
Same.
Same
Exactly. I was 15 when this came out.
Lol I was just 10 so I didn't understand it, but fascinated me anyway.
Dune movie was my gateway to the Dune universe
Personally i get the costume choices, people need to remember that the dune great house system is based on medieval feudalism and Victorian style court and you look at painting of lords and knights from the time.... puffy, brightly coloured, garish consumes, stupid looking hats and headdresses, codpiece's as penis extensions etc...i think that's what the syfy shows director was going for, a look of old school decadence
.
They're very Renaissance with some futurism on top of the designs.
There's also a good dash of Prussian military uniforms and the like, yeah. I can see what they were going for, though personally think a lot of it just wasn't made for TV screens. It would probably have been fine for a stage play where you don't get as close to everything, and I get the feeling the director realized that, because in a lot of shots you get the feeling he's trying to hide some of the weirder aspects of the costumes with the way the angles are chosen and the shots are cropped.
Sardaukar looking positively Landsknecht was great. 😁
I read this without reflecting on the face that this came out before the movie came out, and I almost felt betrayed
"A much more nuanced and grounded Baron" I get it...
Baron and the 99 ballons.
@Zanimations to be fair...he floats in the book
@@cteal2018 I think the book mentions the suspensors, but doesn't explicitly say he floats. When I saw the movies (both 1984 and 21), I was surprised to see him literally flying. I thought the suspensors were just enough to hold up his weight, but that was it.
@@tonykirk8295 ... Indeed, yes you are right. I read somewhere long ago that Frank was amused when he saw the Baron float all the way to the ceiling, something he never thought of when he wrote the book. I read the book over 4 decades ago, so I cannot recall the details about the Baron. These Baron suspensors, in the book, sort of act like the anti-gravity repulsorfields in Star Wars, where in the most part they don't make a vehicle/robot fly, it only keeps them off the ground just enough. This holds true for Star Wars ships such as Luke's landspeeder, you don't see it fly into the sky clouds, I/we have yet to see that happen if ever. Think of the Baron's suspensor & Luke's landspeeder has having invisible tires. Villeneuve actually borrows Lynch's suspensor idea by making his version of the Baron (Stellan Skarsgård) rise way up as well, over 10 feet up.
04/24/24
"kinda bad effect can be endure if the story is good"
Absolutely my attitude. My order of what makes a film or TV show good is:
1) Good plot.
2) Good writing and dialogue.
3) Good acting
4) visual effects, music, etc.
A good plot and writing can make up for bad effects. Whereas no amount of good effects can make up for shite writing.
I put music higher than visual effects. Music endures better, and it can also make or break a movie. Even if people don't consciously think about it, movie scores are what stick in your head just as much as famous quotes. When you hear someone mention that they are going to watch Star Wars, doesn't your mind go to the opening title crawl, music and all?
@@caffineandshiny I would also put music higher I don't know what it was called but there were a few pieces of music from the score they used more the once and in CoD that I particularly liked
caffineandshiny agree on music being more important than vfx. I can totally watch 60s and older black and white stuff it it will have good story and acting but movies can be simply ruined by bad soundtrack because you can't turn it off unless you want to mute sound entirely and read subtitles.
People thought Avatar was pretty good, when the writing wasn't.
I like good characters whose motivations drive the plot forward. Dune's source material has that in spades!! Great music, costumes, set design, VFX, and actor performances can elevate great writing from page to screen
You can tell it's on a desert set with a backdrop. Besides that, the costumes, effects, sound track, acting, adaptation were all great.
You'll never be able to get paper to film in a way that makes everyone happy, but this series evokes philosophy on our humanity and future better than many other good science fictions.
The syfy version was like a fan-made version. Its pretty true to the books but so low budget
I agree, It was fine but the budget and a lot of the acting felt very amateur.
Just adds to the charm
SYFY miniseries tells us the story, includes much, often in the script but never succeeds in “sub-creation” (Tolkien) of that Frank Herbert masterpiece.
@@BishopWalters12 but not more amateur than the new movie, which is just boredom personified.
Incredibly high budget, actually. At the time it aired it was the highest budget television miniseries of all time.
The guy who played The Baron in the original adaptation of Dune still gives me f****** nightmares so you know good job
He was pretty much just a clown.
A floating, bouncing clown
@@atomic_ryu A floating, bouncing clown with syphilis.
But so comically evil, I just had to love him. My favorite character in that entire movie-the whole thing was ridiculous, but Kenneth McMillan just went for it and took it over the top.
“The Duke will die before these eyes and he’ll know, HE’LL KNOW, that it is l, Baron Vladimir Harkonnen that encompasses his doom!”
