My first experience of a Lynch movie, and last.

From here on in Lynch decided vanishing up their own arse was the best way to have his film's play out.

Watch the "Twin Peaks" series, "Fire Walk with Me", the truly superb "Blue Velvet" and the truly masterful "Wild at Heart" instead.
And weep for the days that seem to be gone away for good.

Dunny wrote: My first experience of a Lynch movie, and last.
That's a shame. Lynch's films are almost always weird do differ greatly in their approach to story telling.

Personally I don't think Lost Highway is all that good but Blue Velvet, Twin Peaks and Mulholland Drive are just outstanding. Mulholland Drive is my favourite Lynch film.

I've not seen them but I hear Straight Story and Elephant Man are completely straight, no weirdness at all.

Dave Brock wrote: Watch the "Twin Peaks" series, "Fire Walk with Me", the truly superb "Blue Velvet" and the truly masterful "Wild at Heart" instead. And weep for the days that seem to be gone away for good.
I completely disagree. Why didn't you like Mulholland Drive?

I hear Inland Empire is a turkey. I have the R1 but haven't watched it yet. I am dubious over it's 3hr running time.

Finally widescreen anamorphic version in Region 1, it's about time. Too bad it isn't a 2 disc packed with special features, hopefully it's a nice cover. I liked as much as I liked Mulholland Drive but I agree it pails in comparison to his earlier work.

It's about time. Been waiting forever for this.

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I love this film, and I even bought a copy from Mexico just to have it in Region 1.  I'm glad this is officially coming out!!!!!

---Why didn't you like Mulholland Drive?---

Because of that stupid 'twist'.
I was enjoying it until......

And yeah yeah, you understood it all...but guess what?  50 other people don't agree with what you thought you understood and another 50 don't agree with them, and on and  *snooze*

"Blue Velvet" and "Wild" were surreal, weird, extreme, unique, off the wall and in your face too.  
They just made sense as the end credits rolled and were no less masterful, uncompromising, bizarre and unique (or 'Lynchian' for it.

Later Lynch though?  
Let's  just make a film then do a magic mushroom twist that no two people can agree on (and no...that is not a good and profound thing unless you're a 'can't be bothered with maths' film studies student trying desperately to defend the reason why studying films should be a damn university course!) and then simply say "its up to the audience man" when people ask what the hell that was all about?
Well, if it's THAT MUCH up to me to write the entire end and POINT of your film Lynchy I want a damn screenwriters wage too!

But I simply use the fact I LOVE "Twin Peaks", "Blue Velvet" and especially "Wild at Heart" to defend the fact I WAS a fan of Lynch and his weird world.
But even then things like "Drive" and "Highway" are utterly pretentious twaddle to me.  

In my view "Wild at Heart" is and will probebly always remain THE ultimate Lynch movie (with "Blue Velvet" not so far behind).

Moldovia wrote: Elephant Man = classic.

Yes.  A fine film.  Which still has numerous Lynch facets, but (like "Straight Story" ) it seems a different kind of Lynch film.  One to discuss seperately somehow.
One that is HIS, but one that is also made for everyone else if they want it.  'Normal' would be the simple way to describe it, despite some extraordinary aspects.

FangsFirst wrote: Generally I do understand what's going on, but the overwhelming sense of pretension (not helped by some of his fans) just annoys the hell out of me.


Baloney on the pretension, and all film directors have zealot pretentious fans that's a poor excuse. He's not trying to say this is how films should all be made and he's not being weird for weird's sake. He approaches film like he approaches a painting, which is unsurprising considering he started his art carrer as a painter. Lynch goes with his feeling, he doesn't generally plan to go in any specific direction with his films.  As proven by making Lost Highway, then the very normal Disney film The Straight Story, then Mulholland Dr.

I'm not sure why people think films can't be viewed like a modern art is. It doesn't make sense, all art should be as free as possible.

Inland Empire is incredible too, unsettling.

No offence guys but you do crack me up at times.

