David Lynch paid for my wedding. I lost my job a couple weeks after I got engaged. My fiance worked in film and was between shows. Then, a couple months before the wedding, he got hired for night work on "Fire Walk with Me." Not the most notable of Lynch's films, but my now husband loved working on the set. We honeymooned at Snoqualmie Falls and he showed me all the places where he worked. And we drank a toast to Mr. Lynch. When he texted today with the news, it made me very sad.
What are you talking about? "Fire Walk with Me" is definitely one of the most notable of his films. It wasn't very well received when it came out, mainly because most people had false expectations and expected it to be something different, but today it's generally considered a masterpiece. Through the darkness of future past, the magician longs to see, one chance out between two worlds, fire walk with me!
Fire Walk With Me was awesome, imho. It’s a great ride. I am very glad to hear about the vibes on set. That is so important, as so many who work below the line know. .Your husband can say with pride that he worked on a Lynch film. Blessings to you folks.
David Lynch captured a very real thing that no one else ever has. Life doesn't come with a narrator. We interpret what we see to the point of people having completely different view of the same event. Most if not all directors or writers are so heavy handed that it creates a false experience. David's films preserve that ephemeral quality of life in it's inexplicable wonder. Every viewing of every person is different and so are their perceptions of it. He was unique and we will never see his like again.
I've been listening to Tom Waits' Widows Grove and thinking along your lines. It's a very mysterious song..The tenses change, the point of view changes, phrases drop in that don't connect to the previous one...sometimes it feels like two different characters are speaking to each other. Characters that passed away a long time ago.
The world lost a real auteur. He was a visionary and he spoke to the human condition in a unique way that says to a viewer "reality is how you experience it, even when it doesn't make sense." The world is less weird without him. RIP David Lynch
Mulholland Drive will be pondered over and studied for decades to come. One of the most artistic, thought provoking, pieces of art ever made. If you get it (the core of the narrative, at least), it's mind blowing. The story is quite simple. The execution of it is nothing short of brilliant. He is going to be missed. We will never see another writer/director like him. He's now in the White Lodge. R I P
Dune may not be terribly faithful to the book, but I was in 9th grade when that movie came out and encouraged me to read the book and then all of Frank Herbert's books. I credit Lynch with giving me a deeper understanding of how science fiction many times echoes the struggles we are having in our modern world.
It was 6th grade for me. I might have waited too long to read the book if not for David's 1984 movie. And despite its flaws, it's still my favorite version. He just should've had full control of its making, and as he put it, "final cut," of it.
i feel like it does capture the bizarreness of the setting really well. the idea of how lonely humanity is in space and how much it has at the same time managed to alienate itself from itself. of course the new movies are also doing a good job at trying to convey it, but it comes across more as minimalist beauty instead of as unsettling and disturbing as it would really be to live in such a world.
'Blue Velvet' was the first movie that genuinely shocked and stirred and spoke to me when I was a lonely weird nerd in High School and it is still one of my favorites decades later. RIP David.
I watched Blue Velvet for the first time about six years ago and it's been worming around in my brain ever since. Other movies have come and gone since then, but I still think back on that one. My favorite scene is the one in which Frank Booth and his gang are getting ready to go on a joy ride. There's a second of car tires screeching as the characters in the scene disappear, leaving the room empty. They seem to teleport into the car during the next scene edit. It's one of those "blink and you'll miss it" moments that's so well done.
Ahh, “Blue Velvet” is, without question or doubt, one of the most splendid, bizarre, sensual, tense, melancholy, and amusingly perfect films ever crafted. All of these wonderful adjectives that I’m seeing here in the comments. Trying to properly articulate the magic and wonderful weirdness of a David Lynch creation. He crafted experiences. His works were truly that- experiences. I’m so saddened to hear he has died. I love his work so dearly. 💐💔
@@iamcasihart Ah yes I forgot sensual... the movie also had that fantastical sensual and dangerous taboo element that drew me to it just as much as Jeffery in the story.
When I was first exposed to David Lynch's work as a teen, I didn't like it nor "get it". There's a certain amount of mental maturity I discovered I needed to appreciate his art. Now, as a middle-aged man, I can honestly say he's one of my favorite directors. He took risks. He broke boundaries. But mostly, he was a true artist.
I am heartbroken, saddened, and at a loss for words. David Lynch was my absolute favorite living creative. His dedication to art for the sake of art inspired me to pursue my dreams. Rest in Peace to the Greatest of All Time. Also, remember that time that Lynch went off on Trump? I wish people had listened to him.
So apropos that Lynch woild take his leave just 4 days before the Inauguration. These are dark & troubling times. He died knowing his beloved Hollywood was burning. How SAD... 🦃😥🦃😥🦃
Dune was the greatest school play that was ever made. To be fair I rewatched it for the first time in thirty years after the new one came out ant it was still great.
I have a complicated relationship with Lynch's Dune As a fan of Lynch's films, I love his Dune. As a fan of the Dune series, I have some serious issues with it.
David Lynch's Dune, I prefer it to the book - it's that good. The book is something else though, no movie or TV series has really got Lady Jessica quite right I think.
@@tmage23 That's exactly how I feel about it too. I love that it's basically Lynch doing a Lynchian adaptation of a story and changing it in ways that make it a dreamlike spectacle, even if it ends up losing the entire meaning of the story in the process. I got the impression that he wasn't really in control of the story anyway though; it was basically Studio Meddling: The Film.
David Lynch was an amazing artist. I saw Twin Peaks during the initial run back in the early 1990’s. I’ve been a die-hard fan ever since. The city he loved, the city of Los Angeles, will never quite be the same. RIP
I couldn’t tear myself away from Twin Peaks. One of the most memorable scenes for me was Audrey, Sherilyn Fenn, tying the cherry stem into a knot with her tongue. The entire cast was epic and the storyline intoxicating and hypnotic. It is one, of a very select few, works of cinematic art that has remained as vivid in my mind as when I first saw it.
Saw it way too young, being left alone a lot as an only kid... Gave me weird dreams and expectations for life. Forgot about it until... 25 years later... And then a few years after that The Return happened. 😭
It was "Twin Peaks" first season, & "Wild At Heart" that converted me. It's STILL my 2nd favorite film EVER, eclipsed only by Scorsese's masterwork "Raging Bull'... RIP David... 🦃😥🦃😥🦃
The simple fact we had to coin the word 'Lynchian' to try and describe what he was showing us is testament to how well he managed to grab us and bring us to a place of uncertainty and leave us to find what was there.
Absolutely heartbroken. One of my favorite artists and celebrities. He had a link to his fans that was undeniable. I miss his daily weather reports and positive affirmations. Rest in power, Mr. Lynch. The White Lodge awaits.
His art is both alterity and mimesis. I agree with Mr Shives - he is spot on about experiencing his films first and then engaging a second time in analysis.
His last works I didn’t understand what it was all about. Some strange scenes I just didn’t get. Kyle Mclocklin was sitting on a couch and some strange lightning type thing talks to him and I don’t know what it was. Then the two young lovers getting murdered while they were engaged. That was brutal and I didn’t understand what killed them both. They were brutalized by some kind of blast. They looked like they were baked or something. It was weird. Then he wins a million dollars at a slot machine and he’s catatonic.
