I think Jodorowsky’s Dune doesn’t get thrown around with Flash Gordon and The Hidden Fortress when people talk about Star Wars influences mostly because it doesn’t actually exist and any attempt to explain it to the uninitiated would completely derail whatever Star Wars-centric documentary/interview/article the conversation is meant to be a part of. Jodorowski’s Dune is most definitely a huge influence. I think equating Han’s spice with melange is a bit misleading, though. The idea of spice being a valuable drug definitely comes from Dune, but in the novel the spice is a huge part of the central conflict, whereas in Star Wars it’s just a throwaway reference that’s never mentioned again outside of the EU.

Man, I was just listening to that Grimes album with all the Dune references, and now this. I need to read Dune again.