h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Welcome to the new forum! And the New Format, in which each column will be headed by the weekly Post article, which, if you havent already read it, is here: http://www.researchpost3.abelgratis.com/dune.html

What do you think?
Agree with us!
Argue with us!
Do Both!
Compliment us!
Buy Us Drinks (Hey, it works for Terry Pratchett)
Sit back and have a coffee, I'm sure someone will be around .. uh .. eventually (once they figure out where we are and all).

And Most Important: Share and Enjoy!

~Beeblefish (NooK Threadmaster Extrodinaire)

Welcome to the newcombers!

This is not a purely sci-fi forum, as you can see if you look back at previous forums, if you want to talk about anoter topic, do so!

In fact, please do, we value our different viewpoints here!

And what is this Dewey Decimal forum ... ?

~Beeblefish

I think Duncan has been writing so much C++ in Polish that
he's in danger of thinking logically

It would be cool if different fora did get started on different kinds of reading, though. It's true not everybody does SF, although you would hartdly know it to listen to us.

I've heard a rumor that Irv is back.

Lil

Hey Beeble
Nice Dune review. I agree with the editors on every point here, except House Atriedes; thanks for the warning - I hate to think of my disappointment as I'd almost picked it up a few weeks ago. I heard that four hours were cut from the Dune movie before its release. Any truth to this? One think I think maybe the book review is missing is the religious undercurrents of the story. The story, revolves around the prophecies of the Bene Gesserit *and* of the Fremen. It is, without a doubt, the beginings of a religion; the effects of which we see in the following Dune books. In this respect I think it is more than just sci-fi (in the same sort of way that Tolkein is more thatn just fantasy) and should be credited as such. A truly epic work; one could fit the entirety of a lesser novel into one paragraph of Dune.
(whew!)

On a lighter note...has anyone read "the Secret Diaries of Adrian Mole" ? Did you know there's a new (past couple of years) one out?
Absolutely hillarious !!

Hey so this is where everyone got off to

Just read the post article, ahh well, they took out my Dune Universe ... I guess that means I'll just have to post it as an entry

I just finished reading Master of the Five Magics by Lyn Hardy - a great read and a definite must if you have ever thought about how magic really works in a fantasy realm.

Also, Foundation and Earth, the last Foundation novel written by Issac Asimov. A fantastic read that brings all the novels, Robots, Empire, and Foundation together, and lets you know what all the series were about

Courtesy - off to create his first Guide Entry

*back from creating my first Guide Entry *

Okay, for those Dune fanatics out there, I have just created a Guide Entry that is seeking to create a guide to Dune. If you are interested then follow the link

http://www.h2g2.com/A244595

If not, well .... you're forgiven ... for now

Courtesy

This is the first I've heard of a new TV Dune. (Not that I'm the series greatest fan, but...) I can't help thinking that the novel as it stands is virtually unfilmable. There's so much backstory that's very difficult to casually 'drop in' to a script. The Lynch movie had more >thinks< dialogue than any other I can think of which is surely not a good sign. Still, you could say the same about Lord of the Rings and I'm still hopeful for the movie of that...

I agree that it would be VERY hard to do justice to "Dune" in film format. However, the SciFi channel will be filming 6 hours which could possible allow for the back story and complexities.

I read somewhere that 1 page in a book equals 1 minute of film. If I remember correctly Dune is about 400 pages long so a 360 minute version might work.

Of course it could turn out like Lynch's movie *shudder*.

Courtesy

The thing with Lynch's movie is that (quite apart from apparently being edited by a blind stoat and being stuffed with jargon that isn't adequately explained - watched it a while back with my brother-in-law and he kept asking what a 'Christmas Haversack' was) he seemed intent on making problems for himself. I mean the basic plot's complex enough without him introducing all that business with the shouting guns and heart-plugs and whatever...

I agree. Also, CGI hadn't come to the level that it is now. I think that Lynch's movie made today, with someone riding herd on him and the film editor's, would be great.

Courtesy

I think if you were going to hire an auteur like Lynch for a movie then there wouldn't be much point in giving him a hard time... I'm trying to think of someone who could do Dune justice as a director. Pity David Lean's dead. Maybe Terry Gilliam?

I agree that giving Lynch a hard time wouldn't accomplish anything, however, trying to keep him to the actual book would have been nice. There's a whole group of people that think that the Bene Gesserit "weirding way" is a sonic weapon and that Muad'Dib is a power word.

Sorry, I just love Dune ->Rant ends<-

I think Speilberg might do justice to Dune. Or we could have a look at what Oliver Stone might do

Courtesy

Well Spielberg tends to do either quality mature grown-up films, all of which seem to concern either the slave trade in the deep south or WW2, or the kinetic adolescent roller-coaster rides (some of which, admittedly, are also set in WW2). All his SF stuff has tended to be juvenile schmaltzy 'God bless America and suburban values' stuff. And that sort of approach just wouldn't be right for Dune.

I agree, but his SF stuff was done a while ago. If he could bring together his talents I think Dune could be a quality grown up film that happens to be gritty and SciFi ... who knows.

I don't really follow directors so I'm at a loss.

Courtesy

Just thought I'd make a formal announcement in the main forum of points I've made elsewhere:

I am back

I love the new page

I absolutely LOVE the picture!

By the way, has anyone read Ed Abbey's Desert Solitaire? I'm trying to get into it at the moment...

~Irving

Hey Irving,
I'm probably not the first, but

Welcome back!
We've missed you. I have been so anxious for you to see Lil's picture!
Isn't she great?!

She and Beeble have worked so hard on setting up the Nook.

Have you seen Courtesy's review in the post yet?
We have really got some talent around here!

Luna

Hoi again Irv

For a director of a dune movie how about Wolgain Peterson yes air force one sucked but one watching of Das Boot and I get this gut feeling that he could manage tha atmosphere.

3AE, Where've you been?

I was thinking of Coppola for Dune Apocalypse Now

Lil

oh here and there..I helped my folks move from the home I spent the last 7 years in to a new home in dallas, stayed there for the new year then cought a ride back to San Antonio and stayed with my friend for a week before coming back here to the university for fire school. so it has been a very busy holiday season....

and how about yourself do any thing cool for x-mas?

oh yea I better through somthing topic related in to keep from being arrested by the topic police...ummm well I just got the third book in the dune series but I am a little apprehensive about it as the second one ended very unsatisfactorily for me.

Yes, Dune Messiah was a little disappointing. Children of Dune is a bit better. But continue on, because "God Emperor of Dune" is probably the best of the bunch.

I was thinking of Oliver Stone's interpretation of Dune -- Who Shot Muad'Dib

Courtesy