David Lynch on Dune

David Lynch's definitive words on his 1984 film adaptation of "Dune".
January 13th, 2006
The full interview is available here : • David Lynch: The Idea ...

[@Garbageman28]

Y’know what? Fair play to Lynch to outright saying he regrets it and that he considers that an instance of him selling out. Too many people would mince their words or go about it differently but he just says it in a straightforward, no bullshit, hard to misinterpret manner.

[@sailirish7]

That level of honesty and self assessment is rare.

[@Teauma]

@@user-cq1ro5dr6g I'm kind of with you on that, it's certainly better to say that every movie exist for a reason. But then again, that's how he feels, and apart from that his career has been exemplary in a sense, so I get how someone with little leniency toward himself wouldn't want to mince his words.

[@Gamxin]

@@user-cq1ro5dr6g Regretting a project and regretting what resulted from it aren't mutually exclusive

[@sandroabate]

It’s impossible to pretend that his Dune wasn’t a horrible disaster. What he did to Dune should be illegal. If he had done to a person what he did to Dune, he would still be in jail doing time.

[@Garbageman28]

@@sandroabate i think that’s a bit much. It’s only a movie.

[@3choblast3r4]

The old Dune is a guilty pleasure of mine

[@zensempai7371]

Its the word guns right? 😅

[@cdcaleo]

I personally love the film, and saw it in the theaters when it came out. While it certainly had some issues, Lynch nailed so many other details, including a generally excellent cast who brought an old world feel to some of their roles. The costume and set designs were fantastic. If he had been given his final cut, and a somewhat larger budget, it might have went down as a true masterpiece.

[@seanhewitt603]

It has shown me humanities true face more clearly than air. Edit, Frank Herberts' written novels have shown me the truth of humanity, not the director.

[@magetaaaaaa]

Usul no longer needs the weirding module!

[@GulDukat479]

Word.

[@YodaOnABender]

I like how almost every video of Lynch is in black and white for literally no reason

[@ARIZJOE]

The chair fits the hair. David Lynch has always been a man of style. So unusual, quite an artist.

[@megavide0]

He should have sat down in a chairdog. ;)

[@ludnix]

The choice of this chair with the black and white filming is an absolutely brilliant. Did this interview have a cinematographer on staff, what a great stylistic choice.

[@BIacklce]

davids hatred of dune is more of a disapointment of himself it seems

[@darnellmajor8895]

I think the reason he dislikes Dune is because the film doesn't fall in line with his overall style of filmmaking.

[@BIacklce]

@@darnellmajor8895 it is very accessible.

[@squamish4244]

He doesn't hate it. At least not anymore. He's become more accepting of the film recently and says he likes a lot of individual scenes. What he really hates is just what he says here, that creative control was taken away from him.

[@rodrigocarvalho8587]

I dont know how u can interpret this out of what he says in the video. Editing is like rewriting the script, so if the writer/director cant edit the way he envisioned it, the movie becomes something created by someone else (the producer)

[@plaidchuck]

@@rodrigocarvalho8587many directors dont edit their own movies though

[@Zigzog420]

Even if you don't like his work you have to appreciate how well he articulates and even understands the art of creation. A rare thing.

[@austin21x]

Absolutely, I'm not a big fan of his from an enjoyment perspective but I love and respect him for his creativity and originality

[@DerpASherpa117]

Even as a failure, Lynch's Dune is still a spectacular work of art and entertainment.

[@OneWithinn]

Spectacular isn't the word, for sure

[@blaarfengaar]

Uhhh it's pretty awful

[@andyroobrick-a-brack9355]

Oh, I think it's still quite awful. That doesn't make it an invalid piece of art.

[@user-ox7xr8nu4t]

​@@blaarfengaarNo, it isn't.

[@user-ox7xr8nu4t]

​@@andyroobrick-a-brack9355It isn't awful.

[@stephennicholas1590]

What a tragedy that we never will see the full vision of DUNE that David Lynch had.

[@grantwithers]

One day an AI artist will fill in some holes and make the pacing good etc.

[@stephennicholas1590]

@@grantwithers When you say pacing I’m not sure what you mean?

[@franlovelsimic8421]

AI "artist" 💀

[@stephennicholas1590]

@@franlovelsimic8421 What do you think needs fixing specifically?

[@robmchale7945]

The irony of an AI adapting dune is so funny if you know the lore ​@@franlovelsimic8421

[@drradon]

It’s so interesting to see that it’s not the material he resents but the fact that, among other things, he was forced to cut short.

