The first one is all about Frank Herbert’s Dune. Watch it here.

The argument I attempt to make in my video is essentially that, while Lucas was clearly inspired in the early stages by contemporary writers like Herbert, the final product has been through so many changes that it bares no real resemblance. I’d also argue that the pieces being produced in vastly different mediums is key here—Star Wars is visuals-first, something that fans and critics alike are always pointing to, while Dune represents hundreds of pages of carefully crafted prose. Lucas can’t write that way, with that kind of conviction, any more than Herbert could have directed a blockbuster movie.

With that in mind, we can take another look at what survives of those early drafts and outlines from 1973-75.

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The ultra wide shot can also be an indicator of cinematic quality and intention. Confidence lives in the wide, so beware a film that seems afraid to use them.

In my down time recently I’ve been enjoying a comfort-rewatch of the early Marvel MCU movies. For those curious, I’m doing a kind of mixed, vaguely-chronological order, starting with Captain America (2011), then Iron Man (2008), Thor (2011), then Captain Marvel (2019) before the first Avengers. You can find my notes and ratings on Letterboxd.

I love these movies. They’re great. Nowhere else in the history of cinema is there a run of this many franchise films that maintain a consistent standard for so long. Seeing Infinity War in its third week, alone in an empty screen in Edinburgh, is one of my top cinema experiences and what turned me into a proper Marvel fan.

I’ve been trying to ask myself what makes them so good, and I think the answer lives in the wides.

These movies are not afraid of the extreme wide view. They are constantly treating us to huge, breathtaking vistas. Sometimes they’re sparse, sometimes they’re busy. They might even involve some completely unnecessary—but absolutely gorgeous—slow motion.

This overlaps with other aspects of storytelling, like pacing. It takes a confident filmmaker to interrupt the momentum of a scene with a wide. A wide or super-wide isn’t just for establishing surroundings. It can enhance a quiet character moment, like loss or failure.

And we’re not just talking about in-camera, old-school techniques. It’s Marvel, so of course a lot of these are absolutely filled with compositing. They’re a mix of multiple shots, blue-screen and CGI, or even wholly digital from the start. But I think they still land with the desired impact.

They provide a much-needed sense of scale, whether that’s computer-generated imagery of giant air carriers or hundreds of actual, living human extras running for their lives. I think they also reveal a more old-fashioned and less budget-sensitive production approach—one that emphasises physicality, variety, and spectacle. Many of these early films were made in partnership with Paramount, and feel like they’re still drawing from a turn of the century playbook that Disney+ (and streamers in general) have destroyed.

When you force productions that should have been cinematic features onto the small screen, slash their budgets, crunch their timelines, and shoot everything on that damned Volume wall… the wides are the first thing to go.

I love talking and thinking positively about cinema and storytelling, and I’m a huge advocate of the notion that we never stop learning. To that end, I started a series of deep dive video essays about my favourite movies that eventually grew into Film Question, my channel on YouTube which will soon celebrate its 100k subscriber milestone! If you’re reading this, you’re probably one of my viewers.

It started with The Truman Show, then Groundhog Day (and time loops in general), The Emperor’s New Groove, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and plenty of smaller topics in between… My current ongoing series is Star Wars, a topic I’ve discovered is overwhelmingly fascinating and extensive. I’ve already had to extend the series twice.

So here are my plans for Substack…

I’m going to use this space to share regular, written articles about movies and topics that I’m interested in. I’ll share some of my deeper research too, the stuff that sometimes gets cut from the video for time.

And I’m starting a monthly Film Club. That’s the paid tier. Every month we’ll pick a film to watch and discuss, coupled with a monthly livestream where I speak about it in more detail and open up the conversation in the live chat.

If that sounds good, consider joining! One of the great things about Substack is if you’re a free member you don’t even need an account, you can just get my emails straight to your inbox. And if you want to become a paid member of the Film Club it only takes a couple of minutes.

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