I too have had nightmares that a drunk fat man wanders into my room with Sting and tells me I have to milk a cat to stay alive.
Yeah I really enjoyed this version and children of dune, it doesn't get nearly enough attention
Hell yes! James McAvoy is a joy to behold!
@@Galvion1980 Definitely, even then his talent was plain to see
I was honestly disappointed when they didn't continue the series, I loved Children of Dune more then anything that it was a step forward, not "yet another remake." I hope with this new series, the don't stop at the first book, I hope they do them all.
I own both and greatly enjoy them. They are far more true to Frank Herbert's vision than David Lynch's abomination. It's too bad that God Emperor was not also done.
Children of Dune is a truely fantastic mini series. I saw it on TV about 8 or 9 years ago and couldn't really believe that it was a made-for-TV mini series.
I didn't care if the actor wasn't the "right age", none of them are. He delivered in performance, especially after the first act. I love both versions of Dune, they have their own specialness to them. I especially love how the Syfy Dune was staged as if it were a play, like the old style moves. And the color! The cinematographer for this version did a fantastic job. I'm looking forward to the newest version but I regret that they've chosen to go with a desaturated look.
Agreed, Alec looking too old at the start is the least of the movie's problems, he did a great job. He's obviously an older man made up, dressed and acting 10 years younger, but my suspension of disbelief can take it. It's not much different from all the 20-year-old veteran soldiers and police captains and what-have you we see on TV these days.
if the costumes were just a little more real looking, it would have been the closest of all adaptations to how i imagine the book.
It IS good, both mini series. It’s not the greatest thing you’ll ever see, but certainly worth watching. Both mini series are worth your time.
What’s the point of suspensor tech if you ain’t gonna float around like the Baron.
Just sayin’....
That's what I say! :D
In theory I agree, but in Herbert's universe the way he wrote it the baron doesn't do that....
He really only used it in the Leto’s poison tooth event.
Lets just be above the board, if we had access to the baron's suspendors, the footware industry would collapse in days.
@@doomfeast1102 .. and we'll all end up like "the fat floating Baron".
I have been waiting for someone to make this youtube video for 10 years.
A TH-cam video talking about the Dune miniseries?
There are lots of them.
I don't know what you were waiting for.
@@orinanime Most youtubers that talk about Dune in film, always seem to gloss over the miniseries. They mention it, but not in the same depth to which they talk about Lynch's film, which unfortunately seems to have taken it's place over the sci fi series as the cultural zeitgeist. Lynch's movie should be the one largely forgotten, and the miniseries should be the default comparison as it does a better job at adapting the book in literally every way.
@@Beghty27 i agree that the miniseries is better in practically every way.
@@Beghty27 which is such a shame too because the mini series is much better.
It's sad that it's kind of forgotten now except to the more core dune fans.
Makes me glad I own these dvds as well as Lynch’s extended version of ‘Dune’.I religiously reread the novel, but now have ‘Dune’ on Audible. And I’m currently listening to it on my rare trips out.
Even though somethings weren't 100% accurate to the book, I loved this series and still my favorite. I actually loved the themed clothes for different houses even.
The costumes didn't bother me. They had the feel of scifi art from the 60's when DUNE was written and I think that's what they were going for.
They’re straight from French artist Moebius. Like, verbatim.
@@CantankerousDave My thoughts exactly, and overall the who series to me felt they were going for more of a theatrical production feel that television show/series or movie.
I agree
Costumes were kind of great, but seriously, what was up with all the hats?!
@GregoCatal Just found it on Amazon Prime :D :D
i haven seen it, but the costumes looks exactly like design from moebious, i think they try to emulate the visuals form the jodorsky project, specially with de hats from the spacing guild, that are obviously moebius hats
That was my thought when I saw them and had heard about Jodorowsky's Dune project was that a lot of them looked like the big over the top "Space pants and hats" design aesthetic to show that things are so far in the future we can't comprehend the reasons that humans would be wearing them with our primitive brains. I mean for all we know the Reverend Mothers get the Full sports package with those hats, we may laugh, but if you look at what fashionable just 100-500 years ago it looks preposterous. so maybe 10,000 years in the future they'd be asking "How did they walk around without giant foam shoulder pads and distinct hats? "
Absolutely.
I feel like the Dune miniseries was an attempt at finally trying to realize Jodorowsky's Dune. Kind of an homage to what could have been.
But the miniseries was a faithful adaptation.
Moebius worked on Jodorowsky's Dune.
www.openculture.com/2014/08/moebius-storyboards-concept-art-for-jodorowskys-dune.html
@@orinanime
This does seem very likely.
The costumes were...silly...but I liked them becuase it made it feel "sci-fi." If that makes sense?
