Pretty Packaging: DUNE (The Lynch One) Gets An Extra Spicy Edition

Last year saw the belated release in cinemas of Denis Villeneuve's adaptation of Frank Herbert's epic novel Dune, and if I say it was generally well-received here it would be an understatement. Bring on the second half!

But Villeneuve's version is not the first. After Alejandro Jodorowsky famously failed to get a version made in the 1970s (itself the subject of a great film), studios were eyeing the property with trepidation, but when the Star Wars franchise became massively successful a new attempt was made. This film appeared in 1984 and was directed by David Lynch. I recollect it fondly. I was 15 years old, had recently read the book (after seeing the trailer for the film had piqued my interest), recognized all the characters, and loved its baroque designs. Colour-wise, Lynch' Dune beats Villeneuve's drearier version silly. I don't know why it bombed or why everyone panned the film back then, as me and my friends had loads of fun with it.

Apparently we were not the only ones though, as Arrow released a pretty Limited Edition last year. However, that one pales next to the Ultimate Edition which the German distributor Koch Films has just released. You get three versions of the film on Blu-ray (including my favourite version, the Spicediver Cut), and the theatrical on UHD. It contains all sorts of great goodies, has the feature-length documentary The Sleeper Has Awakened, and is mostly English-friendly too. This is the release to beat this year, so far, and I would be very surprised if I don't mention it in my end-of-year overview. It's an epic monster containing seven discs, and must be seen to be believed.

Therefore, here is a gallery of pictures of the thing. Click on the edge of the pictures to scroll through them, or at the centre of each to see a bigger version.

Do you feel this content is inappropriate or infringes upon your rights? Click here to report it, or see our DMCA policy.