[@Kalle72]

In other words: You didn’t understand what he said at all: “On Dune I started selling out even in the script phase”. “It was a slow dying the death.” “(Do you regret making it?) Yes!” “There is no other version. There’s more stuff, but even that is putrified”.

[@derekdalton5658]

The Elephant Man is one of the finest films made in the last 100 years. Never can figure out why it isn't more lauded for its brilliance.

[@vandalg282]

Some see it as a flash in the pan, while a great film, it'll never be in anyone's top 10. Its a great arthouse film for students, but it isn't a classic by any means. It took him 10 years to bring the audience anything close to substantial, till Mulholland Drive, with that said, he's still not bankable, and Hollywood is above everything else, a business.

[@antimaxsmacks]

It was nominated for 8 Academy Awards, at the time :)

[@vandalg282]

And completely forgotten after....there's a reason Lynch is reliable, but never bankable.

[@Frerrva]

I had an experience with the elephant man that I haven't had with any other movie. I cried so hard watching it I felt light afterwards, like I had wept all the way to my soul. I will never forget it.

[@grendel3290]

Probably because it's Lynch's most widely accessible piece and it gets buried down quite a lot by the other weirder films he's made

[@V3ntilator]

He explained everything i wanted to know in less than 2 minutes. Most important. "There is no other version". I still always liked his Dune movie and it had a great casting and soundtrack.

[@erich3784]

For so many years I've heard he didn't even want to talk about Dune anymore, and I've always wanted to have his opinion about it. So yeah, these 2 minutes are very precious to me. I understand producers tinkering with a movie is a plague, Jodorovsky said as much (about Lynch's movie), but I never had confirmation from the man himself. My next question would have been, are there any parts of the movie, any, even tiny ones, that he doesn't hate?

[@V3ntilator]

@@erich3784 The reason why he don't like any scene, is because it's not his movie. The whole movie is a sore thumb to him. There might be some scenes he may like, but it's irrelevant to him when it wasn't his movie even before they started filming. I can understand him. If i wanted to do something, but someone else made it a different thing than what i wanted. I wouldn't like that either. If it's not my vision it's not my thing either. I can see why many director's used to freedom abandoned the movie industry in the past, when studios took over movie directing. They thought they were protecting money, but many lost money instead as the movies became flops because the director didn't have control.

[@mikcnmvedmsfonoteka]

There is a Spicediver edit 3 hours long, it's on KZbin it's great! Best version of Dune 1984

[@V3ntilator]

@@mikcnmvedmsfonotekaThank you. I will find it.

[@AthelstanKing]

Lynch fans are incapable of telling you whether they like a film or not till they get their opinion from other lynch fans lol. Pathetic tbh

[@squamish4244]

Lynch's opinion of the film has softened in recent years, if newer interviews are anything to go by. He says he is happy that it has a lot of fans, and that he is proud of many scenes in it. This is how I would describe it as well. Many individual scenes are superb and have been influential in science fiction films since then. The Fremen, the worms, the sietches...great stuff. Now that Villeneuve's amazing version is out, people have been looking at Lynch's version again and seeing what is great about it, as Kyle MacLachlan observed in an interview. I'll be damned if Villeneuve did not take inspiration for some scenes from Lynch's version.

[@deezee2965]

Back in april 2022, he was mentioning his Dune in an interview for AVClub. The interviewer pointed out that he has been reworking on his previous work and asked about Dune. Then Lynch said : "No. But Dune-people have said, “Don’t you want to go back and fiddle with Dune?” (...) But the thing was a horrible sadness and failure to me, and if I could go back in I’ve thought, well, maybe I would on that one go back in." Then he is asked "Really?" And he said : "Yeah, but I mean, nobody’s…it’s not going to happen." One year later he said he does not want to ear about Dune, so... I guess it depends on the mood.

[@sigmasix3719]

The new film is absolute crap, slow dull boring devoid of scenery and anything of interest. 💩💩💩💩💩💩💩👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻

[@mikeg2491]

What I liked about his Dune was it focused a bit more on the world building like you saw who the space navigators were while they were barely mentioned in the new one. You’d be hard pressed to remember why people are even fighting in Villineuve’s version, the importance of spice seemed to take a backseat from what I remember. I need to go back and watch it again.