@user-sr6li6kq2b Remember not everyone has seen exact same things you have. And it's ok to not understand some parts of his work I believe, and how in the video mentioned it. Bringing an analytical perspective to film/TV is usually a great way to enjoy them but I think Lynch wanted us to be feeling more than anything. In my opinion (there is no right one) it's the atmosphere, the characters and how we can relate the aforementioned into our own lives. If you felt something strongly or had a new sort of thought enter your mind while watching his movies, you were watching it 'right.' And what is right is going to differ from viewer to viewer. Sorry to ramble a bit but as you can see, a lot of people are processing the loss in their own way. For me, that means delving into the complexity to reflect on them.
When you mention the underpinning of grief in Lynch's films, I believe a perfect example would be the climax in "Mulholland Drive," where Betty and Rita watch, with such intense yearning, Rebekah Del Rio on stage singing a haunting Spanish rendition of Orbison's 'Crying', and the woman in the opera box chanting 'Silencio' always brings me to tears. An intriguing insight. I'll have to be more aware of that next time I watch his films. Thank you! (My favorite director, too; my MFA thesis topic concerned him and his work.)
When Twin Peaks arrived on the goggle-box it brought its own mini-Golden Age with it. With a group of student friends in Edinburgh (Scotland) we held Twin Peaks parties twice a week (each episode was repeated - Tuesdays and Saturdays I think), each taking turns to host the rest in their flats, and provide doughnuts and coffee (and chocolate bunnies if available in the shops). We were committed Lynch fans already (Eraserhead and Blue Velvet). We'd watch each new episode in stunned, delighted silence. Then off to the pub for "discussion".
@dwdei8815 Yes! Twin Peaks parties (with the requisite foods) were a big deal in my set. For the series finale, we all dressed as a character. (The best might have been a friend who came as the Log Lady, with her newborn swaddled in a brown blanket. 😁)
Steve spoke of underlying sadness. For me, it was feeling unsettled; a bit off balance about where things were headed. Lynch was able to probe certain aspects of human nature that are just beneath our conscious awareness most of the time. But we certainly recognize these aspects in ourselves when they break through. I'd never thought about it as being humanistic, but I think Steve nailed it.
Lynch said that The Straight Story, in many ways his most conventional film, was the most difficult for him to make. It says so much about him, and I love that.
This is only the second time in my life I've cried over the death of a celebrity. The last time was 25 years ago and I was in high school. I don't have words for how much David Lynch's work meant to me. I have friends closer to me than my own parents who I became tight with over a shared love of David Lynch. I'm devastated.
A lot of people never gave Lynch enough credit for just being such a multi-talented guy. Like I remember seeing an interview with him about Inland Empire (or The Return I forget which) where he lamented the fact that he no longer had the time to “personally build all the sets and furniture like he did with Eraserhead or it would have taken forever like that film.” Or something to that effect. It’s just mind-blowing to me that he not only wrote/directed/produced/edited tEraserhead all by himself as a first-time filmmaker, that he physically created that world (sets, furniture, special effects) solely with his own two hands. That’s so inspiring to me.
I walked out of the theater after seeing Mulholland Drive in 2001 and said "That's the greatest film of the 21st century and likely to stay there." Astonishingly, the only film that came close to Mulholland Drive was made by David Lynch himself! (Ep. 8 of Twin Peaks The Return.)
It features the single best jump scare of any movie I've seen. Hollywood directors like James Wan and Andy Muschietti ought to have learned something from it.
@ “single best jump scare?” No, it doesn’t. Stop believing RUclips videos wholeheartedly. However, it is very unexpected. Actually, I will put it into the conversation, now that I think about it 😊
Steve Shives you're my new favorite away from politics...I do agree with you on politics but, I love your general conversations for their thought provoking goodness!
I cannot believe this!! Holy crap that sucks. I wanted another movie from him so bad. At least we’ve got the films he made. Probably my all time fave director. Total genius. Mulholland Drive is my all time favorite movie. And Blue Velvet isn’t far behind. Damn. What a bummer. 😊✌🏻
I saw “Eraserhead” when I was 16. Nothing that came before or after has ever made me feel the way that film did. David’s art told me that I should always explore the hidden parts of myself. To dream endlessly and to do it on my own terms. He left an indelible mark on my life. One I’m truly grateful for. He will be sorely missed. May golden sunshine be forever with him.
Rest in peace David Lynch. To honor his legacy, I think we should all make something weird. Whether it's a drawing, song, sculpture, etc we should make something that even ourselves don't understand, just like how we all don't understand anything he's made.
Great tribute Steve. I’ve only seen 3 of his films (not even the most popular) and Twin Peaks, but whenever I do watch his work it reinvigorates a love of cinema in me in a way that almost no other artist does.
He was a master of creating atmosphere and provoking a deep inevitable feeling inside. I have no idea what Lost Highway or Mulholland Drive mean, but damn, they have scenes that are absolutely fascinating to me. The closest thing I've ever experienced to dreaming in a movie theatre. Sometimes a nice dream, weird and unsettling but still warm, even erotic. And sometimes a horrifying nightmare that you will never forget. A master, truly. Also, his heart was in the right place, which is something I cannot say about many great directors that turn out to be abusive egomaniacs. He has that beautiful line, "fix your heart", encouraging everyone to be more compassionate. We need more people like that. PS: Lynch playing Gordon Cole in Twin Peaks was so funny and endearing. Loudly talking about about sensitive Govermment stuff 😂 I'll always remember him like that.
I woke up to the horrible news this morning. The media's obituaries thus far are wan and slightly idiotic. Thank you for taking the time to do this video going deep into this Lynch's work.
An absolutely. brilliant artist. His work was so completely his. Unapologetic af, yet, a gentle man. David Lynch, thank you for giving us such crazy, frightening, hilarious, mad, beautiful, flickering dreams. Bless your journey into the infinite.
I had someone asked how I like Lynch when they couldn't understand his appeal. My immediate, knee-jerk response was "I don't watch Lynch to understand things, I watch Lynch to feel confused and uncomfortable!" One of the things I love about his work is that so much of the very strange and seemingly inexplicable things are just other things happening in the world, showing that everyone else has their own things to deal with.
"The Straight Story" was by far my favorite Lynch film and it pains me that I haven't heard anyone mention it. It has all the quintessential elements you describe- sadness, strangeness, small town America, but it's a fully cohesive narrative and a highly enjoyable film. You don't need to spend any time justifying why it's good, like you do for Twin Peaks. It's just an excellent film on it's face.
@@mightyturkeyneck1349 except that Steve spends a bunch of time explaining it, which was kind of my point. You can watch "The Straight Story" from beginning to end and get an authentic Lynchian experience without all the intentional narrative confusion. You don't have to just let it "wash over you" to think about/figure out later. To my mind is the best of Lynch's style without any of the confusing nonsense.
In a way, not sure how off the top of my mind currently but, David Lynch’s motion picture thought process, that “theater of the mind” rollercoaster ride he gave the world, reminds me of the master-craft story telling of Philip K Dick’s books/novels.. R.I.P.
I remember watching Blue Velvet years ago when it was new. I remember how odd I felt leaving a dark theater and walking out into the bright sun and normal life after having watched that movie. RIP Mr. Lynch.
Steve truly contains multitude. When I think of his reviews/reactions to stories, I usually think of him as a very meat and potatoes sort of preference, he loves stories where everything is in service of the plot and disparaging meandering into mood setting, world building and so on. But then we get stuff like this where we can see Steve is a man often very engaged by stuff where mood can dominate at times over conventional plotting. So I have trouble guessing how Steve will react to a story, movie or TV show in advance, although I still find his reactions often interesting and informative. I certainly appreciate his perspective on someone like David Lynch.
