DUNE (2021) 4K UHD BLu-ray Review

Released in the UK on Monday 31st January on 4K UHD disc, this is a review to the 2021 version of Frank Herbert's science fiction epic directed by Denis Villeneuve.
Screen ratio is 2.40:1 (approx.) despite having been shot entirely on video in a range of ratios to include 1.43:1 for coverage of full IMAX screens. Some may think that the image is cropped as a result but it certainly isn't apparent when watching the film and that is due to the framing in the camera to take all this into account at the time of filming.
Sound is either Dolby Atmos or Dolby Digital 5.1. DTS-HD is listed on the J card but this must be an alternative language option as I couldn't find it.
Sound quality may be the best I've ever heard in the home but the picture was too muted and sometimes too dark on my system to fully appreciate it but it may appear differently on yours, particularly if you have Dolby Vision. In this regard I asked Keith at Euphoria Pictures to take a look at his Italian steelbook import and he reports more encouraging results than I. He's included his review within a round-up of what he's watched and can be seen here: • My Weekly 4k Blu Ray P...

[@LILGHETTI]

I saw it in the theaters, it was an eye opening experience! It was IMAX insane. The atmos was strong and heavy bass with great surroundings. It was shot on digital moved to film and then back to digital to give it that look. It has a de saturated look which is the director's choice. I have the deluxe steelbook for dune 84. That's a good 4k too

[@neobellic7258]

IMAX theatres don't have atmos sound. But yeah, it was meant for IMAX, I missed my chance.

[@moviecollector5920]

IMAX has bespoke 12 track sound and this one had it applied but it's not genuine IMAX and the image quality certainly isn't up there with genuine IMAX films. However, there seems to be a compatibility problem on my system as it's among the worst 4Ks I've seen so far. It's very sharp when I can see the image clearly but it's so dark a lot of the time that the resolution was lost here. Hopefully I'll get to the bottom of what is going on sometime soon but the steelbook is a beauty so despite being a bit disappointed with the film and the quality, it's a keeper alright. John.

[@DrJackalPhD]

@@moviecollector5920 It is most likely the Dolby Vision, as I've had this exact same issue with several Dolby Vision movies. When viewing the movie in HDR10, it was bright and crisp as I had expected.

[@geordieny]

@@DrJackalPhD He was watching it in HDR 10. As he says in the video, he doesn't have any DV devices. Most projectors still don't support DV. I think there's been one or two released in the last few months.

[@jjukkyumiz]

I had an absolutely unforgettable moment seeing Dune in IMAX a few months ago. When “the voice” is used by any of the characters that use it, the sheer perfect mixing of the bass in my theater had an incredible effect. It made my hair move, and when I say this, I mean it shook it in a manner that felt most similar to how static electricity subtly moves the hair on one’s head. This made the moment of Paul and his mother in the buried tent where the scene is deathly quiet up until Paul shouts the voice **extremely** immersive as that (perhaps unintentional) physical effect happening at the same time made the scene unbelievably intense and I almost felt as if the voice had been used on me! I’m sure me recounting this experience via text makes me sound a bit silly talking about “oh my hair was moving at the cinema” -but it was truly a moment I’ll never forget because I’d never felt anything like it before nor since, absolutely captivating.

[@moviecollector5920]

You don't seem silly at all Hawk, I think you've summed up a great cinematic experience. The reason it was so memorable is because you were enjoying IMAX 12 track sound and if it's anything like the system in the BFI IMAX, there's nothing else quite like it. THX Ultra for the home is unbelievable enough but when I come out of a screening at the Waterloo BFI IMAX it makes you realize there is always going to be something better out there. John.

[@LennyNero2019]

@@moviecollector5920 I was watching in a regular multiplex, but can attest to a similar experience, seemed my chest and some clothes sometimes vibrated from the sound, not just hairs. 😄

[@burnsZY85]

Would love to watch a film in IMAX, maybe i might get somewhere to watch it, there is no where near me that has IMAX, but saying that i will 100 percent watch part 2 in a cinema, watching dune in 4k was mind blowing on my lg oled so in the cinema it will be a whole other level.

[@moviecollector5920]

@@burnsZY85 Be prepared though Chris because there are plenty of comments on here confirming that even cinemas had the same problem as me with the image being noticeably too dark so let's all hope the same does not happen with part 2. I've just spent most of this evening playing with the 4K disc but every attempt to punch more light through the chip resulted in a muddying of the picture. However, having gotten over the disappointment of Saturday night I can see that I'm really going to enjoy it the next time around. These things never appear quite so bad the second time around. John.

[@C--A]

@@LennyNero2019 IMAX cinema sound is no better than cinemas with Dolby Atmos. The speakers and subwoofers the cinema used, the implementation, and the room will determine the sound quality. Quite a lot of IMAX cinemas actually have poor sound quality. The sound quality and bass was excellent at my local cinema (non IMAX) for Dune. I could feel the bass rumble through my chest and body during certain scenes. I do also have a IMAX cinema nearby but personally I think IMAX cinemas overdo the output leading to too loud a fatiguing mix. I know some people love listening above reference but that's not my cup of tea!

[@cburg]

I saw this on opening night at the cinema and it was an amazing experience! I must admit, that the night time sequence you reference was even worse in my local cinema. My eyes were incredibly strained throughout the entire sequence, trying to figure out what was going on. Glad I managed to see it again yesterday on 4K Blu-Ray, but it's still one of the big let downs of the movie. The soundtrack is one of the most unique I've heard since Tenet.

[@moviecollector5920]

You and I are in complete ageement then cburg. It seems that most of us have confirmed Dune is too dark. Glad I dared to mention it all now as people had been telling me it was one of the best quality films they'd ever seen. If I could have actually seen it, it might have been!!! John.

[@RoyMurphy1]

Great review 👍👍👍....It's amazing how much information can be fitted into 10mins.... Thanks for sharing.

[@moviecollector5920]

Thanks Roy. And courtesy of Luke Ormsby's comment below I now know why Dune turned out to be so dark so it's worth a read. The upshot is that it's not likely to be a problem restricted to just my own system. I think it's one of the worst 4Ks I've seen so far but I'll have to play with my settings now I know what was done and see if I can brighten it up without making it too muddy. I'll then have to set everything back down before running anything else though so it's a bit of a faff. Can't wait to hear what Keith thinks of it. John.

[@gilbertrios5283]

Wow your new setup looks really good! I'll have to pick this one up and thrilled that the audio is reference! Thx for another great review!

[@moviecollector5920]

Just be prepared that you may get the dark version of the film. Most seem to be getting The Dark Side but some are getting The Light Side. Whatever, who cares what it looks like when it sounds this good?!? John.

[@stephenjones5079]

I have been looking forward to this release, many thanks for the review.

[@moviecollector5920]

It's not exactly one of the best 4K discs you're ever going to see Stephen but if you lower your expectations you shouldn't be too disappointed, largely because the sound is so good. John.

[@Dis-Emboweled]

Some people are calling this 4k as a reference quality disc. I tend to agree. Magnificent presentation and review friend.

[@moviecollector5920]

Looks fairly awful a lot of the time on my system so it's going to take some fathoming out. Dolby Vision given superior treatment to HDR perhaps. John.

[@C--A]

Yep excellent 4k blu ray disc for video and audio quality. If you have good OLED, LED, Projector, and good speaker's, subwoofer/subwoofers. The audio quality is reference.

[@CaliBoyinJapan]

amazing review as always! Dune was an amazing experience in IMAX, looking forward to watching this on 4K disc.

[@moviecollector5920]

There have been a lot of comments which is wonderful so thank you ABR. If you liked Dune on the IMAX ratio and massive sized screen then try to get along to see a genuine IMAX film next time because if you thought Dune looked good... Actually, I'm probably preaching to the converted! I didn't see Tenet in genuine IMAX and I can only imagine how good that looked in IMAX 70mm. Interstellar was like a religious experience but I suspect Tenet would look ever better. Dune did have the unique IMAX 12 track stereo sound though and I think that's how they give these videos the IMAX label at cinemas. John.

[@CaliBoyinJapan]

@@moviecollector5920 I missed Tenet in the cinema sadly, and Dune was my first time back at the cinema since the pandemic. Agreed, Interstellar was quite the experience in IMAX, I remember being blown away. After seeing Blade Runner 2049 in IMAX I told everyone they HAVE to see it in IMAX no exceptions haha. Anyway, appreciate your input, very informative as always on the videos, keep up the great work!

[@moviecollector5920]

@@CaliBoyinJapan Blade Runner 2049 was a video which is a terrible shame but irrespective of how a film is made, usually the bigger the screen, the greater the impact. I hope the labs have got the 70mm prints of Death on the Nile right and they'll be to the standard that only a 70mm film can provide. John.

[@URBONED]

Great review, the Arrow 4K bluray of Lynch's Dune is really stunning. A film with a lot of issues but it does look really stunning. I think your issues with this film are inherent in the visuals. I'm not sure if you know but they shot this digitally then transferred it to 35mm then rescanned it for the final master to get the grain texture they were after. I did find this coupled with their choice of colour grading makes the film look a little drab and dirty looking which was obviously their intention but I would agree that some more detail and vibrance in the image would have been nice.

[@moviecollector5920]

Well, you've explained it to me Luke and it all now makes sense. The real flaw in the rigmarole they went through was to transfer to 35mm because that meant any blow-up to IMAX was inherently compromised and would not work. But it does explain the video noise I could see when the image wasn't too dark - it was grain and not noise. The original version of the film holds the distinction of being the only film I have seen in the cinema during which I have fallen asleep. I was somewhat younger then so might appreciate it fully today and that's why I finally feel like giving it a second chance. Thank you for posting such a great comment that clarifies the problems I saw in this 4K disc. John.

[@redgraham71]

Lucky to see it at London IMAX.Fantastic.Got the 3d version from Amazon and was amazing and bright on my projector.The 4k disc great on my oled.As you can tell I'm not disappointed with any aspect of this transfer and the Atmos was great. Love your reviews John keep the coming.Graham.

[@moviecollector5920]

Some comments have reported similar to yourself Graham but I think we're getting to the bottom of what went wrong. I am going to see what I can do on my video projector to try to brighten and colour Dune up as I have the setup to replicate the look of film which does mean darker so once I have that all sorted I'll put a note in with the disc to remind me to whack everything right up to the settings I think is best before watching it again. It's all good fun. Thankfully the sound is fabulous so that saved the day for me. John.

[@davidpowell4836]

I did buy the blu ray today, almost bought the 4k disc as my PS5 can play them, but I haven't upgraded my Sony Bravia TV yet. Thanks for your videos John, really enjoy them.

[@moviecollector5920]

It's likely you made the right choice David as people have reported that the Blu-ray isn't as dark. I think it's a bit more muddy looking but at least you should be able to see what is happening a little better. John.

[@Ariel_emerald]

been waiting for your review! i made sure to see this one in a proper 1.43 IMAX. the sound was incredible, but everything sounds incredible in IMAX, so when i rewatched the 4K on my TV via my computer the sound was really able to shine. yes, i agree it might be the best movie sound I've ever heard. on my setup, the movie didn't look too dark at all, i was able to see all detail in those dark scenes, though it could definitely be argued that the scenes were color graded to be excessively dark. my biggest problem with the movie is that last half hour, which really fails to grab the attention as well as the preceding 120 minutes.

[@moviecollector5920]

I think you might have hit the nail on the head Ariel because although it's a bit dark most of the way through, it's that last half an hour that made me think my video projector lamp was turning black. The majority of us on here are reporting that it's too dark overall so maybe that last half an our just takes it too far for most of us. Good comment - made me think. John.

[@chrisburns7979]

great vidoe. i remember reading somewhere that they are not going to be adding Imax scenes to home release due to license fees going forward

[@moviecollector5920]

You're the second comment to say much the same thing about IMAX. Perhaps they have someone new in charge who is going to try to restore the IMAX name and reputation. I know, I'm dreaming!!! John.

[@pauljc26]

A great review as always John, i just got this delivered to me today from the US as it does not get released in Australia till March 2cnd, i have seen the movie already and really enjoyed it and looking forward to watching it again, i also just purchased the original Dune movie as i have not seen that one either

[@moviecollector5920]

I saw the original Dune in 1984. Fell asleep! Glad you enjoyed the remake though which may not be the best looking 4K disc we've enjoyed so far but who cares when it sounds this good. John.

[@MercuryCircuit]

Enjoyed your review and references to what was available to the home viewer not so many years ago.

