The repeat airings have allowed me to start liking this series more than I did at first. I realize it's a lot closer to the book than the movie was, or at least the one released in the theaters. However, they still didn't get the "Thopters" right ;) . They're supposed to FLAP like a bird!!!! ARRGH!

I may even buy the dvd IF I can get a deal.

SPOILERS, in case you haven't seen either miniseries or movie:





Out of curiosity, how did the mini-series do on the "weirding way?" From my recollection of the movie and the miniseries, each treated it quite different.

Also, when Leto Atredies dies, doesn't he also burn the face of Duke Harkenen (sp?)? In the movie, I recall him catching some of the gas, but not enough to kill him. In the miniseries, he floats away before the gas gets to him.

Can anyone tell me which is more accurate to the book? Thanks.

I don't remember if the "WW" was as prominent in the Series as it was in the movie.

In the series, as in the book and movie, if I remember right the Baron barely escapes the poison gas. He never gets burned. But it's been some time since I read the first book.

One major difference between the book and the mini-series is the way they've weaved a Princess Irulan (sp?) arc all the way through the plotline. Her character appears only very slightly in the book; she's mostly a symbolic character as the writer of the "history blurbs" before each section... Almost all of her scenes in the mini-series don't exist in the book, but oddly enough, I think it works well, and is a slight structural improvement...

you're right.

If I remember right she was nothing more than a spoiled, elitist, bitch who married Paul for reasons having to do with power and keeping bloodlines.



Book spoilers:

One thing I did love was how the series revealed the fact that the Baron was Jessica's father and Paul's Grandfather. Emperor Shaddam is a cousin to Duke Leto BTW. In the latest book, DUNE: House Atreides, they go into GRAPHIC detail of how the Baron is asked to impregnate one of the Bene Gesserit Witches. The Baron is GAY and in the book they describe him as having a extrememly sadistic appetite for young males. Well he RAPES the BG witch sent to get his seed in front of an audience while she is paraylized by a shot just to humiliate her and the sisterhood

Well at this point the Baron is a FINE SPECIMEN OF A MAN whos vanity knows no limit. So for revenge, this BG witch sends a disease into his system while he's raping her that over time(months) causes him to get fat, loss his hair, get nasty skin, and eventually lose the use of his legs due to the weight gain.

The director actually addressed this issue on the web site. He said that they attempted to make them as described in the book, but every attempt generated laughter when put on film.

I actually like the design in the miniseries -- one of the few things in the first night that I thought they got right.

When I watched this for the 2nd time (on DVD) I definitely enjoyed it more. It was sort of like watching THE PHANTOM MENACE again -- you know what to expect now, so you can just concentrate on what is on the screen and not what you HOPED would be on the screen.

Still, that first night is a complete mess...

Well it's not my fault their sfx creative team sucked and couldn't get it right ;)


I got a picture from the DUNE ENCYCLOPEDIA that shows a ORNITHOPTER with flapping wings.

Also, there's some weird series on the SCi Fi channel that has 'Thopters...and they flap and look rather cool.


And the whole point of this post was to say that after seeing again I felt the same way you did.

I thought DUNE was great.