An uncut anamorphic widescreen version has been available for Lost Highway for flipping years. You could've bought the Australian (Normal and SE), French (Normal and SE), German, Dutch, Italian, Portuguese or UK (Normal and SE) DVDs but instead you'd prefer to wait years and years just so you can pick it up in the local store. I've not even looked into Asian DVDs which are likely to be NTSC and Region 0.

I've lost count of the amount of times I've read joyous comments from North Americans when the DVD they're so happy has finally been released has been available in great quality DVD for years already.

You do realise most of the world has Visa or Mastercard?

Dave Brock wrote: ---Why didn't you like Mulholland Drive?---

Because of that stupid 'twist'. I was enjoying it until......
Fair enough Dave. I cannot actually remember which twist precisely you're referring to though.

For me the journey of trying to work out Lynch films is why I watch them. I don't care that frankly half the time I am so utterly confused it's why I watch them. It means afterwards I am still trying to work out what I just watched and like you say no two people can agree on what they saw. Confusion is good :-D

I do agree sometimes though Lynch makes films just for the sake of being weird. I thought this about Lost Highway in fact.

Kakihara69 wrote:  "Lost Highway"
 its foreboding atmosphere, its creepy soundtrack and score, and its overwhelming sense of dread.

All true enough points.  Makes you wonder why he then did what he did then,  does it not?
It's like peeing in the fine stew you just made, just as it was coming to the boil.
Makes no sense to do such a thing...but hey!  It's his damn stew so what do we matter?

I'm looking forward to the sequel when half way through every other person turns into a lizard, while the rest discuss Jung (while failing to notice everyone else is now a lizard)  before singing "Stairway to Heaven" while a Ferrari sprouts wings and heads for the stars...
GENIUS!

Bradavon wrote:  I cannot actually remember which twist precisely you're referring to though.

*SPLUTTER*

Spoiler How can you forget that half way through the main character completely vanishes and literally turns into a different person, while locked up in a police cell no less.

B B wrote: Bradavon, I own the UK 2-disc SE in PAL.
Fair enough. Obviously I was generalising. Joe Public in the UK only ever guys domestic DVDs too.

B B wrote: NTSC just plays better on my equipment.
Interestingly many in the UK prefer PAL for it's higher line resolution to NTSC (which is technically very minor 720x480 vs. 720x576).

Amazingly trippy and creepy...I've been waiting for dvd for a long time!

Drop wrote: FangsFirst wrote: Generally I do understand what's going on, but the overwhelming sense of pretension (not helped by some of his fans) just annoys the hell out of me.


Baloney on the pretension, and all film directors have zealot pretentious fans that's a poor excuse. He's not trying to say this is how films should all be made and he's not being weird for weird's sake.

I think it's hard to escape at LEAST the FEELING of pretension in a movie that randomly has a blue-haired old lady say "SILENCIO!" with intense gravitas.

Maybe you feel differently--hey, bully for you. Enjoy!
Buuut I think that's silly and stupid and over-reaching from being a painter (yes, I knew that, too!)
And I don't really let his fans get in the way, but once I dislike one of the films (and I disliked all of them before I even knew many of his fans were arrogant, judgmental twits--which is not directed at you, or necessarily anyone else in this entire thread, but you must know they're out there) I tend to dislike them more intensely as jerks come out of the woodwork to tell me this means I'm "stupid" or "tasteless" or whatever else they want to claim to try and make themselves feel superior. Same thing with Tarantino--I like most of his stuff, but what I don't like (mostly Kill Bill v1) I dislike even more than I naturally would as hundreds of people tell me what a MASTERPIECE it is, and how much I'm a "loser" for not liking it.

So, don't misunderstand. I really just hated Mulholland, Lost Highway, Blue Velvet and Fire Walk of my own accord. I gave them all an even chance and they just bored the snot out of me, or felt offensively condescending.

I intend to give BV another go, but the rest were just firmly NOT to my taste. "Painterlyness" notwithstanding.

I love the circular nature of Lost Highway and how the film, like a "lost highway" itself, just goes on and on and on. As for the plot and what it all means, here's a cool website that really delves into that question. As you'll see Lynch was inspired by this condition called a "psychogenic fugue" and that can explain a lot:

http://www.jasonsweb.com/LostHighway/index.htm