As a seasoned movie critic with decades of experience under my belt, I find myself at odds with Quentin Tarantino‘s latest stance on Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune.” While I respect his decision not to watch something he’s already familiar with, I can’t help but feel that he might be missing out on a cinematic masterpiece.


Quentin Tarantino hasn’t watched Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune” films, and he has no plans on changing that, even with all the positive feedback. In a recent interview on The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast, where he also defended “Joker: Folie à Deux”, he was asked about whether or not “Dune: Part Two” is the best movie of the year as some have claimed. He didn’t respond, because he doesn’t plan to watch it.

Quentin Tarantino has stated that he’s already watched ‘Dune’, directed by David Lynch, multiple times and has no desire to watch it again, as he’s not interested in the new adaptations. He expressed this sentiment by saying, ‘I don’t need another viewing of that story,’ and added, ‘I don’t require seeing spice worms on screen again.’ He also mentioned his disinterest in a movie that emphasizes the word ‘Spice’ so dramatically.

Quentin Tarantino holds no grudge towards Villeneuve; instead, it’s that he doesn’t feel compelled to watch a tale that he’s previously acquainted with because of his prior engagement with the primary source material.

Tarantino stated, “It’s one remake after another, these days.” He continued, “They ask if I’ve watched ‘Dune’, ‘Ripley’, or ‘Shogun’?” His response was always negative. He pointed out that there are several Ripley books, so doing another adaptation seems unnecessary when they’ve already done it twice before. He didn’t enjoy the story in either of its previous versions, so he’s not keen on seeing it again. If a new story were told instead, he might be interested enough to give it a try.

He mentioned that he watched ‘Shōgun’ back in the ’80s, covering all 13 hours of it. He’s content with his previous viewing experience, stating that he doesn’t have any desire to revisit this story, regardless of how they might choose to retell it. Even if they were to transport him to ancient Japan using a time machine, he wouldn’t be interested because he’s already familiar with the narrative.

Few would dispute Tarantino’s view that Hollywood is flooded with remakes and reboots; however, some might argue he’s overlooking exceptional works of art by not watching Villeneuve’s “Dune.” The movie has garnered praise from many notable figures since its theater release earlier this year, including Steven Spielberg.

“Spielberg began by acknowledging that there are only a select few filmmakers who create entire worlds. This list is not extensive, and it includes the likes of Méliès, Disney, Kubrick, Lucas, Harryhausen, Fellini, Burton, Anderson, Jackson, Cameron, Nolan, Scott, del Toro, among others. In his opinion, Villeneuve belongs on that distinguished roster as a new member.

As a movie connoisseur, I found myself in awe when I shared my thoughts with Denis Villeneuve about his latest science fiction masterpiece. “You’ve crafted one of the most brilliant pieces of sci-fi cinema I’ve ever encountered,” I told him, an immense compliment considering Steven Spielberg – the genius behind classics like “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” – was the one saying it.

Listen to Tarantino’s full discussion on “The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast” here.

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2024-10-31 22:46