Tears rolled watching The Straight Story last night. Seen it before, but that time felt more profound. I think that was the most fitting to pay tribute to the legend. The man may no longer be with us, but the legend lives on. RIP David Lynch
Dude... I really appreciate the way you broke down his work. It helps a lot to bring clear structure to the feedback. His work is so hard to bring into focus, but this was a loving and sensible way to share your appreciation of his style. On all points, you nailed it!
And I stand with David regarding people watching films on their phone. I was really sad to hear of his passing, but I can also think he left a hell of a legacy. Also... him playing John Ford in the Fabelmans... I loved that whole scene.
I've had plenty of chances to come to terms with death in my life but some still have the capcity to hurt me. Waking up today and seeing someone mention this was harsh. I wished if I could go back to sleep and wake up into a better day . And I would say he is in the "all time" category seeing how his works have transcended several generations of audience. He pioneered things that are tired tropes today. The whole vaporwave statue thing is from FWWM, the liminal space horror thing is not unique to him, but Lynch's vision of the Black Lodge is one of the finest, most defining examples i've seen in film and video games. We still have a handful of talented directors today but I can list them on two hands and no one yet in the current generation have truly distinguished themselves purely in terms of film. Finally let us respect his passion to film. He made them for decades and made them quite literally until the day he died. The cinematic artform has suffered a horrible loss today and I'm unironically grieving it. If you're here, you probably like Star Trek and David Lynch so let me extend my love to you and thanks to you Steve for all your hard work. Cheers
well said, for me he took me away into another dimension, under his direction, he is the dream master. Wild at Heart, Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive are standouts and my fav's, rip David.
I remember in the many interviews he gave regarding Twin Peaks, the interviewer would always ask what he intended when he did this or that, inserted this visual cue or that sound. He was always very vague about his answer, just saying he found it interesting. In my mind, his attitude was always "It doesn't matter what I intended. What matters is how it affects the viewer, what their take on it is."
You put into words my thoughts on David Lynch... I can only add that I loved his twisted sense of humour and his flair for the weird and absurd. A real legend. Rest in Peace. 🥀
David lynch is a total Artist. his creativity and talent was so inspirational, I love the human too, he often told dark stories, but he was a human being with a big heart and great sense of humor, and there was both sorrow and optimism in his works. He knew how to bring out the best in actors, and he never took his audience for fools. With him, we were always promised to be surprised and moved from the inside. Even though we knew in advance that it would take several viewings and research to understand our own version of the story, the finality of understanding the whole story was not so important, there was no need to take notes, the path to get there was always a real pleasure. For me, Twin Peaks season 3 is a masterpiece. I've laughed, I've cried, I've been stunned several times, and I never tire of watching it again and again. David had this extraordinary ability to speak directly to our unconscious and to the dream part of us. very few artists have this ability. In a way, it opens up new perspectives on God, inviting us to weave links with quantum physics, good and evil. and many fundamental things that affect us on the inside. Thank you David you're extremely important in my life.
Love Dune, Blue Velvet, Wild at Heart, Twin Peaks, Lost Highway, Mulholland Drive. Life isn't spoon fed to us and neither was the world of Lynch's movies. Good night, sweet prince.
One of my favorite moments in any David Lynch project, and one of the most important to me in all of television, is in Twin Peaks’ third season, The Return. Lynch himself, as the character of Gordon Cole, is having a conversation with Denise Bryson, a trans woman, in which he looks almost directly into the camera and says that bigots needed to ‘fix their hearts or die.’ The scene is ultimately comedic, poking fun at Lynch’s ladies man tendencies, but the fact that he says it so directly has meant the world to me for almost 10 years. It changed how I saw trans people after a time of engaging with edgy atheist/anti-SJW material that said it was our job to fit in and this changed perspective ultimately lead to my own transition, a thing which saved my life.
Hey, Steve, I wanted to take this time to say thank you for such a thoughtful, deep, and wonderful eulogy for David Lynch. You articulated the most difficult to capture and ethereal facets of this artist. Thank you.
I watched Twin Peaks in real time. Nothing had been shown on TV like that. You hadn’t been ‘placed’ in grief like that. We talked about it the most. And just hearing Laura’s song brought you right back to the grief which was intentional but new to TV. I mean, we had some bad TV years and that show was awesome.
David Lynch’s films helped me embrace not knowing and the beauty of ambiguity. This was essential to my deconstruction from my cult upbringing. I am so thankful to him.
David Lynch was the most original, cult film director of all time. Without question, he was one of a kind.I didn’t even know who he was until I first discovered Twin Peaks in 1990, followed up by Wild At Heart, later that summer. Then, an old friend of mine treated me to the ultimate double header one night by showing Eraser Head and Blue Velvet. Ive been hooked to David’s amazing work ever since.
When you speak of that nostalgia for something you can never get back, that’s a feeling I always got from the 3rd season of Twin Peaks. It came out during a time where all these old shows were doing reunions just to cash in on nostalgia and David Lynch was just like, “Nope.” 😂 It’s a return, but everything changes. At the same time, I feel David was often promoting the acceptance of this inescapable fact of life. It’s like his utilization of Lord Alfred Tennyson’s poem “Nothing Will Die” at the end of “The Elephant Man.” Funny enough, Tennyson also made an opposing poem called “Everything Will Die.” However, the consistent point between the two poems was, “all things will change.” I think David captures the grief and the magic of this fact. He is indeed a very humanistic artist, I agree. His approach was possibly even closer to reality than most people realize or dare to consider. Lol
I watched Eraserhead when I was 17... every david lynch film leaves me asking questions, which I always loved. It also left me trying to work out what was going on. Hence I watched them again and again. To this day, I will find something new to take on in his film making. Edit: also Toto doing music!!!
Great tribute to David Lynch. I love how you talk about the underlying theme of sadness throughout his work, he certainly saw beauty in it. I recommend watching the video 'Angelo Badalamenti explains how he wrote Laura Palmer's Theme' in which he and and Lynch were working on the Twin Peaks soundtrack. I watched this video right after I heard of Lynch's passing, Badalamenti describing his reactions to the music had me in tears. A truly precious artist and person, RIP.
Great comment on Lynch's work. While it is true that Lynch expresses some kind of sadness, I would say his work is even more full of joy. Lynch had this incredible ability to find beauty and fascination even in things most people would find frightening, ugly, or disgusting. He had this childlike enthusiasm that enabled him to "fall in love with ideas", no matter where they came from. I admire that.
That quality of longing, sadness, and even some playfulness and kindness in his work is best exemplified to me by Donna's line from Twin Peaks: "It's like I'm having the most beautiful dream... And the most terrible nightmare, all at once." That show, and Lynch as a sort of figure of creativity and imagination, meant so much to me and my family growing up. And as I transitioned, he gave us one of the greatest responses to transphobes ever spoken: "Fix your hearts or die." Goodbye, Mr. Lynch. The world feels less interesting today.
I too believe that David Lynch was a very humane and kind soul. He showed us his humanity and his soul in his work. How his art makes us feel is so unique and unlike what any other auteur has ever accomplished. He embraced the bizarre and the beauty of the mundane. He was truly a genius and again, I concur with your sentiments. His heart was precious. 💐💔
His movies were absolutely art, he pulled great performances from actors that understood his art, and it showed. He wasn't just a film maker or director, he was a true artist, whose medium was celluloid.
Random thing: David Lynch used to call in every day to KCRW (LA public radio, based out of Pasadena) and give the weather report, then introduce a song. It was so random but so cool.
