- "I don't than any kind of philosophy, except to be true to the material, even if it's an original idea. When you first get an idea, it has power. You have to remember that feeling, and that idea in its original state, and be true to that. If you read a book, and you're translating, you have to be true to the essence of the book. The book came from original ideas. Things can get watered down and carried away, then they lose all their power. So, the material speaks to you, and every film becomes different in style.[1]"
- ―David Lynch
David Lynch was an American filmmaker known for his surreal and dreamlike films. He directed the 1984 film adaptation of Dune, which he agreed to direct for producer Dino De Laurentiis on the condition that De Laurentiis would produce a smaller project for him, over which Lynch would have complete creative control. Dune was post-produced without Lynch's control and new scenes were shot with a substitute director. The finished film ran for 2 hours and 15 minutes, compared to Lynch's desired length of 3 hours.
Although De Laurentiis hoped it would be the next Star Wars, Dune was a critical and commercial dud; it cost $45 million to make, and grossed a mere $27.4 million domestically. Fans of the novel objected to story changes such as Weirding Modules, while viewers unfamiliar with the novel found the cut-down story hard to follow. Actor Brad Dourif, who portrayed Piter de Vries, referred to it as "science fiction's answer to Heaven's Gate," the infamous 3½-hour film (also featuring Dourif) that embarrassed United Artists and ushered in a new era of creative control by studios.
Lynch found the experience of working on Dune deeply disappointing. He had his name struck from an "extended cut" of Dune that Universal Studios released for television in 1988 with further changes; "Alan Smithee" was credited as the director and "Judas Booth" as the writer.
Lynch appeared on-screen in the film as the radio operator on a spice harvester.
Trivia[]
- The hand in Paul's vision after the death of Leto is actually Lynch's. [2]
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ Starburst Magazine 078 (1985 02) (Marvel UK)
- ↑ A Masterpiece in Disarray: David Lynch’s Dune. An Oral History P. 571: One of Paul’s most prominent visions is of an opening hand, which is—in the context of filming in post- production—David Lynch’s own hand.