[@moviecollector5920]

I think the ease of purchasing and viewing films in the home is taken a bit for granted today. Certainly many of us expect perfection with these 4K discs and I probably include myself in that. This isn't a perfect disc by any stretch but it's still wonderful to be able to have it albeit The Black Hole Of Calcutta version! John.

[@alexheschuk9429]

In terms of the darkness, I watched this at the BFI iMax and again in a regular Odeon cinema (non Dolby vision/HDR). There was a notable difference in the dark scenes. Mostly the second viewing, it was hard to see anything in the dark scenes (sandworm) and the image was washed out and grey, which was dissappointing for a theater experience.

[@moviecollector5920]

It's all a bit odd Alex but rest assured you are not alone as a few people have commented on here that they saw the film in two or more cinemas and had the same experience as you. I was wondering if the 2K master video pre the 35mm transfer was sent to some cinemas or used to make the faux 3D video but I doubt that was the case now. John.

[@johnhoffmann5904]

Glad you're back!

[@moviecollector5920]

Thanks John. I have done a few videos over the past month or so but hopefully more will follow starting with Last Night In Soho. John.

[@RichardBremer]

Great review, as usual. I really enjoy your take on films and releases. Keep up the good work! As for Dune, I've watched it both in cinema in a regular screening (not IMax/Dolby Cinema or anything) and at home on 4k combined with my sturdy BenQ W2700 beamer. I can't relate to the comments on the film having to much shadow or dark scenes that are washed out and provide too little detail. In both the cinema and on 4k on my beamer the picture looks really good! I can only imagine how good this must look on a calibrated high end beamer or large oled... And the sound in the movie... So awesome! Will do a 3rd viewing soon 😊

[@moviecollector5920]

It's almost like two versions of the film exist Richard but the majority of us have seen The Dark Side. The most telling comments have been from people who saw the film at more than one cinema with one cinema having a good video copy and the other having a dark video copy. I can't believe there really are two versions out there but it's possible, particularly as there is also a faux 3D version and perhaps it's not impossible that was done from the pre-35mm transfer jiggery pokery which is what is most likely to have messed it up. Whatever the truth, it's made for a very interesting discussion on here. John.

[@ClarkTeddles]

great review, John! Dune is still in screening in theaters in australia at the moment because we only started screening it in december. australia should recieve the 4k for dune in about 3 or 4 months, so might be worth importing. unfortunatly, my closest 35mm / 70mm theater isnt screening death on the nile anytime soon, but I would love to see it on 70 because im sure the quality would look stunning. when seeing 2001 on 70mm, I found that the picture was not as detailed as the 4k, this could either be the projectionist not focusing the lens properly, or the 4k just looks amazing. since death on the nile is shot on fine grain film stock and has been printed with modern equipment, im sure the picture quality would look phenomenal! have a great day.

[@moviecollector5920]

If the reports are true about the filming of Death on the Nile then they used the finest Kodak film stock for the 65mm shoot. I do still have a few concerns about getting on a train to London but I feel we've got to do it because I don't want to miss another great large format film. You tend to only get one chance to see them but not always as in the case of 2001. I don't think the 4K disc is quite as good as some (Murder on the Orient Express, Tenet) but it is among the best. If you are seeing slightly more clarity in the disc to the 70mm print it might have been slightly off focus at the cinema but could also be the size differential. The smaller the screen, the sharper it will appear. Luke Ormsby's comment just before your own has explained the look of Dune and from what he's said it will be a general issue with everyone's systems so it wasn't the lamp failing in my video projector. The video noise I was seeing occasionally (that I didn't think I should mention in the review) was actually film grain as the video was transferred to 35mm and then back again. Definitely not suitable for IMAX cinema presentation then but they seem to have managed to pull the wool over patrons eyes yet again. John.

[@ClarkTeddles]

@@moviecollector5920 I was actually going to put that in my comment John, that dune was shot on 4.5k imax approved cameras, then put on 35mm film, then scanned. I just checked if any theaters in sydney are screening anything on 70mm, and nothing. but the Ritz does show some 70mm prints occasionally, but I have to drag one of my parents accross the whole town to get there.

[@MyFireVideos]

John, wonderful review! I just did a 30 minute analysis of this on my channel. I really wish the 4K had the expanded aspect ratio for the IMAX scenes like Nolan does. I suspect there will be another release in the future which I will happily double dip for since I enjoyed this movie so much. Another disc I'm disappointed doesn't open up for the IMAX shots is Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol. As per your question, I watched Dune 4K in Dolby Vision recently and, while dark, I did not feel like I was lacking any detail in the dark/worm scenes. It looked how I remember seeing it in IMAX. I am excited and nervous for part 2. Thanks for the great content!

[@moviecollector5920]

It wasn't an IMAX film so it was another one that was passed off as IMAX when it was nowhere near IMAX quality. I really don't understand how they're getting away with it. Amazing it looked as good as it did because I quickly learned, after putting this video up, that the video was transferred to 35mm and then back again to video to ensure it had the filmic look. Now I know that I think I'll be a little more impressed with it next time around because I thought all the grain was video noise owing to the low light levels! Whoops. There were a lot of comments about the dark nature (or not) of this film and many of us found the sandworm sequence and after too dark whereas others genuinely didn't. It turned out that commenters were able to confirm that they saw the movie in two or more different cinemas and one would be too dark and the other wasn't. Dune proved to be one of the most interesting conversations in the comments of anything I've done so far. John.

[@roman-cq1si]

absolutly loved it, watched it 4 times in cinemas in hamburg, great video :)

[@moviecollector5920]

It will be interesting to see how well the sequel does at the box office assuming that another pandemic doesn't come along to scupper things. It might do even better than this one. John.

[@dmitripopov8570]

John, hi!!! Your show room looks awesome!! Loving it!!! The lights and the color choice are splendid! Great review as always - very informative! I saw it in IMAX and like it. I still love the UK TV Show "Frank Herbert's Dune" the most - entire cast is simply supreme, Baron Harkonen especially - brutal, yet soo charismatic and fun to watch!!! The continuation of the story in "Frank Herbert's Children of Dune" with Susan Sarandon is in some instances even more fun! I highly recomend those two. They are more like a wonderful theatrical play. Wishing you, as always, the best of success! We will talk soon!

[@moviecollector5920]

I had completely forgotten about the television series Dmitri. I don't think I ever saw it but I expect I will now. Susan Sarandon is always good in everything she's in so that's an extra incentive. John.

[@andylikesstuffchannel]

Buying this today great review John 👍

[@moviecollector5920]

Hope it's not far too dark on your system too. Might be worth reading through a few of the comments just so you're fully prepared. Whatever, the sound is about as good as I've ever heard so it's still worth a punt. John.

[@andylikesstuffchannel]

@@moviecollector5920 yeah will do thanks

[@Spawnholio]

Last Night in Soho is an exceptional film! Can't wait for your review.😊

[@moviecollector5920]

And postie's just delivered it. I'll aim to get it watched and then put a review together at the weekend. John.

[@LennyNero2019]

It's kind of ridiculous, how first we had cropped 4:3 transfers, and after all these years of being told by the filmmakers, that widescreen is the way to go, it's their artistic vision, and going from a cropped 4:3 to wide-screen, and getting every TV, and even tablet, phone, laptop and monitor in widescreen shapes, some filmmakers decided, nah, I'm going to film it 4:3 again, because it's 'better', and now widescreen is 'cropped' from 4:3...🤦

[@moviecollector5920]

It is only due to the clarity and scale of 15/70 IMAX Lenny. Shooting in those aspect ratios on video is putting these lower quality productions onto those giant screens now despite not being genuine IMAX and film makers can't resist the opportunity. I'm still waiting for the return of Cinerama! John.

[@BeersAndBlurays]

Thanks for the review John. Il go and pick this up.

[@moviecollector5920]

Well done Lee and thank you. Just be prepared for it to be a little too dark in places and you should have a great time. If you can't see anything at times then just turn the volume up and forget about the picture because the sound is great! John.

[@CodyTheBear_]

I just got this on 4K. Your videos inspired me to get a 4k tv. Thank you

[@moviecollector5920]

Don't spend too much now you've got the equipment but the priority should be Murder On The Orient Express as it's the best video quality I've ever seen. The film is pretty darned good too which helps but may not be for younger audiences... as there's no superheroes in it! John.

[@markhempenstall5379]

Just arrived in post looking forward to watching it john

[@moviecollector5920]

Don't wear your sunglasses Mark or you won't see a thing!!! John.

[@jkoblivion4175]

Your reviews have the same effect of Spice. They enhance my understanding and make the movie rides more valuables. Always a fan of John.

[@moviecollector5920]

Thank you JK. Dune was a bit of a mixed bag on both my systems but slightly better on the telly than the video projector but I think that was largely down to the size differential. The sound is among the best I've heard though even if the image was a little too dark in places, particularly the sandworm sequence. John.

[@brewt1mer]

Disc of the year so far and it's going to be hard to beat

[@moviecollector5920]

It's such a shame that it's one of the worst 4Ks I've seen on my system. One day I may work out what is wrong but at one point I was thinking the projector lamp was on the way out. John.

[@adamATOM3]

I’m very interested in your review of last night in soho. I’ve heard mixed reviews but personally thought the trailers looked fantastic. I trust your reviews and it is no exaggeration to say I have purchased every disc you have recommended.

[@moviecollector5920]

You may have noticed that I didn't recommend Dune. I didn't want to be too negative about it because it may be that it appears better on other systems but it's the darkest home video i can ever remember and that means it's a bit difficult to watch. The sound is among the best, if not the best I've heard. So lower your expectations of the image quality if you do go for this one Adam. John.

[@adamATOM3]

@@moviecollector5920 funny story on that. I was watching Dune on my LG CX OLED and the last sequence was so dark for so long my TV, thinking the video was off, activated the screen saver and darkened it further.

[@moviecollector5920]

@@adamATOM3 I knew there were actors on screen because I could hear them!

[@krishnaprasath]

Great review Mr John 👍, I'm looking to get the Dune 4K Steelbook next month...

[@moviecollector5920]

There are several different steelbooks for Dune available Krishna and all of them look rather nice. John.

[@PlaytendoGuy]

Fantastic review on this John, I watched this on streaming a while ago an absolutely loved it as whilst it was slow it perfectly built this world up. Seriously can't wait for the sequel. Yeah I recently unboxed the Blu-ray and tried it out and it looks great on my 1080p but it's definitely a film for 4K. As for Last Night in Soho I absolutely loved that film and can't wait to hear your opinions on it, as the soundtrack, camera work and visuals are something special.

[@moviecollector5920]

Good to hear from you again Pete. I think I'd have been waxing lyrical about Dune if I could have seen it better. I'm not alone judging by all the comments on here but there is a sizable minority who didn't find their copy was too dark. I'm trying to find out if the pre-35mm transfer version of the 2K master video was used for the 3D release as it could be that that one is fine to look at. As for Last Night In Soho, it seems to be generating mixed opinions but I think I'm going to like it because i tend to appreciate good looking films whatever else happens. Don't know when we're going to give it a spin but it might be tomorrow evening. Hope you enjoy Ghostbusters Afterlife by the way. John.

[@JorisTheWise]

Dune is absolutely one of the treasures of 2021 I would say. I saw this one in Kinepolis Almere (the cinema where I work as the main projectionist) and I have to admit I was stunned by the audio and picture quality. Even the 3D version was bright (though the 3D effect was poor in this movie) but the Atmos soundtrack was perhaps the best one we had since we got Dolby Atmos fitted in our main auditorium (even though we can still run 35mm in three of our auditoriums we are just no longer getting the prints to run them). I hope to receive my copy soon from Zavvi so I can enjoy this movie again at home. If it is on the 4K blu-ray even half as impressive as on the big screen I will be a very happy fan. Thank you for this wonderful review. Ps. I can't wait for Death on the Nile, I am glad that Disney started to distribute more 4K DCP's of their movies the last couple of years and it even has an Atmos soundtrack so I guess it will be great on the eyes and ears if we can expect the same quality as Murder on the Orient Express which I bought thanks to your excellent review.

[@moviecollector5920]

I'm almost beginning to believe there are two different versions of Dune Joris because the majority of us saw The Black Hole Of Calcutta version. I wonder if it's possible there were two versions owing to the faux 3D copy and that has somehow been used to create brighter copies around the world and the version that had the 35mm jiggery pokery (that I wish I'd known about before doing the review!) is what most of us have had to suffer. I think I'd have really liked this film if I could have seen what was on screen a bit more easily. Whatever the truth, we're all agreed on the sound. There's a comment from a former projectionist just below your comment. He was the 70mm of Murder on the Orient Express at one our top cinemas over here (Bradford) and he reports that it was poor so I'm a little concerned that modern lab production methods are not using the old techniques to produce 70mm prints any longer. This could make me look like a bit of an idiot but I have to say that genuine IMAX prints over recent years have been better than anything else I've ever seen so I'll keep my fingers crossed for Death on the Nile. John.

