Calm Down…Alex?

Arrakis. Muad’Dib. Kanly. Kwisatz Haderach. Mahdi. Gom Jabbar.

Dune.

I can’t escape these brain sand-worms that have burrowed into my mind, nor can I fully comprehend why I have been so utterly fascinated by this franchise. Nothing has ever remotely captivated my attention like this.

Hell, I unironically hate sand more than Anakin Skywalker ever could…

I am a Star Wars enjoyer. I have dabbled in Trek. I have read and watched the Potter books and movies. I've been known to like the Marvel movies here and there.

And while I have liked these franchises, I can’t say I’ve been an evangelist for any of them in particular.

Anyone who knows me will also tell you that I'm first and foremost a pretentious a$$h*le who likes "thinky" movies and books. To adopt a phrase from William, maybe I, too, am "neurospicy."

I'm sorry to everyone who deals with me and my cinema opinions, but my brain just doesn't have the ability to "tUrN oFf" or have a true "nOtHiNg bOx" where I can just stop thinking. Books and movies and television need to engage me on a deeper level, and do so rather quickly, or I am out. I’m not gonna give you 40 minutes of a 2 hour movie to become engaging. I won't give you 3 seasons of a TV series to improve.

You either showcase your intent right off the rip, or I won't be joining the party.

So there should be little-to-zero surprise that the franchise based on Frank Herbert's book - a franchise that inspired Star Wars, but with a deeper meaning (to be read, "actual message") - stood out to me.

Now give that concept to a director who has been ruminating on the message and visuals for three decades. Pair that with a score by one of the greatest living composers.
Viola.
Masterpiece.

But in 2021, when I saw "Dune" (or, rather, what was to-be-revealed as “Dune: Part One"), I wasn't "obsessed."

I loved it, sure. Bought it on 4K and rewatched it several times.
Maybe it was my fault for not seeing it in theaters; anyone who knows me knows I am a massive proponent of theater-going. Life unfortunately got in the way of that happening, so HBO Max at home was Watch #1. Subsequent viewings were improved by buying the 4K Blu-Ray, a better TV, and a new sound system.

But the deep, brain-stimulating obsession did not exist.

Something in me switched when we sat down for Dune: Part Two in IMAX.
The scope. The scale. The deeply layered visuals. The score that buries itself into your core. I walked in a casual fan, and left with a feeling in the pit of my stomach that can only be compared to what people talked about feeling when they left "Avatar" for the first time.

They wanted Pandora. I wanted Arrakis.

So let's break this down.
Fairly or unfairly, Dune can only truly be compared to Star Wars. I will do my best to be fair and judicious, but alas: I am, as the cool kids say, "Dunepilled."

First, just look at the stories.
If "Dune: Part One" is akin to "Star Wars: A New Hope", then 2024's "Dune: Part Two" is "The Empire Strikes Back" on steroids (with varying results for the rebels in each respective franchise.) But let's not beat around the bush: George Lucas was basing a large majority of his story off of Herbert's novel (including the less-than-appropriate sibling dynamic, unfortunately). Do I believe we would have Dune (1984), Dune (2021), Dune Part 2, or the upcoming “Dune Messiah” without the success of "A New Hope"? No. Full stop. But… a watered down space romp is not nearly as complex, thought out, or even fulfilling as Dune. Does “Star Wars” have a place in the annals of history? Yes, a thousand percent, yes. But it’s like comparing Jumanji to Citizen Kane.

There are the visuals.
Denis Villeneuve is the new master of visual storytelling. Lucas talks about how his vision for Star Wars was to be a "silent film" that also had dialogue. The incredible work of the team at Industrial Light and Magic sold the rest. This one-two punch helped revolutionize sci-fi movies forever. Meanwhile, due to studio meddling, "Dune" (1984) was a convoluted mess and not nearly as impressive in the visuals. But Denis is on another level. "Arrival" and "Blade Runner: 2049" were just tastes of his world building chops. Is it fair to compare a nearly-50 year old movie to a movie made with the latest-and-greatest technology? No, but then again, look at the current state of Star Wars. Even then, "Dune: Part One" and "Part Two" obliterate the competition. For a book once deemed "unfilmable," Denis, Director of Photography Greig Fraser, and the team at DNEG have proved the world wrong. Twice.

Then there are the scores.
This is where I will get some serious flak from Cody…
John Williams and Hans Zimmer are, as alluded to previously, the greatest living composers. (Ludwig Goransson is hot on their heels, but I digress.) The Williams scores for Star Wars laid the emotional foundation for the movies, and if you are looking for music to hum as you leave the theatre, you have found it. I won't get into the questionable origins of Williams' themes, and I won’t dare disparage the 10-12 themes and leitmotifs that he brings to the franchise that you would immediately recognize and enjoy. But he also does that across three films, mind you.... The highs are high, but the lows are VERY low. You're really gonna tell me you remember "Departure of Boba Fett"? Of course you don't. But allow me to posit an alternative way of appreciating a film score: what if the score blurred the lines of diegetic music and hummable? What if the score felt like it belonged to the world of the film, rather than a European Orchestra? Zimmer does just that. I'm sorry, but I want the score to evoke feelings, not be an orchestration. "Visions of Chani" feels like a dream turning sour. "Leaving Caladan," and "Herald of Change" hit my ears and drop me into the universe where I am being thrust into terrible purpose. "Eclipse" lures you in, like an unsuspecting Harkonnen Trooper, only to be ambushed by dark vocals, airy strings like the sands of Arrakis, and booming war drums. "Harkonnen Arena" makes me fear this rival house. "The Emperor" evokes a mixture of reverence and vengeance. Call me a heretic, I accept the title. But the criteria I ask of a film score puts Zimmer in front.

There’s a running joke in our group chat, that when one of us says something is “the best,” I will point out the difference between “objective” and “subjective.” While so much of taste and art is subjective, I can’t help but look at this list and see objective wins in the “Dune” column. Is this my “Star Wars”?

Herbert himself says it best in “Dune”:

“Deep in the human unconscious is a pervasive need for a logical universe that makes sense. But the real universe is always one step beyond logic.”

I needed to understand why this film franchise resonated with me the way it did. These components on paper make sense as to why I enjoy the movies. But nothing could prepare me for the enormity of my appreciation for them when the pieces came together.

Maybe this is only the beginning - there are discussions to be had around the religion, power-dynamics, and real world parallels in the “Dune” franchise.

But I’ll leave you with this - Do yourself a favor: put on Dune, with the lights off and the sound turned on as loud as you can handle.

May thy knife chip and shatter.

-Alex, calmer, but still rabidly obsessed