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handfuloflight | on: David Lynch has died
"My childhood was elegant homes, tree-lined streets, the milkman, building backyard forts, droning airplanes, blue skies, picket fences, green grass, cherry trees. Middle America as it's supposed to be. But on the cherry tree there's this pitch oozing out – some black, some yellow, and millions of red ants crawling all over it. I discovered that if one looks a little closer at this beautiful world, there are always red ants underneath. Because I grew up in a perfect world, other things were a contrast."

David Lynch

nathcd | parent | next
"What a heavy load Einstein must've had. Fuckin' morons, everywhere."

David Lynch

sk11001 | root | parent | next
I have never seen a single one of his movies but I love watching interviews with him, he had an amazing presence and so much energy.
Vetch | root | parent | next
I'm also ashamed to say I've also never seen any of his movies and TV series but this still hits hard because of his influence on some my most cherished fictional properties. These are Alan Wake/Control, Silent Hill 1&2, Returnal and Disco Elysium.

Actually, his influence on how surrealist fiction is presented throughout all media cannot be understated. I was surprised to read even the original Zelda has him as an influence. Majora's Mask does feel particularly Lynchian.

It would not surprise me if the Souls games and at least the later Berserks (late 90s/early 2000s forward) were either directly or 1-step indirectly influenced by Lynch.

wdbbdw | root | parent | next
I think it was less the original Zelda than it was Link's Awakening that had the Lynch influence, specifically influence by Twin Peaks

https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2019/12/feature_how_david_...

staticman2 | root | parent
There's no possibility Lynch inspired the original Zelda.

The original Zelda was released way before Lynch's Twin Peaks, which was a hit in Japan, was even in production. The look of the protagonist of Zelda was inspired by Disney's Peter Pan. The pig villain was inspired by a pig man in Journey to the West.

chalupaman | root | parent
It was the fourth Zelda, Link’s Awakening (1993), that was inspired by Lynch and Twin Peaks. If you’ve played it, the influence in that one is apparent — it’s about Link discovering an isolated community of eccentrics hiding a secret, and dreams play a major role. The game’s director, Takashi Tezuka, specifically wanted to emulate the mood of Dale Cooper discovering the town of Twin Peaks, meeting its oddball inhabitants, and trying to figure out what they’re hiding.
_hzw | root | parent
An (un)obvious connection between Eraserhead and Bloodborne (spoiler!):

https://www.reddit.com/r/bloodborne/comments/xgu21c/eraserhe...

Triphibian | root | parent | next
I'm gonna say start with Blue Velvet. It still has the backbone of a classical noir, but it is completely run through with the character of his work. Mulholland Drive reflects the apex of his vision and talents, but there's a learning curve to appreciating it.
crispyambulance | root | parent | next
Elephant Man is perhaps the most approachable. Anthony Hopkins and John Hurt are at the apex of their acting careers in this film.

After that Mullholland Drive is absolutely brilliant and has that unforgettable masterpiece diner scene: https://youtu.be/UozhOo0Dt4o?si=GedzAdMh0KIXoHz4

itsmemattchung | root | parent | next
Okay. not knowing anything about this film, not ever hearing or seeing it, I just clicked on that diner scene and holy f*ck, that was terrifying. and thank you :)
ascagnel_ | root | parent
It's a jump scare that works incredibly well, yet it's shot in slow-motion and lit to full daylight, two things anathema to jump scares.
jrace | root | parent
I would say that A Straight Story is even more approachable.

If you didn't know it was by Lynch you would never suspect it.

mortenjorck | root | parent | next
On the other end, save Inland Empire for after you've seen a lot of his filmography and are in the mood for a challenge.

I wouldn't call it his best work, but it is Lynch at his most singular and uncompromising.

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butterisgood | root | parent | next
Other than the 1980's Dune movie he directed, I think it was either Lost Highway or Mulholland Drive that made me want to know more about David Lynch.

I had to watch Mulholland Drive at least 5 times to get a sense of what it's even about, and I think I must have been the audience for which he made that film, if it wasn't indeed just art to make himself happy (which is the BEST kind).

Anyway, it kind of endears another person to you when you connect with their work. So this one hit kind of hard.

