[Malankazooie]

Behold. An evening of personal ecstasy and self love full of quaking release realized. Send the partner and children out for a night at the movies. Pull the curtains. Turn down the lights. Draw a warm, cozy bath. Pull out that "attachment" you tell everyone is a jet massage for you sore lower back *wink-wink-nudge-nudge. Light, and strategically place this gorgeous candle for easy viewing. Curled toes and eyes rolled back in 3 ... 2.... 1....

Timothée Chalamet Prayer Candle

[HoosierDaddy]

I'm just going to drop this here and walk away....
https://forum.malaza...opic/15579-apt/

[Aptorian]

HoosierDaddy, on 15 September 2020 - 05:20 AM, said:

I'm just going to drop this here and walk away....
https://forum.malaza...opic/15579-apt/

11 years. Sarah J has aged like a fine wine.

[Tsundoku]

Into vinegar?

[Morgoth]

Not surprising considering how things went with Nolan's latest.

[QuickTidal]

Morgoth, on 06 October 2020 - 06:47 AM, said:

Not surprising considering how things went with Nolan's latest.

Yep. And better to delay a year. The good news is that this opens it up to more post-production to polish it more if they need to. Most movies are under a time gun to get finished sooner than the director is comfortable...so most of these delays are probably music to the ears of the directors to perfect their films.

[Malankazooie]

I think they were on to something with that Super Bowl commercial. An updated version of Edward Scissorhands with Timothée Chalamet taking on the role could be gold. They could work in some of the vagaries of our current experiences... i.e. Edward trying to swipe right on a smart phone.

[Aptorian]

That would make for an interesting gorilla glass commercial.

[ContrarianMalazanReader]

Currently reading Children of Dune, and based on the first book alone, I must say that I'm not the least bit excited about this upcoming movie adaptation. Why? Because it looks generic as hell.

Reading Dune, the book evokes some rather trippy visuals, and characters are often described as dressing flamboyantly. The movie on the other hand features bland set design, monochromatic outfits (it seems like black, white and varying shades of grey are the only choices for clothing), washed out colours, etc. Online art inspired by the books looks way more vibrant and faithful than the movie.

I don't know why so many book fans are so hyped. I started reading the books not too long ago, and while I am thoroughly enjoying them, reading them has also killed my expectations for the movie.

[Aptorian]

But look at that enormous, badass sandworm, Contrarian!

[ContrarianMalazanReader]

I kinda prefer the look of the sandworms from the 1984 movie.

[QuickTidal]

ContrarianMalazanReader, on 08 March 2021 - 06:48 AM, said:

Reading Dune, the book evokes some rather trippy visuals, and characters are often described as dressing flamboyantly. The movie on the other hand features bland set design, monochromatic outfits (it seems like black, white and varying shades of grey are the only choices for clothing), washed out colours, etc. Online art inspired by the books looks way more vibrant and faithful than the movie.

I don't know why so many book fans are so hyped. I started reading the books not too long ago, and while I am thoroughly enjoying them, reading them has also killed my expectations for the movie.

I would argue that the only thing that you should focus on (an is the reason why so many fans are excited) is that Denis Villeneuve is a SPECTACULAR filmmaker. His films are visually arresting, the scripts deftly handled, and the cast impeccably chosen.

[ContrarianMalazanReader]

QuickTidal, on 08 March 2021 - 05:17 PM, said:

ContrarianMalazanReader, on 08 March 2021 - 06:48 AM, said:

Reading Dune, the book evokes some rather trippy visuals, and characters are often described as dressing flamboyantly. The movie on the other hand features bland set design, monochromatic outfits (it seems like black, white and varying shades of grey are the only choices for clothing), washed out colours, etc. Online art inspired by the books looks way more vibrant and faithful than the movie.

I don't know why so many book fans are so hyped. I started reading the books not too long ago, and while I am thoroughly enjoying them, reading them has also killed my expectations for the movie.

I would argue that the only thing that you should focus on (an is the reason why so many fans are excited) is that Denis Villeneuve is a SPECTACULAR filmmaker. His films are visually arresting, the scripts deftly handled, and the cast impeccably chosen.

