Emory Cinemateque: “Dune” (1984)

From the venue:

Emory Cinematheque Presents “The Cinematic Worlds of David Lynch”

Lynch’s third feature, Dune, an adaptation of Frank Herbert’s 1965 science fiction epic of the same name, is best remembered as a massive commercial and critical failure. Herbert’s messianic coming-of-age story set twenty thousand years in the future during an intergalactic war for control of melange, a druglike spice found only on the planet Arrakis, had long foiled various attempts to bring it to the screen. After purchasing the rights to Dune in 1976 and struggling to develop it into a viable film project, Italian producer Dino De Laurentiis hired Lynch as director and writer of a new screenplay. The density of the source material combined with the massive scale of production and preexisting marketing demands (such as the film receiving a PG rating and running within two-hours), led to increasing studio interference and, finally, De Laurentiis controlling Dune’s final cut. Although the released version of Dune has been practically disowned by Lynch, the film has garnered a cult following given its unmistakable “Lynchian” visual style and themes among the palpable unevenness of the final product. Dune additionally features the first onscreen appearance of Kyle MacLachlan (as lead Paul Atreides), marking the beginning of the actor’s ongoing creative partnership with the director. Other notable cast members include Francesca Annis, Freddie Jones, Jack Nance, Patrick Stewart, Dean Stockwell, Sting, and Siân Phillips.

White Hall, Room 208
301 Dowman Dr, Atlanta, GA 30322