Twin Peaks: Season 3

Ooookayy then...

Not really what I was expecting. When I say the word conflicted, I don't think I've ever meant it more in my entire life. I do want to say first and foremost I am not going to be one of those people who lauds this season but I'm also not a person who is actively hating this season either. Cause it did hold my attention and interest for the ungodly 18 hour runtime mainly due to the very simple question of, "Where is this going?" and the thing is you're not gonna get much. I think this honestly is my Inland Empire where I don't really get it and I don't know what to do with it. It's rather interesting to watch this season because you think, my God 18 episodes at an hour a piece soooo much must happen! And it...just does not. I can sum it up in three instances, Cooper gets out of the Black Lodge physically but not fully mentally, Gordon Cole is slowly piecing together more on the Red Room and the return of Cooper through murder investigations, and we follow the evil doppleganger of Cooper as he tries to circumvent being trapped in the Black Lodge again. Now I'm going to share with you a technical term of writers that you typically do not see in media: non-sequitur, is the word I would describe this season as. Essentially it means that the very next scene to anything has no bearing or impact in the long run. But to be paradoxical for a second, is a non-sequitur still a non-sequitur if it continually happens again and again? Because when I tell you that this season at least 80% of the time feels like filler cul de sacs I'm really not exaggerating. This season meanders, and plods, and wanders to a limit where most people's patience would burn out before they got a quarter of the way through it. But as I said I was too intrigued and curious to ever call it quits! I was shocked, puzzled, laughed, and cried at moments that kept me engaged to the end of it all but I safely can say this is not for everyone if not the vast majority of anyone. Yet the production and David's full time creative mind is on solid form, broadening the horizons of the world to the point where I'm not even fully sure it can be called Twin Peaks anymore due to how little we are in that town (yeah I'm sounding like one of those people I knowww), it does admittedly lose a bit of the magic with it's post 2010 look yet it still looks pretty gorgeous at times, the music is the absolute highlight of the entire season for me without a shred of doubt almost to the point where I want to say to hell with the show buy the soundtrack, the new additions and returns of the old cast are still handled very well albeit criminally short for our returning castmates, and it does have entertaining moments. Now was I fully expecting some hardcore nostalgia riding into the aftermath of the season two finale? Frankly, not even a little bit. I had faith in David to continue this strange torpedo while still bringing something entirely fresh and new to the story without having to really tread over familiar ground beyond the town of Twin Peaks itself. And I eventually did get that! 14 episodes in out of 18, and hell Cooper isn't fully back to 100% until episode 16! It still wasn't too little too late for me at that point, but I am almost fully endorsing the most disputed of golden calfs in any fandom ever created, the fan edit. I have only touched a fan edit one single time and it was for The Hobbit trilogy and the one I found honestly is the only way I will watch it from now on. I'm at least trying to give you a different angle to approach this finale. Coming from an individual who's patience is near boundless and can easily sit through higher than average runtimes, 18 hours is shockingly unnecessary for this. There are a virtual army of The Return truthers out there who will praise and gush over this series without so much as an average opinion on any aspect, and I envy those people. The oh so simple easy way to throw out terms like, bait & switch or unmitigated high expectations, to flow from my lips is striking but I don't really feel that. No one, I repeat no one could make a television series like this on accident, there is something to it that David wanted to convey. Just because I don't get it doesn't mean it's bad. I don't know entirely what I'm feeling though at this time. What do I even rate it? A big fat question mark would be appropriate but I try to center myself on something. As a whole, both of production and story, I'm gonna give it a 7/10. May have broken new ground ten years on since starting this show, cause television series ratings do not go down each subsequent time on this website. I don't even like that this was what it came to be, but what can I do to change it? Nobody can change it. You either accept it or deny it. I'm willing to accept even if not happily. But it certainly does not diminish or taint my love for David and the creations he has brought to this world and I'm happy to have gotten through this show regardless. I hope you all have more days of beautiful blue skies and golden sunshine all along the way. Everyone have a great day!

Twin Peaks: Season 2

NO! NO! YOU DO NOT GET TO PULL THAT!

