Released in 1965, the novel “Dune”, written by author Frank Herbert is a literary masterpiece that inspired countless projects such as Star Trek and Star Wars. It has long been considered “unfilmable” due to its sprawling mythology, glossary of sci-fi jargon, and various entangled subplots. However, it did indeed spawn two very different interpretations – 1984’s Dune, directed by horror surrealist maestro David Lynch. This version attempted to cram the entire plot of the novel into a 2-hour film, to middling success, but has since become a cult classic.
2021’s Dune, directed by Quebec auteur Denis Villeneuve, is a visual feast and a marvel for combining blockbuster special effects with arthouse cinema. It also had the advantage of adapting only half of the novel, with Dune: Part 2 set to release next year. But which of these films deserves all the spice they could ever want, and which one should be eaten by a worm the size of an airport runway? There’s only one way to find out – FACE OFF: Original vs Remake edition!
This episode of Face Off is written by Adam Walton, edited by Lance Vlcek and narrated by Shawn Knippelberg. The series is produced by Matthew Hacunda and executive producer by Berge Garabedian. Check out previous episodes below: