Well. here’s a how-de-do.
Debatably, anyway.
As you may or know not know, by now, I’m something of a fan of “Dune”, by Frank Herbert. And I’m getting to be something of a user of the iTunes store, as well.
So finding an unabridged copy of one, on the other was something of an expensive treat for me. And rather an interesting listen so far; – because whoever the producers cast as Vladimir Harkonnen certainly has the basso profundo voice described by Frank Herbert.
Which is more than I can say for the film or tv versions, certainly!
Saying that, I’ve always thought that they were interesting efforts. David Lynch’s film version, back in 1984, had generally a very good ensemble of actors, but the mixture of Kenneth McMillan as Baron Harkonnen, and Sting and Paul L. Smith as, respectively, Feyd and Rabban, and the David Lynch script, managed to turn the nastiest family of villains I’ve personally come across, onto a science fiction version of the Three Stooges. Gorgeous as the film version looked, genius that David Lynch undoubtedly is, and beautifully cast as the movie otherwise is, this was something I found very off-putting.
Equally with the TV version, back in 2000. While it’s a lot closer to the original novel than the 1984 film, and does a much better job of the look of both the sandworms and the Fremen, it does, to me, seem somewhat cheaper in terms of costuming and set than the film. Which could easily be explained by the budget differences between separate film and TV productions of a given source text, but was something of a disappointment to me. Saying that, the one good thing that the John Harrison TV version did, I feel, have in its favour, was the casting of Ian McNiece as Baron Harkonnen. Ian McNiece did a job and a half and I, for one, am grateful he was thrown into the mix.
But enough of my burblings! I’d really suggest you follow the link, in the title, to the Wikipedia entry on Dune. Let me know what you think!
Sharing your love of the book, if perhaps not with the same intensity, I have never felt that there has been an adequate film/tv version that it deserves. The David Lynch film I find unwatchable. (I have only liked Elephant Man from his stable anyway). I was wondering what you thought about handing it to the Japanese for an anime version. Computer animation perhaps, along the lines of the cut-scenes from the Final Fantasy games? Dune needs it's own Peter Jackson and the Japs are perhaps the only race nutty enough do it for Dune! :) No offence intended to the people, I hasten to add.
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