SummaryThe story of cult film director Alejandro Jodorowsky's ambitious but ultimately doomed film adaptation of Frank Herbert’s science fiction classic, Dune.
SummaryThe story of cult film director Alejandro Jodorowsky's ambitious but ultimately doomed film adaptation of Frank Herbert’s science fiction classic, Dune.
Herbert's tale is twisted into a barely recognizable rush of pretentions made entertaining by Jodorowsky's glee in describing them. At age 85 he remains a madman with immense personality, a pinhole visionary insisting his Dune would be a prophecy shaping generations. Jodorowsky's Dune makes a viewer wish he'd gotten the chance.
Fascinating piece of documentary that needs to be seen if you're a fan of Alejandro Jodorowsky's explicit work. If it was made, this would make Dune "The Godfather" over Star Wars.
An outstanding and captivating look at an artistic genius at work, and what steps true genius must take to maintain their artistic integrity. Far better to have dreamed the dream and not to be able to have it brought to life than to sacrifice your vision and make something that won't stand the test of time. Truly an original, and this candid look at him and his crew at the time is essential viewing for any true artist and visionary.
This is a fanboy movie, one more engaged with the excitement of possibility than that of reality, and whatever the noxious connotations of that form of film appreciation, this particular project does a pretty fantastic job of stirring up enthusiasm.
The doc consists of interviews with the absurdly grandiose Jodorowsky (whose fans include Kanye West) plus acolytes like current director Nicolas Winding Refn and film nerds, all of whom walk us through storyboards and tell us how awesome this “greatest film never made” would have been.
Such an entertaining view of 'the best movie never made' and its mastermind. You cannot do anything but be inspired by this documentary. I highly recommend watching it no matter whether you're a Dune, sci-fi, movie or cinematography enthusiast.
A brilliant and subtle reassessment of one man's great dream in the face of the downward spiral of Holywood!
Jodowrowsky should be granted a second chance to create the epic dil he intended to make.
There are many things that can be said about what Alejandro Jodorowsky had in mind for Dune.
But there's an abysmal difference between what you imagine, plan, and dream, and what you actually end up creating and building.
Alejandro Jodorowsky made an amateur's mistake. Being consumed by his ambition. Before he could even have guaranteed to start production.
As they say, he wanted to run before he could even crawl.
I don't deny that what he did may have been very big, and as the documentary itself shows, its influence is evident, even though it's mostly just storyboards, but I doubt very much that Jodorowsky would've created the film he had envisioned in his mind. Even if he had gotten away with absolutely everything, even the crazy 14-hour duration he proposed.
This is a documentary about a dream that couldn't materialize. It happens a lot in this art and business. This is no different.
Who knew cult filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky spent years on a film version of Frank Herbert's DUNE? JODOROWSKY'S DUNE is a true treat for film buffs but the doc suffers from the same platitudes you'd expect from a VH1 documentary. Everything is brilliant, the best, and Jodorowsky is called a genius repeatedly. Really? His DUNE sounds both fascinating and trite at the same time. It would have been wonderful to have this film produced but what would have been the outcome? Planning does not a masterwork make. But Jodorowsky himself is great company and he comes across like an excited kid who carries no bitterness. Bravo to him!
You know what would be a better documentary than this film? being able to actually see the script that is physically present in 70% of the shots. This isn't a documentary, this documents nothing. I've seen a lot of terrible films recently but this is the only one I haven't been able to finish. The insight you get into Jodorowsky's work is minimal, he comes across as excitable and ineloquent and not much more. If you've ever talked to somebody planning a DnD campaign then you've already heard most of this. It's a glorified series of interviews and most of the interviews are just aggrandizement of a work that never came to fruition. Sure some of the concept art is fine but again, you don't get to see all of it. If you want to see a lot of unfinished products you can head to deviant art, or go to any artistic forum anywhere. A bunch of other men (and a couple wives of deceased men) show up just to talk about how great Jodorowsky is (I don't get the impression that a lot of women like working with Jodorowsky so maybe that's why there weren't many here). So many of the shots are just Jodorowsky sitting in his chair harrassing his poor cat (this is hyperbole, don't @ me). One shot involved something that put me in mind of those typography videos that people make for high school classes editing classes. People in this film keep talking about his film as the best film never made but you know what? Every film we've each idealized in our own head is the best film never made, who gives a **** I know after spending money filming this Frank Pavich would've been cheating himself by not releasing it, but I wish he hadn't.