Timothée Chalamet! Oscar Isaac! Rebecca Ferguson! Zendaya! Jason Mamoa! Now that we have your attention, do you have a minute to talk about our prophet and messiah, Paul Muad'Dib the Kwisatz Haderach?
For August marks the 55th birthday of one of the greatest epic tales and science fiction novels of all time – DUNE! By Frank Herbert. So here’s a thread about the classic often cited as the most best-selling #scifi novel (those things on the cover are sandworms btw.. So cool)
Herbert was a reporter who’d had moderate success as a writer & wrote ‘Dune World’ inspired by a visit to Oregon's sand dunes. Serialised in Analog by editor John Campbell, it was a hit with readers who nominated it for #HugoAwards Best Novel despite not being in book form!
Despite Dune World’s success, almost 20 publishers rejected it because, size (125,000 words) or because, 'confusing &/or slow'. Until Sterling Lanier, an editor at Chilton Book Company stepped in. The only issue was, Chilton was a publisher of automotive repair manuals!
Herbert quipped that Chilton might rename his book, ‘How to Repair Your Ornithopter’ (after the transport vessels in Dune). Anyways, Dune was finally published in August 1965 as a 412-page doorstopper & Chilton promptly fired Sterling Lanier because of its publication costs.
After a slow start, Dune, with its heady melange of interstellar intrigue, warring noble houses, ecology, religion, mysticism & a sandy, spicy desert planet would go on to become a massive hit leading to Herbert writing 5 more books in the Dune saga.
Now for the really fun bits
Amongst Dune adaptations, avant-garde filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky’s Dune is legendary for being one of the best films NEVER made! To star in it were Orson Welles, Geraldine Chaplin & even Mick Jagger & Salvador Dali. Providing the music? Pink Floyd!
The production team was just as great, with legendary French artist Jean Giraud aka Moebius doing character designs & sets.
Also part of the team was an unknown artist called H.R. Giger
Jodorowsky’s Dune never got made. For one it was to be 14 hours long!
But if it wasn’t for this spectacular failed project, our favourite sci-fi horror monster, the Alien Xenomorph creature may never have happened or looked like it does!
It was during Dune pre-production that a young scriptwriter, Dan O’Bannon met the artist H.R.Giger which would lead to O’Bannon writing ‘Jaws in space’ i.e Alien & Giger creating the greatest scary-space-horror-monster-creature.
Long story, read it here: factordaily.com/hr-giger-alien…
Giger at work along with a cool photo of him with Dan O'Bannon.
No talk of Dune would be complete without talking about Sting! Take a look at this picture of him in the role of Feyd Rautha Harkonnen (you’re welcome!) in the adaptation by Twin Peaks creator & Blue Velvet/Mulholland Drive director David Lynch
In this picture David Lynch & Frank Herbert are all happy. But the director of Dune (1984) is one Alan Smithee. Why?
Alan Smithee (also Allen Smithee) is an official pseudonym used by film directors who wish to disown a project.
Lynch so disliked the final product that he refused to get a credit for the film.
Which brings us to the latest attempt to adapt Dune for the big screen, by the Oscar-winning director of Arrival, and Blade Runner 2049, Denis Villeneuve, a two-part movie of what he describes as “Star Wars for Adults”. Expectations are high. The fan posters look awesome!
Will Denis Villeneuve’s Dune break the jinx? Will we finally have a worthy on-screen adaptation of this classic? Time will tell.
A school-going kid once visited the Congress party office, where Tamil lyricist Kavirajar Kannadasan asked, "Would you like to work in films, child?" The kid said, "Ask my father."
This child was destined to become one of India's greatest superstars!
A thread on Sridevi! 🧵
It is said that when Sridevi was born, there was a bright red mark on her forehead, and hence people started that a devi had born in the house.
Thus she was named Shree Amma Yanger Ayyapan.
Before ruling the box office as a leading star, Sridevi was a phenomenally accomplished child artist.
Here she is, sharing the screen with MG Ramachandran, playing his nephew in a film that also starred J. Jayalalitha!
This film, starring Supriya Pathak & Hugh Grant, is based on a novel by Mircea Eliade.
Its the story of a 23-year-old Mircea who came to Calcutta to study under philosopher Surendranath Dasgupta.
There, he fell in love with Maitreyi - teacher's daughter.
Sounds familiar? A 🧵
In this novel, Mircea fictionalizes how his love story was cut short because Surendranath Dasgupta was unhappy about the relationship. The relationship was "exposed" by Maitreyi Devi's sister.
The novel was published in 1933, a couple of years after Mircea's time in Calcutta.
For some additional context, Maitreyi was a savant! Maitreyi was mentored by Rabindranath Tagore, and she even wrote a book Mongpute Rabindranath (Tagore by The Fire Side) about the time spent with the great poet.
20 years ago, we were reminded that good films need not make money, & films that make good money need not be great!
On June 18, 2004, Lakshya was released, telling the story of an aimless rich youngster who joins the Indian Army & discovers his true goal.
A thread🧵
Lakshya was written by @Javedakhtarjadu: He was told by senior army officers about the declining enrollments to the Indian army each year, prompting him to promise to write a film addressing the issue!
The script marked Akthar's comeback as a scriptwriter after ages!
Lakshya was a departure from the kinds of war movies made at the time like Border, LOC Kargil etc.
In fact, director @FarOutAkhtar's goal was to tell a story about a boy who finds himself in the backdrop of Kargil War.
On June 15, 2001, the world saw the release of a monumental film in scale & vision, with its main plot revolving around a cricket match between India & the British Empire!
A thread 🧵on Lagaan, the film that convinced Aamir Khan to pursue the kind of films he believed in.
After two failed attempts at films, @AshGowariker's confidence was low.
He then conceived a story where a key battle is resolved by a cricket match. He pitched this to Aamir in 4 lines, who told him not to waste time on this.
Lagaan was @AshGowariker’s third foray into direction after his earlier two movies – Pehla Nasha and Baazi.
Baazi is famous for the “Item number” by Aamir Khan. Pehla Nasha had Aamir and SRK in the same movie with some cringe worthy puns
This is freedom fighter Raj Narain, who achieved the greatest electoral upset in India's history.
In the 1977 elections held after the lifting of the Emergency, Raj Narain defeated Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
A thread 🧵
The story begins with the 1971 election.
Originally scheduled for 1972, Indira Gandhi called for early elections, catching opposition by surprise.
The opposition quickly recovered and nominated Raj Narain to contest against Mrs. Gandhi in Rae Bareli.
📸 @htTweets
Indira Gandhi was probably displeased with the nomination.
At a campaign rally she said, "Mr. Narain had been chosen by the opposition parties to contest from Rae Bareli because he was a well-known Nehru hater and baiter."