you know, I didn’t, but I think I will see if it’s available, now that you mention it !! I recall it coming on but it was pre-Tivo for me and my schedule didn’t make watching possible…but thanks for the reminder !! Did you see it and was it any good ??
Nope. I have avoided all things Dune since that movie oh so long ago.
It was.
Of course, that’s not saying a whole lot. 
So I drove to work this morning rather than taking the bus, as usual. This meant that I listened to the podcast at my desk. Like always, I found myself giggling over things like Black Adder references and the thought of Princess Leia with scorch marks. Aaaannnndd I just received the following note from the guy at the next desk: “Wow. Sometimes I wonder if your geekiness surpasses my own.”
Le sigh. At least I’m a happy geek.
ps: glad you started the forum. I like it.
I really liked it, actually. I’ve never read any of the books before, though, so it’s not having to live up to my mind’s eye version. William Hurt does a really great job as the Duke, and the effects are actually pretty decent for TV scale. Honestly, I can’t imagine how they could do the entire story justice in anything less than a miniseries. There’s too much to tell.
The one complaint I’ve read repeatedly about the miniseries has to do with the outdoor sets. If you’ve never watched before, just try to go into it with the mindset that you’re watching an incredibly elaborate stage play. That way, the massive translights (their way around sprawling outdoor locations reproduced in a sound stage) don’t seem so out of place.
As far as the novels go, I’m listening to the unabridged audiobook of The Butlerian Jihad right now (am loving it so far). I decided to go ahead and start from that chronological beginning rather than reading the original’s first.
i think the problem with watching a production of Dune is that I read it during my early teen years, and naturally, in my mind’s eye Paul Atriedes will always be…ME !! as a teenager. Not some water fat offworlder, who doesn’t know how to handle a crysknife !! And Baron Harkonnen will always be my 10th grade Algebra teacher…sorry Mr Arnold.
I was at DragonCon too, and I have to say that the actors were very upset about the delays between the seasons as they are now, and even more upset about the idea of splitting up season 4. One of the things they mentioned is that if Sci-Fi splits up the season, they get this amazing highly amdnired show for essentially another season without paying for it. That probably makes sense to Sci-Fi, but sucks for fans.
Other things I learned at DragonCon. Jamie Bamber is tiny. Very tiny. So small it was kind of weird. They must shoot him so he looks bigger. Sam would so kick his ass if they got in a fight. Chief was regular sized, and an absolute sweetie.
amy
Just finished podcast and two things made me laugh:
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I agree that Apollo is having some serious emotional difficulties at this point in the series, and that he would do well to have the stability of Dee who is well grounded. But the mentioning of Starbuck as another character who is well grounded and “has a good sense of self” almost made me have a spit-take. Lee may have some issues, but that broad is nuts.
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The difference between ‘Connections’ and GWC is that in ‘Connections’ the different topics are interconnected. Now if there was a show called “Nonsequitors” you might be on to something.
having seen both, i agree that the sci-fi version was better, but the original movie was great for it’s time. cgi & spfx have come a long way.
From my understanding the Sci Fi mini series was a closer adaptation of the book but the 80’s movie is a better stand alone. I do love both though.
i enjoyed all the near-nudity in the sci-fi version too. they were practicing for bsg 
Well, I think that the movie was smeg as I have said, but the Sci-Fi series was both more accurate and better explained than the movie. I never did forgive them for turning the weirding way into sound instead of what it should have been. Punks.
I also liked Stilgar much better in the mini-series than in the movie. Chani too.
i liked the glowy balls in the scifi series too!
Chuck, I almost drove off the road when you said you didn’t like Dune, but then you mentioned how you didn’t like Lord of the Rings and I have to admit, I had the same thing happen to me when I was a kid. I knew I was a geek and I should like it, but I tried several times to start off with the Hobbit and I just couldn’t. I had to hide my lack of understanding of all things Ring for many years until I finally sucked it up, read the Lord of the Rings, liked it, then read the Hobbit and liked that too. Dune’s full of all kinds of political intrigue, but for some reason my friends are split on it - half love it, half hate it. I’d definitely look forward to reading it again, though.
I’ve been thinking about it, and I think that Lee and Hamlet both share a lot of similarities:
- They’re both “royalty,” in a manner of speaking
- They both are driven by their fathers
- They both think too much
- After they think too much, they both do rash actions that aren’t well thought out at all
- They both have issues with their significant others
- They both can whine quite a bit and be melodramatic about it
Don’t be surprised if you see Lee in season 4 holding a skull in his hands and saying “Alas, poor Hotdog - I knew him, Helo. A fellow of infinite infestation…”
LOL.
I can see the network pitch. “Here we are bringing together unrelated events to illustrate that they had nothing to do with each other. I thought Dune sucked when I was seven. Did I mention I like alpacas?”
Helo: Dude! Do you know where that skull has been?! Get away from me! Gross!!
I thought that Dune sucked when I was seven. Sean likes Alpacas. Get it straight.
(Just kidding. :))
I am thinking that Jaime Barber’s height was a plus for him getting the role of Apollo. It is a physiological plus to be short, because during high G maneuvers short people can keep more blood near their brains. The show has a lot of parallels to current Aircraft Carriers and Naval Aviation. Note that Papadama is short as well. Remember the face-to-neck staredown he had with Number 3 when he was threatening to nuke the algae planet.
It’s my understanding that the Mercury astronauts were selected partially because they were short enough to fit in the capsule.
Come to think of it, are there any tall Viper pilots?