[@squamish4244]

@@mikeg2491 I think Villeneuve made it pretty clear. At least, clearer than Lynch's Dune, which tried to jam a massive story into one film. If you didn't know the book, you would have no idea what was going on. Villeneuve did a spectacular job, and two obvious reasons were that he was not pressed for time and had the CGI to realize the full scope of the vision. I agree that the Guild Navigators scene is pretty cool in Lynch's version. What is remarkable about what Lynch did is that despite what I do regard as a mess of a film when taken as a whole, he had no experience with science fiction and still managed to make something that impressive in certain aspects. One critic called it "the most interesting failure of a movie ever made".

[@Bat_Boy]

I do NOT, I mean NOT understand all this rave over the recent Dune movies. Lynch's version will ALWAYS be my Dune. Imperfect or not. (Vill-whatever should have remade Cat People instead. The visuals match his, but he'd mess up the sexuality part...wo maybe it's better he didn't. I actually don't think he's a visionary director....more of cinematographer).

[@guinnessharvey4476]

Love how honest he is

[@thecaptainsarse]

The casting and wardrobe for 1984 Dune were spot on.

[@snmcfadden]

The casting was atrocious. A lot of good actors cast in roles that did not work for them at all with a few exceptions.

[@keneutervalve9459]

I still laugh, picturing sting trying to act... good god... worse at movies than he is music.

[@icemav5740]

I’d argue casting was one of the worst if not the worst aspect of the film. Every single actor felt so off for their roles

[@Bonkikavo]

Music was spot on too.

[@TheSilentShane]

Wardrobe was mostly great, but the casting in Dune was probably its biggest blunder. Patrick Stewart as Gurney Halleck was horrifically bad. Sting as Feyd-Rautha was cartoonish and silly and I can't for the life of me know what possessed them to cast him beyond star power. Paul looks almost 30 years old and seems incredibly uncomfortable and out of place in pretty much every scene that isn't the Gom Jabbar. All of this doesn't even touch on the questionable decision of casting predominantly white actors to play the core Fremen characters.

[@DocTinfoil]

David's Dune remains a "guilty pleasure" for many of us filmmakers to this day. A "dodgy" film badly cut-up from many spectacular parts♥♥♥ SO many beautifully conceived images!

[@nolanthomas4950]

people who say guilty pleasure are gay.

[@MojoFB79]

It’s so ironic that this film was “squeezed” by the studio when that’s exactly what the Baron tells Rabban to do to Arrakis

[@criticalbil1]

And what I wish to do to my oranges.

[@squamish4244]

You have no idea what it cost me to destroy the Atreides.

[@DarthRushy]

GIVE ME SPICE

[@armenmichaeli6704]

We should not assume many in the studio even read the book, so they wouldn't get the irony anyway.

[@sushiter]

Corporations squeezing anything for profit

[@mineofilms]

That is cool that he talked about it a little bit. I think these 2 minutes sums it up pretty good.

[@hayorge27]

I loved Dune. My aunt recorded it on vhs off The Movie Channel, and I must’ve watched it 50 times

[@squamish4244]

What do you think of the new one?

[@Cap683]

@@squamish4244 The new Dune is truly awful. The old Dune developed it's characters and the back story at least. The new Dune is all Hollywood with stunning visuals but otherwise empty.

[@squamish4244]

@@Cap683 I didn't ask you.

[@patinho5589]

@@Cap683 I agree.

[@jasonturner2206]

⁠@@Cap683I think for me the one stand out from Dune 1984 was the soundtrack. It absolutely made the film for me, made it a hugely emotional experience..

[@captainobvious9188]

I was born 1980 and saw old Dune when I was like 8. It was such a weird foreign world that nothing ever really matched. I read all the books as a teen. New Dunes are wonderful - don’t get me wrong - but there is something magical and weird about the old one that I love.

[@davido.p.9850]

I agree. I actually like the low budget British mini the most though as it gets to cover more of the depth in the book.

[@krusher74]

lynchs movie trasported me to a world somewhere out there in the universe. Villeneuve took me nowhere.

[@futuristica1710]

Truly agree ❤

[@peonmyhall]

Imagine if he got to make the movie he wanted to. That would have been amazing.

[@GhostPants94]

All 3 of them

[@andyhall7032]

I disagree...it's not a great film and he was out of his depth. Sorry.

[@andyhall7032]

@@Shofixi I'm not saying he's a bad director ( The Elephant Man is a wonderful film ) but this wasn't a David Fincher Alien3 moment...there's a reason he never took on a big production like this again. And not having final cut doesn't cover that up.