Are you frick fraking serious right now?? I have never freaked the hell out this hard over a season finale in my life, and the worst part is I can't even talk about it! Yeah yeah, 30 year old show, don't care cause you need to watch it! Okay, gotta breathe, inner peace. Whew, I got this. Don't really know where to start, but I got this. So Twin Peaks, resounding success despite the Lynchian aspects to it comes back swinging with a whopping 22 episodes for this season making it the longest (and possibly most involved) season of the entire show. So much happens in fact I have no choice but to do it a tremendous disservice and not cover everything because 1. The plot greatly expands beyond the murder of Laura Palmer, and 2. Because of the length I had to watch it over the course of 4 days and my memory has more holes in it than a sponge! But basically after the attempt on Cooper's life the case continues on and even I will admit I was shocked how quickly we found out who killed Laura Palmer, now massive cock up on my end with watching Fire Walk With Me first that is all on me, but even still not half the season passes before we get the resolution on that. And this is actually one of the biggest detractions I have heard about this series, that nobody really gave a shit about the show after the murder mystery was solved and that it was pushed heavily by the studio who didn't want to see it naturally conclude. That's bullshit and very frustrating but here's the thing from my perspective: The show is called Twin Peaks, and not The Case Of Laura Palmer. We spend oodles of time situated in this town, getting to know these people, sinking into their own lives and drama and indeed following the aftermath of the killer I was still strongly invested! Did it wane a little bit before it got close to the finale? Yes, but ultimately the story that follows with this psychopath from Coop's past setting up shop in Twin Peaks for his own devious schemes isn't horrible! I feel the show has to juggle so many plot threads eventually some just get dropped without even a remotely satisfactory conclusion, but truth be told that's the only major strike against this season. Production wise in nearly every aspect if it isn't as good as season one it certainly has been improved upon. Now I know that David at this time pretty much from episode one of this season was off filming, if memory serves Wild At Heart, and for a fraction of a second loses that unique enigmatic charm that pervades the entire first season but rest assured it finds it's own footing again by episode two. And indeed the remainder of the season has charm, laughs, surprising twists, and a good fair few cliffhangers that made me dash to the next episode. It's still a very good season despite the naysayers that have accumulated since the original broadcast dates. I'll certainly tell you this, the characters are not dull and have plenty to do. Kale is still on stellar form regardless of scenario or unexpected twist as Coop, and it's no wonder him and David were thick as thieves since Dune. Michael Ontkean goes through the ringer this season and we see a lot more from Harry than just a stalwart good police officer, which is nice and obviously a good sign of expansion which a lot of the characters, for good or ill have. Richard Beymer has a full on 180° as Ben Horne which was unexpected and certainly kept me guessing to the point where I'm infinitely curious if he'll turn up in the third revival season. Sherilyn Fenn I think has the hands down most full character arc of the show when you really break it down, from anarchist teenager to growing businesswoman under her father so she got nothing but range in this series! If I could just shoutout Don S. Davis as Major Briggs, he already had my attention in the first season but even though he is still on that side character podium his performance and cadence is nothing short of spellbinding, and...just that moment in the diner when he's telling his son Bobby about his dream, I'm just gonna say it that's not only my favorite scene in the entire show thus far but is one of the crown jewels of the series. Also strongly have to shoutout Frank Silva as Bob who is simultaneously one of the most intangible threats in fiction and yet extremely terrifying, I have no doubts the man was a joy in real life but how they direct, and shoot, and write about Bob eugh, it just gets under my skin so perfectly. And our replacement villain is an interesting bat shit force to be reckoned with played by Kenneth Welsh, and the personality of this well read almost thespian murderous psycho with a penchant for chess is still just that right amount of weird for Twin Peaks. And just to lightning round my thoughts on the other side characters, Donna and James have moments but mostly is kinda filler hate to say, same kinda goes for Ed, Norma, and Nadine but ooh Nadine is very much my kind of lady woman, Shelly and Bobby pretty much are still on the same page as season one with some fresh elements thrown in here and there but ultimately average, the will they won't they with Lucy and Andy I rather adore and was a persistent highlight for the season with me, Pete you're still my king and you deserve the world, oh sweet bloody Mary can we just talk a sec on the guest appearances? How in the nine circles of hell itself did no one, I repeat NO ONE, ever bring up the fact that David Warner the legend himself is in this, Dan O'Herlihy of Halloween 3 fame who by the by you cannot convince me for a micro second that's not Conal Cochran resurrected from witchcraft fuckery, David Duchovny who is a transgender woman in the FBI by the name of Denise in 1991 before either women were permitted in the bureau and The X-Files was a thing so props to you for being surprisingly progressive, and we got Billy Zane as a romantic side character cause why the hell not! Don't get me wrong I'm here for it 1,000% percent but I'm still reeling from that information even as I type it! To touch a bit more on the production, it feels bigger than the first season with the sets and directing, the cinematography is still very nice for a TV show and does lend itself to cinematic moments for sure, the Angelo Badalamenti score is the stuff dreams are made of and despite only a few new pieces of music never gets dull in my opinion, the lore or mythos of Twin Peaks gets strongly expounded upon and if the Red Room was kinda losing you abandon all hope ye who enter here because it gets out there! In fact it got more out there than even I anticipated and how that finale goes down, it's done super well and can be effectively disturbing but knowing there was a 26 gotdamn gap and for all intents and purposes that was the ending, I am counting my lucky stars that I was born the year I was, I'm watching Twin Peaks the year it is now, and I don't gotta wait! How in the fuck did you people do this?! I'm flabbergasted just thinking about it! So, what do I rate it? It isn't as good as the first season which is a rare occurence on my show but it is a good season and that's all I really need. This was a scatterbrained review if I ever friggin' wrote one and there was so much to unpack I know I forgot something it was as inevitable as the sun will rise and the sun will set, but it is worth watching all the way through. 3 stars, 8/10, and we got one more before we go.

Twin Peaks: Season 1

We're here.