Excellent analysis, Mr Shives. I couldn’t agree with your analysis any more. Very well done. I saw the amazing “Eraserhead” at Camera One in San Jose either in ‘77 or ‘78. It was as if all my tormented nightmares and absurdist lusts had been reified. One of those pivotal (capital) ART experiences, an epiphany and aesthetic milestone. I firmly believe that anyone who is thinking of breeding should see “Eraserhead” so that they are aware of what they’re in for. Shalom to a true Auteur. Every thing is fine !
For those who have never watched his films until now, and might be on the fence about starting to do so due to his reputation for surrealism and abstractness, lemme make a recommendation: If you want to ease into his films, start with *The Elephant Man*. Of the Lynch works I've seen, it is the most relatively conventional and approachable while still being just off enough to start giving you a taste of his style. It also tells an absolutely heartwrenching but compassionate story, brilliantly acted by John Hurt and Anthony Hopkins. That it won no academy awards that year is one of the biggest snubs in film history IMHO. OTOH, if you DO wanna jump straight off the deep end, Mulholland Drive is one of the greatest things ever if you're open to it :3
I saw Dune in the theater and loved it. I was 14 at the time and had read the novel. I understood at the time that changes would have to be made to the overall story given how absolutely dense Dune is. The uniqueness of that film led me to other of Lynch's films and I was wondering instantly hooked. That helped, I think, lead me to a lifelong love of cinema.
I honestly feel like I lost my best friend. It feels like David Lynch would’ve understood and accepted me as a person 💔. What a loss of such a brilliant mind.
I've watched a bit of Twin Peaks, I've seen Dune, and I just watched Blue Velvet tonight in honor of his passing. I find the best way to watch his works is to just let it sort of wash over you. Let the weird and absurd and obscure things just happen and eventually you may "get it" if you don't then I say watch it again and if you still don't "get it" then at the very least anyone can appreciate the look and feel of this works.
Ive only ever heard how kind and respectful he was to his actors and crew. It’s such a contrast to other directors of his era and it shows in the way people have built communities and friendships around his work.
David Lynch approached moviemaking as if making music, which frees up what he could put on the screen as he riffs along. It's a wonder that more filmmakers have not embraced this approach.
I never thought the news of a stranger's death would move me as this did. When I read about it, I felt like it had happened to an old friend. Perhaps he stepped out at the right time so he wouldn't have had to witness the world turning ugly. May his new journey be a fantastic adventure and may his soul find peace wherever it chooses to. Congratulations on this video.
His work illustrates, works with and yes insists on the relationship between the dream and cinema. In some ways we a dreaming when we are immersed in a film, Lynch knew this so deeply and worked his way into the meaning of it with such commitment.
He wasn’t a director I loved on first viewings of his films but his films festered in my mind and the more they did that the more I loved David Lynch and his films. He was a cinematic oddball and I’ll miss just knowing he was out there… probably doing a weather report or campaigning with a cow for one of his actors 😂
I'm both happy and so sad... Happy for the opportunity of knowing and loving so much from David Lynch. Sad that the world got a bit smaller without him.
Not very knowledgeable about David Lynch (mostly just know him through Twin Peaks) but the way you described how he adds weird unsettling aspects to his work makes me think of the type of music I favor. Again, I'm not very knowledgeable about music theory but people tell me the time signatures are odd, it creates a sense of frustration as the resolution you expect doesn't happen. My favorite band (Heroin) starts songs it seems in the middle, or starts a song one way but does a weird transition into something else, or slowly each instrument wanders off into it's own chaotic weird ending, or the song ends altogether abruptly, or another song just suddenly starts. I can listen to it endlessly it's so fascinating to me. I will try to check out more David Lynch.
David Lynch is your favorite filmmaker's favorite filmmaker. Even if he wasn't the most famous or most acclaimed director he was incredibly influential for film, television, and even video games (Deadly Premonition! Alan Wake! THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: LINK'S AWAKENING!!!).
Sad to hear of his passing. One thing to keep in mind while watching a Lynch movie is not to compare it to another director's movie. It is a David Lynch movie and just watch it without prejudice or ideas of what it should be. It is. Just be.
Brilliant tribute, Steve. For me, a cinephile, but also an average audience member, the truest thing you said is to _just watch the film._ Analyze it later and then watch it again. Then read some more about it and watch it again. _Mulholland Drive_ did that to me. Of all the films that Lynch did, _Mulholland Drive_ is my favorite, followed by a close second with _Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me._ Thank you for putting a definition as to why. Not just with Lynch films, but others, I am drawn to films that feature overwhelming sadness, or grief. I don't know why, and I'm not a depressive person. Maybe it's the fact that we don't often see films like that. I can't tell you the number of times I've sat and watched a film and thought, "PLEASE don't be a happy ending!" And yet, most films end that way. Lynch didn't really service that crowd, and that's only one of the things I loved about his work. RIP Mr. Lynch.
I'm glad I found out about his passing from you. This was a touching "tribute" to one of my favorites. You put into words many of my thoughts & feelings. Thank you. I waited on David Lynch a few times when he stayed in Madison. He was such a funny guy and a generous human being.
David Lynch paid for my wedding. I lost my job a couple weeks after I got engaged. My fiance worked in film and was between shows. Then, a couple months before the wedding, he got hired for night work on "Fire Walk with Me." Not the most notable of Lynch's films, but my now husband loved working on the set. We honeymooned at Snoqualmie Falls and he showed me all the places where he worked. And we drank a toast to Mr. Lynch. When he texted today with the news, it made me very sad.
What are you talking about? "Fire Walk with Me" is definitely one of the most notable of his films. It wasn't very well received when it came out, mainly because most people had false expectations and expected it to be something different, but today it's generally considered a masterpiece. Through the darkness of future past, the magician longs to see, one chance out between two worlds, fire walk with me!
Fire Walk With Me was awesome, imho. It’s a great ride.
I am very glad to hear about the vibes on set. That is so important, as so many who work below the line know. .Your husband can say with pride that he worked on a Lynch film. Blessings to you folks.
Another his masterpiece. I’m getting chills even thinking about it
Man had a heart of Gold.
@stuffnuns ❤️
David Lynch captured a very real thing that no one else ever has. Life doesn't come with a narrator. We interpret what we see to the point of people having completely different view of the same event. Most if not all directors or writers are so heavy handed that it creates a false experience. David's films preserve that ephemeral quality of life in it's inexplicable wonder. Every viewing of every person is different and so are their perceptions of it. He was unique and we will never see his like again.
I've been listening to Tom Waits' Widows Grove and thinking along your lines. It's a very mysterious song..The tenses change, the point of view changes, phrases drop in that don't connect to the previous one...sometimes it feels like two different characters are speaking to each other. Characters that passed away a long time ago.
I hope he's enjoying a posthumous slice of pie and damn fine cup of coffee in that big Double R Diner in the sky.
He's sitting there making music with his "brother" Angelo Badalamenti. Reunited, now, "and we'll see them in the trees"
@@christopherfeeney1962and listening to Julee Cruise as she sings up on stage.
And smoking cigarettes
The world lost a real auteur. He was a visionary and he spoke to the human condition in a unique way that says to a viewer "reality is how you experience it, even when it doesn't make sense."
The world is less weird without him.
RIP David Lynch
Mulholland Drive will be pondered over and studied for decades to come. One of the most artistic, thought provoking, pieces of art ever made. If you get it (the core of the narrative, at least), it's mind blowing. The story is quite simple. The execution of it is nothing short of brilliant. He is going to be missed. We will never see another writer/director like him.
He's now in the White Lodge.
