I fucking hate David Lynch

[Johnny Townmouse]

I've always felt very comfortable in Lynch's hands that he is not being weird-random for the sake of it. He has a very strong understanding of (and belief in) psychoanalysis and all of this films have a theoretical underpinning. I don't always understand it, and you could call it Emperor's New Clothes, but I trust that he is completely in control of every frame and the meaning behind them.

[Noodle Lizard]

I do think 'Inland Empire' is completely self-indulgent crap, though, and haven't heard a single good case in its defence ('cept for some very few and far between nice moments).

[BlodwynPig]

I do think 'Inland Empire' is completely self-indulgent crap, though, and haven't heard a single good case in its defence ('cept for some very few and far between nice moments).

The only self-indulgence is the potential reference to buddhism. The acting is phenomenal, the cinematography wonderful, even for digital. It's beautiful, terrifying and melancholic, often all at the same time.

ps. I am featuring in the next Lynch DVD, btw.

[Johnny Townmouse]

Inland Empire is captivating - I couldn't take my eyes off it. It builds and builds, raising tension and menace in a far more oblique way than Blue Velvet or Mulholland Drive. And yes, it's terribly sad. I thought it was an incredibly brave piece of film but at the same time I do cannot imagine many people enjoying it. Amongst Lynch fans it has an unusual position. I found it far more entertaining and interesting than anything he has done since Fire Walk With Me, and I adore LH and MD.

[BlodwynPig]

[Noodle Lizard]

the cinematography wonderful, even for digital

What now?  I thought it looked horrible, personally.  And I'm not opposed to digital in the slightest.

[vrailaine]

With most his stuff I don't like it overall but like bits and pieces, some great scenes and vibes sometimes.

I think I'd kinda like Lynch the man if I didn't know a lot of very annoying obsessive fans. That iPhone video is a perfectly fine example of the sort of thing I've seen thrown about as an example of his genius, like, what?


Am looking forward to catching Mulholland Drive again and Inland Empire in a theatre somewhere sometime, mind.

[Small Man Big Horse]

I love the man personally (though Blue Velvet left me oddly cold when I watched it, and I need to revisit it at some point), but I often feel his sense of humour is ignored in favour of exploring his weirder side. But Twin Peaks has some extremely funny moments in it, as does The Straight Story, Wild At Heart, On The Air (the pilot at least) and The Elephant Man[nb]Alright, I'm taking the piss with that last one[/nb]. I've always felt it was a shame that some of his more comedic work like One Saliva Bubble and Ronnie Rocket failed to get financing as I think we'd view him in a quite different way if that was the case.

[BlodwynPig]

Do the Locomotion with me, come on baby Nukey, jump up!

[Noodle Lizard]

I love the man personally (though Blue Velvet left me oddly cold when I watched it, and I need to revisit it at some point), but I often feel his sense of humour is ignored in favour of exploring his weirder side. But Twin Peaks has some extremely funny moments in it, as does The Straight Story, Wild At Heart, On The Air (the pilot at least) and The Elephant Man[nb]Alright, I'm taking the piss with that last one[/nb]. I've always felt it was a shame that some of his more comedic work like One Saliva Bubble and Ronnie Rocket failed to get financing as I think we'd view him in a quite different way if that was the case.

I'm with you there.  The first half an hour of 'Fire Walk With Me' alone has a couple of my favourite gags in anything ever, right from the very first appearance of Lynch's own character.

And of course:  "You wanna hear about our specials?  We don't have any."

[vrailaine]

On The Air, I found that whole thing pretty horrific, maybe I should revisit it sometime though.

[Small Man Big Horse]

On The Air, I found that whole thing pretty horrific, maybe I should revisit it sometime though.

I remember being hugely disappointed with the episodes Lynch didn't direct (which I think was all but the pilot and one other), but the pilot itself was beautifully absurd.

[acrow]

and there's this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FAMkGWQ7KM

[Rolf Lundgren]

I'm a fan but not a big enough one to stick up for every plot point and I'm not interested enough to analyse every scene. For me it's more the fact I admire that there's people like him doing what they want, not compromising and being successful.

I don't fancy sitting down and watching 3 hours of Inland Empire but I'm glad it exists.

[El Unicornio, mang]

Lynch films are definitely good fun to show to people who generally just watch mainstream stuff. I briefly dated a girl and sat her down to watch INLAND EMPIRE and she was screaming out "WHAT THE FUCK??" every five minutes. The Locomotion scene practically killed her.

[Thursday]

It's probably mainly true of Twin Peaks, but I think people tend to understate how very human the characters in Lynch's work can be. There's much more emotion and heart to his work than he gets credit for.

Also on a much more primitive level isn't enough that I like his films because they're beautifully shot and they make me feel things, even if I'm not fully grasping what all the weirdness means exactly? Besides I like the feeling of being confused by a film's plot. (Assuming it is an intentional effect)

[El Unicornio, mang]

It's probably mainly true of Twin Peaks, but I think people tend to understate how very human the characters in Lynch's work can be there's much more emotion and heart to his work than he gets credit for.