Ian Mcneice was a stand out!
Well if you look at history, the high born tend to be somewhat silly compared to modern clothing. They are very ostentatious and flamboyant. So I think they nailed it.
Took my words
@@Minotaur-ey2lg yeah. The look is like that of Hunger games, which actually came later but same idea, where the rich are ostentatious while the poorer people, fremen here, district dwellers there, are dressed more sensibly or modestly.
Nothing sci-fi about these costumes. Looks more like Power Rangers. Villneuve's film nailed the sci-fi look.
I loved the use of colour and the matte backdrops, especially during dialogue scenes. To me, the costuming was amazing as well. The main gripe I have is the cg bring very outdated now, as well as some of the more complex dialogue scenes not coming across sure to their subtlety that's conveyed better in writing.
Edit: I much preferred the navigators from lynch compared to this version, but otherwise it was great.
Good series and GREAT performance by James MacAvoy!
Loved Children of Dune!
@@DarthGeddy it had a decent budget. tho they did not spend it on the costumes :P.
Yeah, thats where I fell in love with him. How could I guess then, he would become such a star, right?:-D I still remember being excited like a kid, when I saw his name in Narnia casting:-D "Oh, I never thought I would have the pleasure to see the Leto-actor again!" Also the mini-series ChoD is the reason, I have read the books in a first place. So major kudos to that miniseries.
@@scottmiller4295 Honestly, I dont give much crap about costumes or special effects. I have imagination, I can work around that:-D What I usually need is them not fucking up the storytelling :-D You can imagine most present fantasy and sci-fi movies are a huge pain to me nowadays with these requirements:-D Yeah, fuck you Marvel, Disney, etc...could you please not make the comic movies such a bullshit, just to show how great scenery and how many stupid jokes can you stuff in the thing? Also...fuck Avatar. Thats is some major prettyfaced shit. I put all my trust in Villeneuve. I need one movie, thats not gonna spend the budget just on costumes and CGI.
I love the score too, especially that gorgeous song performed by Azam Ali, Inama Nushif.
I really liked the two SyFy Dune mini-series and always wished there were more: God Emperor and Heretics/Chapterhouse would be great.
Yesssss
Oh, that would have been wonderful. I would have loved to see Sheeana dance to the beat of those epic and wild drums.
Pulling off the Leto worm would be kinda difficult.
I really liked this mini series. I never warmed to Children of Dune though. Didn’t care Brian Tyler’s soundtrack compared to Graeme Revell’s work. The change in Lady Jessica from Saskia Reeves to Alice Krige was jarring. Also was the change in Stilgar actors to Steven Berkoff.
I never though anything was odd about the costumes, until I showed the series to a friend in college. He couldn't see past the costumes. To this day, he refers to the mini series as "the show where everyone wore chocolate hats". I guess the hats looked to him like confectionery chocolates.
I thought this was freakin’ awesome back when it first came out. I watched it again a few years later, and I still thought it was freakin’ awesome. Children of Dune too. I think I’m going to go and watch it again now.
Update: I have just re-watched both the SyFi Dune and Children of Dune, and they are still awesome. I am not sure that a feature film will be long enough to do the story justice in the way a mini-series can.
GregoCatal - nice 👍
Movie is multiple parts, so that will help a bit.
@@Scottyjscizzle - yeah, I wrote that comment before they announced it would be a two parter. I am a lot more confident they can do it justice now :)
@@willmosse3684 do we know if IRULAN is gonna be in it yet ??
I thought the stillsuits specifically were crafted more realistically for the posited environment than in any other visual I've seen. Do agree that other costuming decisions leaved much to be desired.
Massive improvement there. Who the hell wears black rubber in the desert?
@@MiriOhki Gotta be heavy into masochism to go that route, I'm telling you.
@@MiriOhki :people who have traveled to other planets.
Though the main characters were very careless about keeping the suits sealed and the masks on. But that was so the audience could see their lips move as they spoke.
@@wizardsuth Agreed.
It even had some nudity , I was very surprised when I saw the dvd.
I vaguely remember I ordered the DVDs for this and Children of Dune to be shipped from out of the country because their version was a little bit longer, having like at least a few seconds less censorship.
You can see it on TH-cam.
The nudity wasn’t on the Sci-Fi channel airing. It was mostly on the extended edition dvd. I think the only nudity shown on tv was Feyd’s backside when he was bathing and Irulan walked in.
I love how you call Ian McNeice's baron subtle. Of course he is compared to the one from the movie, but this is the only baron I knew as I grew up, and I always loved how over-the-top he is.
As a fan of ASoIaF, from the moment I read ADwD up until Game of Throne's episode 6x10 came out, I always wanted to see Ian McNeice as Lord Wyman Manderly, based solely on his performance as the Baron.
