Dune – Spice Up Your Life

Dune, based upon Frank Herbert's classic 1965 novel, has been done before on both big screen and small, but never to this scope or scale. Denis Villeneuve—given the resources and technology—has crafted a faithful and awe-inspiring interpretation of the novel's first half. Thankfully—based upon recent remarks—Paul Atreides' adventure will not end here.

This is literally half a story. And without the rest, it would not stand particularly well on its own. Unlike something like Zack Snyder's Justice League—which has a definitive ending, despite teasing more—Paul's story in this film ends on a cliffhanger. We won't spoil it here, as we do over the pod, but Baron Vladimir Harkonnen and his ilk have some serious comeuppance coming.

Anyway, if you're not familiar with Dune, this movie's fade to black may either leave you jaded or hungering for more. It sort of depends on your appetite for sweeping science fiction epics; because, although this is a marvel to look at, it does throw a lot at you. Whether it is the Bene Gesserit testing Paul with the Gom Jabbar or it's relative lack of context to the mystery of Spice, Dune is not the most friendly film for non-fans of the book.

That aside, this is definitely a voyage worth taking. It may even inspire you to seek out Herbert's other works in the series. Reading is super cool, and so are Dave Bautista and Jason Mamoa.

The Spice must flow! So sit back, avoid the oppressive desert heat with a Corona Light and don't make a deal with the treacherous Baron! I, the Thunderous Wizard (@WriterTLK), Chumpzilla, and Capt. Cash are getting Spicy with the Freman!

This Week’s Segments:

• Introduction/Plot Breakdown – How was Villeneuve's much anticipated adaptation of the classic novel? (00:00)
  • The spoilers begin at 10:15.
• Lingering Questions – The Double Turn Podcast hits us with some Spice to the eyes, and then we debate whether the ending of Dune's first chapter worked. (45:43)
• The "Gom Triviar" Challenge – Our brothers in beer at Hop Nation USA imbibe in the Baron's finest ales, and then Capt. Cash challenges the field to trivia about the movie. (1:05:59)
• Recommendations – We offer our picks for the week and next up: We begin "Hops and Attempted Franchise Flops" with the recently even more problematic The Lone Ranger! (1:13:37)

And, as always, hit us up on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram to check out all the interesting factoids—the extended lore of Frank Herbert's Dune and more—from this week’s episode!

You can find this episode of Hops and Box Office Flops on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Podbean, Spotify, Acast, TuneIn, iHeartRadio, Vurbl, and Amazon Music!

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