R I P
Dune may not be terribly faithful to the book, but I was in 9th grade when that movie came out and encouraged me to read the book and then all of Frank Herbert's books. I credit Lynch with giving me a deeper understanding of how science fiction many times echoes the struggles we are having in our modern world.
It was 6th grade for me. I might have waited too long to read the book if not for David's 1984 movie. And despite its flaws, it's still my favorite version. He just should've had full control of its making, and as he put it, "final cut," of it.
i feel like it does capture the bizarreness of the setting really well. the idea of how lonely humanity is in space and how much it has at the same time managed to alienate itself from itself.
of course the new movies are also doing a good job at trying to convey it, but it comes across more as minimalist beauty instead of as unsettling and disturbing as it would really be to live in such a world.
'Blue Velvet' was the first movie that genuinely shocked and stirred and spoke to me when I was a lonely weird nerd in High School and it is still one of my favorites decades later. RIP David.
I watched Blue Velvet for the first time about six years ago and it's been worming around in my brain ever since. Other movies have come and gone since then, but I still think back on that one. My favorite scene is the one in which Frank Booth and his gang are getting ready to go on a joy ride. There's a second of car tires screeching as the characters in the scene disappear, leaving the room empty. They seem to teleport into the car during the next scene edit. It's one of those "blink and you'll miss it" moments that's so well done.
Ahh, “Blue Velvet” is, without question or doubt, one of the most splendid, bizarre, sensual, tense, melancholy, and amusingly perfect films ever crafted.
All of these wonderful adjectives that I’m seeing here in the comments. Trying to properly articulate the magic and wonderful weirdness of a David Lynch creation. He crafted experiences. His works were truly that- experiences. I’m so saddened to hear he has died. I love his work so dearly. 💐💔
@@iamcasihart Ah yes I forgot sensual... the movie also had that fantastical sensual and dangerous taboo element that drew me to it just as much as Jeffery in the story.
When I was first exposed to David Lynch's work as a teen, I didn't like it nor "get it". There's a certain amount of mental maturity I discovered I needed to appreciate his art. Now, as a middle-aged man, I can honestly say he's one of my favorite directors. He took risks. He broke boundaries. But mostly, he was a true artist.
Loved his work. Often very deep, and thought provoking. Thank you for honoring his legacy. RIP, David Lynch.
I am heartbroken, saddened, and at a loss for words. David Lynch was my absolute favorite living creative. His dedication to art for the sake of art inspired me to pursue my dreams. Rest in Peace to the Greatest of All Time.
Also, remember that time that Lynch went off on Trump? I wish people had listened to him.
So apropos that Lynch woild take his leave just 4 days before the Inauguration. These are dark & troubling times. He died knowing his beloved Hollywood was burning. How SAD... 🦃😥🦃😥🦃
@@mightyturkeyneck1349 He always talked about a bright future in his weather reports, he did not die in despair.
Mulholland Drive blows me away every time I watch it.
Amd his Dune was amazing dammit!
Dune was the greatest school play that was ever made. To be fair I rewatched it for the first time in thirty years after the new one came out ant it was still great.
I have a complicated relationship with Lynch's Dune
As a fan of Lynch's films, I love his Dune.
As a fan of the Dune series, I have some serious issues with it.
This is the time for a Dune marathon... another Dune marathon. Still haven't watched Mulholland drive, time to fix that. RIP Legend!!
David Lynch's Dune, I prefer it to the book - it's that good. The book is something else though, no movie or TV series has really got Lady Jessica quite right I think.
@@tmage23 That's exactly how I feel about it too. I love that it's basically Lynch doing a Lynchian adaptation of a story and changing it in ways that make it a dreamlike spectacle, even if it ends up losing the entire meaning of the story in the process. I got the impression that he wasn't really in control of the story anyway though; it was basically Studio Meddling: The Film.
David Lynch was an amazing artist. I saw Twin Peaks during the initial run back in the early 1990’s. I’ve been a die-hard fan ever since. The city he loved, the city of Los Angeles, will never quite be the same. RIP
I'm playing the Pink Room soundtrack from Twin Peaks in his memory. I miss him so much already. 😢
@@ZERO_O7X The Pink Room is so badass.
I couldn’t tear myself away from Twin Peaks. One of the most memorable scenes for me was Audrey, Sherilyn Fenn, tying the cherry stem into a knot with her tongue.
The entire cast was epic and the storyline intoxicating and hypnotic. It is one, of a very select few, works of cinematic art that has remained as vivid in my mind as when I first saw it.
Saw it way too young, being left alone a lot as an only kid... Gave me weird dreams and expectations for life. Forgot about it until... 25 years later... And then a few years after that The Return happened. 😭
It was "Twin Peaks" first season, & "Wild At Heart" that converted me. It's STILL my 2nd favorite film EVER, eclipsed only by Scorsese's masterwork "Raging Bull'... RIP David... 🦃😥🦃😥🦃
The simple fact we had to coin the word 'Lynchian' to try and describe what he was showing us is testament to how well he managed to grab us and bring us to a place of uncertainty and leave us to find what was there.
Absolutely heartbroken. One of my favorite artists and celebrities. He had a link to his fans that was undeniable. I miss his daily weather reports and positive affirmations. Rest in power, Mr. Lynch. The White Lodge awaits.
That connection of mind to mind is really special. Not just concept to concept but a psychic connection. That is a precious thing
His art is both alterity and mimesis.
I agree with Mr Shives - he is spot on about experiencing his films first and then engaging a second time in analysis.
He's there making David Bowie laugh by saying "Got a light?"...
His last works I didn’t understand what it was all about. Some strange scenes I just didn’t get. Kyle Mclocklin was sitting on a couch and some strange lightning type thing talks to him and I don’t know what it was. Then the two young lovers getting murdered while they were engaged. That was brutal and I didn’t understand what killed them both. They were brutalized by some kind of blast. They looked like they were baked or something. It was weird. Then he wins a million dollars at a slot machine and he’s catatonic.
@user-sr6li6kq2b Remember not everyone has seen exact same things you have. And it's ok to not understand some parts of his work I believe, and how in the video mentioned it.
Bringing an analytical perspective to film/TV is usually a great way to enjoy them but I think Lynch wanted us to be feeling more than anything.
In my opinion (there is no right one) it's the atmosphere, the characters and how we can relate the aforementioned into our own lives.
If you felt something strongly or had a new sort of thought enter your mind while watching his movies, you were watching it 'right.' And what is right is going to differ from viewer to viewer.
Sorry to ramble a bit but as you can see, a lot of people are processing the loss in their own way. For me, that means delving into the complexity to reflect on them.
When you mention the underpinning of grief in Lynch's films, I believe a perfect example would be the climax in "Mulholland Drive," where Betty and Rita watch, with such intense yearning, Rebekah Del Rio on stage singing a haunting Spanish rendition of Orbison's 'Crying', and the woman in the opera box chanting 'Silencio' always brings me to tears. An intriguing insight. I'll have to be more aware of that next time I watch his films. Thank you! (My favorite director, too; my MFA thesis topic concerned him and his work.)
When Twin Peaks arrived on the goggle-box it brought its own mini-Golden Age with it. With a group of student friends in Edinburgh (Scotland) we held Twin Peaks parties twice a week (each episode was repeated - Tuesdays and Saturdays I think), each taking turns to host the rest in their flats, and provide doughnuts and coffee (and chocolate bunnies if available in the shops). We were committed Lynch fans already (Eraserhead and Blue Velvet). We'd watch each new episode in stunned, delighted silence. Then off to the pub for "discussion".