I have seen two of Villeneuve's movies, Arrival and Blade Runner 2049, and while both were fine, I'm not as wowed by Villeneuve's filmmaking as most people are. Everything looks too clinical and sterile in his movies, and the muted colours only add to the sense of lifelessness.

There's other filmmakers that IMO would have been better suited to the project, like Tarsem Singh, the Wachowski sisters, George Miller, or Luc Besson, all of them known for truly amazing and striking visuals.

[QuickTidal]

ContrarianMalazanReader, on 08 March 2021 - 06:31 PM, said:

I have seen two of Villeneuve's movies, Arrival and Blade Runner 2049, and while both were fine, I'm not as wowed by Villeneuve's filmmaking as most people are. Everything looks too clinical and sterile in his movies, and the muted colours only add to the sense of lifelessness.

The colour palette should not weigh on the viewing, and both those films had vibrants palettes when they were needed. The man has scope. I'm also at a loss how you could find BR2049 "sterile"...like...

ContrarianMalazanReader, on 08 March 2021 - 06:31 PM, said:

There's other filmmakers that IMO would have been better suited to the project, like Tarsem Singh, the Wachowski sisters, George Miller, or Luc Besson, all of them known for truly amazing and striking visuals.

Singh: Hell no. The man was a one-trick pony who peaked with his debut film. There's a reason he doesn't make a lot of films these days.
Wachowski's: Sure, but they're bending their talents to MUCH more progressive works that film adaptations of DUNE, and their only adaptation film (SPEED RACER) is widely reviled.
Miller: Miller was already attached to DUNE years ago, and it never materialized (which I mean, Miller doesn't make a Lot of films anyways)...but I think you'd be remiss in the fact that his storyboards/Preliminary art for his version look VERY much like the Villenueve ones (you can seek these out online actually). Stark, broad, sandy, and grandiose.
Besson: If his last film wasn't a bomb, sure...but I feel like the French comic aesthetic he reveres in his work would NEVER get greenlit for a DUNE film....you'd have an easier time getting JODOROWSKY'S DUNE made.

Above and beyond all else, you asked why DUNE book fans were excited. I think pointing at Villeueve's filmography is all you need to look at, even if you disagree.

BR2049 is probably my favourite film of the last decade...so maybe I'm biased.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 08 March 2021 - 06:48 PM

[polishgenius]

Tarsem Singh is visually awesome but a storytelling incompetent.

Besson is a nonce and we should not be rooting for him to direct anything anymore. In the bin with him.

QuickTidal, on 08 March 2021 - 06:46 PM, said:

and their only adaptation film (SPEED RACER) is widely reviled.

To be fair, Speed Racer has picked up a cult following of some sort since it released. I've not seen it but I probably will at least try some day. If nothing else, CGI artists and the like seem to adore it...

Also they also adapted Cloud Atlas - but that was also bad.



Anyway yeah I can't think of anyone I'd rather direct this film than Villeneuve.

[Malankazooie]

I would really be down for a Wes Anderson treatment of Dune. Really breathe interesting new life into it. Quirky and whimsical. *whispers The spice melange.

[ContrarianMalazanReader]

I didn't expect my lack of enthusiasm on Villeneuve to cause such a strong reaction. I'm sorry, but Villeneuve filmmaking simply doesn't do it for me.

I would like to talk about the 1984 film adaptation. Many book fans despise the movie with a passion, claiming that it's a poor adaptation. However after reading the book I must say I have the opposite view, as it is perhaps one of the most faithful movie adaptations of a book I have ever seen. Reading the book it is made clear that despite taking place tens of thousands of years in the future and humanity achieving interstellar travel, this is a civilization that relies on analogue technology, and the production team took this to heart, giving the movie a baroque aesthetic intersected with a steampunk vibe. Frank Herbert himself enjoyed the movie and gave his public endorsement, which fans seem to conveniently ignore. The only real break from the book is the hilariously idiotic ending in which Paul becomes a literal Messiah with superpowers who can summon rain, which goes against the message about cult of personality figures.