If he had actually been included, as opposed to a pointless placeholder with his name, McNeice would have been perfect to play him. Like if the Baron's machinations were just as ruthless, but against people who kind of do have it coming.
Congrats to you for on your graphic novel! That is awesome! I am loving your content and am going through your videos getting ready for the movie. Thanks for your Dune library of videos.
Ah, nostalgia. This is what introduced me to the Dune universe; as a kid my brother-in-law sat me down to watch it and now I re-watch every year or so. About as soon as I got into novel reading he gifted me his 2nd (Berkley) Edition paperback too. I stick to the kindle version when I want to re-read it now though as that one is pretty tattered from years of use ;)
Pure nostalgia, I still remember that night watching the first episode.
I enjoyed it very much and the sequel was one of the first DVDs I watched. People shit on it unnecessarily as if it should compare to modern 200 million dollar films.
The production company's solution for capturing a sandworm was brilliant and handled the sfx very well.
@@hlcepeda Especially when you consider that it happened "off screen" in the book, it was a bit of a gamble to devote so much time and money to the scene. It paid off though - very kick-ass scene.
the effects improved a lot in Children of Dune , both are some of my favorite DVD sets ,still love the series
I thoroughly enjoyed the SciFi version. The acting was superb
I highly recommend giving the redux version of David Lynch's Dune. Its re-edited to make more chronological sense and is actually quite epic in scale. If youre a true fan of the series it cant hurt to give it a chance :)
I remember watching this with my mom and her commenting that Paul should’ve had black hair. I just wish they’d stay a little more true to character ages. This isn’t about a man. It’s about a boy who becomes a leader and has to deal with the consequences of his decisions.
It would have been difficult to show some of the character relationships given their ages in the story. Leto and Ghanni were, what, nine years old in the third book? Tough to roll that one on TV or movie screen given their characteristics. Even Paul at 15 would likely not be allowed no matter how 'flexible' a given national audience might be.
CR W I realize that, but it fundamentally changes the story for Paul if he’s already in his 20s. As far as the twins, it’s hard to convey adult thought and feeling with a 10-year-old so I get why they need to be older for a movie.
@@LackOfHarmony A reasonable point. I thought the struggle was well-enough done in the miniseries that I was okay with the older Paul. I wonder if they could find a younger actor that could really handle the role, even as it would have to be modified for a visual medium. We'll see later this year, methinks.
@@crw4372 Plenty of younger actors throughout the years would've been capable. We've so many examples of child actors being able to handle the gravitas of a fully-fleshed-out role maturely. Unfortunately, there are plenty of reasons why they either couldn't or wouldn't go that route.
I'd at least like to see them make the attempt. A young-looking older teenager, for example. Someone that fits the visual description, if anything. For example, Ghani and Leto II are supposed to have red hair, like their mother and their grandfather. Feyd is supposed to have black hair. Gurney is thick and ugly. Duncan looks more or less Arabic, with black wiry goat-like hair, sunken eyes, etc. Paul is small, with black hair and lime-green eyes.
It's crazy that they didn't even try to get these folks right. I get the idea of finding an actor who could embody the character, but why not at least work with costume/makeup to make them look the part?
i'm ok with what they did with children of dune, because they changed a bit their age in context, while keeping all the "sexual tension" and the growth showed in the books. in the first miniseries it was a different thing, they wanted to pass that paul as a 15 years old, and he cliearly didn't. but i didn't care, it was a great performance nonetheless
I always really enjoyed the SyFy one. Made me sad that everyone I talked to only knew about the Sting movie version.
Probably because the Lynch version is more famous and definitely much better! This miniseries is ok on the whole but it looks too cheesy and that's always been an issue for me. I kind of enjoyed it somehow but i honestly believe the Lynch movie is technically better and more fascinating, taking for granted that it strayed a lot from the novel!
I've never read Frank's Dune series only having seen David Lynch's version of the movie, which I absolutely love as its own story and set design originality. I've heard that Frank's book has the Guild navigator being a human with long term spice usage, but still human none the less, but the way David Lynch's adaptation wheels out this mysterious "thing" in a very unique looking gigantic tank, which is opened to the viewer to reveal this incredibly unique looking creature folding spacetime... I thought that was really original and cool and mind blowing. The architecture of the ships seemed cool and original to me too, not your cliché Buck Rogers or Star Wars ships. And, no need for any CGI what so ever. No shade on Frank's source material, but I'm sticking with David's version of Dune as a standalone masterpiece, apart from the source material people try to desperately compare it and hold it to in order to hate on it constantly. I'd say David's movie is "inspired" by, not "based on" and frankly (no pun intended) it sounds like David's adaptation injected some much needed creativity in my opinion.