@dwdei8815 Yes! Twin Peaks parties (with the requisite foods) were a big deal in my set. For the series finale, we all dressed as a character. (The best might have been a friend who came as the Log Lady, with her newborn swaddled in a brown blanket. 😁)
Steve spoke of underlying sadness. For me, it was feeling unsettled; a bit off balance about where things were headed. Lynch was able to probe certain aspects of human nature that are just beneath our conscious awareness most of the time. But we certainly recognize these aspects in ourselves when they break through. I'd never thought about it as being humanistic, but I think Steve nailed it.
Lynch said that The Straight Story, in many ways his most conventional film, was the most difficult for him to make. It says so much about him, and I love that.
I love that movie. 💜
@hd
He also referred to it as perhaps his most experimental film.
I would so thoroughly enjoy watching a series where you examined each of the works of David Lynch.
This is only the second time in my life I've cried over the death of a celebrity. The last time was 25 years ago and I was in high school.
I don't have words for how much David Lynch's work meant to me. I have friends closer to me than my own parents who I became tight with over a shared love of David Lynch. I'm devastated.
This.
They are never really gone away.
💝💝💝💝💝💝😇
Your comment made me cry tears actually and I send you a big hug today 💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝😇
💐
Who was the other celebrity?
A lot of people never gave Lynch enough credit for just being such a multi-talented guy. Like I remember seeing an interview with him about Inland Empire (or The Return I forget which) where he lamented the fact that he no longer had the time to “personally build all the sets and furniture like he did with Eraserhead or it would have taken forever like that film.” Or something to that effect. It’s just mind-blowing to me that he not only wrote/directed/produced/edited tEraserhead all by himself as a first-time filmmaker, that he physically created that world (sets, furniture, special effects) solely with his own two hands. That’s so inspiring to me.
David Lynch directed the GREATEST film of the last 3,000 years:
Mulholland Drive (2001) 😀
I love that film as well. 🤗
You may write 150'000. No big difference!
I walked out of the theater after seeing Mulholland Drive in 2001 and said "That's the greatest film of the 21st century and likely to stay there." Astonishingly, the only film that came close to Mulholland Drive was made by David Lynch himself! (Ep. 8 of Twin Peaks The Return.)
It features the single best jump scare of any movie I've seen. Hollywood directors like James Wan and Andy Muschietti ought to have learned something from it.
@ “single best jump scare?” No, it doesn’t. Stop believing RUclips videos wholeheartedly. However, it is very unexpected.
Actually, I will put it into the conversation, now that I think about it 😊
Steve Shives you're my new favorite away from politics...I do agree with you on politics but, I love your general conversations for their thought provoking goodness!
I cannot believe this!! Holy crap that sucks. I wanted another movie from him so bad. At least we’ve got the films he made. Probably my all time fave director. Total genius. Mulholland Drive is my all time favorite movie. And Blue Velvet isn’t far behind. Damn. What a bummer. 😊✌🏻
I saw “Eraserhead” when I was 16. Nothing that came before or after has ever made me feel the way that film did. David’s art told me that I should always explore the hidden parts of myself. To dream endlessly and to do it on my own terms. He left an indelible mark on my life. One I’m truly grateful for. He will be sorely missed. May golden sunshine be forever with him.
Rest in peace David Lynch. To honor his legacy, I think we should all make something weird. Whether it's a drawing, song, sculpture, etc we should make something that even ourselves don't understand, just like how we all don't understand anything he's made.
i'll 3d model something that will make my coworkers question my sanity. rest in peace mr Lynch.
Love this idea ❤
Great tribute Steve. I’ve only seen 3 of his films (not even the most popular) and Twin Peaks, but whenever I do watch his work it reinvigorates a love of cinema in me in a way that almost no other artist does.
It was his uncompromising boldness. His unpredictability, his genius for the strange and irrational. A complete original.
Thank you for this video. It's how I found out David had passed, and was a beautifully heart felt ode to his greatness.
Liked and subbed.
He was a master of creating atmosphere and provoking a deep inevitable feeling inside. I have no idea what Lost Highway or Mulholland Drive mean, but damn, they have scenes that are absolutely fascinating to me. The closest thing I've ever experienced to dreaming in a movie theatre. Sometimes a nice dream, weird and unsettling but still warm, even erotic. And sometimes a horrifying nightmare that you will never forget. A master, truly.
Also, his heart was in the right place, which is something I cannot say about many great directors that turn out to be abusive egomaniacs. He has that beautiful line, "fix your heart", encouraging everyone to be more compassionate. We need more people like that.
PS: Lynch playing Gordon Cole in Twin Peaks was so funny and endearing. Loudly talking about about sensitive Govermment stuff 😂 I'll always remember him like that.
I woke up to the horrible news this morning. The media's obituaries thus far are wan and slightly idiotic. Thank you for taking the time to do this video going deep into this Lynch's work.
An absolutely. brilliant artist. His work was so completely his. Unapologetic af, yet, a gentle man. David Lynch, thank you for giving us such crazy, frightening, hilarious, mad, beautiful, flickering dreams. Bless your journey into the infinite.
Need to know what those movies are? Inform me please?
I had someone asked how I like Lynch when they couldn't understand his appeal. My immediate, knee-jerk response was "I don't watch Lynch to understand things, I watch Lynch to feel confused and uncomfortable!"
One of the things I love about his work is that so much of the very strange and seemingly inexplicable things are just other things happening in the world, showing that everyone else has their own things to deal with.
"The Straight Story" was by far my favorite Lynch film and it pains me that I haven't heard anyone mention it.
It has all the quintessential elements you describe- sadness, strangeness, small town America, but it's a fully cohesive narrative and a highly enjoyable film.
You don't need to spend any time justifying why it's good, like you do for Twin Peaks. It's just an excellent film on it's face.
I think this is his most accessible film. And the performances were fantastic.
And it's a G-rated Disney movie!
@@samcyphers2902 I'd forgotten about that! Somehow making a Lynch film G-rated is intensely surreal in it's own right.
""Twin Peaks" requires no justification!
@@mightyturkeyneck1349 except that Steve spends a bunch of time explaining it, which was kind of my point.
You can watch "The Straight Story" from beginning to end and get an authentic Lynchian experience without all the intentional narrative confusion.
You don't have to just let it "wash over you" to think about/figure out later.
To my mind is the best of Lynch's style without any of the confusing nonsense.
In a way, not sure how off the top of my mind currently but, David Lynch’s motion picture thought process, that “theater of the mind” rollercoaster ride he gave the world, reminds me of the master-craft story telling of Philip K Dick’s books/novels.. R.I.P.
I remember watching Blue Velvet years ago when it was new. I remember how odd I felt leaving a dark theater and walking out into the bright sun and normal life after having watched that movie. RIP Mr. Lynch.
Steve truly contains multitude. When I think of his reviews/reactions to stories, I usually think of him as a very meat and potatoes sort of preference, he loves stories where everything is in service of the plot and disparaging meandering into mood setting, world building and so on. But then we get stuff like this where we can see Steve is a man often very engaged by stuff where mood can dominate at times over conventional plotting.
So I have trouble guessing how Steve will react to a story, movie or TV show in advance, although I still find his reactions often interesting and informative.
I certainly appreciate his perspective on someone like David Lynch.
Tears rolled watching The Straight Story last night. Seen it before, but that time felt more profound. I think that was the most fitting to pay tribute to the legend. The man may no longer be with us, but the legend lives on. RIP David Lynch
Dude... I really appreciate the way you broke down his work. It helps a lot to bring clear structure to the feedback. His work is so hard to bring into focus, but this was a loving and sensible way to share your appreciation of his style. On all points, you nailed it!