[@aisback1990]

This was an excellent experience watching this in imax

[@moviecollector5920]

It's certainly not IMAX as we really know it Aisback but it was projected onto IMAX screens. I want to see Tenet at the BFI IMAX because a lot of that was shot in genuine IMAX and I can well imagine how good that will look on the 90 foot wide screen. I wouldn't want to see Dune projected on that screen because it's just too dark and the resolution is not up to the standard of genuine IMAX as it was shot 4K, transferred to 35mm and then transferred back. I wish I'd known that before I watched the film and recorded the review!!! Very interesting though and possibly unique methodology there. John.

[@aisback1990]

@@moviecollector5920 hi just to clarify I was talking about the experience itself. The Imax screen displays dolby vision which really helped with those darker scenes :)

[@ThierryRocksTV]

I loved seeing the film in cinemas with my friend and it introduced me to the Dune franchise as a whole! Glad I was finally able to get it on BluRay today :)

[@moviecollector5920]

I hope you've got the brighter version of the film Video Demon because I'm really beginning to think there are two versions out there. John.

[@ThierryRocksTV]

@@moviecollector5920 I got the standard BluRay version as I don't have a device which can play the 4K UHD discs.

[@scotthajney4127]

I didn't understand the bad reviews calling Dune a snore fest with little action and hard to follow. I rented the 4k anyways and was quite impressed as these reviews were opposite of my opinion. I guess most folks were thinking it was going to be another Star Wars

[@moviecollector5920]

I was expecting it to be much slower than it actually was Scott as the stories were great to read but difficult to re-interpret on screen. I think I'd have loved it if the image quality had have been good but alas, on my systems (both of them) among the worst I've seen owing to the darkness issue. It seems most of us have encountered the same thing, even in most of the cinemas but there are exceptions. John.

[@LeShark75]

I have Dune on the way for my Birthday in a couple of weeks, I really cant wait to see what this version has to offer.

[@moviecollector5920]

I just hope you can see it a little better than we did. With good picture quality I think this would have been a cracking film. As it is, the sound makes it enjoyable despite any problems you may have with the image. John.

[@millerman9991]

Ohhh I've been called out. I'm going to watch it tonight and I'm sure I'll share my thoughts on the transfer. I done a video a month ago on this movie when I bought it from Amazon Italy and I watched the first 15 minutes of it and I did mention that the picture looked very dark. Again I will definitely let u know. The sound is on another level. Thanks again John for such a fantastic video. Oh by the way the steelbook looks beautiful. Your getting sucked into my world.

[@moviecollector5920]

You and Mondo have a lot to answer for Keith! I was thinking I might have to call you tonight to insist you do a review for this because if anyone is going to correct me that the disc is actually good or okay, then it's you with your OLED and Dolby Vision. Some comments on here have said they could see everything fine so it's over to you. The sound is fabulous though and if it had have had a better picture I'd be impatient to go through it again to analyze how they made the sound so impressive but I have an idea the multitudinous sound effects coupled with the near constant Hans Zimmer score are the answer. I must have seen your video with the Amazon Italy purchase as I watch them all (including over four hours of a live stream with that bloke from up north!) but I don't recall it right now. John.

[@millerman9991]

@@moviecollector5920 I'm not going to lie John but from the 15 minutes that I have seen of this movie I will never call it's a demo worthy disc. But that's just going by 15 minutes so I will watch the rest tonight. Thank you so much for popping by and checking out me and Johns stream the other night. The two of us haven't stopped talking about it since we done it we really had a great time and we were saying we would love to get you on along with the two of us. How special would that be. If you have a couple of free minutes tomorrow night John please do give me a ring because I would like to hear how the move is working out for you and Susie

[@pascalveger6093]

Another great review thanks you. Saw IT last saterday on 4k blu-ray. Great Dolby atmos and good movie. I have the steelbook, here in the Netherlands there included also the 3d version but my oled can t do 3d but 4k with Dolby vision was also great

[@moviecollector5920]

Good to hear from you again Pascal. Luke Ormsby has put a great comment in a couple before your own and he's explained how Dune ended up looking how it did so it's apparently not a compatibility issue with my system. It must look fairly similar everywhere but more so here as I have all my equipment configured to replicate the look of film as closely as possible and that tends to mean darker than most people watch video. I'll have a play sometime to set it up to look like video and see if Dune looks any better. John.

[@LennyNero2019]

First of all, great backdrop, truly a theatrical atmosphere! Secondly, it's interesting that you mention the worm scene, because I remember thinking how horrible dark it looks, and complaining later on a review forum, joking that maybe they were hiding bad CGI in all that darkness - literally couldn't see anything, but the shape and some resemblance of spiked 'teeth', while in trailer and promo shots it was much brighter. So I was hoping it'd be better on disc, and was just a bad projection at the theater I was in. I didn't buy any of the three WWA steelbooks, or the digibook, as am waiting for a LE FilmArena release. Thirdly, Last Night in Soho was a disappointment, besides a couple of pretty shots of older London streets, it turned out to be a generic murder mystery. Steelbook looks ugly too, better art on the HMV First Edition, with nice character postcards.

[@moviecollector5920]

Most of us have found that Dune is too dark Lenny so we're not alone by any means. It turns out - and I wish I'd known this before I did the review - that the 4.5K video was transferred to 35mm film and then back again to get a realistic grain effect. I think this is where it went wrong but I can't know for sure. Apparently one of the cine transfers was at 2K so it's easy to see why the 4K disc is a bit of a mess. But the daylight scenes (the few of them there are) do have good definition so it's possible this will look better on some systems than others. As I have mine generally set a little darker than most I suppose I was a prime candidate to get a bad experience. I think I'd have really enjoyed the film with a rich, vibrant image. John.

[@stevenandnicola123]

Afternoon John hope you're well. I've just picked up the 4K of Dune, Amazon had it on offer for £19.99. I haven't watched the the film just had a quick look at the picture and sound. So far so good. Looking forward to watching the whole film.

[@moviecollector5920]

Let me know if the sandworm sequence about 25 minutes from the end is dark and then much of the remainder of the film Steve. So far it's about 60% report too dark and 40% okay to good. It was the same at cinemas from the accounts on here. John.

[@ElectricGeek]

Good review John and I’m pleased u didn’t pull punches with the video presentation as I feel exactly the same. It’s getting too much credit for being reference when it’s just not. The atmos soundtrack is phenomenal admittedly but the visuals are a bit underwhelming. The movie itself is great tho and the imagery/ production is excellent, just the presentation betrays it a little. Excited for part 2! I think u’ll have fun revisiting the 1984 one, especially after the darker tone of this version! Look forward to ur next video pal 👍

[@moviecollector5920]

I did really go through this one because it really did look fairly awful at times but there are some scenes where it actually rather good. I've had Keith at Euphoria check it on his television (an OLED) and he thinks that a lot of it is near the best you can see so it does seem to be presenting itself differently across our varying equipment and we've had it confirmed on here that it was the same in cinemas. Film used to vary but not this much. It is a shame though because I think I'd have been really taken with this new version of Dune but I do expect to enjoy it a lot more the second time around. John.

[@simonl2072]

I'm holding off just encase the IMAX version comes out. It made such a difference in the cinema.

[@moviecollector5920]

I expect it will be out sometime Simon but it might take a year or so. The 2.40:1 frame doesn't give any indication of cropping and that's due to the different frame heights being taken into account during the shoot. One of the worst image quality 4Ks so far on my system but I'll play with it again to see if I can brighten it up without making it too muddy. John.

[@simonl2072]

@@moviecollector5920 Thanks for the response. It's a shame as it looked great in the cinema for sharpness blended with dream like atmosphere. Without the extended height the impact of the rooms I imagine are reduced. I could be wrong but Imax enhanced is needed here to get the full substance of the film. The negative space made the world seem so much more enriched as I felt small as a viewer watching it.

[@moviecollector5920]

@@simonl2072 The 4K disc is certainly sharp enough - there's no question that the definition is good at all - it's just that it's so dark for much of it that the image quality isn't perceptible. It was evidently a deliberate choice to make it look like this but I feel that it was taken just a little too far. Others will disagree with me but all our home systems are different and it will look slightly less dark on some than others. Mine has surely got to be the darkest around because I try to make video look like film as closely as I can. John.

[@ColonelSternlove]

1st! What a film - the visuals in the film are worth the price of admission alone. Shame there is no IMAX scenes on the disc but otherwise wonderful transfer. I’ve never see the original - but I don’t think I need to after watching this masterpiece. Also - really liked Murder on the orient express - and you are right regarding the 4K transfer

[@moviecollector5920]

Funny thing is Clark, I think this is one of the worst quality 4K discs I've seen on my system so something's not translating correctly. But since doing the review I've analyzed that sandworm scene again and they have overly darkened it so perhaps it's just the home video version of the 4K video with the problem and it's been graded differently to the theatrical version. I do suspect Dolby Vision was prioritized so we could all be seeing varying quality from the same disc. John.

[@ColonelSternlove]

@@moviecollector5920 I watched this twice at the cinema - once on a imax and once on superscreen. Both looked incredible but slightly different. I think the transfer is slightly darker in places and the scene you’ve mentioned is clearly darker. This resembled the imax version to me. But at the very least - the sound design is insane!

[@moviecollector5920]

@@ColonelSternlove One commenter has suggested the 3D version may not have gone through the 35mm transfer and then back to video again so it's possible the 3D Blu-ray is brighter. Maybe for once, the 3D option is the way to go. But I'll play with my projector settings to see if I can improve how Dune looks and report back in a future video. John.

[@sandite26]

I think Dune 2021 is going to go down as one of the greatest films of all time. As long as "Part II" is firing on all cylinders like "Part I," a complete set with IMAX ratio (hopefully) will be a must-have for film lovers. "Part I" is just simply flawless. Villeneuve and Hans Zimmer made something truly special.

[@moviecollector5920]

i think I'd agree with you but for the rather drab (at times) image quality but that's down to the post production used. Maybe if part 2 does really well (given that we'll be out of the pandemic then) they'll go back to the original video and re-issue it without all the nonsense of transferring it to 35mm and back again. That should sort out the darkness issue and the lack of definition at times. Maybe then we'll have a classic on our hands. But it's not so disappointing to look at the second time around so I can see I'm going to really enjoy it when the times comes for a full second viewing. Glad that you really love it. I could be joining you in that sentiment in the future because I did feel that there was a great film in there trying to get out. John.

[@sandite26]

@@moviecollector5920 Hans Zimmer's score really enhanced into being greater than the sum of its parts for me. I thought I had heard that the "digital to film to digital" process was a practical approach to dealing with the ambient heat of filming in the desert, and attempting to achieve more of a film look, but I could be wrong. Nevertheless, your channel is the most detailed and educational source on this platform for understanding technical aspects of filmmaking, which I really appreciate. I'm curious to see your 65mm recommendations on my 4K screen in the future. Also, I'm curious what you would think of Steven Soderbergh's "Che" from 2008, as I understand he used a special new camera at the time for most of it. Criterion has a nice blu ray edition.

[@moviecollector5920]

@@sandite26 Thank you Sandie. Che has just gone on my list of discs to keep a lookout for. As for transferring a video to 35mm only to go back again, I think I'd have been banging my fist on the table if I'd have been a meeting about that. It was a valiant attempt to make Dune look like a film but it failed. If we'd have seen a major production like that at a premiere theatre in days gone by looking so comparatively poor I think I'd have complained to the manager. Having said this, the worst image quality I ever saw was Star Wars Attack of the Clones at the Odeon Leicester Square and it was so awful to look at that I spoke to the manager. He told me things he really shouldn't have but it confirmed all my suspicions. He said that I was the first complainant and that he couldn't believe it as the film had been on for a week or so. They thought they were going to be in serious trouble putting such image quality on at the premiere venue but George Lucas had insisted they video projected and he actually came over the check it out ahead of time. A 35mm print was coming for when the film went next door to the Odeon West End (Leicester Square Theatre) and he had us back as guests. It was better but I could tell the image quality was not there to start with. The summary of this is that the Star Wars film was an experiment to see if the industry could get away with screening lower quality at cinemas and it confirmed that they could. A few years later I stopped going to the West End cinemas unless I knew a film print was being screened. Video projection has improved today but it's still sub-standard most of the time compared to what I used to enjoy at the premiere cinemas. John.

[@mirvmn2]

Great review John :) Another new film that I have yet to watch and hopefully I will enjoy it since I like Dune (1984). But some people claims that it's very slow and I really hope that's not the case because I can't stand that type of films. I also hear that it's bit too dark and that's something that worries me.

[@moviecollector5920]

If we're all correct on here it seems like there are two different masters of the film out there because quite a percentage are definitely reporting there is no problem with the density. However, it is a bit of a slow film at times. I rather like that but it won't be for everyone. It's a great looking film at times it's just you can't always see it as well as you should. Apparently the 2K video master of the film was transferred to 35mm and then back again so that's where it most likely went wrong. Is the pre-transfer copy out there for use as a 3D master that has somehow found it's way onto the discs in some countries? I doubt it but I'm beginning to wonder. John.

[@nick1635]

I thought this was the best film I've seen in IMAX, I was riveted from start to finish and the entire cinema auditorium I was in was totally silent and engaged for the whole runtime which I find is extremely rare these days. I got the Zavvi exclusive steelbook and look forward to watching it at home again. I also got the Mad Max 1 - 4 collection, and Last Night In Soho which I really enjoyed. Re. Death on the Nile, I can't wait to see it, I have requested a day off work to watch it at Leicester Square in 70mm, or at the BFI IMAX if it is showing there - do you know which screen/auditorium is the better of the two?

[@moviecollector5920]

The BFI IMAX is 90 feet wide Nick but being a genuine IMAX cinema doesn't have masking. However, the projected image is so big that it doesn't really notice. The Odeon is about 54 feet wide but comes with masking, curtains and a fabulous auditorium. I think I'll be selecting the Odeon. Another thing to bear in mind is that I don't know of any 15/70 IMAX prints being struck so they may be video projecting and no one wants to see that when there's the chance of 70mm. Dune wasn't a genuine IMAX film and was in fact fairly low quality video. Having said this, it looked good in the daylight scenes, it was just graded down too dark to make it an easy watch. There do appear to have been two different versions out there though as some are reporting a good viewing experience such as yourself. I plan to play with all the settings on my video projector just for this film to see if I can brighten it up and colourize it a little. The sound saved the day for me otherwise I don't think I'd have enjoyed it much at all. Last Night In Soho arrived here today and the package is really nice. An extra fiver for a bit of cardboard really but what can you do?!? John.

[@nick1635]

@@moviecollector5920 Thanks very much for replying John, I appreciate it! I will book tickets for the Leicester Square Odeon then :) I have a few other things to do in London so we will make a nice day of it. I haven't ever seen a 70mm projection so can't wait, I must have seen the original Peter Ustinov classic at the very least 6 times. I look forward to seeing what Kenneth Branagh does with the script, if he will stick to a similar plot or add some new twists. His Murder on the Orient Express was beautifully shot and from the trailers Death on the Nile looks to be too. I got the Zavvi steelbook version of Last Night in Soho and the pre-release artwork was the really nice poster art, I do think it looks really good and was a bit disappointed when the artwork was changed to a different design, but now the steelbook has arrived the alternate cover art does also look good. I don't mind too much paying extra if the packaging is nice :)

[@cliveallsop2490]

Hi John, Will definitely be picking the 4k up this week, despite being a massive Sci fi fan, I've never been that bigger fan of the Lynch 1984 version and I don't really know why.

[@moviecollector5920]

Because it was an absolute bore Clive! But I'm prepared to give it a second chance after all these years so I may take a punt sometime soon. The sound on this new version makes it worthwhile. Not sure if the film itself will be your cup of tea because it may be that Dune is not suitable for a film. Often great literary works just don't transfer to the screen. John.

[@guspaz]

I missed out on seeing in a full-sized IMAX, though I'm not sure how much that matters as our local IMAX converted from 70mm to 2K digital (a huge downgrade in terms of sharpness and clarity/detail, at first I thought it was out of focus, but no, they had just switched from 70mm to 2K digital) and still hasn't gotten the new laser IMAX projectors. However, I did see it in a "converted IMAX", where they've taken a regular auditorium and put a much larger screen in it and marketed it as IMAX. For the night-time scenes, there was never a point where I couldn't see the detail, exactly, but I did find it to be way too dark and it if I could see the detail, it was at least difficult to see. I do have an OLED TV, but no UHD Bluray player, and the film is not yet on any of the streaming services in Canada (only for streaming rental). Perhaps if it ever comes to a streaming service here, I'll see how the dark scenes hold up with Dolby Vision. It was too dark in theatres, and it sounds like it's even worse at home from your experience. As for the audio, if you look at the back of the case, the DTS-HD is only listed for the Blu-Ray features section, and not the 4K UHD. That's why the DTS-HD logo is present. For the 4K UHD, it does have a Dolby Atmos/TrueHD soundtrack, from which you can downmix to 5.1, and it's a lossless format like DTS-HD, so it should offer you a better experience than basic Dolby Digital 5.1 even on a 5.1 system.

[@moviecollector5920]

Great comment Adam! I will give the Atmos soundtrack a try through my 5.1 and see if it's even better. Actually, it was so good already that I suspect I won't be able to discern any difference. As for the elusive DTS-HD, you are the first person to answer that one and there have been a lot of comments on here. If you fancy reading a volume of comments to fill the Encyclopaedia Britannica take a look through them. There has been a really interesting discussion and right at the start it was pointed out that the Dune master video was transferred to 35mm and back again so that appears to explain what went wrong. Some people are reporting that they saw a bright version of the film though so perhaps there really are two different masters out there. As for a genuine IMAX cinema not having genuine IMAX, might as well shut the bloody place! It's happening over here too so I suppose we'll just have to accept mediocrity on an enormous screen but video projection is getting better and better. Maybe the laser projector installation will get things back up to where they once were... one day. John.

[@NiceGuyAidey]

Great review as usual thanks, I can Confirm that in Dolby Vision it does still look Dark on my Oled and i have a decent Model by LG.. But the detail in the image is superb, especially in these dark scenes, There is one scene where Paul is in the dark, Mist and drizzle and you can still see the droplets on his hair, great disc imo

[@moviecollector5920]

It does seem to be better on your system than mine Aidey. I suppose I'm projecting to about 8.5 feet so that will lose some detail but I have looked at extensive sections again tonight and the definition is more variable than I realized. i thought it was just the dark grading affecting it but I now think it's that extra process that was apparently used to transfer the 2K master video to 35mm film and then back again to get the end product to look more like film. A valiant attempt but probably doomed to failure before they started. I just wish I'd known about it before recording my review. However this film looks on any of our systems, it's provoked a great discussion and I've learned quite a bit because of it. John.

[@danboy77]

I’ve been meaning to watch Dune but haven’t got around to it. I saw Bladerunner 2049 in 3d at imax Waterloo , a lot of people didn’t seem to appreciate the 3d but I enjoyed it. Another top review John!

[@moviecollector5920]

I think Denis Villeneuve is making his films darker than ever now. I always remembered Arrival as being colourless and dull to look at but he's taken it to new low levels with Dune. I think he's taken it a little too far but I'll play with the settings on the video projector and see what can be done before I really blow a gasket over it. Good to hear from you again Danny. I should have been with your for that visit to the BFI IMAX for the Blade Runner sequel. John.

[@MrMattMWH]

I've watched some of the "making off" videos and the Director made the deliberate choice not to photograph bright blue skies and golden sands. Wanting a more toned down "natural" look. That said the film on disk is darker on the disc than I remember from theatre presentation and the sound has definitely been remixed. The score was deafening in the scene where Duncan escapes in the ornthiphoter for example, on disc much more muted.

[@moviecollector5920]

It seems there were two different interpretations of the film in cinemas Matthew with some cinemas managing to punch enough light through the image and others looking as dark as the 4K disc. There have been many interesting comments so I have inadvertently started a rather major discussion about it on here. I didn't know the 4.5K video was transferred to 35mm film and back again before I recorded the revew and I wish I had have done because I think I'd have been able to use that to explain the muted, dark look. Oh well, you can't win 'em all. John.

[@leapingtortoise]

Excellent review. It's not out on disc here in Australia yet due to the theatrical release getting delayed with lockdowns. I'm interested in your comments on the audio vs the video. My tv screen is very sub-standard and doesn't support Dolby Vision. My brother-in-law has a big OLED which does have Dolby Vision. That said I have the much better sound system so we've been tossing up where to watch it: his place or mine. I was leaning towards my place for the superior sound (especially since it's a Zimmer score) and provided my screen isn't too dark I think your review had convinced me this is the right way to do it!

[@moviecollector5920]

If you go through some of the comments on here Aaron the majority are reporting that the film is too dark and was in fact too dark in the cinema. Others are on the opposite camp but I suspect that whatever you watch it on there are going to be some scenes that are difficult to see. The sound is the stand out factor so sod the picture, shut your eyes and enjoy the amazing surround sound! As for the remnants of the Covid-19 pandemic. Almost over here and you're only a few weeks behind so as long as nothing else comes along (Omicron BA-2 is another variant of Omicron but doesn't seem to be causing additional problems other than more people being infected and that's proving to be a good thing for herd immunity) then we should all be able to get back to the cinema very soon. Death on the Nile in 70mm beckons! John.

[@salthesicillian1752]

Nice job Jon!

[@moviecollector5920]

Nice comment Sal! John.

[@dominus519]

I got the Dutch / French orange steelbook including the 3d version as well. I am glad they didn't go the switching aspect ratio route. Either do a imax or do a 2:40. Since i like 2:40 more i don't care about the Imax shots. i got a jvc x7500 projector and i have to agree, some scene's are very dark, even a bit muddy. But thanks to my projector details were not lost. I liked the scene where they are standing in the dark and the door opens and the sun begins to shine. Wow, hdr at it's best!! Sound it realy good, but it's on par with many other reference discs i got like elysium, Private Ryan or Fury to name a few. Great release. Part two will be a blind buy as well...

[@moviecollector5920]

I too prefer the 'Scope frame but I expect we'll be offered a special edition soon which will include the the higher framed scenes in 1.78:1. It's all about money. I saw the first JVC D-ILA projector that was brought into Britain about 17 years ago and it was a revelation. Only HD back then of course but it was mightily impressive. My Optoma is a single DLP so not on a par with recent JVC machines so I'm coming over to watch Dune at your place!!! What I really liked about the sound was the way the music seemed to keep going and filled the room with sound the whole time. I've only ever screened Fury once but I remember it was terrific. I've only ever screened Elysium and Saving Private Ryan the once too and I can't really remember the sound in Elysium as it was that long ago. Saving Private Ryan was a Dolby Stereo demonstrator for dealers when it was first released on home video. John.

[@rhumash5977]

I watched it on Dolby 4k cinema and also on IMAX. The imax was great with the 3d, however the dolby 4k made the dark scenes appear much better than the Imax. The HDR made the difference. I haven't seen it on bluray yet

[@moviecollector5920]

There are a few people who are reporting no issues with the film being too dark at all. I don't know what the answer is but I'll try to find it. Keith at Euphoria Pictures has Dolby Vision and an OLED television so it's possible that combination is able to squeeze more from the video than other systems. How on earth they thought it was viable to put on in genuine IMAX theatres is a real mystery to me. It's not going to do the IMAX name much good in the long run. 3D is a different market I suppose as the glasses can disguise a myriad of inadequacies but they can also make great looking film quality look sub-standard. John.

[@Ahriman13]

@@moviecollector5920 I suspect that it's the Dolby vision and OLED that might be doing it. Since Dobly vision is a dynamic HDR and as the film goes along the brightness and contrast will adjust accordingly and the OLEDs are some of the best tvs on the market when it comes to blacks due the pixels being self illuminating thus requiring no back light.

[@moviecollector5920]

@@Ahriman13 Keith at Euphoria has commented to remind me that he looked at the opening 15 minutes of the copy of Dune in 4K that he imported from Italy and he felt it was too dark so we'll have to see what he thinks after a bit more of a study of it. Keith swears by his OLED with Dolby Vision so if it's a similar result on his then I think we can assume this disc has been mastered too dark for our home systems generally. Maybe not for everyone's home systems but the majority. John.

