- Actors: Kyle MacLachlan, Virginia Madsen, Francesca Annis, Leonardo Cimino, Brad Dourif
- Directors: David Lynch
- Writers: David Lynch, Frank Herbert
- Producers: Dino De Laurentiis, José López Rodero, Raffaella De Laurentiis
- Format: AC-3, Colour, Dolby, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, PAL
- Language English, French
- Subtitles: English, Spanish, French
- Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats.)
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9 - 2.35:1
- Number of discs: 2
- Classification: 15
- Studio: Universal Studios
- DVD Release Date: 31 Jan 2006
- Run Time: 177 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (148 customer reviews)
- ASIN: B0007PAMR4
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 117,224 in Film & TV (See Top 100 in Film & TV)
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Amazon.co.uk Review
Dune: Special TV Edition is an extended US network television version prepared in 1988 from David Lynch's 1984 film of Frank Herbert's classic science fiction novel, Dune. The original cinema release of this complex tale of interplanetary intrigue was heavily shortened and this 176-minute TV edition should not to be confused with Lynch's still unreleased three-hour-plus "Director's Cut". In fact Lynch disowned this TV version, replacing his director's credit with the infamous pseudonym Alan Smithee and his screenplay credit with the name Judas Booth (a combination of two notorious traitors). What the network did was add 35 minutes, about 15 minutes in the first two thirds, which in the cinema cut is in any case superbly paced, and around 20 into the final 40. This latter material does help balance the frenetic rush of the cinema cut, restoring important scenes such as Paul Atreides' fight with Jamis, a Fremen funeral and Jessica Atreides' taking the "Water of Life". What primarily alienated Lynch was the imposition of a folksy, sometimes laughable narration, as well as the replacement of the original prologue with a far longer sequence explaining the Dune universe via pre-production paintings. This TV edit is a travesty of what, in the "Director's Cut" at least, is probably a great film, and is really only worth seeing to get a glimpse of the material Lynch was forced to remove. The unconnected mini-series, Frank Herbert's Dune (2000) does a far better job of telling a more complete version of the story.
On the DVD: There is a fold-out colour booklet which contains a wealth of stills, a reproduction of the original cinema poster and a worthwhile essay on the original film that avoids any discussion of the TV version it accompanies. On the disc there is only the original theatrical trailer. The superb cinematography is ruined by the panned and scanned 4:3 image, which is grainy and has poor colour fidelity. It is also soft, lacking detail and washed-out, probably a result of being converted from American NTSC TV format video rather than coming directly from an original film print. Certainly the DVD of the cinema version looks far better. The audio is thin mono, completely failing to do justice to how fantastic a post-Star Wars 40-million-dollar science fiction epic should sound. --Gary S Dalkin
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
45 of 47 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A flawed epic brought a fresh lease of life by high definition,
By
This review is from: Dune (Blu-ray + Bonus DVD) (Blu-ray)
This is the review I would have liked before buying this blu-ray title.I don't understand why this title has only been published for the German market. Perhaps it has a stronger following over there. Anyway, although the packaging and disk art is in German, once the movie's playing, that's all irrelevant. I took the risk in getting this German import because although the movie is deeply flawed it has qualities that I really appreciate. The soundtrack by Toto is stunning and Brian Eno's "Prophecy Theme" is haunting. The story is epic. As a kid I was a fan of the book series and was deeply disappointed when the movie came out and was universally slated by the critics. However, it is also beautiful. The sets and costumes are sumptuous. It oozes atmosphere, like Brade Runner and Aliens. If you can filter out the flaws and focus on enjoying its qualities, it is moving and uplifting. I will add my plea to those of others: "David Lynch, please transcend the trauma of making this film and the confused reactions of the test screening audiences that caused the studio to force you to butcher the movie down to its theatrical release length, recognise that this is a cult film and delight your fans by publishing your original, full-length director's cut." Given that this isn't likely to happen, the next best thing is this German blu-ray package... To my immense relief, the upgrade to blu-ray was worth it. High definition detail makes it a different experience, one that amplifies the DVD experience. The dire special effects and the grainy scenes are rendered even more painful by high definition. However, the richness of the sets, costumes and performances from the all-star cast are equally boasted to new heights. For me, the way that high definition brings out the rich production and performance qualities actually helps to heal the flaws and makes it a better movie. If you were able to enjoy the DVD version despite its flaws then you'll love the blu-ray presentation. Enjoy.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
As it should be seen,
By
This review is from: Dune (Blu-ray + Bonus DVD) (Blu-ray)
I've been a fan of Dune for years. For me, not many other Sci-fi films manage to capture such a complete picture of other worlds. Lynch, like Kubrick, doesn't rush you through the story, but leaves room for fine details and atmosphere.The Blu ray really has been a revelation, though. Such a stunningly-clear picture reveals the extensive imagination behind every scene, and draws you into the whole experience more than ever before. I can't recommend it enough, it looks like it was filmed yesterday. Make sure it is the German import you get though, if you want the proper experience (not the U.S. tv version).
67 of 74 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Beware,
By
This review is from: Dune (Extended Three Hour Edition) [DVD] (DVD)
Beware of Jacques review above.It is totally misleading as to the product you will receive. He discusses an ultimate 3 disc edition and gives the impression that this is what you will receive. This is not the case at all as it is a single disc edition, without even a title screen! You will see it available from sellers in Australia and the far east and when I received my copy it was unbranded and I had some question it was even legitimate. If you are a massive Dune fan and would sacrifice anything to see the "missing" footage (like me) then its worth buying. Otherwise I would recommend the 2 disc re-mastered special edition of the original film available from Amazon directly. As far as Jacques' review, while he obviously likes the sound of his own "voice" it has little relevance to this product. Just to clarify this is a cheaply produced extended version based on the original US TV version. It is NOT the restored extended cut by the director that everyone is waiting for. This version is sadly not (yet) in existence.
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