Also on a much more primitive level isn't enough that I like his films because they're beautifully shot and they make me feel things, even if I'm not fully grasping what all the weirdness means exactly? Besides I like the feeling of being confused by a film's plot. (Assuming it is an intentional effect)

That's the thing with me, his films affect me in a way which no other filmmaker comes close to. I can't even always put my finger on why. I can't really fully explain why I love a film like Lost Highway, I just do.

[Urinal Cake]

I'm outnumbered.

[Funcrusher]

Through his films I have been exposed to the wonders of cinema - true cinema - films like Celine and Julie Go Boating and Sunset Boulevard, El Topo and Aguirre.

Yeah, but you can watch all those films without bothering with David Lynch.

[graffic]

Inland Empire and Mulholland drive are some of the best films I've ever seen. Lynch isn't being random for the sake of it. I think Inland Empire makes sense. Mulholland drive is mindblowing,  as well as being highly erotic. It is pure art and Lynch is the most important film director in America.

[Thomas]

Oh, graffic, you've edited out the reference to 'Lolita'. I love 'Lolita.' Finally, something we could have agreed on.

[Thursday]

That's the thing with me, his films affect me in a way which no other filmmaker comes close to. I can't even always put my finger on why. I can't really fully explain why I love a film like Lost Highway, I just do.

I mean compare the episodes of twin peaks he directed to the one's by other directors, it's not just where he places the camera and the editing that's different, the performances go to a whole different level as well. People who've worked with him, tend to speak highly of him. There must be something that he's doing write, even if you take issue with his screenplays.

[BlodwynPig]

Yeah, but you can watch all those films without bothering with David Lynch.

If I hadn't walked into Mulholland Drive in the early 2000s in Glasgow, I probably would have not been exposed to a lot of underground cinema. It opened my eyes. Something has to jolt you out of complacency and this did it for me.

[acrow]

Yes they do. Do you know what that thing is ? Entertaining. They have to be entertaining. Non linear films with no explanation or coherence do not entertain me so they get on my nerves. Other people are entertained by that shit and will defend it. Other people are entertained by disagreeing with me on a forum without offering anything in the way of opinion and no elaboration.

To each his own.

you're contradicting yourself. i was responding to you saying that films "shouldn't be opaque and open to endless interpretations".

if, as you say, the one quality a film should have is to be entertaining and you admit that people are entertained by lynch's films, then they fit your definition of a quality film. what you're actually saying is that you don't appreciate those kind of films. saying what a film should and shouldn't be in regard to its form and style is, to quote myself, "an absolute load of wank". it doesn't matter if you call them shit. they're not. you just plainly got aggravated because they weren't what you were looking for.

i'm not entertained by disagreeing with you on a forum. i did offer an opinion. you said that films "shouldn't be opaque and open to endless interpretations" and i said that that was "an absolute load of wank". that's my opinion.

also, you couldn't figure out that sightseers was supposed to be a comedy, so i'll take your opinion on film with a pinch of salt.

and urinal cake, have you seen any of lynch's other films aside from the two you disliked? or are you just basing your dislike on your perceptions and the public perception of the man himself?

FAKE EDIT: you say that you think two films of his are shit which i guess means you have seen more of his stuff. i can only assume that since you specify only two of his films as being shit that you enjoy some of his others? which i guess means that your dislike is entirely based on the man himself. so there's really no reason to ask my question, but i will.

[Ja'moke]

That's the thing with me, his films affect me in a way which no other filmmaker comes close to. I can't even always put my finger on why. I can't really fully explain why I love a film like Lost Highway, I just do.

Pretty much how I feel. I just love to get immersed in Lynch films. He's one of the few directors that can genuinely unsettle me. I'm not a big fan of horror movies, I don't find them particularly scary, and blood, guts and gore just doesn't do it for me. But Lynch is a master at creating deeply unsettling images that leave a lasting impression. The reveal of Laura Palmer's killer in Twin Peaks is still one of the scariest pieces of film/television I've ever seen (and bear in mind I didn't watch this until a few years back, it's not as if I saw it when I was a kid). And Inland Empire is equally as frightening, I just love that film, it's the way he blends the oddness with normality, it creates a weird sensation that I find it difficult to fully explain.

I just wish he'd stop meditating and direct something new.

[Urinal Cake]

checkoutgirl have you watched Rashomon? The technique (different perspectives in film) is overdone now but this was the first 'successful' use of it and in part is because it used four fairly linear narratives but the 'truth' is up to interpretation. This is a softer way to get into ambiguity in film, I think.

[phantom_power]

Lynch is one of the best directors for giving you a true visceral experience watching a film. You really feel what he wants you to feel, from the often melodramatic acting, unusual cinematography and, most importantly I think, emotive and jarring sound design. I can't say I understood Mullholland Drive when I watched it (I had to read about its meaning on the internet) but I enjoyed it all the same. Wild at Heart is another great film and Twin Peaks is the first drama I can remember being hooked on, eagerly awaiting each new episode.

[Blumf]

Worth chucking up here, Angelo Badalamenti, who's worked with Lynch on music, including Twin Peaks, is always worth a punt.

Put this on in the background:
http://www.angelobadalamenti.com/flash.html

[checkoutgirl]

checkoutgirl have you watched Rashomon?

No but I'll give it a go, as long as it's got plenty of juicy murders in it. Is the hero called George in it ?

[Urinal Cake]

It has a rape, a murder, a samurai, a bandit, a priest and a medium.