I stumbled on this little gem at Pink Tentacle yesterday and was suitably blown away. It would appear that in 1984/85 H.R. Giger quietly recycled some of his iconic production artwork for Alejandro Jodorowsky's unrealised Dune adaptation. Not for use in another movie, but a Japanese ad campaign for Pioneer's ZONE home entertainment system.
This brief glimpse of Giger's dark vision for planet Arrakis makes me lament the death of this project more than ever. The combination of Giger's nightmarish design and Jodorowsky's unconventional and surreal approach would surely have resulted in a cult SF film quite unlike anything we've ever seen.
As everyone knows, shortly after the collapse of Dune, Jodorowsky's core creative team of Dan O'Bannon, Giger, Chris Foss and Moebius all went on to contribute their talents to Alien; thus making O'Bannon's bastard child of Dark Star and Dune the closest we'll ever get to seeing What Could Have Been.
Of course this is all ancient history and common knowledge, but seeing these TV and print ads makes me wish anew that Giger's brilliance was further utilised at the height of his ability. I could watch an entire film - devoid of any actors, dialogue or story - of nothing but Giger's art, brought to life by '80s practical FX: sets, miniatures, models, animatronics, puppetry and matte paintings. A sort of biomechanical perversion of Koyaanisqatsi.
Totally agree ... Giger, Jodorosky, Dune ... its a huge loss that it never eventuated.
ReplyDeleteI regard Giger as one of the foremost creative visionaries of the 20th century - its a pity that so little of his work has made it into film.
Couldn't agree with you more. If I ever get back to Switzerland, I'm gonna have to check out his bar and museum.
ReplyDeleteFunny you say that. If I ever get to Europe that's one of my destinations as well. There was a Giger bar in Tokyo too - but not there any more.
ReplyDeleteThat's an amazing ad. Only in Japan would something like that fly.
ReplyDeleteBTW, great blog!
Yeah, the Japanese, like the French, really seem to appreciate interesting and intelligent SF/horror.
ReplyDeleteCool! That's the second piece you just posted that concerns a blokes that where part of a TV show I worked on last year. Great stuff indeed - in your posts that is.
ReplyDeleteYou really should check out the Giger museum in Gruyères. It's fascinating. We spent a few hours there after closing whilst on shoot, and the place is really really creepy when it's empty and all dark amongst all that fascinating imagery. Not to mention the biomechanoids. And there's a Giger bar on the opposite side of the road.
Fuck, I'd LOVE to go there man. One day.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great find - has a Giger/Videodrome vibe.
ReplyDelete