Hello again! I'm back because there are two David Lynch movie scenes I really needed to share somewhere.
Last week we went to a late night showing of Lost Highway at the Alamo Drafthouse (they were screening it as part of their "Weird Wednesdays" series), which in retrospect was a pretty bold move on my part. Before going to the theater, when Alex asked if we should bring earplugs, I scoffed and said no, it was a movie, not a rock show. An hour later, I was white-knuckling the armrests, frantically considering whether to run to the lobby and ask if they sell Hearos, or go to the bathroom and grab a bunch of toilet paper to wad up and stick in my ears. Confession: I was not prepared for David Lynch Sound Effects at movie theater volumes.
Anyway, you're going to have to trust me that the movie is darker than this (keywords: "psychological mindf*ck", "murder scene on staticky VHS tape", "Rammstein"), but I sought out this scene afterward because it was such a welcome/bewildering break from the horror in the rest of the movie, and will forever be the scene I think of when someone's driving too close behind me.
The other scene I wanted to share comes from The Straight Story, David Lynch's wholesome Disney movie, which we watched to soften the blow from Lost Highway. People say this movie is such a deviation for Lynch, but I see so much Twin Peaks in it: it's a slow burn that follows an old man as he drives from Iowa to Wisconsin on a lawnmower, full of long tracking shots and dialogue with slightly offbeat characters. As you might expect, I thought it was excellent.
Here is the most Lynchian scene in The Straight Story:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCsqyOaPsP4
Bonus: This scene, in which Alvin buys a grabber at the hardware store, is positively perfect in every way.
For those following along, here's my list of Watched David Lynch Movies so far:
- Fire Walk With Me
- Mulholland Drive
- Inland Empire
- Blue Velvet
- The Straight Story
- Lost Highway
Help us decide: between Eraserhead, The Elephant Man, Dune, and Wild At Heart, which should we watch next?