[@loftlegacy]

I watched in Dolby Vision and Atmos on a 4K TV and I was impressed, but had to have a fiddle with the Dolby Vision TV settings on the darker scenes. It was too dark until I had a tweak....then I was blinded when they went back into the desert! The sandworm details were fine by the way. The 1984 4K Arrow release of Dune great too, especially the interiors and black costumes. It was much needed as some of the old transfers are shocking, including the one doing the rounds on Amazon Prime and the worst of the lot being an unwatchable 1999 Castle release on DVD. I thought of you at the cinema at Saturday when I saw the "Death on the Nile" poster! (family trip to see Sing 2) Liking your new background sat infront of your screen! Best wishes, Dave

[@moviecollector5920]

Thanks Dave. There have been a variety of reports on the density of the new Dune but the majority report it being too dark. I'm going to have a fiddle to see if I can improve the situation but I will beware not to get blinded like you were! Apart from Gemini Man which is truly difficult for me to look at, I don't think i've seen another 4K disc that's been less impressive than this one but judging by all the evidence in the comments it is nothing to do with the 4K disc itself, it's just how the film was graded. The mess up appears to have been an attempt to introduce a genuine film look by transferring the 2K master video to 35mm and then back to 4K video. A worthy attempt but I think I'd have expected a bit of a botch up if I'd have been involved. Death on the Nile is surely going to lure me back to the cinema so I need to get planning a trip into the West End for that one. However, a former projectionist only today commented on here of the 70mm print they had at Bradford which wasn't even as good as the 4K video they had as stand by. He can't understand what had gone wrong but that's given me the nervous nellies. Having said all this, recent IMAX 70mm prints I've seen have been unsurpassed quality so I bloody well hope the labs get Death on the Nile right!!! John.

[@loftlegacy]

@@moviecollector5920 It surprises me why there isn't an appetite in theatres for some kind of quality mark for 4K screenings or at least publicise it. I'm not being funny, but most people go to the cinema just for entertainment but it would be useful if cinemas gave the specs of the screenings. IMDB says :ARRIRAW (4.5K) (source format) ; Digital Intermediate (4K) (master format) ;

[@foxyfoxtrot4233]

Been waiting for your views on this. I absolutely love everything about this movie. By the way the darker parts do actually look great on my Panasonic OLED but I do agree it is very dark. I would have liked a bit more light on the worm. The sound is amazing even on a normal 5.1 system, especially the scenes where they are "riding" the sandstorm.

[@moviecollector5920]

The image quality may not exactly be the best example of a 4K disc but the sound can literally be described as out of this world. I'd give it a second spin on that basis alone but now that I have been told how the lacklustre picture quality was achieved I may be able to clean it up a bit. Well, I can but hope! John.

[@paulallenMacca]

Hi what Panasonic tv do you have as i have the Panasonic FZ952 55 Inch.

[@moviecollector5920]

@@paulallenMacca I can't remember the model number now. Had it just over four years if that's any help. One thing that is probably a little different on both my systems (and I may have said this to you before so tell me to shut up if I'm repeating myself) is that setup all my equipment to try to replicate the look of film as closely as possible. That does tend to mean darker. But I have only come across one other title that was too dark and that was only one scene that I can recall and that was Terminator Dark Fate. That wasn't as dark as Dune though even for that one scene. From all the comments on here i currently suspect the transfer to 35mm and back again has caused a bit of an issue and no one wanted to admit it. Some cinemas do appear to have screened copies that weren''t too dark, or not as dark as others in any case. John.

[@foxyfoxtrot4233]

@@paulallenMacca I have the 2021 JZ1500 in 65" which is basically as good as it got last year and I did not adjust anything except opting for the Dolby Vision Dark variant as I'm watching in a very dark room anyway. I would agree that while it does look great, there are better discs to display what 4k can do. One of my favourite demo discs so far is Aquaman (as far as digital / modern looks go - for older movies I thought Apocalypse Now was quite amazing).

[@paulallenMacca]

@@foxyfoxtrot4233 Thanks for the info i thought the 4K quality of Vertigo was excellent.

[@paulallenMacca]

Thanks for sharing John,i was tempted in getting this Film on 4K i very seldom check the Blu Ray i just go aheads and watch the 4K,but i must start and do that.

[@moviecollector5920]

I only got into the Blu-ray checking syndrome because I was beginning to suspect that 4K was not all it was being sold as. My conclusion is that on our tiny home screens you can rarely tell the difference other than for HDR. And that is probably why it was invented! John.

[@paulallenMacca]

Hi John I agree I don’t think is too much of a difference in 4 K apart from the HDR I got Godzilla v Kong which I paid £25.00 for and didn’t the quality was that great.

[@moviecollector5920]

@@paulallenMacca Godzilla V Kong is another one that people rave over but I wonder if they're confusing the look of their video games with how a film should look. I shouldn't really say that though as there is little chance of me wanting to see that film so I haven't seen any of it at all yet but I do wonder about some of these films that get rave reviews and then I watch them and they're nothing that special. All our systems are different though and on some apparently even Murder on the Orient Express doesn't stand out as one of the best. I find that amazing but it's true. We never used to get this with film although there was variable quality in the prints of course. John.

[@paulallenMacca]

@@moviecollector5920 Yes that’s why I went out and bought it,I didn’t think the movie was too bad but I was expecting better quality for it being 4K.

[@danhardcastle]

Hi John - sorry to hear you're having issues with the PQ on this release - it's one of the very best I've ever seen! PS Thanks for recommending "The Nest" - it's an absolute belter.

[@moviecollector5920]

Thanks Dan. The Nest seems to be a love it or hate it film but we both seem to love it so that's alright then. As for the image quality on Dune it's been explained by Luke Ormsby in an earlier comment and I can see why it looks so comparatively poor now so I'll play with the settings sometime to see if I can clean it up. It is one of the worst I've seen so far but I do have everything setup to replicate the look of film and not video so I'll have to reverse that for this one film and keep a note in the tin to remind me next time I run it. John.

[@danhardcastle]

@@moviecollector5920 As I mentioned in another comments section, we were lucky enough to see it on the massive screen in Bradford (even though it's not a native IMAX presentation) and the picture quality on the 4K release (on Dolby Vision capable LG OLED) is a very close approximation of what we saw during that showing - none of the issues with excessive darkness that you are encountering.

[@moviecollector5920]

@@danhardcastle Thanks for confirming that Dan. No doubt you'll be looking more closely the next time you watch it given the discussion we've had. Dolby Vision and OLED does seem to reduce the effects of the overall dark imagery so your combination is probably closest to a current 4K cinema video projector. John.

[@danhardcastle]

@@moviecollector5920 I'm looking forward to your review of "Last Night in Soho" - certainly my least favourite of Edgar Wright's movies thus far but still a very good film - the evocation of swinging London is wonderful. You've got me wondering if one of those large prints of "Death on the Nile" will make its way up North! It's a bit of a journey to get there but we have relatives in the vicinity and it's a measure more convenient than getting to Leicester Square!

[@moviecollector5920]

@@danhardcastle I'll take a look and see if I can find out. Stand by.

[@Dr.KurtAffair_ActingGuru]

Sting pulling the chest plug on Charles Durning Lite is forever engrained in my fraught nemory.

[@moviecollector5920]

I haven't watched the original version of Dune since it's theatrical outing. I do fancy giving it another go even though I really didn't like it back in the day. John.

[@C4rL72]

Just bought Dune 4K today not seen it yet but wanted to revisit this review , hope your well John

[@moviecollector5920]

I had another look at that 4K disc a few days ago Carl and because I was ready for the rather dull or muted image quality it didn't come across quite as bad as it did the first time around. I only skipped through a few sections though and didn't look at the almost blacked out sandworm sequence about 25 minutes from the end. See how you get on with it. John.

[@timothyj.wright5833]

I haven’t seen it on disc or in theaters, but watching Dune on HBO produced that same darkness you’re talking about. I liked the movie, and yeah the sound was just unreal, but I was disappointed with how dark things were compared with how I thought it would look from the trailers I’d seen. Might get the 4K someday, but might just wait until both films are available.

[@moviecollector5920]

It's been an interesting discussion on her Timothy but the majority are reporting the film to be too dark. I suspect it's even darker on my system than most because of the way I try to replicate the look of film. Perhaps the trailers were done from the original 4.5K video before all the messing about transferring it to 35mm and back again to get realistic film grain (I wish I'd known about that before doing the review!) but I think that is where the image has gotten messed up. Maybe I'll find out for sure one day. John.

[@andrewholt5659]

Another excellent review. I will buy this and see what the Dolby Vision looks like via my Oppo 205 and LG OLED C1.

[@moviecollector5920]

I went through much of it again last night Andrew and now I'm over the disappointment of the rather underwhelming image quality I can see a better and more enjoyable film in there. So as long as you're prepared for the image to be a little lacklustre at times you should be in for a good screening. It might look better on your system anyway so you could be in for a great time. John.

[@MattVs_Movies]

I have just received the 4K and 3D disc and I have to say I prefer the 3D version. The DTS English soundtrack is epic, heavy on bass not as atmospheric as the 4k but honestly I think it's the better mix imo. Incredible visual depth as well just overall giving a fantastic home experience, don't get me wrong the 4K looks and sounds great but the 3D just tops this on both counts for me.

[@moviecollector5920]

Greetings Matt. It's been suggested that possibly the 3D version was done before all the jiggery pokery with 35mm to get the authentic film grain look into the finished product. I wish I knew about all this before I did the review as I might have nailed what is wrong with the image quality on the 4K. As it is I'll play with all the video projector settings to see if I can correct it as much as possible. That will mess up every other disc of course so I won't be able to leave it on the 'Dune' settings. Great sound on the Dolby Digital 5.1. Some have reported that the Dolby Atmos isn't as good as some so perhaps the 5.1 has the edge in some respects. John.

[@philipgranger6918]

I really enjoy your videos, and I always look forward to new ones . I love how you have combined 35 mm with 8 mm , and digital in your home theatre. Just one question, you seem to have skipped 16 mm, was that intentional, or did it just not happen for you? I grew up with 16 mm and 8 mm, it was a great time in my life during the Seventies.

[@moviecollector5920]

I do have 16mm but I never really got into that gauge. It takes up too much space really but I was prepared to accept a few 35mm features and trailers and accept that I wouldn't be able to get too many. 35mm is just a bit of fun and a bit of a cinema lover's dream really. I can't fit any of the film projectors in the new home cinema yet as I wasn't expecting to have to put the video projector where it is - I'd planned on siting the 35mm there. But I'll get it all sorted eventually. John.

[@MartinPearman]

Have to whole heartedly agree with your review. I watched the 4K disc on my OLED on Friday just gone. DV didn’t add much to the image in dark scenes and it seemed very crushed in the deep shadow areas. Like yours the sandworm scene looked very dark. I didn’t catch it in cinemas so I don’t know if it’s the way it looked there or if this is a botched disc. The sound is outstanding. So there is that.

[@moviecollector5920]

We're in complete agreement Martin. As for cinemas, varying reports but most seem to be saying the same as the 4K disc experience - some cinemas were too dark and others were fine. Are there two versions of the film out there? John.

[@MartinPearman]

@@moviecollector5920 not really sure if there are multiple versions with different gradings. Weirdly it felt like they filmed the scene in daylight and the post processed the shots to look like night/early morning dusk. A very weird aesthetic choice. As you pointed out Denis does love that washed out almost flat aesthetic. His DP Greig Fraser did Star Wars Rouge One and that films aesthetic (while natural) is still quite a colourful film. It’s certainly Denis who is pushing for the muted tones and flatter almost anti HDR look. As the other two films you pointed to ( Arrival & BR2049) both had different DPs. For me Denis best looking film is Sicario on 4K. It’s a beautiful film and while some shots are dark it’s more down to the use of natural light look to add that sense of realism.

[@letsgettaco]

Although it was shot digitally, it was then transferred onto film and the digital intermediate take from the film.

[@moviecollector5920]

Luke Ormsby told me of that a few comments back too. That may be a unique way to try to make a video look like a film so it deserves a second look on that basis alone. It does explain why it's ended up too dark on my system though as that's setup to replicate the look of film which predominantly means darker. I was caught out this time. John.

[@jebo4jc]

I'm waiting for a night when a couple of my friends can come join me to watch it, but I had the foresight to scan through the disc a bit to make sure we'll have an enjoyable experience. I noticed right away I was missing a lot of detail in the dark scenes. I thought my projector bulb was burning out. I fiddled a bit with the HDR Optimizer settings on my Panasonic 4k player. I am now using it to tone map HDR discs to an SDR signal for my projector. Using this method, we will at least be able to see what's going on in the dark scenes. Apparently feeding an HDR signal to my projector was resulting in dark scenes being too muddy. I'm concerned bright scenes may now be blown out, however. I don't know. I'll have to watch the movie to be sure.

