Dune '84: Part One

Bad Movies Made Less Bad Presents:
Lynch's Beautiful Fever Dream with Villeneuve Sensibilities (Save the Weird for Later)

Disclaimer: Another edit admittedly for a small audience – those that likes Dune 2021 but thought the 1984 version was too confusing. Not for Lynch fans as probably too much is cut for them.

Major Changes:

• New planet animations
• Removed most voiceovers, leaving only a few when it helps the narrative.
• Rebuilt the dreams Paul has before they meet the Freemen, inserting footage of the future slaughter that awaits the jihad, slowly revealing his dark purpose.
• Tightening dialogue to remove extra exposition, leaving some of the mystery when possible
• Leaving Navigators navigating out, (too weird) and all the Emperor scenes out, except until the mid-credit scene of the Guild visiting and threatening the Emperor over developments on Arrakis.
• Added in the Dune 2021 Spacefolder ships, which lets us bypass the navigators for now.
• De-greened the scene with Baron on Giedi Prime.

Editing Intent:

Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet's exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence - a commodity capable of unlocking humanity's greatest potential - only those who can conquer their fear will survive.

This edit focuses on Paul’s journey to awakening, telling only a part one story while avoiding Lynch's wild third act altogether, leaving the weirder parts for the theoretical Part 2 and avoiding the audience-distancing elements until they would have better understanding of the Dune Universe.

This should just be an exciting teaser, using Lynch's visuals, into the world of Frank Herbert's Dune and make you want to learn more. There are many nods to deeper meaning of motivations that can be found in the book for the other characters, but if their arc is not fully filmed in high quality, I try to just give them enough to be interesting and warrant a deeper dive into the source material.

I have always had a love/hate relationship with the original Lynch production - as much as I want to love it, there are so many reasons its not what it should be. I have thought about my own edits before, but the wild third act was, IMO, always beyond saving. Too rushed. So I watch Spicediver's edit whenever I've needed to calm my ambitions.

But...  After playing with a de-greened Baron Intro scene, I couldn't help but start diving into a more modern retelling of the 1984 movie, inspired by Villeneuve's sensibilities: telling only a part one story, while avoiding the third act altogether.

This edit begins with new intro text, skipping the Princess’s prologue and the Emperor scene, and straight to Paul studying on Caladan. It ends when Paul fights Jamis.

Cut List:

• Mixing theatrical release with some Smithee footage.

• Replaced intro credits background with black background.

• Built new intro text with lettering pulled from intro and end credits

• Skipped Prologue and Emperor scene, replacing with Intro Summary Text

• Added new CG planet Caladan establishing shot

• Removed initial Caladan waves shot.

• Rebuilt tablet display to fix stretched planet shot, reversed shot so carryall is lifting harvester, added picture of desert mouse, added some voiceover from 2021 lesson scene.

• Removed most “thoughts” dialogue from intro scene.

• Tightened Paul and Gurney’s shield fight.

• Fixed Gurney's face articulating too much before saying “Soon we leave...” It's not perfect, but it's less distracting than before.

• Tightened some of the interaction between Paul and Yueh

• Tightened fighter training, removing Paul igniting the metal.

• Removed Paul’s interaction with Duncan. Now Duncan is mentioned but only seen once on Arrakis

• Tightened dialogue with Paul and Leto

• Edited dream sequence for first Paul Dream

• Added shot of Reverend Mother Mohiam coming to Caladan from 2021

• Removed thought dialogue from Jessica in rain

• Tightened dialogue with Jessica and Reverend Mother Mohiam in her chambers to avoid the worst quality visual shots

• Removed most thought dialogue from Paul and Reverend Mother Mohiamr’s scene, leaving only during the pain sequence

• Tightened dialogue with Paul and Reverend Mother Mohiam

• New planet establishing shot for Giedi Prime.

• Removed green from Baron scene on Giedi Prime. Tightened dialogue and reordered sequence of events.

• Added shot of ship leaving Caladan from 2021, added FX to add clouds

• Added new Spacefolder ship for trip to Caladan, removing the Navigator sequence

• New planet establishing shot for Arrakis

• “Binocular view” effect used on Paul’s arrival, removed Fremen in the hills shots.

• Some exterior and internal Palace shots on Arrakis removed.

• Thought dialogue removed from Yueh and Jessica scene.

• Paul eating Spice is removed. Paul now just feels effects upon his arrival to Arrakis

• Paul’s second dream sequence edited

• Hunter Seeker scene trimmed and thought dialogue removed, FX for wire removal and more ambiguous movement.

• Yueh looking out his room at alarm removed.

• Military meeting scene trimmed.

• Yueh examining Harkonan bodies removed

• Thought dialogue removed from Leto and Pauls introduction to Dr. Kynes

• Group leaving palace trimmed.

• Third dream sequence added when Paul smells pure spice.

• FX to replace Spice Miner looking directly at the camera

• New music added for Gurney’s baliset scene (Tycho - Spectre). Blue eyes added to Dr. Kynes

• Leto and Paul dialogue in Paul’s room removed

• Yueh and Leto’s dialogue trimmed

• Sound FX added for Feyd’s patch rip and Yueh getting stabbed

• Baron and Leto’s scene trimmed, more gas added when Piter dies.

• Baron found alive scene removed

• New shot of the sand dunes outside the crashed ship.

• New dream sequence for Paul in the desert

• Jessica and Paul interaction in dessert adds dialogue from deleted scenes so Paul recognizes a dark path ahead.

• Tightened Rabban’s dialogue with Dr. Kynes

• Baron and Rabban scene edited to add Baron’s happiness at still being alive

• Paul and Jessica’s worm chase tightened

• Paul’s fall from cliffs tightened, and dust clouds added to when he is sitting watching the worm.

• Trimmed  diologue with the first encounter with the Fremen. Cut to credits after Jamis duel.

• Credits rebuilt for text over black background

• Mid credits scene with Reverend Mother Mohiam, Emperor and Navigator.

• Post Credits Trailer for Part 2 using original “epic voice guy” voiceover narration from original DUNE trailer.