I saw a glimpse of the mini-series when I was seven. When I was in high school, Dune was on the summer reading list so I chose it. But then my mom made me watch the David Lynch movie and it tempered my intrigue. So when I was a third into the book, I started watching the mini-series and I loved it.
One of the advantages that this version has over the others is it's very, VERY vibrant color palette. I simply love looking at the sets and costumes.
Speaking of, I think the costumes may have been a callback to Jadorowsky's attempt at Dune.
Re: strange hats: look back in history, and around you today. remember ruffs as collars? shoes with long toes? the pope's mitre? the flying nun headgear?
When it comes to clothes and hats nothing seems off limits for humans if the right person wears it first.
This. Frank Herbert very intentionally made a Neo-Fuedal vibe part of the post-Butlerian Jihad Universe. Not only in geo-political and socio-economic terms, but also material culture : swords, knives, cloaks, class and trade specific clothing and gear, etc. Also: Until like the 1930s-40s Hats were everyday essentail wardrobe items not mention every religious or military organization was basically run by hat size.
Love your content brother. Can't wait for the new films. SyFy miniseries is what got me to read Dune in the first place!
The musical score to the SyFy Production of “Children of Dune” was done by Brian Tyler. For anyone who has not seen Children of Dune, it’s worth watching and many of the Themes of Tyler’s film score are well worth checking out. The CD was available on Amazon. I assume it still is.
Also, Alec Newman did a good job IMHO. They made him look like a teen at the start and older as it went on. He was also good on Star Trek: Enterprise as a genetically modified "superman."
That never seems to work for me. Paul is supposed to be 15.
I like him better than the new guy. He is also 25 and looks like 15 yo emo.
That scene where they take the klingon ship is amazing
I would honestly recommend this over the 1984 version hands down.
Especially since the 1984 version omitted many crucial story elements.
If only we could have had 1984 Paul in the SyFy miniseries instead of Alec Newman. However, Newman steps it up as the Preacher in Children of Dune.
This is my favourite too. I like how they focused more on the politics instead of the weirding way
Yep David Lynch's version jumped all over the place and didn't give enough time to flesh out the political context and social structure of the world beyond exposition at the start from Emperor Shaddam.
sedonaz Choooooy CHU!
Lol are you actually based in Sedona, AZ? Such an odd place.
At least it wasn't the weirding modules. God! It's like retelling Starwars with the Force being a gun!
I love both of the SYFY series of Dune. I still watch them both pretty regularly. I'm happy you covered them!
For me, the Syfy version really brought out the parallels with English-controlled India. Parts of it felt very much like Lawrence of Arabia, which is appropriate.
I still like David Lynch's Dune. Some how it captures the other-worldliness of the novel.
he's too much of an artist to effectively produce what is wanted because he wants his vision not what is needed
All the fluff and none of the substance. It's a movie that looks like Dune but have none of its essence. In fact, it missed the mark so hard that it's more fan fiction than anything.
@@soggie7157 If you wanted substance you read the book like I did. I don't think I would be interested if I hadn't seen the movie.
@@soggie7157 I wouldn't call it 'fluff', but I agree it is lacking the 'essence' and depth of world-building that is 'Dune'. Translating a complex universe within a 2 to 3 hour runtime is too constricting. Fingers-crossed, I hope this years adaptation visually conveys the 'other-worldliness' while staying close to Paul's sense of terrible purpose. (hope that makes sense)
@@soggie7157 The fluff is good tho.
Honestly the Sci-fi series has a better dramatic flow than the book.
I just commented on the same thing
I love your channel! They REALLY need to hire you as an advisor for the new film
Well it was the first attempt to tell the majority of the Dune story without taking as many liberties on the material as the 1984 film did. Not to mention, it was successful enough to allow for the adaptation of the next two books in the saga. They were a great first attempt to adapt the Dune universe properly. It did it's job by popularizing the Dune mythos for a new generation of fans whom didn't grow up with the 1984 film. I'm glad it exists.
Two videos about Dune in one day!
Its all he can talk about these days.
The maker is good to us
It introduced me to the series as a whole 20 years ago then made me run to my nearby BN to grab a hard cover copy i own to this day.
I always imagined the Barron Harkonen not as flying, but walking with an unreal lightness and grace for his size. I would like to see him depicted as moving in this manner, since it would add to the air of delicate, surgical scheming that is his forte.
YES!! This adaptation was actually my introduction to Dune. It’s not perfect, but it’s excellent!
You just have to accept that Paul has been aged up, just as the twins are in Children of Dune.
The biggest problem I think with this show is William Hurt playing Leto. He has had some great performances, but this wasn't one of his best. This was almost right after his uninspired "Lost in Space" movie, so I wonder if it was just a string of movies where he was just cashing a paycheck. Kinda like Harrison Ford in Enders Game....
I expect it took everyone involved in the Lost in Space abomination a little while to recover.
I loved the costumes. This is so far in the future it honestly wasn't weird enough. I'm excited to see what comes from the new interpretation
Precisely!
Don't have to look all that far in the future (or past) to see incredibly weird fashions being common among those at the very tippy-top of society - and that's almost all we see in Dune, other than the Fremen. We don't see a lot of ordinary working stiffs. We see incredibly highly placed nobles, their inner circles of advisers, and representatives of organizations that play with those nobles with equal standing. And we see them in a very rigid class-based society where everybody of any significance has strong incentives to dress to show off their elevated place in the social order.
More than the design, which I didn't love, my problem with the costumes in the miniseries is that they looked cheap, like very Party City Halloween costume. They didn't look believable. You can have weird or outlandish costumes but if it's done well, it can look real, believable, like this is how these people dress in the far future.
New Dune fan here…I adore this story, and you and your videos! I just started reading the book and cannot wait for the movie in October 😊
They were called SciFi then, and actually made decent Science Fiction shows.
: Nice! Good to hear some praise for this series. I really liked it when it came out and have re-watched several times. I agree with that assessment about the source material and I haven't read the books. Lynch just had (and still has) that much personal impact on what he works on. Also, I personally liked this version of Chani in terms of character and appearance (Barbora Kodetová is a beautiful actress), which will likely remain top on my list. Also, just so others can feel my pain: Take a second close look at the practical effects in both mini-series. ;)
I also like the Sci-Fi Channel's miniseries as well. The miniseries came out when SyFy still spelled their channel name Sci-Fi, just to let you know for reference. For me, I was initially disappointed when I first watched it, because of some of the performances and a few changes they made to Dune. However, I did love it the more I watched it. It did make certain things clearer to me than in the first Dune movie, and reminded me of things I had forgotten while reading the book. I don't mind the luminescent blue within blue eyes. I do mind these things.
1. William Hurt as Duke Leto. I don't want to dismiss him completely, but as a whole, his performance is pretty boring and quiet to the point that I have trouble hearing anything he says. It's a shame, because I know William Hurt is capable of not being boring, like in Smoke. His quiet, boring demeanor is an asset to him when he played the husband in Woody Allen's Alice, but it doesn't suit him here. As I said, he has some really good moments, like the scene when he's enraged after his son was nearly assassinated. I also like his bedroom scene with Jessica, when he considered going renegade by not accepting the Arrakis position. Still, most of his performances felt dull or too quiet. Even the scene where he said "Damn the Spice! We can always get more!" sounded awkward and lackluster. I largely blame John Harrison for the directing of Hurt's acting. He wanted Duke Leto to act like a tragic figure, and I think he equated tragic with being bland and dull in speaking and emoting. I know that William Hurt would've played the character more interestingly if given better directions. I would've liked to have seen Robert Duvall play Leto in the miniseries.
2. The way they handled Yueh's wife, and Yueh's motivation. While I like the ghastly humorous notion of Yueh's wife being displayed in a clear casket just for the Baron's amusement, there are a few problems with it. One, it kind of felt that the director assumed the audience was stupid, and that they wouldn't know that she was dead unless it was made more obvious in visuals and dialogue. The Baron certainly hammered the point that he "freed" Yueh's wife by killing her. Another quibble I have is how they left out how Yueh's wife is a Bene Gesserit. I also didn't like when the characters had to remind others why Yueh betrayed them: "It was Yueh. They had his wife." With no other explanation than that. It felt more awkward then it should've been.
3. Paul didn't get to say "Silence!" to the Reverend Mother at the end of the movie. Considering how the Reverend Mother was more of a jerk to Jessica and Paul in this version, I would've loved to see Paul using the Voice as a weapon against her. It was way more satisfying in the Lynch Dune version.
4. The Guildsman. While I like the Thumbhead High Priest costume design, the Guildsman felt like he was a joke character who didn't realize he was a joke, like Torgo. He acts like Mr. Burns, he does weird body movements that are more awkward than cool, and he speaks in a wavery voice with a strange emphasis on certain words when he gets excited. His spoken dialogue with the Reverend Mother was actually pretty good, but the way he did his body movements didn't always work. Like the way he touched himself in front of the Reverend Mother, or the way he pointed at Paul melodramatically when saying: "The GUILD! Does not TAKE! Your orders."
