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

A masterful edit of Dune '84, improving the storytelling that the theatrical cut lacked. Other than the understandable difference in video quality of the added deleted scenes, the visuals were fantastic. The score was as amazing as ever.

The beginning still feels like an exposition dump and Paul & Chani's romance remains sadly underdeveloped, but that's no fault of the editor. You work with what you got.

A highly recommended edit.

First of all, the audio and video edits are very well made.
The narrative is improved on this version and some of the riskier editing decisions actually end up improving the flow and feel of the story.

As it has been said before, some of the added scenes have noticeably lower video quality, but as there was no other possible source for them, there was likely no other way. Even with that caveat, they do fit here and including those scenes was the right decision.

I’ve a more comprehensive review of Spicediver’s film for the SD version; for this revelation I’ll keep it to the point, with some notes:

*the HD upgrade is, needless to say, amazing, and even the SD upscaled extended footage feels less jarring.

*any new changes are fully integrated and seamless. I know this edit quite well, more than any other fanedit out there, and I was looking for the changes but couldn’t easily pick them out.

*Finally, a quick shout-out to Spicediver for his thoughtful and engaging messages, consideration, and willingness to pragmatically look at Lynch’s film as a project in perpetual need for retooling.

Having just recently read the book again, it’s amazing how well Lynch captured so many difficult aspects of the novel. People call Dune “unfilmable” due to this, but he did well.

In watching this edit, there is a “Magnificent Ambersons” effect at about the start of book 3, where the careful, steady, almost slow-burn Lynch/Spicediver use through the first 2 hours becomes a rapid-fire series of melting psychedelic dissolve shots, telling an epic story in its last hour in a series of impressionistic images more than narrative.

The characters are all too human in this story. That’s the subversive secret of Herbert’s novel: despite the evolution, these characters are completely and utterly bound by their ultimate humanity, and haven’t the perspective to see through it.

When Alia intones this film’s final line, Spicediver was right to eliminate the original ending of the movie. Paul can’t make it rain. He’s just the ultimate psychedelic dude, is all.

I love David Lynch's Dune. The theatrical cut, while not perfect, is still a masterpiece in my mind. The main weaknesses of the theatrical cut are that some parts feel rushed and certain elements of the story are not given proper time to be completely fleshed out. And while I still hold out hope for an impossible Director's Cut, the Dune (1984) The Alternative Edition Redux by Spicediver is most likely the closest thing I will ever get.

With the Dune 1080p special edition, Spicediver has managed to integrate additional scenes seamlessly into the film. The editing, musical cues, sound effects all flow perfectly to where the viewer doesn't even know where changes have been made.

While a very tiny portion of scenes inserted vary in quality because of source limitations, I did not find that to distract from my overall enjoyment of the presentation. The additional footage really helps build the world of Dune along with adding more detail back into the overall narrative. It also gives you a better idea, and appreciation, of the scope that Lynch had in mind when setting out to tell this story.

Thank you for all the time, thought and effort into making this cut. I highly recommend it!

Dune (1984) The Alternative Edition Redux [The Spice Diver] edit (playtime 2h:58min):
Up until the current remake of Dune part one (2021) and Dune part two (2024), this is the closest thing available which correctly portrays the story as written in the book. The other versions available in 4k won't give such a cohesive story. The current remake attempts to follow the book, but does take a few liberties with the character's behavior in certain scenes; which did irritate diehard fans of the book. But considering the big budget, all-star cast, and now especially the epic scale of part two... it would be best if one would view the Spice Diver fan edit first, and then move on to Dune part one (2021), followed by Dune part two (2024). It will prove to be most satisfying. Dune part three is still in development as of this writing.