[QuickTidal]

polishgenius, on 08 March 2021 - 06:52 PM, said:

Tarsem Singh is visually awesome but a storytelling incompetent.

Especially in films where the story should be a straight layup like THE FALL, he whiffed it.

polishgenius, on 08 March 2021 - 06:52 PM, said:

Besson is a nonce and we should not be rooting for him to direct anything anymore. In the bin with him.

I'm a die-hard THE FIFTH ELEMENT fan, so I can't bin him entirely, but nothing else he's done is all that great. THE MESSENGER aspires to greatness but never quite gets there.

polishgenius, on 08 March 2021 - 06:52 PM, said:

Also they also adapted Cloud Atlas - but that was also bad.

Oh yeah! And the adaptation failing so hard is the reason why David Mitchell (author of the CLOUD ATLAS book) is now a part of MATRIX 4!

polishgenius, on 08 March 2021 - 06:52 PM, said:

Anyway yeah I can't think of anyone I'd rather direct this film than Villeneuve.

He's the most stylistic filmmaker working right now that's bankable to Hollywood. There might be other younger up and comers who could handle it but they'd never be handed the reins.

ContrarianMalazanReader, on 08 March 2021 - 08:15 PM, said:

I didn't expect my lack of enthusiasm on Villeneuve to cause such a strong reaction. I'm sorry, but Villeneuve filmmaking simply doesn't do it for me.

That's cool, I'm just answering the "why are book fans excited" query...it's because of Villeneuve. Shrug.

ContrarianMalazanReader, on 08 March 2021 - 08:15 PM, said:

I would like to talk about the 1984 film adaptation. Many book fans despise the movie with a passion, claiming that it's a poor adaptation.

It IS a poor adaptation though. It leaves large swathes of important plot on the floor, it shifts the narrative beats of the more intricate portions of the story into weird spots, and it makes an almost caricature of various characters some mores than others. The overblown Harkonnen-is-cartoonishly-evil plot makes a subtle villain into a full tilt caricature removing any reason for him to DO subtle things, the costuming is abysmal across the board...up to and including black leather underwear fights...but not missing the fact that none of the stillsuits have hoods as they are meant to, to preserve water...because we must see Kyle Machlachlan emote with his 80's wing-tipped hair, apparently. It's a film that has no interest in being science fiction, masquerading as a science fiction film. It feels like every other David Lynch fever dream instead of an adaptation of DUNE, and blithely hits the wrong beats as a result. It's an environmentalism story that's been bereft of anything resembling that in favour of a more narrow narrative space opera with fighting...and eroticism...and big worms.

Lynch himself disavows it and owns the mistakes, and claims that final cut was not his, so even the final film is not what he considers "his".

ContrarianMalazanReader, on 08 March 2021 - 08:15 PM, said:

However after reading the book I must say I have the opposite view, as it is perhaps one of the most faithful movie adaptations of a book I have ever seen.

I mean, the fact that the strength of the Bene Gesserit alone being absent is all I need to disavow the film as a bad adaptation, but Lynch has gone on record saying he never should have made it and only saw the potential to "create his own world" and not adapt the book.

I'm afraid the idea that DUNE 1984 is a good adaptation is one hill on which you shall have to die alone.

[polishgenius]

QuickTidal, on 08 March 2021 - 08:42 PM, said:

I'm a die-hard THE FIFTH ELEMENT fan, so I can't bin him entirely, but nothing else he's done is all that great. THE MESSENGER aspires to greatness but never quite gets there.

I think Leon is a genuinely brilliant film but the backstory that Besson was almost certainly fucking a fourteen/fifteen year old while making it, and reportedly wanted to make the relationship between Leon and Mathilda more sexual, just makes it hard to want to recommend it to anyone anymore.

[ContrarianMalazanReader]

Speaking of Luc Besson, I'm a huge fan of his long time collaborator, music composer Éric Serrá (his Goldeneye score is IMO criminally underrated), and would have loved to see him composing the music, but I trust Hans Zimmer to do a good job.