Dune: My Ongoing Fascination

Arrakis. Dune. Desert Planet. Where to begin? I'm not sure when I first heard the name "Dune," but until a couple of years ago I only had a vague idea of what it was. A book? A movie? A TV series? Turns out it's all three.

A first edition copy of Dune will fetch prices upwards of $10,000, even copies with heavy wear

 As in most cases, the book came first. Written by Frank Herbert and first published in 1965 (by a publisher whose normal business was auto repair manuals; Dune had been rejected by more than twenty publishers), Dune went on to win the Hugo and Nebula awards, and is commonly accepted to be the world's highest selling science fiction novel. It's quite complex in its layers, but at the center is Paul Atreides, a displaced ducal heir who becomes the prophesized messiah for the people of the Arrakeen desert, the Fremen. Taking the name Muad'Dib, Paul leads the Fremen in a massive revolt against the emperor, eventually seizing the throne and bringing the universe under a new rule.

There's much more to Dune than Paul, of course. The spice Melange, mostly just referred to as "The Spice," is a kind of crazy mind expanding hallucinogen found only on the planet Arrakis, also known as Dune. It serves all kinds of purposes, from psychic abilities to the ability to fold space, allowing for instantaneous travel. There's House Harkonnen, the sworn enemies of House Atreides, whose vile methods are in sharp contrast to the noble Atreides, making them the perfect villains for the story. And of course, there are the sand worms, Shai-Hulud, "the old man of the desert," who make traveling in the desert a deadly peril, and always disrupt production of the spice mines. These beasts are massive, anywhere from 100-400 meters long. What makes them extra kick-ass is that the Fremen have mastered the art of riding the worms, giving them power over the great killing machine.

Somebody's Lego interpretation of Dune. Pure genius.

My first experience with Dune was not through the book, however, but the 1984 David Lynch film. I had known about this film for few years, but didn't hear much about it other than it was supposedly really long. A few people I knew told me that they liked it, so I wanted to give it a shot, at least. It wasn't until a year ago that I finally got around to it, getting the DVD from Netflix. I was going through a David Lynch phase, watching all of his films, and Dune was one of the last I had left to watch. I started to hear that this was a bad film from some online sources, including that it was Lynch's one film that he himself disowned, but I wondered how bad it could possibly be. I was intrigued by the screenshots and brief descriptions I had seen, and it was a David Lynch film, after all. I had a sneaking suspicion I would enjoy this film. I was right.

Above: The greatest Dune poster you will ever see

From the opening scene with the crazy faced orange alien (a third-stage Guild Navigator) talking about the new machines on Ix, I knew I was in for a hell of a spice trip. The rest of that first viewing was more or less an assault on my powers of perception, and at the end I wasn't sure exactly what I had just seen but knew that I was in love with it. My next priority was to find the book and get to the bottom of whatever dimension I had been given a taste.  When I failed to find it at any flea markets or secondhand stores, I bought a seventeen dollar Bible-esque copy from a Borders Books in Pennsylvania. Seeing as Borders seems to be going by the wayside, it's a nice sentimental detail to go along with Dune.

Yes, it's bigger than Muad'Dib.

From page one, I loved this book. It was one I was always excited to pick up and read, and from a book, one can't ask for more. I also got a hold of another copy of the movie and started watching the parts up to the point where I was in the book, gaining a far greater understanding of the film. I also came across a great amount of differences between the two, and while I was at first mystified by some of the things created by Lynch for the film, I came to love them. Now I appreciate both the book and the film for their own qualities.

Paul-Muad'Dib (Kyle MacLachlan) wearing a Weirding Module, one of Lynch's creations for the film.

What really intrigues me about Dune is that, not only is it unlike any other Science-Fiction film, it is unlike any other film, period. I feel this is to due with the multitude of elements at work on all levels. The themes of the film range from politics to religion to ecology and on. The visuals contain a strange and interesting blend of old-fashioned style royal castles and costumes with gnarly space suits and ships. There are dream sequences as well as the repeated motifs common in a Lynch film. There is romance, warfare, betrayal, and revenge. Obviously, it is a difficult film to summarize in typical fashion, which no doubt contributed to the fact that most critics were completely confounded by the film. That Dune has become a cult phenomenon suggests that this is a film ahead of its time. Critics missed the boat, as they often do. Fuck the critics.

Also, this movie has STING.

But the intrigue doesn't stop at the film itself. In the early eighties prior to its release, the Dune film was a huge deal, and the producers tried to push it as the next Star Wars-type science-fiction hit, resulting in a massive marketing campaign that of course failed, but gloriously so. The reason being is that Dune is no Star Wars. It is a much colder and darker science-fiction vision, so the mass appeal of Star Wars is not present here. The most incredible aspect is how hard they tried to sell Dune, a PG-13 movie, to kids. Somehow, power struggles between interplanetary fiefdoms over mining contracts and mind expanding drugs didn't go over on kids as much as they originally planned. Regardless of the inevitable failure in making Dune something it wasn't, a huge variety of Dune related products were released to consumers and took their place in history.