5. A good chunk of the costumes, but not all were bad. I love most of the Fremen costumes, except for the ones that make them look like they're from Robin Hood. The cowgirl costumes for the Bene Gesserit were probably ill advised.
6. The Hunter Seeker scene. While I appreciate having Paul save the Fremen housekeeper's life by telling her what to do around the Hunter Seeker, I would think that talking, moving your facial muscles, and moving your hands would count as moving. The Hunter Seeker also didn't feel as threatening as the one in the Lynch version, though I love its snake-like design. The other bummer about this scene is that it suggested the housekeeper was significant, and that Paul might've formed a bond with her. A heavy duty change to the book's narrative, I admit, but it still would've interesting to explore before he met Chani.
7. Having Paul and Jessica being dumped into the desert, without being able to fight back and break free. It didn't make sense It also seemed strange to see Paul and Jessica sitting on desert dunes, before and after the storm, and not attracting a worm. Even the original film stressed the importance of being safely on rock, in case worms would come.
8. Paul and Jessica walk rhythmically while walking the desert dunes. That attracts worms Sure, walking without rhythm is hard to do, or effectively pull off, but it's still pretty careless.
9. Some essential scenes were cut from the broadcast version of the miniseries. You can only get the Director's Cut DVD in order to see those scenes. The DVD also cut some scenes from the original broadcast, for reasons I don't know.
As for the things I do like? I love the casting of Chani, Gurney, Emperor Shaddam, the Baron, Rabaan, Irulan, Stilgar, and the Fremen Reverend Mother. Paul's actor is awkward at first, but he gets better and better as the miniseries progresses. He certainly becomes downright awesome in Children of Dune. I also love when the Worm first appears, and pounds into the sand with an earthshaking plunge. I do feel the worms don't feel as big as the ones in the Lynch version, and they sometimes look like dried asparagus. Still, the worms are awesome. I also like the WWI styled dog fights with the ornithopters, even though it kind of feels odd for futuristic aircraft. And I also love the middle-eastern musical score, which was very inspired. I also think the Alia in this version was a worthy and awesome successor to the Lynch Dune Alia, which I also liked.
The sad thing is about the Dune miniseries and its followup were probably among the last good stuff the Sci-Fi Channel was showing around that time. It's a shame that John Harrison didn't get to do that TV series based upon God Emperor of Dune.
When Julie Cox (Irulan) wore a strange hat, somehow, I just didn't notice. :-D
1st The eyes glowing where an exaggerated that was I feel was needed to bring more attention to the effects of spice. 2nd Alec Newman did a great job, age is a perception. There are a lot of old sheltered adults that learn late in life.
I felt for the time it was the best DUNE adaptation. I call it a most really well done adaptations, visual readers digests. both DUNE mini-series are that. As for CGI, I still think Babylon 5 is still the best CGI for a TV show. I understood what SyFi was trying to do, and it works in places(the Guild Navagtor, and the great worms look good.)but I still give it to Babylon 5.
Remember the miniseries reminded me, in its presentation, of a stage production. In some ways, that actually worked.
The producers made that choice on purpose. they knew they had a small budget, so they decided to make it like a stage play with limited budget. That way they could get the "idea" of scope and grandness, without having to actually do it. Many of the shots are actually not done on a green screen, but in front of giant art pieces the several stories high. Such as dunes in the back ground, then they used theatre lights to mimic the changing Suns and moons and colours off the backgrounds and actors. Very clever. --I watched the DVD special features.
Yes! I've always thought it looked like a stage play when I watch it. Especially the scenes in the Fremen villages.
If the costumes were done with the same care and concern that the book was adapted, the miniseries would have been EPIC!
@@caronstout354 Agreed. Still, they hit more than the missed with that adaptation. There are just some things that, while they work on a page, don’t carry over to a screen presentation. This newest movie…strikes a better balance.
It's my favorite too. Sci-fi channel did an amazing job with this mini series.
This miniseries walked so Children of Dune could run tbh
Couldn't agree more. Dune, Shakespeare style.
Finally! You finally said that the Scy fy series is good. In the past, you've always said that it wasn't good & that broke my heart. I loved the series. Both the first one and the sequel with McAvoy.
As for the costumes, well, it's budget budget budget, isn't it? I read somewhere that the cost of GoT's costumes is almost equal to the salaries of the actors.
Alec Newman did look boyish in the first act, he is smallish. Then he started becoming Fremen. I loved his portrayal, particularly his helplessness at the terrible Jihad unleashed in his name.
Anyway, all good, Quinn! I'm happy you like the series, it just doesn't get enough credit
Actually have this ready to rewatch in anticipation of the movie. So your review is very timely, thanks
This was my introduction to Dune. The best scifi series I've ever watched. - I also thought Chani was super hot in this one.
