thanx for the reply Josh.

Yeah, I rented the theatrical version from Netflix and it came on its own disc.

Just finished watching my entire Dune DVD, which was indeed made in Mexico. I’m relieved to report that it played perfectly on my Yamakawa DVD 218. That thing plays everything! It didn’t even show any hesitation at the layer changes, either. I think the player is a generic Sony player, but I’m not sure. Regardless, I think I just got a good DVD.

But I must chime in that I also noticed many more missing scenes from the extended cut than were previously reported in this thread (see some discussion on page 15):

1) The segment when the Baron spits on Lady Jessica is cut out.

2) The part where Paul places a thumper and tells Jessica to walk without rhythm.

3) When Paul takes the water of life we do not see the other Bene Gesserit types suffer their nose bleeds.

4) The end where Paul informs Chani she will be his concubine.

I also noticed the footage cut for violence: The heartplug scene, for instance, but then I also noticed several other scenes that were particularly violent still intact, which I find quite inconsistent, if indeed the other violent scenes were cut for the sake of their gruesomeness. For instance, we still see the Baron ripping open Duke Lito’s face to reveal gas coming from within his mouth, during Paul’s waking dream. You also plainly see Rabban’s bloody, severed head at the foot of the Emperor’s throne. So, if the extended cut was edited for violence why do these scenes remain while the scene with the blood spurting from the flower boy’s chest has been cut?

Finally, I also noticed the Prophecy Theme by Brian Eno is replaced with the more traditional symphonic score, which seems on a loop in this accursed version (I think they were trying to do the space opera thing ala Star Wars). Note that Eno remains credited in the opening titles, despite the removal of his music.

These were all the cuts I recall from the “extended cut.” Maybe there are more? With some perspective I can see that the reasons all these scenes may have been cut was to keep the film more comprehensible because all these scenes would demand exposition (except maybe Barron’s spitting on Jessica). But God forbid we have some mystery in a David Lynch film! No wonder he wanted his name removed from this version. As much as it adds, it also removes a lot of the original movie!

This has never been part of any version of the movie. The footage appears in the "deleted scenes" section on the DVD.

OK, yeah, you're right (confused me, again), but what about all those other missing elements from the extended cut? Are there more that I didn't pick-up? For instance I didn't realize that scene with the Fremin's Bene Gesserit mother in fact delivers that line twice, at two different spots in the movie, about the prophecy, after I was scanning the extended version for the lack of these scenes. I noticed that her eyes are blue in one of these repeated scenes and not the other, which reminds me in all the added scenes with Fremin they do not have the blue eyes, so that was not corrected from the earlier TV cuts. As far as I can figure the only difference between this TV cut and others is that is widescreen. Maybe the picture is better than most but that's it.

Let me add that I appreciate this release and still consider the theatrical cut the definitive cut, and this TV cut is a simple curio. I thoroughly enjoyed experiencing this movie again!

Not correcting the blue-within-blue eyes in the added footage mystifies me. Seems like a minor post-production job which could have easily been done for this release.

Anyone think the price of this movie will eventually drop? I've seen it for 19.99 at Best Buy and I think that's too much for a movie that over 20 years old.

What does the age of the movie have anything to do with the price of a DVD?

The probably figured its like putting earings on a pig, and, rightly so, IMO.

The TV cut is just a horrible, godawful mess. That's all there is to it.

That is exactly correct. This "Never Before Seen" version of the movie is the same crummy TV cut that we've all hated for years, only now in widescreen.

So by your logic, Citizen Kane should be priced around $2? I suppose any movie from the silent era should be about $.25.

Okay, I should have phrased the question better. I meant, do you forsee Dune going down to the 14.99 or 9.99 bracket eventually? I know alot of new releases, especially Universal titles drop in price within a year of release. But, I noticed the movie is in a really cool looking tin case, so I'm concerned the case may go out of print and they will end of putting it in a standard case.

OMG!!! Please post where I can find these!

Ahem.
jd

My copy makes a slight pause, where Jessica is at the top of a staircase in the desert and asks Paul "Why did it leave?" about the sandworm. Otherwise both versions run fine. But the bonus material DESIGNING DUNE stops and breaks down, in sound and image, in three different places.

Also the disc is full of streaks, or light scratches, on both sides. Is that commonplace on this DVD?

(Dune is a great film! One of my favorites. That it is hard to understand the storyline is of no consequence. This film has other values. It is a look into another world with novel and bizarre images, situations, and ideas, so the mystery around it all is a welcome part. And it is a visual (and musical aural) feast. It is all about mood and atmosphere. To take in this, you have to lay aside common ideas that a good film must be a clear story taking you from point A to B, and open up your senses. Besides, after delving deeper into it (both versions, the extra material, and the book), you begin to understand what is going on; the story is really too complex and strange to grasp at once. A large mosaic . But once it slowly dawns on you, you appreciate it all the more. And gives deep satisfaction. Like a good wine improves with time.

The extended version was really awful, but is worth looking into for the extra scenes.)

No.