I watched the 1984 Universal Pictures science fiction classic “Dune” on Netflix DVD. I hadn’t seen it since I went to Phipps Plaza, in Atlanta Georgia, in 1984. I wanted to watch it again before seeing the 2021 remake. It is the story of rival noble families that battle for control of the planet Arrakis, the only known source of the drug melange, also known as Spice. This Spice causes precognition, future vision, and is vital to space travel, making it the most vital commodity in the universe.
The Spice must flow
Frank Herbert (Dune 1)
The story is based on the novel, of the same name, by Frank Herbert (the Dune series of novels was released between 1963 and 1985). The movie was written and directed by David Lynch (Eraserhead, The Elephant Man, TV and movie Twin Peaks).
Paul Atreides is played by Kyle MacLachlan (Ray Manzarek in The Doors, Dale Cooper in Twin Peaks, The Flintstones, Showgirls, Timecode), Princess Irulan is Virginia Madsen (Highlander II: The Quickening, Firewall, Tv episodes of Frazier, Monk, Witches of East End, Elementary, American Gothic), Lady Jessica is Francesca Annis (Cleopatra, Krull, Under the Cherry Moon, The Debt Collector, Revolver), Piter de Vries is Brad Dourif (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Eyes of Laura Mars, Chucky’s voice in the Chucky movies, Child’s Play,
Graveyard Shift, Alien Resurrection, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King), Shadout Mapes is Linda Hunt (Popeye, The Year of Living Dangerously, Kindergarten Cop, Solo: A Star Wars Story,
TV episodes in Space Rangers, The Practice, Without a Trace, NCIS: Los Angeles), Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV is José Ferrer (The Caine Mutiny, Lawrence of Arabia, The Concorde … Airport ’79,
Feyd-Rautha is Sting (musician, bass/vocals The Police, solo, Quadrophenia, The Bride, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels), Gurney Halleck is Patrick Stewart (Excalibur, Lifeforce, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Star Trek Generations, Star Trek:
First Contact, Conspiracy Theory, Masterminds, Star Trek: Insurrection, X-Men, Star Trek: Nemesis, X2, X-Men: The Last Stand, X-Men Origins:
Wolverine, X-Men: Days of Future Passed, Charlies Angels, TV episodes in Star Trek: The Next Generation, Family Guy, American Dad, Star Trek: Picard),
Stilgar is Everett McGill (Brubaker, Quest For Fire, Heartbreak Ridge, License to Kill, Under Siege 2: Dark Territory, Twin Peaks), Baron Vladimir Harkonnen is Kenneth McMillan (Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon, Salem’s Lot, Cat’s Eye, Three Fugitives),
Nefud is Jack Nance (Eraserhead, Johnny Dangerously, Ghoulies, Meatballs 4, TV episodes in Twin Peaks), Duke Leto Atreides is Jürgen Prochnow (Das Boot, Beverly Hills Cop II, Judge Dredd, Air Force One, The Da Vinci Code, Hitman: Agent 47)
Doctor Wellington Yueh is Dean Stockwell (Psych-Out, To Live and Die in L.A., Beverly Hills Cop II, Air Force One, The Manchurian Candidate, TV Episodes in Quantum Leap, The Tony Danza Show, Jag, Battlestar Galactica),
Alia is Alicia Witt (Vanilla Sky, TV Episodes in Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Friday Night Lights, Nashville, Orange is the New Black), Chani is Sean Young (Stripes, Blade Runner, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Blade Runner 2049, TV Episodes in The Young and the Restless, Star Trek: Renegades, The Alienist) and Orlop is Danny Corkill ( D.A.R.Y.L., Ryan’s Hope). The music for Dune was performed by Toto with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra and the Vienna Volksoper Choir, one track contributed by Brian Eno.
This is a classic science fiction that I’ll give 4 out of 5. For more information read Wikipedia, IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes.