[@moviecollector5920]

I'm going to have a play with my system too Jeremy so perhaps between us we'll get these dark copies of Dune (I'm almost seriously wondering if there are two versions out there - the light side and the dark side!) into a watchable form. But I have been through all this before because of one dark scene in Terminator Dark Fate and it wasn't possible to do too much and what I did messed every other scene up and every other film up. So back to where I was rather quickly. Whatever the truth of all this, it's been an interesting discussion. One thing we all seem to be agreed on is that the sound on Dune is fabulous. John.

[@steewith2ees14]

I am only set up for 1080p - its an older television but with superb passive 3D and while I cannot claim the same level of technical knowledge as the presenter of this superb video I am a middle age cinema pedant with a 3rd film collection, having gone from VHS to DVD and finally BD and lucky enough to live within 10miles of an omniplex with an IMAX auditorium. I know a great looking home video when I see one and while the UHD version is undoubtedly superior I have just bought the BD today, having seen it twice in IMAX. It looked beautiful, with the darker scenes still as clear to follow as I found them at the cinema and will do nicely, especially knowing that if I am lucky enough to be alive in 5 years I will have the opportunity to re - discover the film on 4K. While it is just my own opinion I feel the 1080p BD got a bit of a bum rap in this video. The Dolby Atmos soundtrack is also always great IMO, a standard for alot the big WB releases now.

[@moviecollector5920]

I took a second look the other evening and having got over the bad impression it gave me on the first viewing, it wasn't so disappointing the second time around. It is one of the poorer 4K discs on my system though and I can see why that is now I know about the jiggery pokery to 35mm and back again. I thought the film grain visible occasionally was video noise but thankfully I didn't mention it and that was because I was concerned I would make the picture sound truly awful, which it isn't but it's not really up to standard. Some have reported a good cinema visit for this one while others report the dark image quality problems. One or two saw the film multiple times in different cinemas and while it looked good in one it was poor in the other. I have been wondering if there were two copies of the video doing the rounds at cinemas with the 3D version perhaps being fabricated from the original 2K master prior to the transfer to 35mm but it now seems that was not the case. I'm sure the film will be a lot more enjoyable the next time I watch it but when I'm watching a 4K disc for a review video I'm hoping there won't be anything too disastrous to report. This was good in places but then a little soft in places which was in part due to the dark nature of much of it. When that sandworm sequence appeared 25 mins from the end I thought the lamp was on the way out! And I'm not the only one on here to say that. Something went a bit awry in post production and I strongly suspect it was the transfer to 35mm and back again which was a valiant attempt to make the end product look like film but doesn't appear to have been overly successful. By the way, one commenter has suggested the Blu-ray is better than the 4K because it's not so dark. It looked too muddy to me but I can understand the logic. John.

[@ItsTimePictures]

I saw the film theatrically and did like it. I picked a cinema that would be bright enough knowing that there would be some dark scenes. For me the David Lynch film is a superior effort. While it certainly has numerous flaws what the film did do well was explain the motivations of the characters, in particular the villains. The newer version fails at that and everyone I know unfamiliar with the story complained about it. In fact I don’t know anyone who liked the film who was unfamiliar with the novels or prior film. On the hole I feel the Lynch film is a better experience, especially the longer fan cut that utilizes numerous deleted scenes featured on the DVD. The best fan cut even had completed special effects from the fan editor. It’s only 480i anamorphic resolution but what he achieved is truly astounding. It’s a shame he won’t go back and re-create it in high deaf. He said it was just too time consuming to do all over again.

[@moviecollector5920]

There are some clever people out there. If he was to volunteer to redo his 'fan cut' in HD I wonder if the outtakes have been released in HD or if they're still SD even if they've made it through to the latest disc release. I know how long video editing and special effects can take so the chap deserves all the plaudits for doing what he's done. I haven't seen it since 1984 but I suspect I will finally give it another chance. As for the villains in the new version, I was going through much of the disc again last night and having got over the disappointment of the comparatively poor image quality I found I was enjoying it much more. There is some exposition near the start where the villains do actually explain in cryptic from that the whole evacuation and handover thing is a setup by the Emperor. Josh Brolin's character also suggests that all is not as it seems. But I do find that modern film makers often don't realize that before an audience knows what a film is all about they are not going to pick up on little details like this. I didn't. And because I haven't had anything to do with Dune since 'Heretics of Dune' I could barely remember a thing about any of it. Funny thing is, that I can remember the whole Asimov Foundation saga in detail so I hope the creators of the new Foundation series made for a streaming channel haven't tried to follow the books too much because for people who don't know the books, I can't see how it would work on screen. It might be an absolute bore for all but fans of the books. John.

[@stevenandnicola123]

Afternoon John. Looks like I'll down another £25! Looking forward to seeing it.

[@moviecollector5920]

I think it's a very good film but not for everybody perhaps. i think you need to be a science fiction aficionado to get the most out of it but just be prepared that the image quality is not really up to standard for some of it. Not only has the whole post production dulled it down too much but it is a bit soft at times too. The video noise which I didn't mention for fearing of sounding too negative, is actually film grain. The video master was transferred to 35mm and back again to get the filmic look... but possibly not the biggest success in cinema history! John.

[@pete49327]

First time viewing one of your videos, excellent, got yourself a new subscriber. BTW, I noticed your Sony player and on my brand new Sony 4k blu ray player, when playing a disc with Dolby Vision, I have to manually set the playback to Dolby Vision in settings, as the player defaults to HDR for all HDR/Dobly 4k discs and will not auto detect a Dolby Vision disc.

[@moviecollector5920]

Good to have you here Pete. Both of my 4K players are actually Panasonic and do not have the option of Dolby Vision as they're too old. But thank you for the tip there that Dolby Vision is having to be selected manually which once you're prepared for it would not be a problem. There are many foibles like this I've had to get used to over the years. Keep an eye out for a Dune review from Keith at Euphoria Pictures as he has an OLED and Dolby Vision so we will get clarification there on why only a few of us are not experiencing near blacked out imagery on Dune for some scenes. John.

[@pete49327]

@@moviecollector5920 FWIW, my player is the Sony ubp x-700. Other than the unit not auto going into DolbyVision mode when playing such disc, I love it and it has played discs from DVD to 4k flawlessly. Got in on sale at Amazon recently for $148...it fluctuates past few weeks between 148 and 198, used to be 248, great deal imo.

[@iamsheep]

I think its actually set 18000 years into the future, because the books called it 10191AG, which means After Guild (spacing guild).

[@moviecollector5920]

I think mankind would need at least another 10,000 years to get to that sort of level of technology! But why on earth they're using swords when they've got all those amazing weapons remains a mystery. Just wish I could remember the answer from having read the books all those years ago. John.

[@iamsheep]

@@moviecollector5920 The technology is complicated, because they the AG part was after a holy war called the Butlerian Jihad fought between people against those who controlled AI tech which enslaved mankind. The result of this jihad was that all AI and computing technology was banned. This meant that faster than light space travel was unsafe, until spice was discovered which allowed heavy users foresee the safe paths to navigate. The swords are visually explained in the movie because of shield technology. Any fast projectile weapon is stopped by the shields, and lasers would result in a nuclear explosion that kills the shooter and the target. This meant that warfare changed to hand to hand combat. In the novel, the Baron used long unused bomb technology which slows penetrated the shells as shown in the attack scene.

[@moviecollector5920]

@@iamsheep I realized the swords were something to do with the personal shields but it does make it all a little hard to explain in a film without a load of boring exposition through dialogue. Books like this are difficult to translate to the screen. If the sequel does get made I hope someone puts their foot down and insists the grading is less dense and the colour more vibrant because a better image combined with the quality of sound from this film and it could be something very special indeed. John.

[@ManCave1972]

I haven’t watched it yet- I need the time to do it properly and in one sitting. I’m amazed it took that much money considering it came out in the thick of Covid. I wonder what will become of cinema? Marvel and Disney franchises aside, can studios possibly justify the $200m price tag of so many movies when audiences might have been decimated forever. Thanks for another good review.

[@moviecollector5920]

The Bond 'No Time To Die' took almost $1Bn so there is still an audience out there. Fewer surviving cinemas might help those that remain to keep going and where there's life there's a chance. Dune probably turned a bit of a profit but if not, I'm sure it's going to be a big earner on the home movie and steaming markets. Apparently the sequel is already confirmed so there's life in the old dog yet. As for the big price tags to make a good film, The Nest surely proves you don't need massive blockbusters to make good movies. That's not a film for everyone but I don't think anyone could deny the expertise of the film makers and all the actors involved. John.

[@darkvader7231]

I could never get into that 1984 version of Dune and kept falling asleep so abandoned it after 3 tries. Will give this one a go when its on sky or netflix. Just purchased the two Tom Holland spiderman 4k movies at half price and pre ordered no way home all from hmv. Your cinema looks so good, makes a fantastic backdrop!!

[@moviecollector5920]

The 1984 film is the only time I have ever fallen asleep in a cinema. Funny thing is that's I'd probably enjoy it now and I do fancy seeing it again so this remake has enthused me even though I couldn't see what was going on some of the time. I knew there were actors on the screen because I could hear them! I just purchased the second of the Tom Holland Spider-Man films half price from HMV. We're two of a kind! Can't wait to see Tobey Maguire back in the role and I hope they make a full Spider-Man film with him again as a result but don't overdo the computer effects like they did a bit in Spider-Man 3. John.

[@darkvader7231]

@@moviecollector5920 😁😁 Yes, we are two of a kind!! Glad I wasn't the only one who fell asleep in the 1984 version. I wanted to buy the tom holland trilogy box set but it was so expensive that buying the 2 at half price (£9.99 each) and no way home on pre order at £25 still worked out much cheaper than the boxed trilogy set!

[@grahambird4135]

Fabulous picture loved it in the cinema. Great news about the 70mm prints for Nile or is it? When Orient Express came out few years back Pictureville in Bradford received a 70mm print, I was so excited to see it but was hugely disappointed by the projected result, I mentioned it to the projectionist on duty that night an old projection colleague…. he agreed the quality was not brilliant, let’s run the 4K digital and compare he said, we did and straight away so it was fresh in our minds the 4K blew the 70mm away no comparison, why was that, the 70 just seemed sub standard had it come from a digital master as opposed to a 65mm neg, I don’t know but it was poor, I’m not holding my breath for the 70mm Nile print I fear it will be the same?

[@moviecollector5920]

Gawd, that sounds like a bit of a disaster. The IMAX 70mm prints I've seen in more recent years have put video projection into the shade so something went wrong with Murder on the Orient Express. There could be other reasons why it didn't project well but I won't need to mention those to you having been a projectionist. 4K video doesn't quite equate to 35mm really which I think the 6K transfer of Jaws proved. Given that 35mm roughly equates to 5.6K then 70mm is about 15K so maybe the 70mm prints were taken from the 4K video. I hope they've struck Death on the Nile from the original camera negative if that was the case. John.

[@bobswanson8464]

Thanks for the Review, been trying to buy a Copy of the 4K, but it has been sold out in all the stores, will order it online. My wife has never read or seen Dune before, so she watch the movie in the theater last year. She was disappointed in were the movie end, truly stopping a movie right in the middle. So, you can imagine how frustrated she was in only seeing 1/2 a movie. So, I got the 1984 Dune and watched it with her. She agreed most of the FX were very good for the year 1984, but there were a few scenes that were 100% bad FX. She, thought the casting was well done over all...except for Sting. And, she enjoyed that she could watch the entire movie in one setting. -I saw 1984 Dune in the theater and have watched it on TV a few times. The 4K is awesome, but makes the Good FX look Great, but the 1984 FX Weakness look Terrible...I accept that as what it was for the times. Hope you get to see "Murder on the Nile" in 70mm, would love to hear your review on that. I am SO looking forward to the Nile movie.

[@moviecollector5920]

I think I'd have loved this latest version of Dune if I could have seen it properly all the way through. It seems there was a transfer to 35mm and back again so that's probably where it all got messed up. But some people report that their cinema viewing was good (others found it too dark so even modern cinema projectors vary) and most report the same problem as I with the 4K disc but there are some who think it's very good. Is it possible there are two different versions of the film out there? John.

[@samuraispiritsx]

Just watched it today on my dads 5.1 setup, it was good. I really love the art direction for this movie. The picture was a bit dark, I wish this was the IMAX version. We have the 84 movie on 4K, going to watch that tomorrow.