I lost a fellow weirdo, and he'll be missed!

signalToNose | root | parent | next
Wild at heart. Very approachable, but gory and brutal. The angst seep trough
werdnapk | root | parent | next
Mulholland Drive was my first Lynch movie and led me to watch pretty much everything else he released. I'd still start with Mulholland Drive if I started over again I think.
xivusr | root | parent | next
The lipstick scene. There should be an emoji for that.
adamc | root | parent
Nooooo, not Blue Velvet. That's on my "never watch again" list, because the people in it are so creepy I wanted to just go buy a million guns afterwards.
noisem4ker | root | parent | next
I feel the same. If Blue Velvet was the first Lynch movie I saw, I surely wouldn't have bothered with the rest, and I would have missed out on what I now consider one of my absolute favorites (Mulholland Drive). Same goes for Eraserhead and Wild at Heart.
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zug_zug | root | parent | next
Literally just watched it today and it's definitely in my 10 least favorite movies I've ever watched. Wish I had seen your comment.
emmelaich | root | parent
But it's also so beautiful; Laura Dern's character is so touching and Kyle McLachlan playing the naif in a world of evil is so moving.

And when they dance together at the end with "Mysteries of Love" playing - wow.

mtalantikite | root | parent | next
I'd personally say try Mulholland Drive first.
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gordon_freeman | root | parent | next
Start with "Eraserhead" and then go from there. Surreal is the word I associate with his movies and tv show (Twin Peaks) and I absolutely love watching such movies!
jimbob45 | root | parent | next
Dune or Twin Peaks are probably going to be more accessible than anything else.

For Eraserhead, I understand the metaphor of how parenting can be larger-than-life and terrifying and I see how Eraserhead was trying to embody that but I very much didn't appreciate the highly pessimistic ending. It's an early movie that would have benefited immensely from an alternate ending on its DVD.

Trasmatta | root | parent | next
I think there's a lot more to Eraserhead than that! I also don't really see the ending as pessimistic personally.

Lynch: "Believe it or not, Eraserhead is my most spiritual film."

Lean: "Elaborate on that?"

Lynch: "No, I wont. No one sees it."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjoMEw2RYlA

msabalau | root | parent | next
The Straight Story is almost certainly his most accessible film, while also very focused on themes that he cares about.

It isn't the elusive puzzle that many cinephiles value in his work, but it is clearly a Lynch film, even if it's not a stereotypical one.

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saijanai | root | parent | next
His most mainstream work is The Elephant Man, commissioned by Mel Brooks.
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gordon_freeman | root | parent
The beauty of Lynch films is that everyone can interpret it in their own way!
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scoofy | root | parent | next
Eraserhead is borderline unwatchable. I love David Lynch, sort of, but without telling people that they're about to sit down and watch an hour-and-a-half of what is effectively an unwatchable piece of avant-garde cinema, then they're not going to be able to appreciate it.

There is nothing worse than getting excited to see a famous director's debut film, thinking you're going to have a good time, and then getting Eraserhead.

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Trasmatta | root | parent | next
> Surreal is the word I associate with his movies and tv show

And his style of surrealism has been so influential that it has its own term: Lynchian!

werdnapk | root | parent
The "sausages" skit [1] by kids in the hall I'm pretty sure is massively inspired by eraserhead.

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ChvxsVgT8c

kingstoned | root | parent | next

    When people say "surreal" they mean "real", it's just most of your life is not very real, just repetition and routine. - Norm Macdonald
epolanski | root | parent
Season 3 Twin Peaks is peak "I don't know what am I looking at".
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JKCalhoun | root | parent | next
Can recommend the documentary "David Lynch, The Art Life". For now appears to be here:

https://youtu.be/a6slh83RhfA

(Sorry — it appears to be 360p, not very hi-res. Other higher res versions can be found but with subtitles or dubbed in... maybe Farsi?)

ratrocket | root | parent | next
Whether you've seen his movies or not, this 35 second video clip is David Lynch gold ("David Lynch on product placement"):

https://youtu.be/F4wh_mc8hRE?si=SJwtz31ZEWuW9rk7

(Has swearing off that matters for your use!) Rest in peace.

