Dune, David Lynch, 1984

I saw this movie once when I was a kid, and the Harkonen terrified me; and I can say now that I've rewatched it that I'm still heavily disgusted by them now, even though I don't scare that easily in front of fake screen-monsters.

Also, I had read and loved the book before watching the movie, so I was a bit disappointed it wasn't perfectly following it (I love the book so much I wanted to see it ALL on screen). Still, it's a good adaptation of it, even though the story might get a little confusing for those who have not read it.

On the bad Side: 

• What's wrong with your Fremen clothing? You're in the freaking desert, wear some sort of a hat, damnit!
• I'm not fond of off-voices explaning stuff, and there is one here... whose part is HUGE.
• The story, at times told in quick, explanatory flashes, is often confusing.
• I am not crazy about the way it's shot, even though it only bothered me at times (static, or not underlining enough the mind flow of the characters), but it's a matter of taste, and some scenes are plain amazing.

Paul Muad'Dib.

On the good side:

• Sure, the special effects and blue screen have aged, but they were not used that much and, where their support the story, it is not a bother. 
• Gorgeous designs, beautiful setting, a real treat to the eyes; the atmosphere is splendidly rendered, even the clothing is fit to the mood of the scene or character (like Jessica's hair).
• As in the book, where most of the fights are battles of mind, many of the dialogues are actually thoughts.
• Kyle MacLachlan is too old for Paul, but is still making a very good job out of his character; moreover, the cast fits the original characters quite well.

Little Alia and the Gom Jabbar

General opinion: a beautiful film (can I stress that enough?), that Dune readers will enjoy but which could be a bit difficult for those unaquainted with this amazing universe (but why would anyone NOT read Dune ?!). 

Paul again (yes, I like him)

Maybe someday, if we're very very lucky, Dune will be blessed with a decent adaptation as a series, like Game of Thrones, or a string of movies like the Lord Of The Rings. 

The challenge then would be to transmit the atmosphere of the book where much happens in the mind of the characters and allows us to see reality from a subjective point of view (like when, in the movie, Lady Jessica reads Dr Kyle's mood), and still render the epicness of it all.

Also, the choice of subtle actors would be crucial, as most of the characters have utter control of their body and tend to restrain their expressions. We could see that in some scenes of this film, but it wasn't fully exploited. 

That being said, good day to you, I'll be in my emo closet, daydreaming about a perfect Dune adaptation. Or rewatching this one!