Colouring Book Theatre: Dune Activity Book

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DUNE: Puzzles, Games, Mazes and Activities

This is my third pass (you can read parts one and two here) at Dune coloring books or as I like to call them, "Comedy Gold" .

The book promises you can "relive all excitement and adventure from the movie" but as we all know, crosswords and poorly thought out games rarely do that, even with good subject matter.

This is in no way a poke at the quality of the film but more of a comment on the weird belief it was somehow marketable to children.

Dune is a dark, often gory ride with a narrative that would confuse a lot of kids. Yet, licensing people sold it as the next Star Wars and here we are.

The other reason I keep returning to Arakis (see what I did there?) is the hope I find a colouring book page of Sting in his metal underwear, I WILL FIND YOU!

Grab your crayons and still suit and join me after the jump

I like the semi smile put on this character, I'm positive that every character in Dune just sorta frowned.




"The Big Baron" sounds like a jolly fellow or a regional burger chain that is no longer. The lead villain of Dune is a hyper obese monster covered in oozing boils that sucks blood kids. Don't try to put perfume on this pig Grosset and Dunlap.







Characters like the Baron somehow had people thinking they had the next "Star Wars", what they got was the next "Krull".

To get all serious for a minute (well as serious as I get) "Last Starfighter" toys never hit the market but this guy was found under the tree on Christmas morning?

I think I'll draw a little suit on this make it a Dale Cooper paper doll, then I can sell it to my unsuspecting podcast co-host for triple the price.

I think the better question is "Who is overacting in this scene?"




Send your friends these postcards and guaranteed they'll call you and ask "*** did you just send me?"

Previously reviewed Colouring Books

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[Werewolf]

This is in no way a poke at the quality of the film but more of a comment on the weird belief it was somehow marketable to children.

Yeah, I still don't get the merchandising blitz for that. It's a dark, morbid, convoluted story full grotesque imagery and drug addiction. It's not a kid friendly fun action adventure by any stretch. Yet it never seemed to cross anyone's mind at the studio or marketing department that kids would be both bored and repelled by it.

[cjefferys]

I don't get how the kid's merchandising happened for this either but I have this book. Hey, who wants a Dune postcard coloured by yours truly? (just kidding, I don't want to deface this true collector's item )

[Hedji]

Utterly fantastic in its repulsiveness.

[Earth 2 Chris]

I'm not sure I ever made it through Dune. I tried to watch it as a kid at my friends house when it came to HBO. I think we gave up, and went outside to watch paint dry.

That's how incredibly wrong these coloring books are...but you gotta love 'em because of it.

Chris

[4NDR01D]

I recall my friend Josh really liked this when we were about 9 or 10. I just couldn't get into it. It's on netflix so maybe I should give it another try.I don't really remember seeing any merchandise for it until my adult collecting years.

[Hedji]

I remember going to see Dune in the theater, and in the lobby, along with the program, they were handing out a one sheet Glossary, with words and names from the film. Has any other film had to hand out glossaries?

[sprytel]

I saw it in the theater when I was 9, and the bizarreness and inappropriateness are part of why I was so fascinated by it.

[RobTMego]

wow, super cool book!!

[MysteryWho]

A few years ago I worked at a now defunct Canadian department store called Zellers. In the book section they had the Dune storybook, basically a scholastics version of the story with a photo from the film on the cover. I couldn't get over the fact that these were still kicking around at retail level, more than 20 years later. Dune was one heckuva merchandising failure.
At the same time, I've always been a fan on inappropriate merchandising. If I had the skills, I'd make toys for movies that didn't necessarily need them. I've always wanted to turn a some Mego figures into an "Electra Glide in Blue" line.

[samurainoir]

It's astonishing what I've found at rural and small town Zellers locations over the years.

Just before the Erin Mills Parkway location in Mississauga closed, there were still 90's Spawn figures kicking around there.

In the 90's I found Mattel Simpsons figures in the downtown Kingston Zellers.

[cjefferys]

I was finding Kenner Star Wars stuff at Zellers as late as 1990-91, I miss that store sometimes....

[acrovader]

I saw this in the theater when I was 10. I remember marketing for this movie used Star Wars to sell it. Which made me want to see it even more. I remember the action figures and toys guns in the toy store. My mom even bought me the 'Making of Dune' magazine at the grocery store. While I was too young to go to the movies myself, I had to drag my brother and sister with me. I'm surprised that I 'liked' it as a kid, since it was so slow and murky. I thought it both weird and laughable.

[plaztekman]

I love this movie. Seeing it the first time, I was confused but mesmerized. After it hit cable and with several viewings, I finally got it. Gorgeous cinematography.

[Spawn67]

I remember me and my dad going to see it in the theatre when I was 10. Of course it was hyped up at the time so I thought it was going to be the next Star Wars. Of course when I saw it as a kid I was like what the heck was that? I did like it though and still got my Dune storybook that my grandmother got me for christmas that year.