[@seniorslaphead8336]

@@GhostPants94 Yeah three 4 hour films, maybe. Half an hour of someone with a bucket and mop cleaning up after the Guild Navigator, for starters.

[@maxdamagus]

Nah it would have log ladies and dwarves talking backwards.

[@Sharvalgon]

It's a sore point for him, but credit to him for answering the question so graciously and thoughtfully.

[@JoeyArmstrong2800]

Dune is one of my favorite movies. Don't be too hard on yourself Mr. Lynch.

[@SMGJohn]

Favourite for you, but the worst for him, imagine you are making someone, then your boss takes it away and remakes it completely, would you be happy about that? It was also a film that was heavily criticised in its day for being nonsensical, the story was all over the place, there were bizarre cuts and the pacing was uneven to say the least, so could it have been better? Yes definitely, but it ended up not being, because of management.

[@dylanhal]

I'm a fan of the books and Lynch's adaptation. Despite his horrendous experience and the differences from the original novel, I absolutely adore his aesthetic vision of the Dune universe. The Spicediver Edit (available on KZbin) is glorious.

[@JoeyArmstrong2800]

@@dylanhal I've checked it out and it is amazing. Much better than the horrendous extended TV version.

[@V3ntilator]

They should have completed the Lynch Version before cutting it. Many other movies from back then were completed, but the studios ruined them afterwards before release.

[@edwardelric603]

Even Lynch’s worst movie is better than so many other directors, so it’s okay Lynch; Dune is appreciated

[@ToomanyFrancis]

Did you watch the video? He doesn't care if it's appreciated. He's said for decades now that it's not even his movie.

[@edwardelric603]

@@ToomanyFrancis I did watch the video and I am aware of his sentiments towards the project. I was saying it's okay because WE LIKE THE MOVIE. Now GTH

[@matejkacmar325]

@@edwardelric603 Bro chill 😅

[@sandroabate]

This movie is awful garbage. It is worse than the Disney Star Wars sequels.

[@renewalofmind2266]

Scorsese, Wes Anderson, Tarantino & Spike Lee are much better directors than Lynch. 😊

[@stitchfinger7678]

I really appreciate that he manages to find nuggets of goodness in it, and gets why it has fans But also how honest he is about it all

[@DaLiJeIOvoImeZauzeto]

I wish I could hug this man and tell him how much I adore Dune, despite all its flaws. And that spacediver fanedit, dear Lord, it's heavenly!

[@werideatdusk]

The sets, costumes, casting, and score of the original Dune are sublime. Its a shame he wasnt able to make the film he wanted to. The first draft of his script reads more like Eraserhead, its out there. I think the hardcore book fans would have revolted either way until the Villeneuve version came along.

[@werideatdusk]

@@MilesjDoyle yeah, but what about 1984 dune???

[@VuotoPneumaNN]

Set and costumes yeah. Casting nah. Score... Hit or miss.

[@JamesVytas]

Villneuves dune is a bore. Lynch had so much tension and real style even if it wasn’t his idealised film. Compare the bene Jesuit witches and the burning hand scenes. Lynch wins. Compare introduction of the baron. Oozing with pustules, manic grin sweaty greasy skin, heart plug. Complete horror show. Like being in the presence of Saddam and his sons. Denis’ is like a music video slick and sterile and vapid. Compare the steampunk Corporeal mutant (guild navigator), evolved beyond humanoid, whale-like, grotesque, regressed or evolved to fetal state of a god, encased in a turn of century vitrine / incubator breathing spice folding time. Imagery is exquisite. Even the sinister priests escorting him. Everything feels like an extension of history. Nightmarish and absurd. Claustrophobic. As opposed to latest version outdoors impersonal or non threatening just ceremonial and dull( for viewer). No sense of power play at hand. Prescriptive. No caution or tension. Lynch’s civilisations embedded in their worlds and vying for celestial dominance. So much at stake yet primitive and mechanical and analog unlike villneuve’s. The score I can’t hear at this moment but I do remember being moved and epic like the old biblical Hollywood pictures. That sense anyway. Everything is brass and stone and leather with grubby rubber. Not high tech unlike latest. Speaking of tech, the blade fight and cumbersome force field. Something inelegant and practical about it. Also I love all the actors in Lynch’s dune. I do not see the appeal of Timothy chalemet. He’s a weak actor. No depth. No charisma. Vacant eyes. No cunning. Not even convincing naïveté for the young prince. Looks dumb and more narcissistic. Not the redeemer prophesied. On the path to greatness. He was the same in that king movie he made. Spoilt brat. He was terrible woody Allen’s film too. No match for Selena Gomez who was sharp as a tack. Intriguing and playful. Had a real alluring quality to her performance.