[@moviecollector5920]

It only had the IMAX dimensions for some shots Samura but was not a genuine IMAX film as it was shot on 4.5K video that was apparently then downscaled to 2K for the special effects (don't know that for certain though), then transferred to 35mm and back again to video to give it a more natural filmic look. That's 35mm transfer is probably why it's a little too soft in places and far too dark in some places too. It's not so disappointing the second time around so I expect being prepared to be a little underwhelmed by the image quality is going to mean I'm able to just enjoy the film next time I give it a spin. I would have liked to have seen some of the taller aspect ratio scenes in 1.78:1 too though. A bit of a pain in the neck with a proper home cinema as it means the masking has to be left fully open but I can live with that. John.

[@thelookuplookdown]

Not as in love with Denis Villeneuve as many others (though he is fine director), but"DUNE" was impressive. Do watch the David Lynch version, problematic yes, probably a bit dated, especially with the special effects, but it is a guilty pleasure of mine. Thank you for another terrific review! Michael - SA.

[@moviecollector5920]

i do fancy watching the 1984 version again Michael. I thought it was terrible back then but I suspect it's aged well and will prove to be an interesting view now. I never saw the television series so that might be worth looking for too, particularly as Susan Sarandon is one of the stars as she's good in everything. John.

[@williamjackson6705]

Great review of a great movie. My only complaint is I didn`t get to see a Third Stage Guild Navigator. I`ve liked all the versions of Dune though some were limited by the technologies at hand. I think Stellan Skarsgard is My favorite Baron. Not cartoonish at all & he seems to be channeling Brando`s Colonel Kurtz. He comes across as pure evil.

[@moviecollector5920]

Stellan Skarsgard is good in everything. Even if you put a fat suit on him! John.

[@jefffan171]

3:20 not sure if the comments highlighted this already but IMAX themselves are the issue not the director. IMAX have pulled their licence at the moment for all home video releases of content. So either separate releases like DTS audio Laserdisc and DVD or (and more likely) exclusive stream only contracts like they've done with Disney. Meaning we could lose IMAX on Disc, which would be a massive blow to the format of 4k physical

[@moviecollector5920]

Oh, that's a terrible shame. IMAX do seem to be committing hari kari at the moment. Then again, maybe someone's taken over who wants to put the quality back into the name and perhaps Dune was the catalyst because I think it's among the worst 4K discs I've seen here for image quality. That's owing to the overly dark grading of course, the sound is among the best I've heard which makes it alright in my book. John.

[@jefffan171]

@@moviecollector5920 not sure either. My guess is they want more branded recognition for the masses as they started a home project under IMAX enhanced, which felt (to me personally) as a new THX product... buy an IMAX Enhanced TV, AVR, Speakers that can support "full range" audio as IMAX has no .1 channel and then play your IMAX enhanced disc. Well since 2018 about 6 movies ever came with "scenes" to take advantage with IMAX always saying ummmm... "more will be coming" so at end of the day its a niche of a niche with only small numbers adopted 4k UHD discs and players, then how many people are going to spend again to support IMAX enhanced? So dumping the content on Disney + could be a quick money grab or... (my theory here) keep content held back and have the stream rights to have your own "premium" content with high, high data like Bravia Core in the US. 80mbs is lower than UHD Disc but if you can stream "all" the images from IMAX @$12.99 per month? Is that what might be next? I don't know? But it's very sad all these companies want to stream platforms robbing passionate people who still pay at the cinema, buy the gear for the best and it goes elsewhere under stream locks. I don't have patience or money to rent the content forever. I got into this from Laserdisc, so I go back a while. And yes... it was always a niche, yes it was expensive but it was what wanted. I would have worried if all the bonus footage and wide-screen aspect ratios was on the VHS version and not allowed on the best I could afford. I hope the IMAX editions of Dune, Marvel and other studios find a way on to disc? New Top Gun is out this year and want to see it IMAX as may never get another chance, unless I sign to Paramount +? Well... I won't be lol 😆. So fingers crossed, I can buy it and own the physical. Great video John and thank you again for your quick response and time to read the comments. Thumbs up, as always take care

[@burnsZY85]

Watching it on my lg cx it looked amazing, some scenes were a bit dark but still looked brilliant, will defintley watch it again to get more of the story.

[@moviecollector5920]

Good idea Chris. I'll come over to enjoy it with you... and hopefully see all the bits I can't see on either of my systems. Then again, maybe I should have taken my sunglasses off before watching it!!! John.

[@TerminatorJuice]

I agree with you that Dune has amazing sound design, and there are a few of the scenes in the movie that represent the best example of what Dolby Atmos brings to the table for watching movies at home! It truly is breathtaking! And I watched Dune on my Sony 1080p projector via HBO Max, 4K Blu-ray, and HD Bluray and I had absolutely no issue with any part of the movie being "too dark", so I don't know what to tell you about what you experienced... Have you ever adjusted the brightness and contrast of your projector using test images??? I'm just reaching here, but maybe look to see if there are any setup tips out there for your model of projector. Cheers

[@moviecollector5920]

Thanks Terminator. It seems that the majority of us have had the too dark issue so there's got to be an explanation why some people don't experience it. Dolby Vision and an OLED television perhaps. I do have all my equipment setup to replicate the look of film as closely as possible so that could be a partial factor. I plan to have a play and may report an update in a future video. I think I see another comment from you so I'll get to that shortly. John.

[@TerminatorJuice]

@@moviecollector5920 When I get home from work I'll watch that second sandworm scene in my living room on my OLED TV with Dolby Vision, and then revisit it on my 1080p SDR projector to compare, but I definitely didn't feel I was missing out on any detail in the previous 3 times that I watched it... Also, maybe the fact that you seen how that sandworm looked before they dramatically changed the lighting of that scene in post, could possibly be adding to your disappointment with how it looks in the movie???

[@moviecollector5920]

@@TerminatorJuice For sure it made it obvious that the curve had been toned down too much. But the fact that it was shown off in the extras suggested they were proud of how it looked but the scenes around it were darkened so much that I presume they couldn't include it as originally intended as it would have jarred with the dark scenes around it. A bit of a mess really but you may be able to confirm it's more acceptable on your OLED/Dolby Vision system.

[@TerminatorJuice]

@@moviecollector5920 What I'll do is record some off screen footage of that scene on my OLED and describe what I'm seeing, and then upload that as a unlisted video, and share the link with you here.

[@moviecollector5920]

@@TerminatorJuice That'll be great. I'll have to include an update of all this in a future video because there has been some great discussion. Most have the same conclusion as me and that is the image is too dark but all our systems are different so we all need to take that into account. Even cinemas now have varying equipment with around 50% still projecting 2K video - often through knackered video projectors.

[@ClarkTeddles]

Dune in 4k has just come up for pre order here in australia about 4 hours ago, so I purchased the 4k steelbook (not the same one featured in this video), its the golden/yellow one of the main actor on the cover on top of a dune. Can't wait to see this in 4k, I heard the sound is brilliant. real shame there are no imax sequences that they put in 16:9

[@moviecollector5920]

Morning Clark... or 'evening' as you're way the hell down there! Apparently IMAX are no longer permitting IMAX sequences on disc. I don't know if that's true yet but it could explain things. I suspect they'll make an exception for Christopher Nolan productions though. John.

[@ClarkTeddles]

@@moviecollector5920 I certainly hope they make an exception to Nolan, otherwise that will be very dissapointing. I have some toast with a cup of tea at the moment, I'm thinking about what movie to watch.

[@3D_Blu-ray_Bunker]

Clark, the picture on your steelbook is massively more representative of the film than the one on John's: That photo makes it look like a bright world with blue skies (which, if I was feeling uncharitable, I'd describe as extremely deceptive marketing!) rather than the sepia tinted world yours depicts. To paraphrase Spinal Tap: "How much more brown could this movie be? None. None more brown!"

[@ClarkTeddles]

@@3D_Blu-ray_Bunker I do think that Johns steelbook is a lot nicer than the terrible looking standard edition, looks so cliche because almost every other blockbuster poster looks almost the same.

[@3D_Blu-ray_Bunker]

@@ClarkTeddles Agree: I *hate* those awful "floating heads" pictures!

[@windvale]

Can I ask - what 4K projector are you using ? Thanks for the great videos, and keep up the good work !

[@moviecollector5920]

Optoma UHD550X. Not had anything this dark on it previously Windvale but thankfully it's the disc and not the lamp about to blow! One scene in Terminator Dark Fate had a similar issue but it wasn't this bad. And it looks the same on our television so it's a more general issue as the comments on here have largely confirmed. John.

[@windvale]

@@moviecollector5920 Thanks ! God bless !

[@justchilling4491]

I’m going to watch this movie for the first time today I’ve resisted not seeing until now, it should be really good on 4k blu ray

[@moviecollector5920]

Be prepared for the image to be too dark in places and then you shouldn't be disappointed - not least because the sound is so good. John.

[@andrewstagg4395]

The picture in Dune did get quite dark so I changed the picture quality setting from dark to lighter and the picture looks much better, so it's probably to do with the 4k player or the picture settings. My first Blu-ray player is 11 year's old Phillips 2000 series and the picture quality is excellent especially with DVD's but has always had problems with some Blu-ray brands. The Thing on 4k picture quality is quite good so I assume it could be a case of changing picture settings.

[@moviecollector5920]

I went through all that here too Andrew but it just made the image too muddy and was better looking overall so I just put up with the dark sequences. By the time the almost blacked out sandworm appeared I began to suspect the lamp in my projector was on the way out. The next ten minutes or so was overly grey and it looked similar on my television. The Blu-ray was the same. Oh well, they can't all look as good as Murder on the Orient Express! John.

[@andrewstagg4395]

Hi John I watched the 4k version of DUNE and I really enjoyed it plus I'm going to watch the Blu-ray this week. I wish I watched Dune at the cinema but with covid and having Asthma it wasn't worth it. You mentioned that you're going to watch the David Lynch version and it's an enjoyable movie but it is one hour short which you can blame the investors or the producer's for that.

[@moviecollector5920]

I ran quite a bit of the new version of Dune a second time and it's better second time around because I'd got over the disappointment of the comparatively poor image quality. Such a shame it doesn't look better because I think it would have long term popularity if it looked as good as films used to look. Oh well, you can't win 'em all. I did enjoy it more than the 1984 version but I'm prepared to give that one another go now as I suspect I'll actually really like that one almost 40 years later! John.

[@C4rL72]

Thanks John, Ive never seen Dune, Ive got the Blu-ray OG version but not had chance to view it so Im looking forward to that and the new Dune version in 4k. As a side not , I recently bought BenHur Blur-ray ( no 4k that I know of ) and its stunning , absolute stunning PQ and Audio, might be worth a check regards Carl.

[@moviecollector5920]

Be prepared for Dune to be a little muted and too dark and you should enjoy it Carl. It's not an action blockbuster and may come across as a bit slow at times but the sound is outstanding and saved the day for me. I'll try it again after I've played with all the settings to brighten it up as much as possible. As for Ben-Hur, it's a 65mm production so that's why it looks fabulous on Blu-ray. For another stunner, see if you can find How The West Was Won which might look even better owing to it's three-strip Cinerama shoot. You will see the join lines but they've been disguised very well for the Blu-ray release. John.

[@C4rL72]

@@moviecollector5920 I love that film, I had the DVD for ages and its been a while since I last viewed, I'll add it to my 'to get list' Thanks John I really Appreciate our convos Regards Carl.

[@moviecollector5920]

@@C4rL72 I think it may be the best of all Blu-rays for image quality so let me know how you find it Carl. John.

[@dougquaid570]

Great looking film (dolby vison), no issues with darkness on my oled. a good sci-fi by todays standards. I was given the 80's 4k disc for xmas but haven't watched it yet.

[@moviecollector5920]

The 1984 film might be a lot of fun today Doug. I might even give it a second chance myself now that almost 40 years have gone by and I've got over how boring I thought it was back then. I think I have a better understanding and appreciation of film now I'm older and can accept that not every science fiction film needs to be as exciting as Star Wars. In my defence, I was only 19 when I saw the David Lynch film. John.

[@dougquaid570]

@@moviecollector5920 I like it but it's definitely flawed. The portrayal of the baron is better in the old film, for me.

[@moviecollector5920]

@@dougquaid570 I wish someone had got me the Arrow 4K for Christmas too Doug!

[@TerminatorJuice]

I'm very surprised that you didn't mention that after Dune was filmed on Digital cameras they scanned it to a 35mm film negative, because the director was trying to achieve a more filmic look... and then they took the 35mm negative to created a 2K digital intermediate, which then was upscaled to 4K for ultra HD Blu-ray. At least that's what I've heard from multiple sources online.

