Dune

Dune (1984), had a tricky start in life, going through a series of longwinded screenplays and different directors before eventual director, David Lynch (then a virtually unknown filmmaker) began real work on it. Based on Frank Herbert’s complex series of sci-fi novels, Lynch’s original screenplay was over five hours long. He was forced to cut this to just 137 minutes, drastically condensing the plot, and many critics felt this made the movie incomprehensible.

The criticism was not universal, however. Science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke said: “It is unique. There is nothing comparable to this film except for Lord of the Rings”. Although it recouped less than half its production costs at the box office, it soon gained a cult following on video.

The story begins in the year 10191 when an evil Emperor confines a Duke and his family to a deserted planet, Dune. The Duke’s son escapes death and becomes the messiah of Dune’s native inhabitants. The planet conceals the universe’s only source of a spice called Melange, which enables space travel. Those who consume the spice are able to travel in their minds without having to physically move. The spice also increases life expectancy and is highly valued by interplanetary nobility, who are the only ones that know of its existence in Dune. Paul (Kyle MacLachlan), the Duke’s son, uses it to see the future and to defeat his enemies.

The film features a small role for the singer, Sting, who was at the height of his Police fame at the time, but he proved little draw at the box office.