I had a major crush on Barbora Kodetová from this movie. She is up there with Nancy Allen for me.
I was all about Julie Cox as Irulan.
She's also an incredibly good actress, and I was always disappointed that she never got any more major roles except in a few foreign films.
Perhaps if they make movies for _Heretics_ and _Chapterhouse,_ they could bring her in as one of the Reverend Mothers.
I can never be harsh on this, since it's what got me into Dune.
I read Dune in the early 1970s while in college. I became instantly 'hooked' and, consequently, nearly flunked out of Chemistry because of it. The excellent writing and my youthful imagination brought the sprawling Dune universe to life. None of the movies since have lived up to that same sense of awe, majesty, and grandeur. They have all been mere shadows and more soap-opera-like than representing the true magnificence of the written word. I'm not a snob who suggests that people shouldn't see the films, rather I'm hoping that they will be inspired to read the 'real thing.' You're NOT a true DUNE fan until you've read the novel word-for-word. It's the difference between observing historical film clips on TV and living it.
I remember watching this as a kid with my parents when it came out. Our whole family is a Dune family. I’m finally getting around to finish the book series this year.
I don't like the fact that its going to be turned into a movie again. Just make high budget show on Netflix or any other streaming service. Dune is too expansive for a 100 - 120 minute movie.
It will probably be closer to three hours and don’t forget he is splitting the book into two movies
That's why it will be at least two and a half hours. The first movie only covers the first half of the Dune novel, and there will be a second movie. If they do well you can expect Dune Messiah and Children of Dune to be made into movies as well.
Your observations of the "Dune" mini series pretty much match my own ( and I am something of a contrarian). I have great hopes for the new production.
I really like you work. Please keep it up.
I Watched this when it came out way back then and it was amazing for the time. I still hold it much higher than the Dune film.
I downloaded this series and children of dune and I thought the acting and the costuming were top notch, and the casting was great. I really enjoyed it and watch it many times
yesssss! finnally! everyone talks about the david lynch’s Dune, but Syfy’s is sooo much better!
I've seen the behind the scenes specials and several of the actors were pretty passionate about being cast as characters from the book. William Hurt who played Duke Leto was a big fan of the book and felt it was quite an honor to get to part of the production.
I thought it was a good watch, the story came through enough overall. Yeah the special effects and costumes, ehh. Looked to me like it was a play filmed as it was acted out more than tv series or movie. We’ll get barbecued for admitting to liking any of it, probably!
@@michaeljarvis5489
Why on earth would anyone dislike this series?
Obviously it doesn't have the glorious insanity of Dune84 but it's pretty good as Quinn says.
It does hold a special place in my heart.
I didnt mind the effects.
Thats right! I have extended version on DVD still... Thx for all you do!
Best Baron so far,. It’s a bit stagey but I still love it.
Then turn around and watch him as the Newsreader in the HBO Rome series.
Michael Birks oh yeah, Ian is terrific in just about everything.
His take as Winston Churchill on Doctor Who was brilliant!
Herbert described his own novels as "high camp" so it makes sense.
I actually thought his Shakespearean take on the Baron was a nice touch. The Baron played at being cultured, sophisticated, and opulent, so it made sense he would speak grandly and pompously despite being very practical and smart.
I liked it thought it stays pretty close to the book
I found that it erred a little on the slavish copy side, perhaps sticking too closely to the book where some leeway might have made it a little better.
Hey! The Guild's hat is freaking awesome! Looks like something straight out of a Moebius drawing.
Yeah, it’s not awful. The story is much more faithful than the Lynch movie, but visually it doesn’t hold a candle. The translights aren’t as terrible as I’ve seen some bemoan. They give a sense of a staged play, which is its own aesthetic. The stillsuits look like pajamas and the costumes, as you point out, look like rented Halloween getups.
You’ll know an adaptation is on the right track when they (finally) get the Fremen reverence for water correct. Water discipline saturates their culture.
I hope the upcoming movie does well enough that they adapt the other books
FruitofTheUnderworld Not very likely... Dune is Interesting to fans, but not to big audience.
@@haukikannel
Avoid that R rating at all costs.
Excellent breakdown and yeah, as much as I loved DL's version for its own sake, this mini-series was sooooo much closer to the book, that the storytelling of it was impressive.
I agree on all your points. Can't wait to see the new one!
Still salty about SyFy's treatment of Childhood's End, but I'll give this Dune Miniseries a shot
Keep in mind, this was back when they were still the Sci-Fi Channel and they took the name seriously.
cmpwbl I refuse to write it the new way.
@@Cydonia2020 It still irks me to this day that they decided to rebrand and basically get rid of everything that made the Sci-Fi Channel great.