Dune (1984) The Alternative Edition Redux | Special 1080p Edition

Amazing!

Spicediver's Alternative Edition of the 1984 David Lynch adaptation of Frank Herbert's Dune is without doubt the most definitive version of the film thus far envisaged. The Redux provides the same experience in glorious high definition (where available).

Say what you like about Lynch's Dune, but you can't knock it for its ambition. A cinematic interpretation of a novel so intricately crafted some said it was impossible to translate, and indeed Jacobs, Jodorowsky and Scott had already tried and failed. De Laurentiis turned to surrealist director David Lynch, who, despite having never read the books, almost immediately signed on. A three-hour epic featuring an all-star cast (including the film debut of Kyle McLachlan) with 80 sets built across 16 sound stages. Unfortunately, a combination of factors led to an underwhelming and undercooked theatrical release, and Lynch has thus far refused to participate in further cuts of the film.

Spicediver takes as much of the existing material that remains and compiled them into four distinct chapters. The audio editing is almost entirely seamless, as is the video editing (the only time you really notice is when it cuts to footage from the assembly cut footage). The structure is a vast improvement over any cut I've ever seen, with so much more detail and worldbuilding added back into the film. The extended runtime gives so much more room to appreciate the scope of the story Lynch was trying to tell, and undoubtedly would have told much better if he and Dino had gone with the two or three parter originally intended. Even with these changes it's never going to be the most faithful adaptation, but the additional context does wonders.

My only gripe with the edit is that the new ending is a bit underwhelming. I'd have thought there would at least be some way to foreshadow the coming holy war expanded upon in Herbert's sequels, but what happens instead feels something of a non sequitur.

TL;DR - the best edit of Lynch's Dune to date, now in 1080p. I think spicediver might be the Kwisatz Haderach.

David Lynch's Dune is still known as a cinematic flop that failed to tell an engaging version of the first book. But it did have a lot of ambition for a movie of it's kind.

But spicediver's Dune Alternative Edition Redux / 480p version revealed one of the biggest flaws that I saw with the theatrical cut: it was too short. Spicediver fixed the issue by adding many deleted scenes and created a new structure to the movie which I loved.

When I heard that a 1080p version was released, it gave me a chance to rewatch the movie. Basically this version is the same fantastic fan edit I saw some time ago, but just a little bit better thanks to minor changes and a better resolution.

Thank you for reminding the fan edit community, why your edit is still an important part of fan edits and should be for a long time. Thanks for making this edit, spicediver!

It's the Alternative Edition Redux in HD. I don't really think this needs more explanation, or more reason to recommend it other than that. This is one of the first fanedits I ever saw, arguably the one that most endeared me to the creativity of this medium, and I know I'm not alone on that. In HD, it's even better.

What else do I have to say? This is the definitive way to experience David Lynch's bold, unique take on Dune. Arguably the best way to experience any cinematic take on it until the new one gets its second half released. I can't recommend this enough. To this day, the greatest fanedit I've ever seen. Just now in HD.

THE fanfix. Ten years and many excellent edits later, this is still my favorite fanfix ever, and the best thing that could happen to Lynch's Dune outside of Lynch himself finally doing a director's cut. And it looks better than ever in HD. Unless one really dislikes Lynch's vision (some people seem to, in any cut), this is a must for all fans of the book, the film, and/or the filmmaker.

In 2012, the sleeper awakened. In 2022 it's still awake and has gained a well deserved acclaim even outside the fanedit community. With the film being re-evaluated (even the action figures are being re-released) I hope more and more people discover and embrace this version. Just magnificent.