Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #9742 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-07-04
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Box set, PAL, Special Edition
• Original language: English, Italian
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 137 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
This two-disc special edition release of David Lynch's 1984 film Dune presents the same cut as originally shown theatrically, but with an improved transfer compared to the previous DVD edition and with the addition of new and archive documentary material. In case of confusion, it should be noted that this is not any of the following versions: the re-edited TV movie adaptation of Lynch's film, the long-sought-after extended version Lynch screened for cast and crew in January 1984, a new Director's Cut, or the Sci-Fi Channel mini series.

The first disc contains a new anamorphically enhanced 2.35:1 transfer taken from a High Definition archive copy of the 1984 film, further restored to remove dirt and scratches, and a Dolby Digital 5.1 remix as well as the original stereo soundtrack. The film looks superb and sounds almost as good, though a DTS soundtrack would have been welcome. This is much superior to the average making-of, featuring significant new contributions from Kyle MacLachlan, producer Raffaella De Laurentiis, cinematographer Freddie Francis and others--though David Lynch is conspicuous by his absence. Destination Dune is a six-minute promotional featurette made by Sammon at the time of the film's release and the 4:3 image is fairly poor quality. An 83-second BBC interview with Frank Herbert is too short to be of more than passing interest, though the original trailer is a fine example of the 1980's way of selling movies. The set is completed with routine cast and crew profiles. Even with no involvement from Lynch and no commentaries, this is still the best Dune on DVD. --Gary S. Dalkin

Special Features

• Remastered picture and new 5.1 soundtrack
  
• Impressions of Dune -- exclusive interviews with Kyle MacLachlan, Raffaella De Laurentiis and more
  
• Destination Dune -- Behind the scenes footage and on-set interviews
  
• Interview with Frank Herbert
  
• Cast and Crew profiles
  
• Original Theatrical Trailer
  
• Collectable 32-page booklet

DVD Technical Information:

• Aspect Ratio: Widescreen 2.35:1 Anamorphic
  
• Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1/Dolby Digital 2.0
  
• Language: English
  
• Running Time: 2 hours 17 minutes approx.
  
• Region Code: 0 (all)

Synopsis
David Lynch's baroque rendering of Frank Herbert's detailed, complex, and deliberately paced epic science-fiction novel is a muddled but visually stunning affair. It's 10991, and the desert planet Dune has been taken over by the Harkonnens, oppressive conquerors who desire the precious spice that lies beneath Dune's arid sands. The story concerns the attempts of a young warrior messiah, Paul Atreides, to lead the native inhabitants in an uprising against the evil empire - and battle the giant man-eating worms that guard the coveted spice. Lynch shot much more footage than ended up in the finished film, but executive producer Dino De Laurentiis didn't want a three-hour-plus sci-fi epic on his hands, so he coerced Lynch into trimming it. The result is one of cinema's most infamous cases of personal vision colliding with studio politics. Nonetheless, Lynch still manages to cram in so many visual ideas and captures the tone of the book so well that these production issues can be easily set aside once the story starts rolling. Refusing to further edit the film for television, Lynch took his name off the director and screenwriter credits. As troubling as 'Dune' might have been for Lynch, the experience greatly inspired 1986's brilliant 'Blue Velvet', for which audiences should be thankful.

Customer Reviews

Lost in the Sands of Dune
Cannot believe the write up Amazon has given for this DVD box-set, this edition has nothing to do with the David Lynch theatrical version(that has the Princess providing the narration)or the Alan Smithee TV version (which has an undisclosed man narrating and the famous spitting scene) of the James Herbert classic SF novel both starring Kyle MacLachlan and Sting. It is in fact the SCIFI Channel production and a great job they do of it as well.

A much tidier production than the Lynch/Smithee films, the story and the portrayal of the characters is both enthralling and sympathetic to the spirit of the Herbert novels. Not one to sit and watch a three hour film myself I was enjoying watching Dune (2000) so much so that I let my beer get warm and my cigarettes went unsmoked. Sure I was comparing this TV serialisation to the film version but the SCI-FI rendition is much superior and much less confusing than the seriously overhyped David Lynch film that he has been jealously guarding since its production...his loss, the remake is superior in both characterisation and visual effects.

If you are a fan(atic) of Mr Herberts epic tale you will appreciate, nay, love this version. The follow up CHILDREN OF DUNE is just as enthralling and is a perfect companion to what has taken pride of place in my DVD collection. Buy them both and take the day off work and watch them all, with your bare feet planted firmly in a sandbox just to engage yourself in the realm of Arakis and the coming of the voice from the outer world, and the messianic twins.

Get the French one instead!
If you're getting lost looking at the bewildering array of Dune DVDs, the best transfer of the film by far is on the 3-disc edition available from amazon.fr (and yes, you can turn off the French subtitles!) You also get the Alan Smithee TV cut in a lousy 4:3 transfer, but you won't watch that more than once anyway and there's a decent bunch of extras on the third disc, either in English or with English subtitles. The main thing, though, is the transfer of the film itself, and it is significantly better (more richly-coloured, cleaner and more detailed) than the ones available in the UK and US, including the 2-disc set with the black sandworm cover on this page. The French packaging is very swish, too - a slipcased digipack in glossy black with gold text.

Wrong.
This is not the David Lynch movie but the TV mini series. Completely different. Rather good actually.