From left to right: The Beast Rabban, Stilgar, Paul Atreides, Baron Harkonnen, Feyd-Rautha. Not pictured: Sardaukar Warrior

At the forefront of the merchandising charge, as is common in these cases, was the action figure line. Like most things related to the Dune movie, these mostly just sat on store shelves. Released by LJN Toys, who were also behind the Thundercats figures, they're all figures of quite a nice craft. Made of solid durable plastic, they stand above five inches, making them larger than the popular GI Joe and Star Wars figure lines by an inch or more. Perhaps this was another reason why the line failed, as figures were in transition from large and bulky to smaller and more posable. Despite all that, this is an impressive looking lot of figures that manages to capture the weird vibe of the film.

There is a high probability that this will be the only Sting action figure ever.

So far, I've only managed to collect five of the six action figures, but only two have any accessories. Feyd has the box with the cat with a rat strapped to it from that one scene in the film (yep), and the Baron is complete with his one accessory, the suspensor belt that allows him to levitate in the film. I don't even know how many Barons I have, but it's at least three, because he came sold with other figures a couple times. He is probably the most common figure.  The most sought after is the Sardaukar Warrior, and I haven't managed to get my hands on one of those yet. They show up on eBay now and then, but typically the price goes beyond my meager budget in a hurry. Someday, someday.

The fun doesn't stop there, because there are also some vehicles to accompany the figures, including one they can actually ride in. Better than vehicles however is the Sand Worm. Yes, a toy Sand Worm from 1984, posable from two joints and detailed to look a great deal like its film counterpart, this is the crown jewel of the Dune toys. I'd be willing to bet this is one of the best toys from the eighties, if not the most underrated. It's a SAND WORM toy. How much better does it get? Oh, I don't have this either. :(

Plenty of things got the Dune treatment in an attempt to hype the film. There were bedsheets, pajamas, party favors, and even a lunch box/thermos combination from Aladdin. One of the rarest items today is the Dune 3D Viewmaster set. Those sell for over a hundred bucks easy.

My personal favorites out of the pile of Dune merchandise, however, would have to be the five coloring/activity books. Those things are INSANE, and I am proud to say I own them ALL.

This is where it gets really mind blowing, because unlike action figures, these seem to be explicitly written for a younger audience, and yet not for a younger audience at all. Though they tried their best, the adult oriented themes shine through the uncolored pages.

Like this one.

And especially this one.

Finally, thanks to Dune, kids were able to color in dead bodies. They were also free to choose what color to make the boils on the Baron's face. But it wasn't all coloring. There were puzzles as well.

The first part of the answer is "They tried to take the life of my son."

Giving one of these coloring books to a kid in the eighties would ensure troublesome teenage rebellion in the future, through strong evidence for the claim "My parents never understood me." Thankfully, this means that there are no pages colored, no puzzles solved, no human markings of any kind. It really makes me wonder where exactly these have been in the past twenty five years. It's not as if they're in mint condition. They've clearly been opened plenty, so someone has been flipping through them. It makes sense now with Dune collectors, but there probably weren't many of those in 1984. Someone had to buy the books first, and not use them. What may have been some kid's disappointment all those years ago is now one of my favorite pieces of property. For enthusiasts of weirdness, these coloring books take the spice cake.

There was technically a sixth book to go along with these, but it's a bit different. And by different, I mean it's a pop-up book. Yes, Dune has one of those. I own it. And it's awesome.

Yeah, you know you love it.

In the front and back of the book are little punch out characters and vehicles, probably to be used with the pages of the book. I thank God on my knees that none of these were punched out over the years, nor have any fell out, though some of them are getting close, so I have to be gentle when folding out those pages.

There are four scenes presented in pop up form. It may not seem like a lot, but someone did a great job with this book, because each scene makes me pee a little. I took the liberty of photographing the best one for your viewing entertainment.

Yep, the worm. You were expecting the Addams Family?

All these Dune products for a movie most kids would be unable to comprehend. It all contributes to making Dune a unique film, one that will never happen again. It took the combination of a strange but well written and popular science-fiction story, cult director David Lynch, who had never before and would never again direct a big budget film, a mix of character actors and unknowns, and this crazy marketing campaign to make Dune what it is.

At the time of its release, Dune was a notorious movie bomb, at least in America (it was big in Japan). Today, this is not so much the case. The film became more successful when released to home video, and today can be purchased on Blu-Ray. The cult impact is undeniable. Of course there are still naysayers, but such is the case with any cult film, which is what makes it "cult." I myself had the pleasure of watching the film, on Blu-Ray, on the big screen, and I was blown away. Clearly, this is a film meant to be seen on a large scale. The lavish set design can only be truly appreciated on a theater screen. There were high aspirations for Dune, and it shows in the detail.

Dune is a very special film for me. I don't pretend that it's the greatest film ever made, and it certainly has flaws, but perfection is not what I seek in cinema. What I seek is entertainment, and to be reached on some emotional level. I want movies that people enjoyed making and, come success or failure, tried their best. Dune is such a film. I watched it Christmas morning, and in fact watched it again last night. It never gets old, and continually leaves me in awe at its power and scope. In fact, the film has become a sort of religious experience in itself. It's a difficult thing to put into words, but those who make the effort of understanding the film will understand that if you go along with it, Dune will carry you through space and time. A place beyond your dreams. A movie beyond your imagination.

Note: All references to the Dune film refer to the original David Lynch cut of the film. I've seen the Extended Version and it really, really sucks.