And I stand with David regarding people watching films on their phone. I was really sad to hear of his passing, but I can also think he left a hell of a legacy. Also... him playing John Ford in the Fabelmans... I loved that whole scene.
I take a flourishing bough with a hat in hand to this man. A fine man I‘m told,and amongst my favorite film makers. Too many memories to count.
I've had plenty of chances to come to terms with death in my life but some still have the capcity to hurt me. Waking up today and seeing someone mention this was harsh. I wished if I could go back to sleep and wake up into a better day .
And I would say he is in the "all time" category seeing how his works have transcended several generations of audience.
He pioneered things that are tired tropes today. The whole vaporwave statue thing is from FWWM, the liminal space horror thing is not unique to him, but Lynch's vision of the Black Lodge is one of the finest, most defining examples i've seen in film and video games.
We still have a handful of talented directors today but I can list them on two hands and no one yet in the current generation have truly distinguished themselves purely in terms of film.
Finally let us respect his passion to film. He made them for decades and made them quite literally until the day he died.
The cinematic artform has suffered a horrible loss today and I'm unironically grieving it.
If you're here, you probably like Star Trek and David Lynch so let me extend my love to you and thanks to you Steve for all your hard work. Cheers
Eraserhead really boggled my mind. I didn't know he passed. RIP David 🙏 ❤🙏
I love David Lynch and his work. I am so saddened by his passing. Thanks for making this tribute to the man, the visionary, and the rebel David Lynch.
well said, for me he took me away into another dimension, under his direction, he is the dream master. Wild at Heart, Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive are standouts and my fav's, rip David.
I remember in the many interviews he gave regarding Twin Peaks, the interviewer would always ask what he intended when he did this or that, inserted this visual cue or that sound. He was always very vague about his answer, just saying he found it interesting. In my mind, his attitude was always "It doesn't matter what I intended. What matters is how it affects the viewer, what their take on it is."
You put into words my thoughts on David Lynch... I can only add that I loved his twisted sense of humour and his flair for the weird and absurd. A real legend. Rest in Peace. 🥀
David lynch is a total Artist.
his creativity and talent was so inspirational, I love the human too, he often told dark stories, but he was a human being with a big heart and great sense of humor, and there was both sorrow and optimism in his works.
He knew how to bring out the best in actors, and he never took his audience for fools.
With him, we were always promised to be surprised and moved from the inside.
Even though we knew in advance that it would take several viewings and research to understand our own version of the story, the finality of understanding the whole story was not so important, there was no need to take notes, the path to get there was always a real pleasure.
For me, Twin Peaks season 3 is a masterpiece. I've laughed, I've cried, I've been stunned several times, and I never tire of watching it again and again.
David had this extraordinary ability to speak directly to our unconscious and to the dream part of us. very few artists have this ability.
In a way, it opens up new perspectives on God, inviting us to weave links with quantum physics, good and evil. and many fundamental things that affect us on the inside.
Thank you David you're extremely important in my life.
Love Dune, Blue Velvet, Wild at Heart, Twin Peaks, Lost Highway, Mulholland Drive. Life isn't spoon fed to us and neither was the world of Lynch's movies. Good night, sweet prince.
I didn't know he had passed. I'm glad I found out from you.
Right on Neilios1000, I agree.
Thank You, Steve for this video and your continued Excellence. 🎩👌
One of my favorite moments in any David Lynch project, and one of the most important to me in all of television, is in Twin Peaks’ third season, The Return. Lynch himself, as the character of Gordon Cole, is having a conversation with Denise Bryson, a trans woman, in which he looks almost directly into the camera and says that bigots needed to ‘fix their hearts or die.’ The scene is ultimately comedic, poking fun at Lynch’s ladies man tendencies, but the fact that he says it so directly has meant the world to me for almost 10 years.
It changed how I saw trans people after a time of engaging with edgy atheist/anti-SJW material that said it was our job to fit in and this changed perspective ultimately lead to my own transition, a thing which saved my life.
@@MaraRhodus The Return is his magnum opus. It's not even a tv show, more like a mezmerizing 18 hour long movie.
When I found out that he had to evacuate, I was so concerned. The news of his passing has really left me sad. He is my favourite director
A great loss. He was a brilliant artist and weirdo. A true treasure.
Hey, Steve,
I wanted to take this time to say thank you for such a thoughtful, deep, and wonderful eulogy for David Lynch.
You articulated the most difficult to capture and ethereal facets of this artist.
Thank you.
I watched Twin Peaks in real time. Nothing had been shown on TV like that. You hadn’t been ‘placed’ in grief like that. We talked about it the most. And just hearing Laura’s song brought you right back to the grief which was intentional but new to TV. I mean, we had some bad TV years and that show was awesome.
David Lynch’s films helped me embrace not knowing and the beauty of ambiguity. This was essential to my deconstruction from my cult upbringing. I am so thankful to him.
He was an unusual human beings. Im not surprised by his human kindness.
He vwill be truly missed.
David Lynch was the most original, cult film director of all time. Without question, he was one of a kind.I didn’t even know who he was until I first discovered Twin Peaks in 1990, followed up by Wild At Heart, later that summer. Then, an old friend of mine treated me to the ultimate double header one night by showing Eraser Head and Blue Velvet. Ive been hooked to David’s amazing work ever since.
One of the few artists who had the talent & creativity to make dreams tangible in a visual medium.
When you speak of that nostalgia for something you can never get back, that’s a feeling I always got from the 3rd season of Twin Peaks. It came out during a time where all these old shows were doing reunions just to cash in on nostalgia and David Lynch was just like, “Nope.” 😂 It’s a return, but everything changes. At the same time, I feel David was often promoting the acceptance of this inescapable fact of life. It’s like his utilization of Lord Alfred Tennyson’s poem “Nothing Will Die” at the end of “The Elephant Man.” Funny enough, Tennyson also made an opposing poem called “Everything Will Die.” However, the consistent point between the two poems was, “all things will change.” I think David captures the grief and the magic of this fact. He is indeed a very humanistic artist, I agree. His approach was possibly even closer to reality than most people realize or dare to consider. Lol
I watched Eraserhead when I was 17... every david lynch film leaves me asking questions, which I always loved. It also left me trying to work out what was going on. Hence I watched them again and again. To this day, I will find something new to take on in his film making.
Edit: also Toto doing music!!!
What a lovely, articulate eulogy. You describe so well his style and significance. Thank you for sharing your perspective.
Great tribute to David Lynch. I love how you talk about the underlying theme of sadness throughout his work, he certainly saw beauty in it. I recommend watching the video 'Angelo Badalamenti explains how he wrote Laura Palmer's Theme' in which he and and Lynch were working on the Twin Peaks soundtrack. I watched this video right after I heard of Lynch's passing, Badalamenti describing his reactions to the music had me in tears. A truly precious artist and person, RIP.
Great comment on Lynch's work. While it is true that Lynch expresses some kind of sadness, I would say his work is even more full of joy. Lynch had this incredible ability to find beauty and fascination even in things most people would find frightening, ugly, or disgusting. He had this childlike enthusiasm that enabled him to "fall in love with ideas", no matter where they came from. I admire that.
That quality of longing, sadness, and even some playfulness and kindness in his work is best exemplified to me by Donna's line from Twin Peaks: "It's like I'm having the most beautiful dream... And the most terrible nightmare, all at once."
