By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 5 cats
Director: Frank Pavich
Country: france, united_states
Year: 2014
Running time: 90
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3268458/combined
Kyle says: “Beloved of stoners and consumers of various mind-altering substances in the 1970s and beyond (full disclosure: myself included), Alejandro Jodorowsky is remembered as much for the paucity of his oeuvres, as for such classics as EL TOPO (1970) and THE HOLY MOUNTAIN (1973). Currently he is lauded anew for a visionary film he planned meticulously and passionately, but never had the chance to make: DUNE, based on Frank Herbert’s famous 1965 science fiction novel. The subject of an electrifying documentary by Frank Pavich, JODOROWSKY’S DUNE was a surprise long running hit at New York’s Film Forum, and now can be savored on DVD for every riveting moment.
“Jodorowsky explains his worldview and work ethic immediately in delightfully fractured and heavily accented English, fortunately with clearly readable subtitles. His intention is to create cinematically the hallucinatory aspects of LSD without having to take the drug, but more seriously to offer a work to younger people with the power to change the world. ‘You can’t create a masterpiece without madness,’ says producer Michel Seydoux. Director Richard Stanley (HARDWARE, 1990) labels DUNE ‘the greatest movie never made.’ It is also called the precursor of the midnight movie or cult film, although I think both
George Romero and John Waters have prior claim to those concepts.
“Jodorowsky characterizes the people who will work with him on DUNE as ‘spiritual warriors.’ In numerous instances, he does not need to look far for them. At the office of his publicity person, he encounters science fiction/fantasy artist and writer Jean Giraud, better known by his nom de plume Moebius, and recognizes a kindred spirit instantly. His second ‘spiritual warrior’ is Dan O’Bannon, encountered through a cinema showing of DARK STAR (1974), after an unsuccessful meeting with special effects pioneer Douglas Trumbull (2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, 1968). Jodorowsky says, ‘I was searching for the light of genius in every person.’
“He chances upon both genius and madness in his idea for casting the Emperor of the Known Universe, coincidentally staying at the St. Regis Hotel in New York at the same time as Salvador Dali. In the most entertaining sequence in JODOROWSKY’S DUNE, there follows a folie à deux commencing in the St. Regis Bar and continuing in Paris and Barcelona, with Dali demanding helicopters, burning giraffes, a part for companion Amanda Lear, and $100,000 a minute. Dali leads Jodorowsky
to artist H.R. Giger, who expresses immediate interest in the project. Jodorowsky meets Mick Jagger at a party and receives his one-word reply – ‘Yes!’; he secures the participation of the morbidly obese Orson Welles as Baron Harkonnen by promising to hire his favorite chef to prepare his meals every day. And for the role of Paul Atreides, Jodorowsky casts his own son Brontis.
“Director Nicolas Winding Refn (DRIVE) relates an anecdote about dinner with Jodorowsky, after which he shares his DUNE book of designs and storyboards, virtually creating the entire film for him; Refn recognizes he is in the presence of a masterpiece. But the film was never made, ostensibly because the narrow-minded vision of Hollywood executives rendered the multi-million-dollar budget unthinkable, especially in 1975. Probably they could not comprehend the idea of a masterpiece requiring madness, and ultimately did not trust Jodorowsky and his crazy ideas. Son Brontis says the film is like the character of Paul – ‘He’s killed, but you can hear in some films ‘I’M DUNE! I’M DUNE! I’M DUNE!’ ‘ Some of the films in which you can clearly perceive the influence of Jodorowsky’s DUNE include STAR WARS (1977), ALIEN (1979), FLASH GORDON (1980), RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981), BLADE RUNNER (1982), THE TERMINATOR (1984), ALIENS (1986), MASTERS OF
THE UNIVERSE (1987), CONTACT (1997), THE MATRIX (1999), and PROMETHEUS (2012).
“Jodorowsky experiences a kind of exultation when he finally sees the unspeakably terrible David Lynch DUNE (1984). We have the opportunity to experience a different sort of exultation in this exquisite documentary: JODOROWSKY’S DUNE — the story of the greatest science fiction film never made. 5 cats
“Seen Saturday, August 16, 2014, on Netflix DVD, New York.”