Jodorowsky's Dune

Name: Jodorowsky's Dune
Genre: Sci-Fi, Documentary
Released: March 21, 2014
Duration: 90 min
Rating: 79
Cast: Alejandro Jodorowsky, Brontis Jodorowsky, Chris Foss, Devin Faraci, Drew McWeeny

2014

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 31 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Universal acclaim based on 64 Ratings

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Jodorowsky's Dune

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Movie Details & Credits

Sony Pictures Classics | Release Date: March 21, 2014 | Not Rated

Starring: Alejandro Jodorowsky, Brontis Jodorowsky, Chris Foss, Devin Faraci, Drew McWeeny, H.R. Giger, Michel Seydoux, Nicolas Winding Refn, Richard Stanley

Summary: The story of cult film director Alejandro Jodorowsky's ambitious but ultimately doomed film adaptation of Frank Herbert’s science fiction classic, Dune.

Director: Frank Pavich

Genre(s): Sci-Fi, Documentary

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 90 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Steve Persall

Apr 30, 2014

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. Read full review

The Playlist Jessica Kiang

Jan 28, 2014

Director Pavich, his first time at bat, has crafted an unalloyed pleasure of a documentary, especially for those of us who care about "Dune," about sci-fi, and about the value and power of creative passion. Read full review

Marc Savlov

May 7, 2014

As a documentary on the origins and backstory of the unfilmed film, Jodorowsky’s Dune is unsurpassable. More than that, however, it also allows audiences a rare glimpse inside the furiously creative mind of Jodorowsky, who still, at 84, is a wonderfully mad genius of the moving image. Read full review

Peter Debruge

Dec 24, 2013

Pavich does an admirable job tracking down surviving parties (except for the suspicious-sounding cast), opting for a humorous rather than indignant tone to the interviews. Read full review

Richard Corliss

Mar 21, 2014

The message to take from Jodorowsky’s Dune: movies once had brains and balls, and lost them. Read full review

McClatchy-Tribune News Service Roger Moore

Apr 1, 2014

A mesmerizing movie, a history lesson about the pre-blockbuster era in science fiction movies. Read full review

Kyle Smith

Mar 19, 2014

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. Read full review

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User Reviews

LatinCritic13

Oct 15, 2020

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.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

alanjames123

Oct 24, 2014

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.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

Mantis

Oct 26, 2014

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.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

Phofer

Sep 2, 2014

A fantastic documentary on the greatest film never made. A movie that could have changed the coarse of history for cinema never got finished because of little bit of money.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

LexSmithy

May 31, 2016

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. An amazing documentary into the mind of a truly visionary director, Jodorowsky's Dune may not have come out, yet you are convinced about how much of an impact it would make for film-making for generations to come. Visually the film is superb, and the animations used to bring the concepts to life are breathtaking, and the soundtrack is an audible window into the wonderful if eccentric mindset of Alejandro Jodorowsky.

I'm only slightly skeptical because the documentary is little more than a 'what if?' scenario, and I seriously don't think that many of those who fell in love with Frank Herbert's novels would have liked Jodorowsky's idea of how his film should end; killing off Paul Atreides and then Dune becoming covered with lush plant life to me sounds just as bad as the terrible ending of Lynch's Dune. It's very well expressing how amazing the film could have been, but part of me expects many films to go through this process with high ambition but major compromise. And the nature of how Orson Welles and Salvador Dali were cast for the film just makes me a little concerned about how this film could have very easily gone through the same development hell of Lynch's version.

This documentary is definitely worth a watch for both fans of Dune and aficionados of surrealist film. Jodorowsky's Dune may just have been the greatest movie that was never made.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

JLuis_001

Aug 4, 2021

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 hisThere 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.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Chalkbrood

Jan 29, 2022

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 toYou 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.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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