On The DL

Oops, I missed the recent 70th birthday of David Lynch.  He's one of my favorite filmmakers, but the amazing thing is his stuff was made at all.  Movie's aren't cheap, after all.  Compared to a Michael Bay or James Cameron, he's not that successful, but considering that he's essentially an abstract painter whose canvas is the silver screen, he's has a long and varied career.

He hasn't directed a major feature in a decade, but he's still around, doing short work, TV and whatever else interests him.  While he's well known for creating the Twin Peaks TV series, let's look at his films.

He's directed--and mostly written--ten features.  I'd say two of them are masterpieces (Eraserhead, Mullholland Drive), and most of the rest are good to great. Even the rare misfires, such as Dune, are interesting to watch.

I remember when I saw his first feature, Eraserhead, which (against all odds) became a successful midnight movie and launched him into the big time.  Friends asked me to describe it, and I said it's funny but not a comedy, it's spooky but not a horror film, it's set in a different sort of world but isn't science fiction or fantasy, and it's about a guy and a girl who have a kid but is definitely not a romance.  I suggest you see it yourself

His movies have plots, of course, but he's always been interested in what's going on underneath the rational world.  This is one reason why many don't go for his films, or even think they're silly. His characters don't act as if they're in conventional drama.  He's a master of the ineffable, capturing a glimpse of a world that isn't quite normal but isn't entirely a dream, either.

Let's watch a few selections from his work, though there's really nothing like watching a full feature, enveloped by the big screen.