That show, and Lynch as a sort of figure of creativity and imagination, meant so much to me and my family growing up. And as I transitioned, he gave us one of the greatest responses to transphobes ever spoken: "Fix your hearts or die."
Goodbye, Mr. Lynch. The world feels less interesting today.
Im so heartbroken
A fine essay, Steve. I can tell you're sad he's gone. I think at heart he was a very humane man,
I too believe that David Lynch was a very humane and kind soul. He showed us his humanity and his soul in his work. How his art makes us feel is so unique and unlike what any other auteur has ever accomplished. He embraced the bizarre and the beauty of the mundane. He was truly a genius and again, I concur with your sentiments. His heart was precious. 💐💔
His movies were absolutely art, he pulled great performances from actors that understood his art, and it showed. He wasn't just a film maker or director, he was a true artist, whose medium was celluloid.
Thank you for the Tribute, Steve.🥃
Such a creative soul. He will be missed.
Random thing: David Lynch used to call in every day to KCRW (LA public radio, based out of Pasadena) and give the weather report, then introduce a song. It was so random but so cool.
All 950 of the reports he did from 2022-2024 are on his RUclips channel @DAVIDLYNCHTHEATER
Excellent analysis, Mr Shives. I couldn’t agree with your analysis any more. Very well done.
I saw the amazing “Eraserhead” at Camera One in San Jose either in ‘77 or ‘78.
It was as if all my tormented nightmares and absurdist lusts had been reified. One of those pivotal (capital) ART experiences, an epiphany and aesthetic milestone.
I firmly believe that anyone who is thinking of breeding should see “Eraserhead” so that they are aware of what they’re in for.
Shalom to a true Auteur.
Every thing is fine !
He was an American original. A great soul. He will be missed.
For those who have never watched his films until now, and might be on the fence about starting to do so due to his reputation for surrealism and abstractness, lemme make a recommendation:
If you want to ease into his films, start with *The Elephant Man*.
Of the Lynch works I've seen, it is the most relatively conventional and approachable while still being just off enough to start giving you a taste of his style. It also tells an absolutely heartwrenching but compassionate story, brilliantly acted by John Hurt and Anthony Hopkins. That it won no academy awards that year is one of the biggest snubs in film history IMHO.
OTOH, if you DO wanna jump straight off the deep end, Mulholland Drive is one of the greatest things ever if you're open to it :3
The Elephant Man is such a beautiful film.
Great advice. What a master of his craft.
I saw Dune in the theater and loved it. I was 14 at the time and had read the novel. I understood at the time that changes would have to be made to the overall story given how absolutely dense Dune is. The uniqueness of that film led me to other of Lynch's films and I was wondering instantly hooked. That helped, I think, lead me to a lifelong love of cinema.
I honestly feel like I lost my best friend. It feels like David Lynch would’ve understood and accepted me as a person 💔. What a loss of such a brilliant mind.
I grew up watching and still love his 1984 Dune.
Telling folks to not try too hard to figure it out in the moment, and just let yourself to *experience* it is EXACTLY what I have always done, too!
A true original, an incredible talent and a genuinely sweet person. I miss him already.
Great tribute. Thanks Steve
David made the audience part of the art, our reactions being key to the final product.
RIP
I've watched a bit of Twin Peaks, I've seen Dune, and I just watched Blue Velvet tonight in honor of his passing. I find the best way to watch his works is to just let it sort of wash over you. Let the weird and absurd and obscure things just happen and eventually you may "get it" if you don't then I say watch it again and if you still don't "get it" then at the very least anyone can appreciate the look and feel of this works.
Ive only ever heard how kind and respectful he was to his actors and crew. It’s such a contrast to other directors of his era and it shows in the way people have built communities and friendships around his work.
I used to watch Twin Peaks with my now middle-aged son. Thank you, David, for the happy memories. RIP.
David Lynch approached moviemaking as if making music, which frees up what he could put on the screen as he riffs along. It's a wonder that more filmmakers have not embraced this approach.
I never thought the news of a stranger's death would move me as this did. When I read about it, I felt like it had happened to an old friend. Perhaps he stepped out at the right time so he wouldn't have had to witness the world turning ugly. May his new journey be a fantastic adventure and may his soul find peace wherever it chooses to. Congratulations on this video.
Another legend left the stage. 😢
His work illustrates, works with and yes insists on the relationship between the dream and cinema. In some ways we a dreaming when we are immersed in a film, Lynch knew this so deeply and worked his way into the meaning of it with such commitment.
This was such a gut punch when I heard about Lynch passing. A true original. He will be missed 😞 RIP David Lynch ✌🏻🇺🇸🙏🏼 🎥 🎦
I have been a David Lynch fan since early 90s, and was so lucky to meet him in Denmark in 2004.
R. I. P.
Mr. Lynch
He wasn’t a director I loved on first viewings of his films but his films festered in my mind and the more they did that the more I loved David Lynch and his films. He was a cinematic oddball and I’ll miss just knowing he was out there… probably doing a weather report or campaigning with a cow for one of his actors 😂
I'm both happy and so sad...
Happy for the opportunity of knowing and loving so much from David Lynch.
Sad that the world got a bit smaller without him.
Thank you so much for this essay, and for a beautiful take on what made Lynch so special. I miss him.
Not very knowledgeable about David Lynch (mostly just know him through Twin Peaks) but the way you described how he adds weird unsettling aspects to his work makes me think of the type of music I favor. Again, I'm not very knowledgeable about music theory but people tell me the time signatures are odd, it creates a sense of frustration as the resolution you expect doesn't happen. My favorite band (Heroin) starts songs it seems in the middle, or starts a song one way but does a weird transition into something else, or slowly each instrument wanders off into it's own chaotic weird ending, or the song ends altogether abruptly, or another song just suddenly starts. I can listen to it endlessly it's so fascinating to me. I will try to check out more David Lynch.
My step-mom watched Twin Peaks a lot and tbh the main theme song still kicks up in my head from time to time.
David Lynch is your favorite filmmaker's favorite filmmaker. Even if he wasn't the most famous or most acclaimed director he was incredibly influential for film, television, and even video games (Deadly Premonition! Alan Wake! THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: LINK'S AWAKENING!!!).
I said the filmmaker thing last night, as well! 😔😭
Sad to hear of his passing. One thing to keep in mind while watching a Lynch movie is not to compare it to another director's movie. It is a David Lynch movie and just watch it without prejudice or ideas of what it should be. It is. Just be.
Brilliant tribute, Steve. For me, a cinephile, but also an average audience member, the truest thing you said is to _just watch the film._ Analyze it later and then watch it again. Then read some more about it and watch it again. _Mulholland Drive_ did that to me. Of all the films that Lynch did, _Mulholland Drive_ is my favorite, followed by a close second with _Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me._ Thank you for putting a definition as to why. Not just with Lynch films, but others, I am drawn to films that feature overwhelming sadness, or grief. I don't know why, and I'm not a depressive person. Maybe it's the fact that we don't often see films like that. I can't tell you the number of times I've sat and watched a film and thought, "PLEASE don't be a happy ending!" And yet, most films end that way. Lynch didn't really service that crowd, and that's only one of the things I loved about his work. RIP Mr. Lynch.
I'm glad I found out about his passing from you. This was a touching "tribute" to one of my favorites. You put into words many of my thoughts & feelings. Thank you.
I waited on David Lynch a few times when he stayed in Madison. He was such a funny guy and a generous human being.
Lovely tribute to the marvelous auteur, Mr. David Lynch, Steve. *The soundtracks in his films never missed the white mark on a two-lane blacktop.