The sandworms in Dune always remind me of the Sarlacc in The Return of the Jedi. I haven't read Frank Herbert's classic novel, but I've been a fan of David Lynch's adaptation of Dune from 1984.
Pop culture is full of science fiction references--e.g., Star Wars, Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica--but Dune was based on a 1965 bestseller that is considered one of the greatest science fiction literary works of all time.
In contrast, Lynch's Dune was technically a flop, and with the movie being widely criticized, even David Lynch wanted to distance himself from the film he wrote and directed. Ironically, Frank Herbert himself was nowhere as harsh as others about the film. After all, many movies that "flopped" ended up becoming cult classics, like Blade Runner, The Wizard of Oz, and The Shawshank Redemption.
Naturally, sci-fi movies and TV shows are high-tech, but Dune has a unique visual style with its futuristic but ancient royal-looking production design and costumes. While Baron Vladimir Harkonnen is one of the most grotesque characters ever and "weird" has been a trademark of some of David Lynch's films, Dune is a fantastic epic with the familiar Christ-like theme about a savior who will fulfill a prophecy.
From the director of Sicario, Denis Villeneuve, Dune is one of the most anticipated films of 2021, but I think Dune from 1984 is impressive in its own right with production sets and special and visual effects that still look amazing, even by today's standards. I'm sure the new Dune movie coming out next month will be just as epic, but I think the original Dune film has aged unusually well and certainly deserves another look.
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