Dune newbie questions

Discussion in 'Science Fiction & Fantasy' started by JD, Jan 11, 2010.

  1. Harvey

    Harvey Admiral Admiral

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    Lynch made the Harkonnens more...disgusting than they are in the book. Their depiction in the miniseries is more on point, especially with the Baron.
     
  2. JD

    JD Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Glad to have that confirmed, they hurt the quality of the movie IMO. I usually don't mind weird and disturbing stuff, but they were a little to much for me. I have to admit though, it does make me wonder what his Return of the Jedi would have been like, especially Jaba.
     
  3. Agenda

    Agenda Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    1. I prefer the movie because it has style. Can't stand the first miniseries, but the second one is much better.

    2. Don't read the prequels or all that other garbage. Please.
     
  4. Reverend

    Reverend Admiral Admiral

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    As much as I do like Dune, I think in general, David Lynch films ought to have a disclaimer at the front of them; "Warning: The director of this film has a thing for bodily fluids, remain calm!"

    But to answer your question, yes, the Harkonnen in the movie are much more...squishy than they are in the book and not nearly as sneaky. Rabban is actually about right (a mindless, sadistic brute who actually thinks he's the heir apparent) though Feyd-Rautha is supposed to be more of a dark, vain and spoilt reflection of Paul.
    Having said all that though, while the "movie Baron" is of course much more extreme and psychotic, I think the original book version is actually allot more perverse, though you only get a little hint at the extent of his "tastes."

    As for the cat...best not to ask. In the book they did impregnate Thufir with a poisen, but cat milking was defiantly not involved. Actually, if I remember it right, it was actually a precaution against his betrayal or escape and moreover he didn't know he'd been addicted as the Harkonnen were secretly feeding him the antidote. The idea being that to kill him, all they need to is withhold it.
     
    Last edited: Jan 15, 2010
  5. Lindley

    Lindley Moderator with a Soul Premium Member

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    The miniseries pretty much discarded the Hawat subplot. I didn't notice its absence.
     
  6. Hyperspace05

    Hyperspace05 Commodore Commodore

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    The miniseries has the best Baron harkonnen, IMO. Ian McNeice is brilliant in the role.
     
  7. Lindley

    Lindley Moderator with a Soul Premium Member

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    I think I'm going to have to watch the mini again now.
     
  8. Harvey

    Harvey Admiral Admiral

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    Jogging my foggy memory, you mean Thufir Hawat? I'm pretty sure the miniseries just kills him off during the initial Harkonnen attack. Like the loss of the 'Usul' name, it's a wise choice in simplifying the material for the screen, I think.
     
  9. Reverend

    Reverend Admiral Admiral

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    Not a huge loss in that case as the casting of Thufir was totally forgettable. The movie Thufir on the other hand was right out of the book. Same goes for the guy who played Duncan in the first mini, I recall he was killed off rather quickly and unremarkably. A bit of a pain since in the book, I rather though his death was a pivotal moment...plus I REALLY wanted to see that lasgun/shield explosion he caused and the artillery strikes on the sheild wall. None of the adaptions to date have really gotten that part of the book quite right. The scene immediately before Thufir's capture for example says volumes about what the Fremen were about and exactly how much they pissed off the Sardaukar. Plus of course there was supposed to have been a planetwide pogrom in full swing by the time they met up with Duncan.
     
  10. Starbreaker

    Starbreaker Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I don't really like the downplaying of Caladan and Thufir and Duncan in the miniseries, but that's really my only gripe.
     
  11. Skywalker

    Skywalker Admiral Admiral

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    Didn't Duncan have a prominent role in Children of Dune?
     
  12. Starbreaker

    Starbreaker Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Yes he did. Duncan is pretty much Children of Dune's main character... I think he's the main character of the whole saga, really.
     
  13. JD

    JD Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I started the book last night. I only got a few pages into it though.
    Sorry to keep asking all these questions, but I promise these will be the last two. I was just wondering which book(s) is/are your favorite(s), and who your favorite character(s) is/are.
     
  14. Lindley

    Lindley Moderator with a Soul Premium Member

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    I think Gurney's my favorite, but that may be influenced by his portrayal in the two Scifi minis. (Surprisingly, Patrick Stewart's version didn't have much effect on me.)
     
  15. The Wormhole

    The Wormhole Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Well, he does appear in every book except for the Butlerian Jihad Trilogy.
     
  16. HighteeHeller

    HighteeHeller Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    I liked them all, but ya, Chapterhouse and Heretics were great.

    God, it'd been years since i've read the series. Even though i read a lot of teen sci-fi, like L'engle, Adams, and Monica Hughes, Dune was my first adult introduction to Sci-fi. I read them when i was 18 and then a dozen times since then. I think im about due for another read through.
    Other then the first mini series i have never watched any Dune movies.
     
  17. Michael Chris

    Michael Chris Admiral Admiral

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    Favorite book: God Emperor of Dune
    Favorite character: Leto II by a hair over Duncan Idaho
     
  18. JD

    JD Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    So does Duncan play a bigger role in the books than he did in the Lynch movie? Because I keep hearing his name here and on wikipedia, but he was only in 2 scenes of the movie.
     
  19. Hyperspace05

    Hyperspace05 Commodore Commodore

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  20. Harvey

    Harvey Admiral Admiral

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    To be fair, he doesn't play a large role in the first book, does he? He has more than two scenes, but he's killed off early in the middle section, isn't he?