Dune (1984) The Alternative Edition Redux | 480p Edition

Let me preface the review I'm about to give with a bit of my own backstory regarding Dune. The first time I'd actually seen the theatrical cut was in about 1987. I was six or seven at the time and the movie was like nothing I'd ever seen before. The tone, the production, the music...all of it. Totally the antithesis of Star Wars, which I'd experienced shortly before. During my teens, I'd revisit the film from time to time and at the age of twelve, finally read the novel. Each time I'd watch the movie after reading the book, I kept getting this feeling that the film was gutted. And watching the extended Alan Smithee edition in 2005 drove that point home. Alas, neither of those cuts did the true job of demonstrating how good the book is.

Spicediver has completed a masterwork here. Every gripe I had with either of the film's prior official releases is vapor. The pacing, the exposition, the execution are in synchronicity. The film's...rhythm is now on point. It breathes and the spice certainly does flow. As with the previous reviews below mine, is it perfect? No. But any quibbles I have are minute to the Nth degree and wouldn't be worth the keystrokes.

As a true testament of how good this edit is, I cajoled my wife into watching it with me. She's an avowed Star Trek fan and upon viewing Dune the first time with me years back, let's just say that she was wholly unimpressed. Even trying to get her to read the novel was a fruitless labor. Upon convincing her to watch this version of the movie, she wants to read the book now. THAT is how good this cut is. To take a doubter, practically a hater even and show them what really could have been. And to actually sway them.

The only real gripe I have is that I don't have a version of this cut on uncompressed Blu-Ray with a DTS-HD Master Audio sound mix. Universal should hire Spicediver. No joke.

THIS is my go-to version of Dune to watch and I will watch no other, henceforth. I consider this canon.

The best fan edit that I've ever seen thus far without making it such an enterprise like Adywan's Star Wars Revisited.

- Much more comprehensive to those who find Dune complicated to understand.
- Very coherent narrative with well placed explanations either by Irulan, the male narrator or by the characters own "audible thoughts".
- Very good work with music mixture and sounds.
- Good visual treatment, added blue eyes to the 3rd stage navigator, Fremen and other characters, etc.

Dune is a piece of literary art that, almost like LOTR, has a tremendously large universe and information. I don't like that people or even David blames himself. The film was made in the 80s and they've done the best they could at that time. George Lucas had to build his own special effects company to bring his vision to the big screen. I don't care that some things are not exactly adapted from the book, like the Weirding Modules (Paul says in the movie that it is just another part of the Weirding way he'll teach the Fremen. Frank Herbert gave his approval), i don't like the miniseries adaptation of it although true to the book. The Bene Gesserit having telepathic powers and the voice effect itself, so on...

My personal praise to SpiceDiver and whomever may have contributed to this edit. I've seen it before but at the time i didn't wrote my review because i didn't had the sufficient knowledge to do so and even today i'm continuously learning more about this wonderful universe.
It is now my official version of the film to watch. Great Work SpiceDiver =)

PS: i saw the DVD9 version, i don't know if I've chosen the correct classification.

I've been a fan of Lynch's Dune my whole life. I can remember seeing commercials for it when it was first released and being totally taken with the visuals. I was too young to see it in theatres sadly, but a few years later I finally saw it on video. A strange, wonderful, creepy and somehow unbalanced film. Years after I first saw the film I finally read the book and came to understand how far the film had diverged from the source material.

SpiceDiver's edit is nothing short of revelatory. The new book structure, the incorporation of extended and deleted scenes bring the film more in line with the book. I loved it. As a fan of both the original film and the novel I have no hesitation in saying that that this is now my definitive version of the film. SpiceDiver has turned Dune from a cinematic oddity and turned it into a film worthy to carry the title Dune.

I am a fan of dune and i liked the movie but the original movie editing was a little akward and i am not saying this the artistic way :) , here if you see the changelog you will understand why this is the best dune edit.

No more very happy ending, most internal dialog removed (i must say that i like the original idea but doesnt seem to work right in this movie), deleted scenes are back where they belong, the quality isnt on par with the rest of the film but its alright, the story must flow and the most cheesiness is gone.

It's a quality release with custom subtitles and thats a plus too, i recommend this edit to any sci fi fan , for me this is the edition of the movie i would see and enjoy with friends or by myself.

I have always liked dune since I first watched it. This edit rekindled my love for this movie.