[@werideatdusk]

@@JamesVytas I like both versions. Let's see Part 2 in March and then have the fuller idea of which version is the more successful adaptation.

[@JamesVytas]

Ok.

[@MrMarkOlson]

I hope David Lynch comes to realize, even with the film edited by someone else, "Dune" remains an extremely great achievement in film history. What he created is a visual masterpiece. David should have edited an extended cut for the home market.

[@hoon_sol]

How can you possibly call Lynch's version of Dune a "visual masterpiece"?

[@danielmarriott6580]

For me it's among the worst films of all time.

[@sultanoftippoo3857]

@@hoon_sol Because to many people including me it was a visual masterpiece. That’s the point of subjective opinion.

[@hoon_sol]

@@sultanoftippoo3857: There are people who think a pile of feces put on public display in a gallery also makes it a masterpiece. If you can't deal with the fact that there are objective factors at play in art, then feel free to be a delusional ignoramus all you like.

[@MrMarkOlson]

@@hoon_sol Watch it and you'll know.

[@ambre2496]

The first movie i went twice to watch, i was almost 13, what a monumental slap ! Thank you Mr Lynch, it was great !

[@charlie-obrien]

I love Dune '84 and always have. There's more to any movie besides the director's vision (although I agree that's a huge element), there is also the story, which is fantastic, there are the characters and no matter what you think of individual casting choices, all are are recognizable, have distinct and exciting arcs. And then there is art design and actual filming. David and his cinematographer, Freddie Francis can accept a lot of praise for these outstanding achievements. The film is gloriously beautiful and captures the pictures that Frank Herbert painted in our heads with his words. It's not a perfect film and even walking out of the theater the first time I saw it, I knew that. And when I went back the next day to see it again, I felt the same. I have probably watched it nearly fifty times and never thought it was perfect. But here in 2024, it lives on and 20 years from now, Dune '84 will still be the definitive filmed version of the book. Sorry David, sometimes greatness is thrust upon you.

[@AGoldenPolaroid]

Lynch's Dune certainly isn't the definitive adaptation of the book, that's a little bit insane to me. Glad you like it, though.

[@user-vy2qr8ce5n]

"The sleeper has awakened!" Gave me real chills. I love the original Dune. He did so much with so little.

[@spaceistheplace8376]

it has so much soul to it,new one as far as i can see is kinda blend in this regard

[@TheBalloonBob]

@@spaceistheplace8376no need to knock the new one to say that the old Dune is good.

[@BurnartOz]

Beautifully filmed interview.

[@Oxtorayk]

i like his honesty

[@siddbastard]

how bad things are when we get shook by some normal honesty ...

[@whyareyoureadingmynickname8158]

I'll always love 1984's "Dune". The whole movie feels so surreal and otherworldly with it's great soundtrack, unique visuals and whacky larger than life performances that I just can't help but be fully immersed into it. And, to be honest, it's that surrealism and otherworldliness that's really missing in Villeneuve's two movies. While the movies themselves are excellent, the world they are set in feels lifeless, sterile, devoid of colors and a little too ordinary. Even Zimmer's soundtrack, while it suits the movie's atmosphere very well, doesn't bring the Arakis to life in the same way the Toto's soundtrack did. If I can best describe Lynch's "Dune", I would say that it is like a dream. A very crazy dream, sure, but also oddly comforting and pleasant.

[@DtEarth1]

A David Lynch Dune cut would be the great thing ever

[@JaceDanielFilms]

He said so himself that it doesn’t exist

[@Bob-Fields]

@@JaceDanielFilms doesn't mean that @DtEarth1 is wrong.

[@shadowtrooper3764]

@@Bob-Fields He does refer to the remaining footage as putrified. I'm sure a Lynch cut would be better, but it sounds like the remaining footage probably isn't as amazing as people imagine.

[@sandroabate]

No one could polish this turd.

[@Fergus316]

As he says here, the script was not his script from early on. So that means there is no David Lynch film there. It is sad because the incredible work of the set designers, wardrobe, cinematographer, editing, actors etc. etc. on that film is obvious. An actual Lynch Dune film would have been a cult film or maybe even masterpiece for the ages.

[@polycera8570]

Lynch's Dune looked great and it had a great cast. Kenneth McMillan was amazing as the Baron.

[@mikofi]

I liked the old dune just the way it was. Maybe it wasn't a commercial success but it was an amazing movie.

[@lonl123]

It's sad that he disowns it...I understand it, but I would like him to know I adore the film....for a very long time it was THE Dune movie....and when I read the books now it's the characters I see from his movie that I see in my mind's eye while reading. He absolutely nailed the aesthetic of Dune and picked fantastic actors for Paul, Lady Jessica and Duke Leto. If the Baron had been portrayed like he is in the latest film, the movie would be an outright Masterpiece and we wouldn't need a new film. Regardless I will be a fan of the movie till I go into the ground and I hope that maybe that would give Mr. Lynch some comfort knowing that some people love the movie. (Or not, he seems to have completely disowned it.) It was way ahead of it's time...that's the real problem....was too much for people of the 80's (Hollywood mostly...I think they wanted a new Star Wars so they could sell toys).

[@jjphoenix4055]

Well David, I don't care too much about your opinion of your version of Dune. To me, still the BEST out there, way better than all the mini-series and the crappy remakes.

[@LordDirus007]

To this day, I still watch the Dune 1984 Extended Cut in 4K on KZbin. I love the Film, especially the Final Act. I love how Paul Changes after drinking the Water of Life. Prior, he tries to make a Speech standing in front of the Fremen and you can tell he isn't so sure of himself. Then right after he drinks the Water of Life and unlocks his "Third Eye", he speaks with such confidence. "A STORM IS COMING, OUR STORM FOR WHEN IT ARRIVES IT SHALL SHAKE THE UNIVERSE......LONG LIVE THE FIGHTERS!!!!"

[@12345.......]

We need a director's cut. The deleted scenes that are found, make us wanting more.

[@coolnamebro]

Look up the Spicediver fanedit. It's the definitive version of Lynch's Dune.

[@agesflow6815]

Considering he solidified final cut on all his films thereafter, I call it a win. Also, I really enjoy it. 👍

[@Aragorn280]

I love David Lynch Dune. It's weird but all his films are ! I just can't imagine what he could have done with Dune with all the liberty (and time !) given to Denis Villeneuve.

[@user-dq3jn6mp2q]

It would be a masterpiece.

[@bigbakaboon]

I'm really sad he says he regrets it, because dune 1984 is one of my favorite movies. I've watched a lot of interviews from the cast and they all seemed like they had a blast making it. And then you had Kyle MacLachlan who came out of dune and did twin peaks, which is like my favorite Lynch stuff.

[@petezah2686]

I think it's funny

[@cakeandicecream1582]

This makes me feel so much better. I really didn’t like his version of Dune, but I think he’s a great director. This makes more sense now.

[@Rhacman]

There was a version I saw on TV once that I feel in love with but later when I bought the DVD to show a friend, it wasn't the same. There were scenes missing and other weird scenes that didn't seem to add anything. I wish I could find that version I originally saw.

[@h1ob355]

I love the old one, and much more than the new one. The reason is that Lynch´s "Dune" had an escapist effect on me, the wish to learn more about that world in novels, RPGs, video games and so on. It fascinates me, until today. Villeneuves movies......well, I´m watching them, but I don´t feel anything.

[@JohnColorado3811]

I couldnt agree more with his points and yet I still love the movie. The shame is how much better it could have been had he been given full control

[@heavycritic9554]

I absolutely understand his misgivings and outright dislike, but I still really like the movie. It's one of those "I can see what he really wanted" kind of things, coupled with a love of weirdness. 😁

[@kurtdewittphoto]

Makes you wonder what a longer version with a Lynch final cut would have been like.

[@user-lr2ib1cv4d]

Perhaps what lynch didn't want (i.e., petrified as he said of his visiin). But what is shown remains one of the most ambituous endeavors in film history, that is, worth the effort given.

[@tonyfelder1206]

On a positive note it might of been the film which he first worked with Kyle Maclachlan and Dean Stockwell with whom he later worked with on the movie Blue Velvet. And again with Klye and Everett McGill on the series Twin Peaks.

[@nebo1186]

what can i say. started watching new one, lost intrast after 30 min, turned it off and played the Lynch version ...for like, 10th time

[@walternippy19]

I loved his Dune film.

