Dune '84: Part One

Bad Movies Made Less Bad Presents:
Lynch's Beautiful Fever Dream with Villeneuve Sensibilities (Save the Weird for Later)

Faneditor Name: Wakeupkeo

Original Movie Title: Dune (1984)

Original Release Date: 1984
Original Running Time: 141

Fanedit Release Date: April 2022
Fanedit Running Time: 80

Subtitles Available?: Yes

Reviews are not required but they are really and truly appreciated. 

Disclaimer: Another edit admittedly for a small audience – those that likes Dune 2021 but thought the 1984 version was too confusing. Not for Lynch fans as probably too much is cut for them.

Major Changes:

  • New planet animations
  • Removed most voiceovers, leaving only a few when it helps the narrative.
  • Rebuilt the dreams Paul has before they meet the Freemen, inserting footage of the future slaughter that awaits the jihad, slowly revealing his dark purpose.
  • Tightening dialogue to remove extra exposition, leaving some of the mystery when possible
  • Leaving Navigators navigating out, (too weird) and all the Emperor scenes out, except until the mid-credit scene of the Guild visiting and threatening the Emperor over developments on Arrakis.
  • Added in the Dune 2021 Spacefolder ships, which lets us bypass the navigators for now.
  • De-greened the scene with Baron on Giedi Prime.

Editing Intent:

Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet's exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence - a commodity capable of unlocking humanity's greatest potential - only those who can conquer their fear will survive.

This edit focuses on Paul’s journey to awakening, telling only a part one story while avoiding Lynch's wild third act altogether, leaving the weirder parts for the theoretical Part 2 and avoiding the audience-distancing elements until they would have better understanding of the Dune Universe.

This should just be an exciting teaser, using Lynch's visuals, into the world of Frank Herbert's Dune and make you want to learn more. There are many nods to deeper meaning of motivations that can be found in the book for the other characters, but if their arc is not fully filmed in high quality, I try to just give them enough to be interesting and warrant a deeper dive into the source material.

I have always had a love/hate relationship with the original Lynch production - as much as I want to love it, there are so many reasons its not what it should be. I have thought about my own edits before, but the wild third act was, IMO, always beyond saving. Too rushed. So I watch Spicediver's edit whenever I've needed to calm my ambitions.

But...  After playing with a de-greened Baron Intro scene, I couldn't help but start diving into a more modern retelling of the 1984 movie, inspired by Villeneuve's sensibilities: telling only a part one story, while avoiding the third act altogether.

This edit begins with new intro text, skipping the Princess’s prologue and the Emperor scene, and straight to Paul studying on Caladan. It ends when Paul meets the Freemen in the desert for the first time.

Cut List:

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