David Lynch and Mulholland Drive

[Tskware]

The previous thread got combined for some unknown reason with the Bob Eucker thread . . .

I did see Eraserhead and Blue Velvet many years ago, so am familiar with Lynch. Anyway, Amazon Prime had Mulholland Drive featured so I sat down to watch it this week. It is supposed to be his masterpiece and is very highly regarded, but I had never seen it.

In my entire life, I think that is weirdest movie I ever saw. I have absolutely no idea what the hell it was about, has about three or four storylines that made little sense to me. I even read the Wiki page on the movie, and still did not get it. Someone tell me what I did not understand?

I will say the eye candy with Naomi Watts and Laura Harring (former Miss USA I believe) make it worth at least a partial viewing.

 

[BlueThruAndThru]

 

[LineSkiCat14]

His stuff has always been too weird for my liking. I don't like movies that are TOO ambiguous where essentially the director says to the audience "it means whatever you want it to mean".

Like is any of this real?

I do think he's talented and does a great job capturing that "something sinister always permeating" feel.

 

[Someguywhodoesntlikeyou]

Lynch could make a surreal nightmare like Muholland Drive

Then he could make a beautiful spiritual film like The Straight Story.

That’s how you know he had talent.

 

[Nightwish84]

I'll likely never understand Eraserhead but my first exposure to Lynch was The Elephant Man. Just incredible filmmaking and looking back, way more straightforward than what he usually did. That, and The Straight Story, felt like films for 'normies.' There's just very few films like Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive, Lost Highway, and Wild at Heart. And there's really nothing like Twin Peaks. The first season of True Detective feels a bit like TP though.

We're losing guys who did things their way. Him and Friedkin come to mind. John Carpenter is another but sadly hasn't done anything worth a damn in decades.

 

[Tskware]

I'll likely never understand Eraserhead but my first exposure to Lynch was The Elephant Man. Just incredible filmmaking and looking back, way more straightforward than what he usually did. That, and The Straight Story, felt like films for 'normies.' There's just very few films like Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive, Lost Highway, and Wild at Heart. And there's really nothing like Twin Peaks. The first season of True Detective feels a bit like TP though.

We're losing guys who did things their way. Him and Friedkin come to mind. John Carpenter is another but sadly hasn't done anything worth a damn in decades.

Had forgotten The Elephant Man, one of the saddest movies I ever saw

 

[Nightwish84]

Had forgotten The Elephant Man, one of the saddest movies I ever saw

I had a phase in my teens where I watched movies like that, Seven Samurai, and Das Boot for the first time. I can't imagine teens today doing that. Maybe some have but in 2025 it's a tall task to expect a teen to sit still and not be distracted while watching a black and white film or an over three-hour foreign epic. And for Das Boot, I watched the mini-series version.

 

[Someguywhodoesntlikeyou]

I had a phase in my teens where I watched movies like that, Seven Samurai, and Das Boot for the first time. I can't imagine teens today doing that. Maybe some have but in 2025 it's a tall task to expect a teen to sit still and not be distracted while watching a black and white film or an over three-hour foreign epic. And for Das Boot, I watched the mini-series version.

I watched Seven Samurai for the first time in a theater in NYC in 1999. My wife and I had just moved to Manhattan from Nashville. Love that film.

Have you ever seen Hidden Fortress?

 

[Mossip]

I can't imagine teens today doing that

For sure, but I think a lot of us have been reprogrammed with the meme a minute platforms.

I try to watch a few films a month on Criterion and usually have to sit on my hands for the first hour or so.

 

[UnfrozenCatfanLawyer]

The (very good) movie podcast “Blank Check” just did a series on Lynch. Highly recommended if you’re interested in his filmography.