[@t.s.adrian8785]

I'll paraphrase Frank Herbert on the 1984 Dune: "Dune was about a teenager playing a god, not a god who could make it rain on a desert planet."

[@nathanmarsh3172]

Only Lynch could produce one of the most incredible sci fi films of all time and hate it. A legend

[@user-bv9nc8cr2f]

Lynch’s Dune will forever and always be a classic sci-fi to me.

[@divinefallfromgrace]

First movie of his I ever watched. Flawed, but endearing. Would love to see what his own personal Director's Cut of it would look like. 👍🏻

[@Garf_malarf]

I love dune 1984

[@TehJumpingJawa]

Even though Dune(1984) might not have reached David's vision, it's undeniably an influential movie & cinematography as an art form is improved by its existence.

[@The_real_Marcoman]

His Dune movie will always be my favorite version. Even if it doesn't quite correspond to the original novel. When I read Dune, I see its film aesthetic in mind.

[@d1agram4]

Dune was awesome

[@Zeppenfeldgarden]

Imagine if we could get David’s version of Dune? I don’t care how long it is. I would be happy to see his Final Cut.

[@amg5656]

The set designs for the locations on Caladan at the beginning of the film were absolutely brilliant. House Hakkonen, though overdone and clownish, had an oppressive feeling of prurience that is pure Lynch, and that Villeneuve’s version could have used a good dose of.

[@samfrito]

I saw it a year after release as a double feature with Brazil. I could see long-lasting effects of seeing them both in one evening.

[@mllenessmarie]

It's funny how 2h17mins was the maximum back then and nowadays fans already considered Dune 1 too short and bothered Dennis V. about the "extended" cut. If you have good material, you just want more and more of it, it's as simple as that. Also, there are some stories that need (and deserve!) time to be depicted properly.

[@hopbup7401]

Dune feels like a stylistic graphic novel which is one of the reasons I enjoy it. Maybe that’s why you either love it or hate it.

[@offtankgaming1310]

He’s like the original creator disowning an adaptation of the work, but he’s the director

[@acanadianwoodworker]

Its great watching Dune and Blue Velvet back to back. Dune is so muddled, cramped and confused by the end. When you watch Blue Velvet right afterwards it's like all the smoke has cleared, the atmosphere is so assured and there's such clarity

[@JnEricsonx]

I've still loved the movie since I was a kid. Going to see it again in the theater in a few weeks.

[@bogroll1881]

What makes the movie fascinating is that although it is flawed, some of the scenes are really exceptionally good - to the extent it impacts when you watch the the latest version by Vielneuve - certain scenes/actors and choices are simply better in Lynch's version.

[@sandroabate]

Nothing in this version of Dune is good. It is entirely awful and irredeemably bad.

[@scottttym]

I loved his Dune.

[@robertbick986]

I've known for a while Lynch's feelings about Dune, but it's still one of my favorite films of the 80's, and still my favorite screen adaptation, despite more recent entries being more "book accurate" in some ways. This version just fits better with my own mental image of the world than any of the others.

[@nationalcoasternews5798]

Interested to see how Dune Part 2 is in a couple of weeks

[@VladDracula04]

Definitely. The new Dune movies just don’t look like how I imagined the world.

[@hungfao]

I understand what you're saying, David, but I liked it alot. It has the Lynchian elements that fascinate.

[@yetiplay]

Put the pick in there, Pete, and turn it 'round real neat.

[@AcidFink666]

👏👏👏

[@Jordan.Vaughn]

Still love Lynch’s Dune.

[@chaost4544]

Thankfully the other version is available in 2024 and it's incredible. I would be interested to see how he feels about Denis Villeneuve vision of the franchise. It seems Villeneuve received A LOT more creative flexibility than Lynch did.

[@msd5808]

The parts that work in it are brilliant, maybe more so than his movies are generally

[@matthewblank7691]

I dunno... I'm sure there are a lot of filmmakers that do not use Final Cut but Da Vinci Resolve or something else and their films turn out just fine.

[@therespectedlex9794]

De Laurentis resolve, probably Raphaella.

[@ZK1.0]

lol

[@Ortzmet]

He did a great job. That's is the version that plays in my mind when I read the book.

[@yasmngeorge3802]

i am right there with him on dune not being what it should be 2024

[@timsim83]

Never knew this. Thanks for posting! Take Lynch’s name off it and change the title to Dunce!

[@malfy8369]

Disappointed he dislikes his work, his film got me into the books. It is by far my favourite Sci fi series thanks to his film. As a kid I recoded it on VCR and watched it over and over still love it to this day.

