Grace Smith is a film critic and writer with 21 years of formative film exposure under her belt – and a focused interest in horror, surrealism, and substantial Cinema. Grace is passionate about The Hollywood Insider’s mission towards thoughtful and innovative media that expands audience perspectives towards entertainment. As a young writer and film-lover, Grace hopes to inspire readers towards not only broadening their horizons when it comes to cinematic media, but also raising their expectations.
Jul 28, 2024
Table of Contents
Humble Beginnings: Art School and Short Films
For David Lynch, it began with painting. While some artists know from the very beginning that their path is filmmaking, Lynch was simply enthralled with artistic pursuits in general. Born in Montana and then raised in various different states and cities across the Midwest, Lynch is unsurprisingly no stranger to the ‘All-American’ mundanity that permeates the gleaming surface of many of his films. Over the course of many years and after a string of other artistic academic endeavors, Lynch would finally settle in his enrollment at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Here, the artist would finally turn into a director, creating numerous short films such as ‘The Alphabet’, ‘The Grandmother’, and ‘The Amputee’. All of these were wrought with the eerie, evocative imagery that would soon pervade his feature-length films. Oft-inspired by the surreal and/or macabre works of prominent painters like René Magritte or Francis Bacon, these short works of fiction are so unique and visually poignant that it now seems that Lynch’s absurd genius is an influence-cocktail of his very own.
In 1977, the artist released his first feature film, ‘Eraserhead’, a work that would baffle audiences for years to come. Largely considered Lynch’s most experimental film, opinions are often divided between whether it should be considered a midnight-movie body horror classic or an abomination of Cinema. This divisiveness sets the tone for Lynch’s artistic career with his savage, striking iconography of fatherhood, fear, and regret. As weird as it gets, ‘Eraserhead’ is a bold but beautiful first foray into Lynch’s filmography. A testament to its’ pure eeriness, the late, legendary Stanley Kubrick would direct the cast of ‘The Shining’ to watch the film as a reference for the feelings of dread that he hoped to convey. How fun.
His next film, ‘The Elephant Man’, would tap into a more traditional Cinematic structure while still fostering the roots of his signature style. Starring heavyweight performers like John Hurt and Anthony Hopkins, the film would go on to earn eight Oscar nominations (including Best Director) and would ultimately act as the catalyst for creating the ‘Best Makeup’ Academy Award after audiences complained over the lack of formal recognition. A remarkable meditation on deformity and the human condition, this movie is far more ‘black-and-white’ (no pun intended) than the rest of his films; it certainly follows a more tangible line of symbolism and morality than his only other feature-length project at the time, ‘Eraserhead’, and acts as a healthy reminder of Lynch’s expert grasp on the craft overall, not just in the hallmarks of his particular niche.
In 1984, Lynch wrote and directed a film adaptation of the sci-fi epic ‘Dune’. ‘Dune’ is memorable for many reasons, but we’ll discuss two of them. First, this movie marks the first of many shared projects between Lynch and his frequent collaborator, Kyle MacLachlan. Second, as a departure from form and a total commercial and critical failure, this is probably the weakest of Lynch’s filmography. Often boring and unfocused but still absolutely strange, ‘Dune’ to Lynch’s overall filmography is like a stain on a white t-shirt: inevitable, but still disappointing. Fans of the original novel can expect redemption in the form of the up-and-coming new ‘Dune’ adaptation starring Timothee Chalamet.
Other works which are scattered across his career include ‘Blue Velvet’, ‘Wild at Heart’, ‘Lost Highway’, and ‘Inland Empire’. In ‘Blue Velvet’ – he and MacLachlan’s second creative collaboration – Lynch would formulate a tale of the dark underbelly of suburbia and brutal eroticism, all starting with a severed ear in a field. This film is continuously referred to as one of his cornerstone projects, pushing the boundaries of violence and voyeurism to the brim of expectation and then some. The romantic black-comedy ‘Wild at Heart’ displays Lynch at his most playful (despite all of the, you know, pure violence), touting a dangerously passionate Nicolas Cage and fair-cheeked but seductive Laura Dern. ‘Lost Highway’ is described by Lynch as more of a fugue state than your typical psychological thriller film, trading orthodox logic for the looping madness of L.A. that he leads audiences into. His most recent feature film release, ‘Inland Empire’, delves completely into the untethered surrealism and experimental structural themes that Lynch had developed over the past few decades; even the star Laura Dern – at Venice Film Festival, no less – admitted that she was not sure what the film was about as reported by BBC News.
Among his works of contemporary genius is the TV series, ‘Twin Peaks’. Whenever I watched Twin Peaks only a few years ago, nearly two decades after it was released, I was in awe of the way that it transcends aesthetics, time periods, and typical plot structures. Immeasurably strengthened by the haunted musical work of Angelo Badalamenti, ‘Twin Peaks’ continues to be a totem of dark, tender surrealism and one of the most memorable murder mysteries of all time. Beginning with what seems to be a cut-and-dry question – who killed Laura Palmer? – the series devolves into a tale of crime, sexuality, and some of the best melodrama of the 90’s. With an infinitely addictive cast of characters: Sherilynn Fenn as the young, coquettish Audrey Horne. Sheryl Lee as the enigmatic and ever-smiling memory of Laura Palmer. Kyle MacLachlan as the ingenious Special Agent Dale Cooper in one of his most memorable roles to date. In keeping with this era, his next film would act as a prologue for the series. ‘Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me’ exposes the events preceding Laura Palmer’s death and finally gives us some insight into the captivating local sweetheart and the unraveling details of her final days.