I didn't even begin to have an inkling of what Twin Peaks was, and I gotta say upfront it is not like Fire Walk With Me really at all. Obviously I've only seen the first season of this show thus far and to be honest the thing I saw most in association with this show out in the wild as it were was, there's some great big underlying mystery that people have tried for decades to crack, and maybe I just read stuff on face value but this first season while not necessarily cut and dry is very easy to grasp, understand, and enjoy. Not the wisest decision to watch the film first, that's my bad but I'd be lying through my teeth if I said I wasn't hooked. Spanning only a modest 8 episodes we follow Special Agent Dale Cooper as he arrives in the rural town of Twin Peaks to aid in the murder investigation of Laura Palmer. But it's not really the full extent of the show, we spend a lot of time getting familiar with this town and vastly more so it's residents. Who they are, what they do, what's their link to Laura, what relationships do they have with each other, it's really impressive storytelling to see this engrossing web get weaved episode by episode and not for a microsecond does it get dull. Obviously a show has groundwork to set up and ample time to do so, but it really does craft this character in and of itself for the town of Twin Peaks all on the backs of these characters in relatively a short span of time, and the writing is really damn good at it. It's more an ensemble series rather than a main star and a revolving door of supporting characters. In fact it was really hard to narrow down the cast list for this review because there's that many! I suppose we'll start with Kale as Dale Cooper who is easily my favorite character of the show, I seriously have no clue what it is maybe it's the script maybe it's the delivery but he just cracks me up in this! It's impossible to describe, you just gotta see it. Which kinda sums up this show so far for me, I'm not a fine enough wordsmith to articulate what I have seen here and there's almost too much to talk about. I can't remember who said it but they equated Kyle playing Dale as David Lynch, and it clicked eerily well so maybe that's why I love him so. To lightning round the characters so we don't spend all day just discussing that we'll focus on main supporting cast. Agent Cooper works in cooperation with Sherrif Harry S. Truman (Yes I'm serious.) played by Michael Ontkean who is head of the modest yet dedicated police force of Twin Peaks. We meet Laura's best friend named Donna played by Lara Flynn Boyle who takes the murder investigation into her own hands seeking answers, where she interacts with anarchy incarnate rich girl Audrey played by Sherilyn Fenn and biker boy James played by James Marshall to aid in her investigation. But there's other goings on in Twin Peaks and not all of it is good but you'll have to watch the show to learn more, and there are a lot of names so I recommend having a notepad to help keep all the strands untangled. It's worth it, that's all I'm saying. Very interesting to watch especially by episode 3 which everyone claims is the make or break episode for audiences, the first two episodes get you situated in this world with these characters and takes it's time to build the world, and thennn the 3rd episode happens and all I have to say is The Red Room. I don't even know what, but I'm rolling with it. Then the show adds supernatural otherworldly elements into it, but nor does it lean heavily into it either! It's just sorta there and isn't made that big a deal of, but I get why people would be turned off on that because the first two episodes for the most part are a mystery drama and people don't like when something shifts genres unexpectedly. I call it the From Dusk Till Dawn effect. But I was so engrossed in this show that it was just another layer of enjoyment for me! Some people might laugh at the almost soap opera-esque moments but I feel that was intentional on David's part. I'm kinda having a hard time to describe why I liked it as much as I did, I can't even remember the last show that got me so hyped and scrambling to put the next episode on because of the last episode's ending. I can't pin it on anything specific like the mood or style, or the fine acting, or the deepening story with all these characters affecting it, I'm really stumped on this. I just loved it. Couldn't recommend it stronger if I tried in all seriousness even when I know it just isn't going to be everyone's damn good cup of coffee. I haven't seen anything else like it in my life and most likely never will again, so I feel compelled to spread the word. Even though this show just had it's 34th anniversary so it's been around in the ether for some time, I don't care you have to watch it. I have spoken. Great start so far, 4 stars across the board, 9/10! !kcor s'teL

The Elephant Man

Certainly went out on a depressing note.

But poetic nevertheless as this was my introductory David Lynch film, and I can even pinpoint to when I saw it last. 9th grade theater class, typical substitute with an interesting twist as he himself played John Merrick for a stage play so we had a good talk about character and the film. Set amidst the dark steam filled streets of London a surgeon Frederick Treves stumbles upon a medical marvel in the sordid freakshow of a circus before integrating him in society, as the movie more or less boils down to a war of attrition between those who would see John Merrick in comfort and peace for the remainder of his days and those suffering worst from the human condition who want him back as an attraction. This probably is the least stereotypical David Lynch movie and yet undoubtedly is the most David of them all, showcasing incredible compassion, love, and respect for what many would deem weird or odd. If you're not even a slight emotional mess by end credits it's time to return your heart and get a new one, even with not really super sad scenes I was bawling, it strikes so many nerves near my heart. I attribute that a tremendous deal to the actors with of course ample appreciation for the script. Anthony Hopkins I know this role may not have seemed all that interesting to you but you deserve a lot of love for your performance, Frederick Treves is a stalwart humanitarian here with a deep sense of care that I feel is sorely lacking in this day and age, and the fact he's flat out willing to fight for John's safety is something truly special. I hold a firm hand when saying this movie would be not much special without John Hurt as Merrick, for a performance buried under rather remarkable and heavily extensive prosthetics my God the man can still do so much maybe even more than the rest of the actors, with intelligence, sterling manners, and a true appreciation for a new lease on life is a wonderful thing to see. Ample love also going to Anne Bancroft, Freddie Jones, and John Gielgud who only raise the acting ability of those around them. The pristine black & white cinematography is a work of art in and of itself, undoubtedly echoing a lot of early monster movies and I don't feel that was unintentional. John Merrick is teased slowly with buildup to the blunt and lack of fanfare reveal like the Universal Monsters, an interesting dichotomy to film a character as monstrous when he is anything but. This also extends to the opposing sides surrounding John as well, with unfathomable heart present alongside the cruellest and lowliest hate. It's a film about as mainstream as David got with a whopping 8 Academy Award nominations, but winning none. An unsung hero to all who aren't familiar with the production, Mel Brooks himself produced the film and wasn't even credited to not diminish the film as a comedy. A human story to the very last, with love, appreciation of art, and an outer shell holding hidden depths undoubtedly makes this a David Lynch film. 4 stars, 9/10, I hate endings more and more with each passing day.

Wild At Heart

Ideas truly are beautiful and abstract.

To say the death of David was a crushing blow would be an understatement, I've never really had a favorite director ever in my life but David easily was one of my favorite people on this planet. And I'm not sure if I have ever reviewed every movie from a director before but we are gonna wrap up David's theatrical films this week. Wild At Heart might honestly be my favorite movie of his, Blue Velvet was great, Mulholland Drive was interesting and complex, and even Eraserhead had strong appeal for me, but this movie for one reason or another has my love more than the others. Following a deeply passionate couple Sailor and Lula, who decide to make a trek to California while being trailed by men hired by Lula's own mom to stop them from being together is a simple but very endearing story. I buy the romance between the two, these young, foolish, sex crazed kids who truly are wild at heart and have a us against the world mentality speaks to me deeply. Of course it has all the wonderful beautiful quirks of David's writing and I was shocked to know it was a novel first, and I think I came up with a satisfactory term for his movies after all this time. David Lynch movies are weirdly engaging, this movie being no exception! The fact alone Nicolas Cage is in a David Lynch movie should be all the reason you need to watch this to begin with, with this swagger and voice almost a breathing return of Elvis Aaron Presley and a persona fit to burst with energy it's hard not to get swept up in the scenes. Same goes for Laura Dern who went against all types and personal restraints as Lula, and I'm not just saying this because she gets nekkid a bit in this movie but she has never looked more attractive and electric on the screen and I adore Tidbit! She really is solid gold in this movie and truth be honest may be my favorite performance of her career. I was a bit stunned to see so many Twin Peaks alumni present here and memory fails me which was coming out first in 1990 but it was a blast to see Sherilyn Fenn, Grace Zabriskie, Jack Nance, and Sheryl Lee pop up for a bit. Even Isabella Rossellini and Harry Dean Stanton are in the cast, you love to see continuity between productions and lord knows seeing friends make movies will never get old to me. The setting around Texas makes a native like me happy and the dust filled empty streets and sun blasted buildings almost give it a modern day western vibe at times. The editing has a lot more emphasis on flashbacks and a strong fascination with flames, which just goes to show no matter how many of David's films you have seen not a single damn one looks or even feels alike but still strangely has that aura where you couldn't mistake it for anyone else's movie. The Angelo Badalamenti score has that almost speakeasy sound to it but can clobber you with eerie punctuation to certain imagery, but it's lovely as always and the music choices are varied and unique. It was a fascinating ride to be on for this and not just because of the horrible news, I really had no clue where it was going but easily had the backs of our two leads all the way. I'm sure this probably is one of David's least talked about films, even though I knew next door to nothing about it but it's kinda leaning on my #1 spot in the filmography. But let me be clear that is a subjective stance and not an objective stance, if someone told me Blue Velvet was objectively the best David Lynch film I doubt I could argue much, but for my money Wild At Heart was just the right kind of engaging, entertaining, and funny that I needed in this time and place in the world. 4 stars, 8.5/10, and next time we touch on the movie that seems to have the most divisive rift of all David’s films with Inland Empire.

Lost Highway

You never fail me David.

Okay! Lost Highway. The fuck? Don't get me wrong, I liked it fine and well but this is a brainteaser of a movie. Two things you always can say about every David Lynch movie, it's never boring and it gets the gears in your mind turning. It's gonna be difficult to even synopsize the plot here because it really keeps changing tracks almost to the point where you could say the movie is just all over the place and has no sense of direction or cohesion but then links start cropping up and the farther you get the more the branching paths cross. It starts off akin to a home invasion thriller as this couple finds a tape on their doorstep of someone entering their home and filming them while they sleep which is a pants darkening thought as is, then we swap over to a young mechanic who is dabbling in a less than monogamous relationship which we primarily follow but then weird shit just keeps happening and connections that rightly would seem completely out of nowhere creep in, and by the end of the movie you're turning this Rubik's Cube any which way to try to figure it out. What conclusions you come to is half the fun. I feel certain people will hate this movie if they are individuals who don't like not knowing stuff, me on the other hand love when I come face to face with stuff I don't know or don't get because it can be a learning experience and I like to try to solve stuff. So this easily can be a splitting movie, but being as one trained in the Force I know only true coincidences are rare, and that David has a vision and always makes the movie he wants to make even if he's the only one to understand the movie. But in terms of production details it's real good even great at moments! The first 40 minutes centered on that home invasion thriller part was super effective and got me jumpy, sound design and soundtrack is fantastic throughout! We got some straight up unbelievable shots at times, I mean like too good looking to be anything short of a painting. Big time love to Patricia Arquette who while not the protagonist is the center of which the plot revolves around, this is my first time seeing her on David's filmography and I'm impressed. Bill Pullman is the real contention of questions I had in regard of the story, but it was nice seeing him post-presidency fighting aliens. Balthazar Getty as our secondary lead walks hand in hand with Bill as to the mystery of what is exactly going on, and I liked his more quiet mannered näive persona before he goes off the rails. Last but not least Robert Blake credited only as Mystery Man is likely the most memorable part of the film, and he's very much a wild card thrown in the deck with nothing short of unnatural abilities and with such a small amount of screentime gets under your skin effortlessly, absolutely fantastic acting. Regardless of what you make out of the plot this is an interesting movie and gave me 2 hours of entertainment to get me through the day. 3 stars, 7.5/10, and well that about does her. Wraps it all up. But we got some major time goodies coming up with both Star Wars series and a new release, so stay tuned and stay weird.

Fire Walk With Me

In the immortal words of David Lynch himself, "What the hell??".

Eraserhead I could get. I had even a small foothold when talking about that film, but Fire Walk With Me is absolutely what people think of the term "a David Lynch movie" is. Set as a prequel to the show Twin Peaks but made 2 years after the show at that point wrapped up, this more or less focuses on the final living days of Laura Palmer who from what I can discern the first season of the series delves into her murder investigation. And it almost seems that's what the beginning of the film is setting up, two FBI agents investigate a different case that has tentative links to Laura's future demise but unfortunately because of behind the scenes woes the film got reshuffled and is very different from the original script, so you're rolling with a brief investigation and then the movie shifts gears without a clutch right into the life and experiences of Laura Palmer. I didn't mind that a great deal because I knew this was essentially laying the groundwork for the series to build upon so the different actors for the same parts, the ultimate revelation of Laura's death, and the things that other fans would call inconsistencies I had no issue with because this is my first experience of the world of Twin Peaks. But yeah from the oh so very brief research I did into this apparently people were not too keen on this film when it came out but since has gotten a reappraisal. It's a fascinating experience watching this, because it really drops the pretense of a murder mystery and starts getting weeeeird and experimental, and is so not the movie you have just playing in the background while you file your taxes or cook breakfast. But I'll admit even when you're paying attention it still leaves you befuddled and wondering if someone slipped something in your beverage of choice. But I never ever claim weird and bizarre even to the point of confusion as "bad", even with shit like Killing Of A Sacred Deer that was mindwarping to the state of shellshock but not once did I categorize it as bad. I have seen some inept ignorant incompetent motherfuckers in my life who equate weird and different with bad and I got news for you champ, that's short for champion, this is a batshit movie where I'm swirling in a hurricane of unexplained moments and yet I still have interest and enjoyment with it. There is not one uncommitted individual in front of or behind the camera, everybody did such fantastic work. You couldn't say in a thousand generations this movie's star is not Sheryl Lee, I'm telling you right now man without witness or reward, without a shred of exaggeration or lie, this lady gives one of the most interesting, engrossing, and fantastic performances I have ever seen. I don't think there is an emotion she didn't potray as Laura, I mean a truly special actress. I don't know if I can fully sum up her character and probably never will but I can recommend this movie full force because of her acting alone. I have to say despite the super brief appearances in the long run of FBI investigators Chet, Sam, and Dale I really was digging their scenes and while I'm far from a super fan of crime shows/police procedural kind of stuff I easily got into the groove of their characters so well done on that. Ray Wise as Mr. Palmer did mighty good work even if the character just creeped me the hell out. Is that a stereotype these days of a suburban, straight laced, middle class dad who just seems that he stuffs bodies in a crawl space before having breakfast with the family? Just me? It might be. And like I said all the other aspects of production are great! The sets and the overall design are really damn nice, the cinematography is striking, the sound design has an edge to it, and because the film is so off the wall and experimental that means they really get to play. They get to play with what the camera can do, what kind of shot or effect do we want, what do we want the sound and ambiance to be, it's such a freeing experience when you can do that which is why certain shots and images are gonna stick with you and the strangeness of it all is what makes it stick all the more. I still got emotionally invested, I was shocked at times, puzzling over details, and even fighting back tears at a certain point. It's certainly never boring! I know it ain't for everybody so I can't recommend it to everybody, but if you feel brave enough one day to step into one of the strangest worlds you've ever known I say go for it. Not really too sure what to rate it, but I'd be talking out my ass Ace Ventura style if I said it didn't make me want to watch the show. I don't know when I'm ever gonna talk about Twin Peaks again, later rather than sooner, but I'm walking away from this in a positive mood. I give it 3 stars, 8/10! And we got one more before the day of the birth arrives for me.

The Art Life

I reckon it's about that time.

Mainly sprung on by the fact I grabbed David's autobiography, I wanted to talk some more about his films. He didn't direct this one, it was a true passion project and started as a Kickstarter film that took some time to get done from three directors briefly chronicling David's life. Now when I say brief I mean brief like the underwear on my hips now, it ends around Eraserhead so you could argue it's not a complete documentary but even I can't say I hated it. Shot in the Hollywood Hills at David's home/workshop the film is a wellspring of pictures, home movies, and a gallery of his art while he recounts bits and pieces of his life. It's interesting stuff to look at, to hear, to experience especially if you don't know much about the man himself. Hell you don't hear a peep out of anyone else besides David except his sweet little daughter from time to time, and to hear right from the horse's mouth on his childhood, what got him into art and how that transferred to filmmaking, to these vignettes he tells is just what I expected. I'll admit there were certain things that struck me but not in an overly bad way just things I took notes on, primarily this is pretty much the example I point to henceforth if you want to see the most arty, avant garde, bordering on pretentious and maybe slips it's baby toe across that line cinematography and shot placement, simply look no further. I can't decide if it was intentional or not but it is sure to make an art house critic rumble with delight or perhaps seething disgust from their diaphragm. The other thing which I take more slight issue with, is they showcase a lot of David's drawings and paintings and if you've ever seen them you know it's very stark and very blunt. It's almost a smokescreen effect because I've seen enough behind the scenes stuff of Mr. Lynch and not only is he candid but he's got a lot of appreciation for life in all it's unique and quaint beauties, not to mention he's got a lot of love and an open mind to boot. So you'll forgive me if I take the usage of straight up serial killer music, this distrubing shrill soundscape to convey the point that a person is not mentally or emotionally well, in bad taste. It's genuinely the only thing I did objectively hate in this documentary, and if you've been here long enough you know I just don't like being negative about things. But you feel the way you feel, and you gotta make peace with that. But if that's as bad as it gets I think this biographical picture can skate by on a pretty good score. 3.5 stars, 8/10! Very much an appetizer before we delve in proper tomorrow with hopefully my first step into the world of Twin Peaks. 

Mulholland Drive

David, God dang it!

I think this set some new kind of record, about 4 minutes in I had meathooks firmly implanted into me, I was that hooked and it dragged me through a wild and amazing trip. I'm not even sure how to summarize it beyond, a young lady named Betty moves to L.A. to become an actress and meets a woman named Rita who has memory problems after a bad crash and they try to piece together her memories, but there's quite a few characters and bizzare situations to recount and it gets a tiny complex. The last 25 odd minutes get very strange and only proceed to get more out there the closer you get to the end, culminating in a true and pure David Lynch ending. I loved it, it got my mind gears running at full speed and I feel fairly confident I actually understood what it was all about. Granted the movie is a burning venomous critique of the Hollywood system and showbusiness, backroom deals with shady people, good talent is overlooked for more attractive stars, but it makes it outrageous with assassins and dreamlike sequences that really only made me way more interested to see where this was going. And David summed it up perfectly for his main star, "Naomi knocked this thing out of the park." I can't believe she was snubbed an Oscar, this woman man. This woman was outstanding, and the chemistry between her and Laura Harring was nothing short of mesmerizing. Yeah yeah, they have a love scene and lesbionics occurs, move along move along. It's a very charming frienship they have and when it proceeds to a romantic relationship it feels well earned and lovely. And yeah, Laura Harring what a stunningly beautiful woman who can knock your socks off with her acting, and the best part for both of them is the performance evolves and deepens the further we go along. I heard tale this originally was conceptualized as a TV series and more so a Twin Peaks spinoff TV series which explains a small bit. I've only seen a grand total of 30 seconds of Twin Peaks, but it does seem to fit that strange and otherworldly environment. It's intriguing to watch and it sets this mystery up flawlessly in the beginning and you want to know as much as our main characters want to know, but it doesn't give you answers. That is your conclusion that makes the ending what it is. I had two thoughts but as we were ramping toward the ending it quickly came down to my second guess, zipper on the lips for that, go see it. It's great. To see David shift and mold this from a failed TV pilot to a cinematic odyssey is amazing, and what a way to go out this week! 4 stars, 9/10! I'm considering a fair bit to watch Twin Peaks at a later date and get reviews out for that, my interest grows more and more to finally see it but we got a while before the next batch of TV reviews. Next week my favorite time of the year, Marvel. Yaaaaay......

The Straight Story

I bet you never would imagine that David Lynch directed a movie like this.

Even more so, I bet you would never see the words Walt Disney Pictures presents a David Lynch film, a conjunction of words I can scarcely believe now. But it's true. I actually did not know about this movie at all until fairly recently from one of my reviewers and I knew I was gonna get around to it one day. Based off a true story, Alvin Straight hears tale that his brother who he fell out with 10 years ago had a real bad stroke, and he is determined to go see his brother and make amends. But he can't see too well, he has trouble moving, and he doesn't own a car or can get a ride. So he hitches a trailer, stocks up on food, and sets out from Iowa to Wisconsin, on his lawnmower. And I'll be damned, I was entertained for the almost 2 hour runtime and felt the pacing was spot on. I know you hear that synopsis and figure it's more of an experimental film to test a person's patience like that 12 hour film shot in real time of the Empire State Building, but you'd be surprised how much happens in it. Nothing big or bombastic, the most thrilling thing that happens is Alvin going down a steep hill quite quick and it by God has tension to it. It takes roughly 25 minutes into the movie for him to begin his trek, and he meets several people along the way and the interesting part is you learn something new about him each conversation he has. He meets a young runaway and tells her how much family means to him and that he had 7 kids before his wife passed, he meets a group of cyclists and discusses getting old and how rough it is, he goes for drinks with a stranger in town and they get a lot off their chest recounting their history in the second world war (By the by, best scene in the whole movie bar none.), and it is a mighty good story. There's good stretches of time without dialogue but every conversation has meaning and purpose to be, as I said the pacing is perfect knowing just how long to stick around an individual, a landscape, a moment. I'll never forget one line that's gonna stick with me for a good long time, "It's amazing what you can see when you're sitting down." I mean really think about this, we live in a world and age where you can do so much sitting down. Learn new things, see the world, talk with friends as if they were sitting across from you, the world is at your fingertips with speeds almost incalculable. So why is everyone moving so fast? I ain't never been fast and I doubt I'm going to get faster in the days to come, so a movie like this is my pace personified in cinema. I can keep up with your lightspeed sci-fi, and rhythmic up tempo action, but this is pretty dang close to my speed. I genuinely believe this can't be topped, like bring it on Mulholland Drive, cause this movie was wonderful. I loved it so much, I thought it is such an optimistic story with really remarkable actors who can say a bit but you see much more in their eyes, it's the most non-David Lynch David Lynch movie I've ever seen and yet I think it's my favorite. People are always gonna talk about Eraserhead, Mulholland Drive, Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet, yet this is the one for me. Give it a watch, feel the emotions, see those beautiful blue skies and golden sunshine permeate the scenery, I don't think you'll even be super disappointed with the ending. 4 stars, 10/10, I can't find a bad thing to say so it gets that score and we'll wrap up tomorrow with Mulholland Drive. You and me tomorrow Naomi!

Eraserhead

We are starting the early birthday celebrations right!

Oh man, Eraserhead, what a film! It's definitely one of those movies I've heard about through the years and yet never knew what it was about until I watched it. Wow. I won't lie, I had a great time. Difficult to talk about coherently but here goes nothing. So our movie is set in what I can only described as a bombed out, dilapidated, abandoned but dressed up neighborhood where a young man named Henry Spencer gets his girlfriend pregnant and has to look after the heavily prematuredly birthed infant. There is more to that story but I just want you to watch it. I don't know, maybe I've finally lost it but I very very much enjoyed this movie even though despite my best efforts I couldn't truly discern a lot from it. It has that experimental/student film quality where not much makes sense and it's almost deliberately strange and offputting, but I liked it! I mean I could rave about the lighting alone for like an hour, some of the best camera placement and lighting combinations I have ever seen in cinema. I have nothing but praise to give for Herbert Cardwell and Frederick Elmes, those guys knew their stuff and delivered flawless results. I also really appreciated Jack Nance in this, for a script that barely has any dialogue in it David got so much through Jack's facial features and body language, simultaneously looking super young and a total baby face but also old enough to have a midlife crisis which I kinda think has some bearance on the story. Henry is a young man but quickly discovers he is a parent, and you know having kids and taking care of kids changes an individual a lot, it's a lot to deal with, and you can tell through the direction and acting it is severely effecting him. He has a fight with his girlfriend, is stuck in an apartment with the baby, can't leave, can't sleep and when he does he has some weeeeird nightmares. I sympathize with the guy. Who knows what it's really about, I've seen snippets of interviews and David Lynch has said Eraserhead is his most spiritual film and won't elaborate further on any of it. Maybe it's the pressures of becoming a parent, maybe it's all a metaphor for the world ending, maybe it's just about a guy and his baby. There's plenty to dig into here and while the movie has spots of disturbing and bizzare moments, I was a bit surprised how much I laughed and felt quite relaxed while watching it. I did find humor not in the bewildering actions of the characters, but just simple normal things like fighting with a spouse over how much room they take in bed, or everytime Henry tries to leave the apartment the baby cries until he sits down again. The music is minimal but very pleasant I found, and we get both a dance sequence and a singing sequence so that was enjoyable. It may unnerve and confuse others, but I was immersed and wanted to see where it all went. It's no doubt going to be a film I watch again and again in the future and still get something out of. But go make of it what you will, that's half the fun of movies, and we got more Lynch coming up with The Straight Story. What do I rate it? No idea, how about...4 stars, 8/10!

Dune (1984)

Where to start with Dune?