[@moviecollector5920]

I only heard about that once this review went up Terminator. But I didn't know it was a 2K transfer. Why would they do that other than to make the image quality poorer than it really was and that makes no sense. It does all explain why the final result was so dark and had minor evidence of video noise which I didn't want to mention because I couldn't understand it and didn't want others to pick up on it and start making a fuss over a little detail. As it happens, it was film grain. A worthy attempt to make a video look more like film and I would have given plaudits for that if I'd have known about it even if the process failed to look successful on my system. John.

[@TerminatorJuice]

@@moviecollector5920 I believe they did the DI at 2K because that's what the visual effects were finished at, and it helped blend them together. But whatever the reason was I feel It's a real shame, because I'm a fan a really clean looking images, and I think that Dune would have greatly benefited from going straight from 4.5k to the UHD bluray! Also, I'm mad at whomever made the decision not to include the IMAX aspect ratio for the scenes that were originally framed that way... I just wish there was a standard practice for movies once they hit the Home video market, so that there would be some consistency with these 4K blu-rays. I mean how many people actually have a scope screen in their homes compared to all the 16x9 screens??? I get that alternating aspect ratios is a bit off putting at times, so I would love to see the option to watch the all Bluray movies in 1.78:1 without having to zoom. But that's a topic for another day! Lol

[@moviecollector5920]

@@TerminatorJuice A couple of comments have said that IMAX have stopped home disc releases getting the taller scenes applied. We'll have to wait for Christopher Nolan's next film to see what happens there but I would imagine he'll fight tooth and nail to get his film onto video in the best possible form. My ultimate plan here is to have a 'Scope screen that simply opens up for the 'Scope frame. However, I do expect that I'll have to have a moving top mask to get the biggest possible image from 1.78:1 aspect ratio movies, it just won't be as wide as the 2.40:1 movies. And really, that's pretty much how it should be. Philips did do a 'Scope television about 10 or 12 years ago and I was very tempted by that. John.

[@haukionkannel]

I did check this on TV-set and it is dark, but not too dark, so quality is nice also in those parts!

[@moviecollector5920]

Most comments are reporting the dark problem but it only gets really bad when that sandworm sequence appears and I now think that was blacked out because the film makers may have felt it looked a little too much like a cartoon so they may have done the right thing. The image does brighten up again just before the ending but by this time most of us will have been wrapped up in the film so I think they did well to get away with it. I'm just a little too fastidious perhaps when I'm watching a 4K disc for review but I'm pleased I dared to mention this film has technical problems. I have looked at it again and it is a bit soft for much of the time but that's due to all the jiggery pokery the video went through in post production to make it look more like film. I don't suppose it was intended to look quite so soft but for sure it would have been similar to the look aspired to. There are always compromises when making any film. John.

[@enterlinemediavisual]

speaking of tech specs, Vileneuve had the 4K digital transferred to film and then scanned back for a slightly different look. Also some sequences have more to the image in the IMAX sequences and those sequences were cropped to fit the standard aspect ratio of the other scenes (there is a video comparison of this on the Secrets of Dune KZbin channel).

[@moviecollector5920]

Yes, I was getting informed of that as soon as my video went up. I wish I'd known about it before recording the review because it does appear to explain the overall comparatively poor look to some of the film. i could have told them they were barking up the wrong tree but they didn't ask. It's quite likely the special effects were 2K which would mean the master video that went to 35mm and back again was 2K. I thought the film grain that showed occasionally was video noise due to the grading curves being set so low but I didn't want to mention it for fear of sounding too negative. The sound is wonderful though so who cares if you can't see what's happening towards the end?!? John.

[@enterlinemediavisual]

@@moviecollector5920 I just hope the director decides to do an extended cut because he left several scenes on the cutting room floor that follow closer to the book and adds one character/ story beats. However Denis hates extended cuts and including deleted scenes on blu-ray

[@moviecollector5920]

@@enterlinemediavisual I think that it's rare for a scene to be cut other than for it not to fit into a film for some reason. I can't think of an 'extended cut' that I've seen that has resulted in an improved version of a film and I include Aliens and The Abyss in that. It's nice to see the deleted scenes from a favourite film that so many of us have read about though even if those excised scenes do tend upset the flow of a film somewhat (Aliens) or break the focus away from the main, compact set of characters (The Abyss). So Monsieur Villeneuve and I seem to be in agreement there. Dune probably isn't for everyone but it's found a big, enthusiastic audience and that's got to be because so many of us love a good science fiction film and in the case of Dune, there is a large following of the Frank Herbert books so that surely had to be a help too. If I were neither of those two things I think I'd have found it a bit of a chore at times but as it is, it was only the comparatively dull image quality for quite a lot of it that meant I didn't enjoy it as much as I should have. Watched quite a bit of it again last night and now I'm over the disappointment I can say for sure that I will enjoy it a lot more the next time. John.

[@enterlinemediavisual]

@@moviecollector5920 There are some scenes that would have clarified some things with characters (Dr. Yueh) and the situation on Dune that were cut. I think Denis was just trying to get the movie to a manageable length for theaters. I still want to see those deleted scenes from Blade Runner 2049 that Denis didn't include on the blu-ray or the earlier 4 hour cut he did (he should have referenced the fine work that went into the extensive Blade Runner Collector's Set). Kingdom of Heaven is a great example of a director's cut that should have been released instead of the theater version (the DC is the version I always revisit on disc because those extra 40 minutes turns a good film into a great film). On the other hand, some of the deleted scenes in Prometheus should have been left in the movie and shows a perfect example of Ridley Scott sometimes not understanding the movie he should be making and sometimes be too accommodating to studios). Ridely Scott knows that extras content and alternate versions are of value to fans of a movie where Denis V doesn't care and disagrees with including such content.

[@moviecollector5920]

@@enterlinemediavisual I was rather disappointed with the Blade Runner sequel David but I will give it a third try sometime. I want to like it, I just find it a bit bland but that could be because the original film is so darned good. Arrival looked a bit bland too but I only watched that once so need to try it again sometime soon. There's a good film in Arrival, I just didn't feel like I was watching a good film due to the picture quality but I have better equipment now so that should help. Imagine if all those CinemaScope and VistaVision greats from the 50s and 60s had have looked like some of the modern productions... they'd have been long forgotten by now but the Technicolor and large format film clarity ensured their future even if the films are possible a little eccentric today. I'm still trying to think of an extended version of a film that I prefer to the original. There's got to be one but I'm so far blank on coming up with anything. I even like the new Dune as it is, I just wish it looked a little more like the outstanding quality of some of the great films of the past. Oh well, you can't have everything. John.

[@classicmovieentertainment8467]

I will see this Movie next friday in our local Cinema and I'm very exited!!

[@moviecollector5920]

I hope it all looks well so perhaps just be a bit prepared for a slightly dark image occasionally and it will come across much better. I can confirm that it doesn't look so bad once you know how it looks as I stuck it on a second time to try to clean it up... failed miserably but I'd gotten over the initial disappointment. Some commenters have reported that they saw this in more than one cinema and while one might have been too dark, the other was not. Best of luck and I hope you have a great time. John.

[@frankvee]

I saw this movie in the theaters THREE times, yes, three times. haha First time in an LieMAX theater, then in a Dolby Cinema, and finally in a true IMAX (1.43:1) theater. The best visual presentation was the true IMAX theater. You were presented with the true aspect ratio for selected scenes which were larger than life and the clarity was unmatched. The LieMAX and the Dolby Cinema presentation were quite a bit darker to the point where details were difficult to discern. I have since watched it at home on 1080p blu-ray on a Pioneer Plasma and it looked as it did in the IMAX theater, with the exception of the 1.43:1 aspect ratio. The dark scenes were clearly visible and details could be seen. Not sure why the Dolby theater and LieMAX were so dark, or why others with newer televisions had difficulty seeing the picture but I had no trouble with blu-ray on an older high-end display.

[@moviecollector5920]

I forgot to look at the Blu-ray again when I was checking the 4K tonight so thank you for inadvertently reminding me Frank. The Blu-ray could be the answer because even though my impression on Saturday night was that it looked too muddy compared to the 4K, it may well be easier to discern in the intentionally dark scenes. What is encouraging is that having got over the disappointment of first watching it on Saturday night I think I will really enjoy it the next time around. Dune isn't the easiest of stories to bring to the screen but the makers of this did very well. We'll just have to wait and see how well a sequel turns out. By the way, apparently the 2K master video was transferred to 35mm and then back again so that's probably why so many of us perceive it as too dark for quite a bit of it. What you saw in the genuine IMAX cinema surely couldn't have been a 2K video but then again, I saw Gravity at the BFI IMAX and that was 2K. It did look pretty awful though but was 3D which rarely helps the picture quality. John.

[@frankvee]

@@moviecollector5920 John, I saw it at the AIRBUS IMAX theater in Virginia, USA. The AIRBUS theater is a true IMAX theater with dual digital projectors. DUNE looked like film to me, although I knew it had been shot on digital IMAX cameras, mastered in digital, and then converted to film before being dumped back to digital for digital projection theaters. I saw Gravity at an IMAX as well, but it was at an AMC IMAX screen (LieMax), and it too looked bright and nice, although some of the scenes appeared a bit CGI. I'm lucky that I live in a big city and there's no shortage of fantastic screens near me, but I did notice that Dune looked best on the IMAX screen... even the premium Dolby theater fell short on visuals, but soundwise both theaters were spectacular. Dolby Cinema with the Atmos surround sound and IMAX with their new 12 discreet channel surround sound system. I guess DUNE being shot on IMAX cameras, and mastered for IMAX theaters looks best in that format.

[@johnmbell4642]

Hey John, The cinema is coming along nicely the curtains are a nice touch. I’m surprised to see how much the movie grossed especially with everything going on so I think that says something obviously a very big following I myself was never a fan of the original I saw it back in the 80s and I was very disappointed with the special effects and because of that I still haven’t seen it but I have heard how good this looks and sounds I’m going to pick it up but for whatever reason in the states it’s very expensive even for the non-steel book so I’m gonna wait for the price to come down. Did pick up at 77 inch OLED and couldn’t be happier I was concerned that it would look to process not film like thank goodness with it set in the proper mode And certain settings turned off it’s so film like I can’t believe it it’s one of those things you can look at it in the store and get a pretty good idea that it should work for you but when you get it home is the True test sometimes it’s not as good as you hoped and sometimes it’s even better than you thought in this case it’s the latter. Death on the Nile opens up on the 11th here as well can’t wait to see it this one looks even better than murder on the orient express (movie wise) should be a great night out at the cinema stay safe and have a great one as always john

[@moviecollector5920]

Greetings John. I'm beginning to wonder if there are two versions of Dune as most report that it's too dark but some say they have no trouble with any of it. Even people who saw it more than once in different cinemas say that one cinema was fine and the other was like The Black Hole! So be prepared that it may not look as good as some are claiming when you do get it. I think I'd have been really taken with the film if it hadn't been so dull to look at for so much of its running time. Daylight sequences look good but most of it seems to be indoors or night time/dusk. The sound is fabulous though. John.

[@jimv4619]

I bought the Steelbook but another artwork with the landning. There are 3 diffrent artwork. Saw it first om IMAX, great movie. Really looking forward to the 2nd movie.

[@moviecollector5920]

Let's hope the second film is a little brighter and more colourful Jim, then combine that with the same standard of sound and it should be something very special indeed. John.

[@danhardcastle]

So I've just looked over a few of the reviews of the 4K (on The Digital Bits, AV Forum etc) and they're firmly in the "reference quality" camp regarding the picture quality. Where do you suspect the disparity in opinion that we're seeing is coming from?

[@moviecollector5920]

One reviewer has influenced others and they don't want to risk disagreeing. Alternatively, there are two versions of the film on 4K disc and I and most others on here have got the lesser release! Lesson to be learned here - always make up your own mind and don't listen to anyone else... including me! If you're happy with this one Dan then that is all that matters. I expect I'd watch it on your system and think it looked fine because all our systems are different. I doubt it's ever going to look as good as the best discs we all know such as the Nolan IMAX releases and Murder on the Orient Express so give it a comparison to those sometime and see what you think. Just don't let it upset your opinion of Dune because it's unlikely to look like it's in the same league... but I may be wrong. There are certain daylight scenes on Dune that are excellent. John.

[@danhardcastle]

@@moviecollector5920 Yours appears to be one of the (very) few dissenting opinions in terms of online reviews, John. Just had a quick look at some of the other popular KZbin reviewers (Films at Home,SpareChange,MovieGuy365) videos and the consensus is that the PQ is excellent/reference quality. Vivre la difference and all that. I'm just pleased I'm not losing my marbles and a few people (at least) agree with my take on this one!