[@KikouEtvavou]

Even if it misses things for you Mr Lynch, don't regret. I love it. It is perfect for me. Music, actors, atmosphere. Don't don't regret and don't say it's bad, it is a masterpiece

[@aperson22222]

I saw it for the first time in many years at a Fathom Event a couple weeks ago. I’m much more able to enjoy it now that Villeneuve’s movie exists as well. Missteps that I can shrug off would bother me a lot more if I came away from it saying “That’s it? That’s the only movie we get?”

[@trainsplanesmore]

Lynch's "Dune" is still the best Dune. It is actually passionate instead of the muted, unemotional other efforts, including Villenueuve's.

[@Trusteft]

I still like it, a lot, a lot.

[@cdcaleo]

I still love it. The things Lynch got right, as well as the costumes and set design, are far better than the Villeneuve version.

[@Trusteft]

@@cdcaleo I haven't seen any other version, including the various TV series. I did like the game on PC though, Dune 2.

[@cdcaleo]

The TV series was horrible, in my opinion. No depth or gravity to the characters. it looked like a cheap New Age fantasy. I haven't seen the new film, but some scenes look good, other scenes, not so much.@@Trusteft

[@Trusteft]

@@cdcaleo which tv series? There is more than one. Iirc.

[@nope5657]

Even Lynch selling out is a singular vision. His Dune is endlessly fascinating imo, and I much prefer it over then new one - which is cold and clinical despite being handsomely made.

[@modernly]

I hope that people who watch the new Dune movies, then learn about the 1984 version, can see past it and recognize exactly who David Lynch is and what he means to cinema

[@StephNuggs]

In all honesty, Dune could only be done justice in a TV show format. Like HBO with Game of thrones (not counting the last seasons)

[@Charles12]

what about the denis villeneuve 2 parter?

[@squamish4244]

@@Charles12 I thought they did it justice. It was split exactly where I imagined it would be when I read the book, and holy shit they did a good job, better than I imagined even from Villeneuve. I just wish he would put back in the 16 minutes of completed film he cut!

[@Charles12]

@@squamish4244 agreed

[@gilian2587]

There was a scifi adaptation of Dune as a TV miniseries. In my opinion... that is the best rendition that's ever been made. And yes, Villeneuve's rendition plays second fiddle to it. David Lynch's version was terrible. The Baron Harkonnen is a genius in the books -- Lynch turned him into a Captain Planet style villain.

[@aaronmalay5497]

@@gilian2587 The SciFi version has a very community college theater production vibe to it. The actors got the characters, and the script did a solid job of following the book. You got arguably the best Baron Harkonnen. The costumes - hoo boy, the costumes - ate the entire budget. The set design, aggressive greenscreen, and potato CGI were hot garbage. There are reasons to love each one. Lynch, for the weirdness and wonder. SciFi for breathing life into the characters and personal interactions. Villeneuve, for the visual spectacle of the raw story.

[@Swat-ed5bt]

Love David ❤

[@Sawta]

I really respect how straightforward he was about the nature of what the movie was, and his thoughts behind it. A lot of people would have used softer words, or attempted to justify it retroactively somehow. Mr. Lynch didn't do that. I wish more people were honest enough to admit when they made a serious mistake. (I still like the movie a lot, but given his description of it, it does sound like he made it for the wrong reasons.)

[@peterlund4501]

I would love to see a David lynch version of the movie 😊

[@snakeoi1sean]

I really loved the movie as a kid, and I think it stands up well today.

[@SirMo]

I feel a bit sorry for David Lynch. He didn't have access to special effects of today. And like he said he didn't have the final cut rights either. I bet it would have been a more successful film if it were made today. Also adapting Dune to film is no easy task. I'm just glad we have Denis Villeneuve's adaption who did the impossible.

[@Pat96813]

I wish he had full control of the film he could've made an incredible adaptation of Dune

[@Martvandelay]

I don’t like that version of Dune, but I love it for the fact that it was a learning process for him. If anything, it convinced him that his way of making artistic, uncompromising movies is the right way to go.

[@analog_ape]

So give us a director's cut, onegaishimasu David-san!

[@photomaker1]

Ive always loved it

[@LexicographicalPedant]

Damn, he didn’t have Final Cut. Imagine what he could do today with Final Cut Pro

[@chrisbryant8317]

Dune (1984) is a great movie. I loved it then, I love it now.