ErigmolCt | root | parent | next
Definitely worth checking out his movies at some point, but his interviews alone leave a lasting impression indeed. He could captivate audiences just by being himself (in a way)
kamranjon | root | parent | next
Surprised nobody has mentioned Lost Highway - to me it is the perfect film.
spopejoy | root | parent
Lost Highway doesn't get the love for some reason. It's got all the DL hits and some of the best cinematography in his oeuvre. The coffee table is peak DL head wound
geophile | root | parent | next
Gentle intro: Rabbits, on youtube.
WorldMaker | root | parent
Also on YouTube: "David Lynch Cooks Quinoa". It's a short film that is both nothing like his films/TV and everything like his films/TV. It's that "cooking podcast" or "recipe blog" that's a meandering journey through life and maybe has some bon mots about living, but also includes a recipe because it does. Like watching a beloved elderly relative do something normal in the kitchen, but also moody and in black and white.
aidenn0 | root | parent | next
I loved that short film. I showed it to my wife and she said "That's 20 minutes of my life I'm never getting back."
geophile | root | parent
How does it compare to the salad preparation scene in Eraserhead?
intellectronica | root | parent | next
If you only watch one, I think Fire Walk With Me is the most representative. If you like it, there's a lot more to explore. If not, then maybe Lynch isn't your thing.
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becquerel | root | parent | next
"On your fucking telephone. Get real!"
renox | root | parent
Mmm not a great quote..
nathcd | root | parent
Ha, I kind of agree with you, and I'm a little embarrassed it's as upvoted as it is. I just love the silly little video of him saying it and then cracking up. It pops into my head a lot and gives me a laugh. I just felt like sharing it to be goofy. Didn't imagine it would end up at the top of the thread!
ryandrake | parent | next
Reminiscent of the opening scene of Blue Velvet.
PittleyDunkin | root | parent
I find it interesting how much Ebert hated that movie. I'm not sure how I feel about it myself, tbh, but I am certain I don't have his conviction to state it clearly and unambiguously. The film certainly made me feel things no other movie has.
havblue | root | parent | next
I think if you're giving original opinions about movies it guarantees that you're going to be on the wrong side of history eventually. His reviews aren't any less interesting even when you disagree with him.
PittleyDunkin | root | parent | next
I'm not really convinced he's on "the wrong side"—we're entitled to strong opinions about the role of film in society and this is either value-oriented or subjective. But I emphatically do admire his willingness to stake his claim without ambiguity.

> His reviews aren't any less interesting even when you disagree with him.

100%

ascagnel_ | root | parent | next
I think Ebert didn't grasp what Lynch was going for with the Dorothy character, because I don't think anyone else in Hollywood was thinking like Lynch at the time.

Blue Velvet challenges you as a viewer to look at the abuse Dorothy suffers and to be a witness -- and that's hard to do as a viewer because it is ugly. Ebert did what a lot of people did and attempted to defend Isabella Rossellini, who had signed on to the movie knowing full well what would be required.

Lynch made two other movies in that same "the audience needs to bear witness and empathize" theme (Fire Walk With Me, Lost Highway) before Ebert caught on with Mulholland Dr.

ddellacosta | root | parent
Agreed. I disagree pretty vehemently with him wrt Blue Velvet but he's one of the few reviewers I trust(ed)
ekianjo | root | parent | next
It certainly changes how you feel about listening to Mr sandman
adamc | root | parent | next
I'm with Ebert, I hated it. Not because it wasn't effective. It was convincing, but such a bad experience I'll never watch it again.
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darkerside | root | parent
The opposite of love isn't hate, it's indifference
hinkley | parent | next
Man I wonder if he knew what the neighbors got up to when their spouses were out of town.
psb217 | root | parent | next
"I discovered that if one looks a little closer at this beautiful world, there are always red ants underneath." -- Well, he ain't just talking about literal ants...
pyuser583 | root | parent
I think he was talking about literal ants.

David Lynch’s work was never symbolic. You only ever got what was right in front of you.

The moment you start seeing symbols in his work, you know you’re viewing it wrong.

Edit: Lynch’s YT channel is filled with weather reports and random numbers. How much more anti-symbolic can you get?

freejazz | root | parent | next
"Did I ever tell you that this here jacket represents a symbol of my individuality and my belief in personal freedom?"
emmelaich | root | parent
The snakeskin jacket was in the film on Nic Cage's request. Possibly that line too!
freejazz | root | parent
Lynch wrote that line because Nic wanted the jacket in the film. Gives it a little bit of an extra kick when you think about it.
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wahnfrieden | root | parent
He's elaborated on this and is not talking about ants
femiagbabiaka | root | parent
he made Twin Peaks, he definitely knew
maxglute | parent | next
Wish he had a bill burr rant or asmr to sleep channel. There is not enough public recordings of lynch talking.
officeplant | root | parent | next
You could merge his daily weather updates into a long rambling video.
gunian | parent | next
What interview did he say this in? Would love to watch it! ant colonies popped up a while back on HN as being an exemplary life form
bilekas | parent | next
What people to have. Those who think outside, see different, appreciate else.
gatkinso | parent | next
the brighter the light, the deeper the shadows
ErigmolCt | parent
Yeah.. The surface of anything rarely tells the whole story