Thursday, August 6, 2020

A Great Science Fiction Movie Never Made

The Greatest Science Fiction Movie Never Made
Jodorowsky's Dune

So emblazons the DVD/Blu-ray case insert sleeve. I rewatched this fascinating documentary. In ninety minutes we find out how much work Alejandro Jodorowsky and the creative team put into developing his motion picture take on "Dune", Frank Herbert's classic 1965 science fiction novel. The great and innovative filmmaker promised an artful epic: something, as a few interview subjects share, the average studio executive does not want to imagine funding -- especially one in 1975. Apparently the production needed about another five million (1970s) dollars guaranteed before hammers could start swinging. Fifteen million in total was desired, but no doubt much more would have been needed before a release print met a projector gate. The mathematics of dollars and cents is what killed this dream realization.

My reaction upon completing my second viewing was the same as the first: It's a good thing Dune never met production status. I'm convinced it would have been a disaster. A financial disaster. I can't imagine a Jodorowsky Dune being anything less than great film art -- something rarely seen.

CUT TO: 1984 - December

With a film school classmate, I exited the Imperial 6 theatre's main doors. Something happened that could have been right out of a movie; one of those too common occurrences the audience does not buy since they're just too coincidental to believe. A fellow classmate walked by. "George!" He stopped and turned to us.

"Hey!"

"We just saw (David Lynch's) Dune."

"How was it?"

"It wasn't very good."
"Disappointing."

It's a shame Alejandro Jodorowski never got to make Dune.

___

First posted as "Jodorowsky's Dune See" on June 13, 2019.



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