It's a wild movie. It's like if you mixed Blade Runner, Tron, and really any 80s cult sci-fi film together, and I've been hearing a lot of shit talking about it in recent days from useless hack websites who have nothing better to write about while I actually kinda liked it. Again, for a person who only got about a quarter of the way through the book I was keeping up with it, had a good time, and while there are things that were off this is by no means a bad film. Though I heard the production was a bit of a wreck and David Lynch totally disowns this film which is a shame because he took the director's chair because he saw a lot of potential, but the studio wanted a specific movie and didn't even give him final cut privileges, the only film he directed where he didn't have the final say. That's a real shame that it's such a bad memory for him cause the film is honestly decent. I hear it takes bits from all the books but mainly focuses on the first, with Paul Atreides leaving his home planet with his family to the planet Arrakis to expand the family's power and wealth only to be targeted by another family clan as Paul rises to his destiny and declares war on the entire empire controlling Arrakis. It's not a bad story, and the way it's told isn't perfect but I never had 20 questions per scene and felt the cast while giving a more film serial performance was still very good. I know a lot of people gave Kale good grief because he seemed too old for the character of Paul but he looked very young, and is easily the best actor in the film. Which is saying something when you have Patrick Stewart, Jurgen Prochnow, Sean Young, and Max Von Sydow in the same cast. Even with the performance of the utterly hammy and absurd Baron Vladimir, it looks like Kenneth McMillan is having the time of his life playing this bonkers villain to the max. The special effects and set design is really great stuff, with detailed sets, unique costuming, the sandworms look awesome, it's a very 80s looking film in every respect but I dig that kind of look. It's a very dramatized story with dramatic acting, hence why it felt very Flash Gordon to me but I hold no major grievances with it. It's decent, I liked the cast, I got the story which was very streamlined for audiences, but yeah even I was quoting lines and rocking out to the music when Paul rides the worm. So call me a fan, and I'm curious how the new film will adapt the book for better or worse. 3 stars, 7/10.

What Did Jack Do?

I don't care if this is considered cheating, I've been doing this for over half a decade now I'll do what I like.

For a 17 minute short, I can resoundingly say I did not need more than what was presented. With not directing a feature length movie since 2016, I'm just happy David did this. Shot in pristine black and white, a detective has sat down with a suspect in a murder case and starts putting the spotlight on him to try and figure out if he really was the killer or not. The dialogue is very classic cop interrogation here, there are no philosophical monologues like in The Dark Knight but brings originality to it in other ways. For instance instead of musings of the human condition we get treated to a musical number written by David Lynch and Dean Hurley, which I could have sworn I heard before somewhere, sometime in my life but it is just an original song made for this short film and I'd be lying to the world if I said I didn't kinda want it in my music library. The instrumentals are super lovely and though it is short I very much enjoy it, though it blind sides the entire story a bit but I don't at all mind. I know David has acted in front of the camera before like in Twin Peaks and he does good work here, playing it a bit stoic and basic as terms as detectives go but I love it because it's just him in the role. And there's a monkey, did I mention that? The detective is interrogating a monkey named Jack who fell in love with a chicken by the name of Toototabon. What? Too predictable? I actually find it hilarious that the way they animate the monkey speaking is just a more technologically advanced Clutch Cargo technique but it doesn't look bad at times. The plot thickens quick with Jack being a crafty devil in evading questions but the tea or should I say coffee, is spilled and justice is served. Final score depends on more so than any major motion picture I've covered on subjective viewing, you are just presented with a story and you either like it or don't. I did like it, it's not 10/10 but I'd give it 8/10, 4 stars. You are doing your life a cruel and horrid disservice if you are not subscribed to David Lynch Theater on the YouTube, he has short films, does daily weather reports and number picks, shows you what projects he's working on, it's one of my favorite channels to view quite possibly ever. Until next time, everyone have a great day!

Blue Velvet

My first official David Lynch review, but not my first of his movies. That goes to The Elephant Man.

I'm actually really pleased with this movie. It was friggin' weird at times but I'm so happy to have seen it. Set in an idyllic North Carolina town a young man named Jeffery finds a severed ear and soon gets roped into a bizzare plot of kidnappings, sex, and batshit situations and characters. It's a wild trip, and I can't even imagine the audience reactions in 1986. Hell the producer Dino De Laurentiis had such faith in Lynch and the film that he repurposed a production company to distribute the film because no major studio would come near the thing, that is something you can't say about a lot of people in the film industry nowadays, that's pretty grand. The critical reception didn't really start strong until well after the film was released, but strictly on a first viewing basis I very much enjoyed it. I like the whole 50s aesthetic they present in terms of visuals and music, this isn't the first time a film has presented a perfect small town with a dark underbelly but they handle it very well and the music is very jazzy noir-ish centered which you know I'm a sucker for. I think the performances is what really sells the movie, though of course the story and direction are really dang good. Kyle MacLachlan is a very good lead and juggles the weird mix of emotions pretty much flawlessly, Isabella Rossellini has that perfect edge of vulnerability and I'll give major props to anyone who can go full nude cause I certainly wouldn't have the heart for that I mean talk about bravery, friggin' Laura Dern is in this movie which came out of left field but I'm so damn happy to see her in any movie she's a total cutie in this and I simply adore her, oh my God we get to talk about Dennis Hopper now. Dude. Dude. Whoa. There's no words to describe his performance, it's...um, wow. If ever there were a reason to see this movie, he's it. Wild. They handle the mystery good too, like you're never really sure who's in on it and who's not. Are the cops corrupt and maybe aiding the kidnappers? Maybe. Is there gonna be a heel turning character? Who knows? Will evil win the day in a downer ending? Have to see it for yourself. It's a fine movie, never trying to be more than it is but still having that unmistakeable David Lynch quality to it. 4 stars, 8/10, and I'm so getting the title theme for this movie!

Well it's that time again my friends. A new movie based on a Universal Monster hits theaters this Friday, and while my Dark Universe may be dead and buried no one's ever really gone...