Dune (1984)

[trevanian]

Originally Posted by HD Goofnut

Glad you finally made it through it. Albert J. Whitlock is the man who made this film look so good. His best example in Dune are the worms that he actually built as models. He also did the wonderful matte paintings in The Thing of the alien spacecraft.

Whitlock was a matte painter, a fantastic one, who also used photo cutouts at times, but he had nothing to do with the model work on DUNE, and certainly nothing to do with the worms. He and Syd Dutton and Bill Taylor only worked on probably about a dozen or 15 shots on DUNE. I think Brian Smithies and local laborers were responsible for most of the model work, and Carlo Rambaldi's guys did the worms.

If you look at the supplemental stuff on the DUNE disc, you get a good breakdown of who did what, but I like to think of what could have been, because Apogee started on the show and then left when they realize what a bad situation the VFX were going to be in, having to be done in Mexico with bad electricity, which makers motion control virtually impossible. Apogee's only shot in the movie is, I think, the overhead day view of the worm nailing the harvester. They intended to shoot all the worm stuff in sunlight instead of on stage.

[Pulp Hero]

Originally Posted by dwk

On the latest Just the Discs podcast, Bill Ackerman of the Supporting Characters podcast mentions that a new edition of Dune is in the works but he doesn't know who is doing it.

Ooh! Great news! I'd love to see a new Region A release; maybe even a True HD super-release that at least includes the Alan Smithee cut in HD.

I first saw DUNE in the Alan Smithee cut on T.V. (on the Disney Channel believe it or not). There's another slightly different extended cut I saw not long after that was released to home video in the VHS days (maybe as just a rental). I rented it from Blockbuster and it was on two VHS cassettes, the front of the cover was the same as the single VHS release except for a bright yellow band at the top that just said "Extended Cut" (or something very similar). I assumed at the time that this was the Alan Smithee cut I watched on T.V. but when I watched the rental it turned out to be a slightly different longer cut.

As I recall, the cut on the rental was basically the same as the Alan Smithee cut but a few scenes stood out as slightly different: such as Jessica's escape after the ornithopter crashed (I believe it was a bit longer) and some of the scenes when Paul and Jessica arrive at the sietch seemed longer. I wish I could remember more clearly what was different, or better yet thought to buy that 2 VHS rental when Blockbuster was away shifting from VHS entirely.

I've wanted to watch the cut that was on the rental again for a long time now, but I every time I try searching for it all I get is the theatrical cut VHS in the results.

[bigrob]

Originally Posted by dwk

On the latest Just the Discs podcast, Bill Ackerman of the Supporting Characters podcast mentions that a new edition of Dune is in the works but he doesn't know who is doing it.

Koch Media in Germany. Brand new 4K transfer as well.

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=312855

[HD Goofnut]

Originally Posted by trevanian

Whitlock was a matte painter, a fantastic one, who also used photo cutouts at times, but he had nothing to do with the model work on DUNE, and certainly nothing to do with the worms. He and Syd Dutton and Bill Taylor only worked on probably about a dozen or 15 shots on DUNE. I think Brian Smithies and local laborers were responsible for most of the model work, and Carlo Rambaldi's guys did the worms.

If you look at the supplemental stuff on the DUNE disc, you get a good breakdown of who did what, but I like to think of what could have been, because Apogee started on the show and then left when they realize what a bad situation the VFX were going to be in, having to be done in Mexico with bad electricity, which makers motion control virtually impossible. Apogee's only shot in the movie is, I think, the overhead day view of the worm nailing the harvester. They intended to shoot all the worm stuff in sunlight instead of on stage.

That's why I thought Whitlock worked on the worms specifically. I saw an interview from about 15 years ago where he said that. I suppose my memory could be playing tricks on me though as I am rapidly approaching 40.

[trevanian]

Originally Posted by HD Goofnut

That's why I thought Whitlock worked on the worms specifically. I saw an interview from about 15 years ago where he said that.

Well, he died 20 years ago, after suffering for years from Parkinson's, so maybe it was somebody else being interviewed?

[HD Goofnut]

Originally Posted by trevanian

Well, he died 20 years ago, after suffering for years from Parkinson's, so maybe it was somebody else being interviewed?

Yeah, the interview was from the 90s so maybe it was someone else. Regardless, the man was one of the best matte painters in film history.

[prozacnation1978]

This needs a new 4k, unrated or extended cut bad

[Filmmaker]

Originally Posted by prozacnation1978

This needs a new 4k, unrated or extended cut bad

Almost certainly on the horizon as a tie-in with Denis Villeneuve’s remake.

[Dailyan]

Originally Posted by prozacnation1978

This needs a new 4k, unrated or extended cut bad

Originally Posted by Filmmaker

Almost certainly on the horizon as a tie-in with Denis Villeneuve’s remake.

Koch is working on a 4K remaster in Germany.

[BluProofie]

Originally Posted by Filmmaker

Almost certainly on the horizon as a tie-in with Denis Villeneuve’s remake.

I highly doubt it’ll ever get a new cut.

[spudeus]

I dream of it though - I mean Lynch worked on the recent release of Blue Velvet so why not Dune? Finally, let us see the film he intended (the TV Smithee cut is probably close but no cigar).

The Toto soundtrack is one of my all time favorites.

[BluProofie]

Originally Posted by spudeus

I dream of it though - I mean Lynch worked on the recent release of Blue Velvet so why not Dune? Finally, let us see the film he intended (the TV Smithee cut is probably close but no cigar).

The Toto soundtrack is one of my all time favorites.

He has said that the film would have to be entirely reshot. It was compromised from early in the writing process. He never had creative freedom.

Lynch worked on the recent releases of his films because he hasn’t disowned them like he has Dune.

[Arawn]

Isn't the Smithee cut the Smithee cut by virtue of the fact that it's not close?

[BluProofie]

Originally Posted by Arawn

Isn't the Smithee cut the Smithee cut by virtue of the fact that it's not close?

Yeah, he took his name off of it. It was done without his involvement.


Asking Lynch to do a new cut to “give us the film he intended” is like asking David Fincher to do the same for Alien 3. It doesn’t exist, at least not in the footage that was shot.

[Snicket]

This seems like Arrow will release a super nice edition that will be torpedoed by Universal releasing a 4K disc a month before. Just like Waterworld and Inglorious Bastards.

[Filmmaker]

Originally Posted by Snicket

This seems like Arrow will release a super nice edition that will be torpedoed by Universal releasing a 4K disc a month before. Just like Waterworld and Inglorious Bastards.

The international 4K of INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS has been canceled.

[heebiejeebie]

Yeah I gave up any hope years ago of Lynch ever recutting Dune. I posted the same thing in the Arrow thread, but I think the best we can hope for is a release with the Theatrical Cut, Smithee Cut, and possibly a Composite Cut.

[dwk]

Originally Posted by Dailyan

Koch is working on a 4K remaster in Germany.

I wonder if that is the Dune special edition that Bill Ackerman of the Supporting Characters Podcast mentioned awhile back when he was guest hosting the Just the Discs Podcast?

[Darkstream]

The Extended "Smithee" Cut isn't even on blu-ray yet, so doubt it'll be released on 4k. Still, I wish they would at least put it out on blu-ray, along with a remaster of the theatrical cut.

[WaverBoy]

Spicediver is our Savior.