In 2001, Lynch would release arguably his most widely appreciated Cinematic endeavor, the absurdist neo-noir masterpiece, ‘Mulholland Drive’. Not only has the film earned long-lasting praise and a reverent cult following, but it continues to be critically analyzed for its innovative story structure, visionary composition, and seemingly unprecedented grasp on the surreal. Naomi Watts delivers, in my opinion, a career-defining performance as a hopeful ingenue embarking on an acting career within this warped Hollywood landscape. I think that with ‘Mulholland Drive’, all of Lynch’s most quintessential qualities as a filmmaker come to a head; so easily, he uses visuals to convey the wordlessness of dreams, of memory, and of regret. He articulates the way that humanity warps and shifts when held under a microscope and the ruinous crevices that find clarity in this fresh new light. The work of David Lynch is so weird because it is so disturbingly familiar to the strangeness we subconsciously endure each and every day.
David Lynch speaks the illegible language of the subconscious; the ideas and images that fade away in the harsh, fluorescent light of reality are brought – disturbing but fragile – to the forefront of the story. Instead of merely viewing characters through the thick lens of film, Lynch plugs into the subliminal ideas that dance across their minds in the oh-so-familiar absence of reason and logic, a visualization of the grisly impulses that bloom within the pores of humanity and the various, delirious ways that we might sweat them out.
The director is currently working on a largely ambiguous television project under the working title of ‘Unrecorded Night’. Some fans speculate that this is all connected to a fourth season of ‘Twin Peaks’, while others think it could very well be the newest original Lynch series. Regardless, audiences can take solace in the fact that whatever project he embarks on next will be fantastically different from anything else that they could otherwise imagine. That’s what Lynch films are for: conjuring images that might only form otherwise in the haze of a dream or, sometimes more fittingly, a nightmare.
Click here to read The Hollywood Insider’s CEO Pritan Ambroase’s love letter to Cinema, TV and Media. An excerpt from the love letter: The Hollywood Insider’s CEO/editor-in-chief Pritan Ambroase affirms, “We have the space and time for all your stories, no matter who/what/where you are. Media/Cinema/TV have a responsibility to better the world and The Hollywood Insider will continue to do so. Talent, diversity and authenticity matter in Cinema/TV, media and storytelling. In fact, I reckon that we should announce “talent-diversity-authenticity-storytelling-Cinema-Oscars-Academy-Awards” as synonyms of each other. We show respect to talent and stories regardless of their skin color, race, gender, sexuality, religion, nationality, etc., thus allowing authenticity into this system just by something as simple as accepting and showing respect to the human species’ factual diversity. We become greater just by respecting and appreciating talent in all its shapes, sizes, and forms. Award winners, which includes nominees, must be chosen on the greatness of their talent ALONE.
I am sure I am speaking for a multitude of Cinema lovers all over the world when I speak of the following sentiments that this medium of art has blessed me with. Cinema taught me about our world, at times in English and at times through the beautiful one-inch bar of subtitles. I learned from the stories in the global movies that we are all alike across all borders. Remember that one of the best symbols of many great civilizations and their prosperity has been the art they have left behind. This art can be in the form of paintings, sculptures, architecture, writings, inventions, etc. For our modern society, Cinema happens to be one of them. Cinema is more than just a form of entertainment, it is an integral part of society. I love the world uniting, be it for Cinema, TV, media, art, fashion, sport, etc. Please keep this going full speed.”
Grace Smith is a film critic and writer with 21 years of formative film exposure under her belt - and a focused interest in horror, surrealism, and substantial Cinema. Grace is passionate about The Hollywood Insider’s mission towards thoughtful and innovative media that expands audience perspectives towards entertainment. As a young writer and film-lover, Grace hopes to inspire readers towards not only broadening their horizons when it comes to cinematic media, but also raising their expectations.
Grace Smith is a film critic and writer with 21 years of formative film exposure under her belt – and a focused interest in horror, surrealism, and substantial Cinema. Grace is passionate about The Hollywood Insider’s mission towards thoughtful and innovative media that expands audience perspectives towards entertainment. As a young writer and film-lover, Grace hopes to inspire readers towards not only broadening their horizons when it comes to cinematic media, but also raising their expectations.
Grace Smith is a film critic and writer with 21 years of formative film exposure under her belt – and a focused interest in horror, surrealism, and substantial Cinema. Grace is passionate about The Hollywood Insider’s mission towards thoughtful and innovative media that expands audience perspectives towards entertainment. As a young writer and film-lover, Grace hopes to inspire readers towards not only broadening their horizons when it comes to cinematic media, but also raising their expectations.
Limited Time Offer: Join for FREE today and get unlimited
The Hollywood Insider is against gossip and scandal, fully focused on substance & meaningful entertainment.
We choose quality over quantity, compassion over oppression, wisdom over intelligence.
Newsletter Subscription
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok
