1175 Inland Empire

[blindside8zao]

funny... I was...

Hope they don't catch that. Anyways. I was wondering about Lynch's work. I love Eraserhead for its lighting, imaginativeness, and especially sound. I also loved Lost Highway. But Blue Velvet, minus the opening shot of the father having a heart attack was boring and not worth it. Anyone want to explain the greatness of it to me? I am very willing to listen and learn. Also, how are the other films?

[J M Powell]

Hm. I think most people like it for the mood, the visuals (color, lighting, composition), the dialogue (probably the funniest in Lynch outside of "Twin Peaks" -- "You're a neat girl", "That's a human ear", "Pabst Blue Ribbon!" etc.), and for Hopper's performance & the extremity of that character (this is perhaps harder to understand after the '90s). But what makes academics swoon is its pyschosexual aspect. Whether Lynch knew intellectually what he was creating (ie., whether he was conversant in the relevant theorists' work) is still (and, because of Lynch's reticence about his work, will probably always remain) an open question; nontheless, BV is textbook Lacan in too many ways to count.

[Fletch F. Fletch]

But Blue Velvet, minus the opening shot of the father having a heart attack was boring and not worth it. Anyone want to explain the greatness of it to me? I am very willing to listen and learn.

For me, Blue Velvet is Lynch's best film because it is the perfect mix of his surrealist/absurdist sensibilities, his thematic pre-occupations (industrial imagery, the '50s, voyeurism, dreams, etc.) and yet still remaining accessible.

The use of color in the movie is very impressive -- striking, vibrant like right out of Douglas Sirk or Vincente Minnelli movie. For example, the opening montage that begins the film with the image of blood red roses in front of a stark white picket fence. Everything is heightened in color and slowed down to an almost surreal level which invokes the feeling of being trapped in some kind of dream-like (or nightmarish as the film later shows) version of small-town America. Lynch enhances these romantic images of 1950's Americana with Bobby Vinton's classic version of "Blue Velvet" playing over this imagery. Lynch uses colors and music to create a dreamy, nostalgic mood and also draws us into this strange world.

The sound design is also what makes this movie work so well. In addition to the music, you've got the exceptional work of Alan Splet (who had worked with Lynch ever since Eraserhead). He contributes a complex sound scheme that ingeniously complements Lynch's images -- as is evident in the unsettling, moaning hallways of Dorothy's apartment building. It comes across as almost organic in nature due in large part to Splet's disturbing soundscape. His sound design also works so disturbingly well in the film's surrealistic montages where sound and image are distorted to a nightmarish level. It's a shame that Splet died a few years later you can see how much of his work influenced Lynch on a profound level, judging from his attention to soundscapes on Fire Walk With Me, Lost Highway, etc.

Also, Frederick Elmes' lush cinematography is a crucial element to the unique look of this movie. He really plays up Lynch's fascination with an almost painterly look to his movies. Blue Velvet contains scenes that have a still life quality to them -- like when Jeffrey comes into Dorothy's apartment near the end of the movie and sees the two bodies there. Elmes' technique harkens back to classical Hollywood cinema in the way scenes are lit and staged, often combining film noir lighting with a dark colour scheme that enhances and establishes the eerie atmosphere.

At any rate, I could go on and on. I guess what affects me so much about this movie is the mood and atmosphere. Every time I watch it I totally get sucked into the world Lynch creates. There are so many little moments that just do it for me (like the tree-lined, suburban streets that Jeffrey and Sandy walk along) and images that are burned in my brain (like that shot of Sandy coming out of the darkness as Angelo Badalamenti's music swells -- one of THE most striking images of any Lynch movie!). You really should give it a second chance.

[Martha]

Let's at least try to keep this thread focused on Lynch. If you want to compare Grant and Clooney, feel free to start a new thread-- probably in Old Films. If you want to talk about fucking either of them (or Julianne Moore), I'm sure you can find lots of places on the web where such a thing is heartily encouraged-- the Lynch thread, however, is probably not the place.

[Floyd]

Does anyone think this film could be revolutionary considering his now years of using and playing around with DV? DV is a medium that is not exactly established at this stage and with the ability of Lynch to toy with shadows and darkness it should be interesting to see what can be made with him switching his focus to DV. For DV's detractors, if Lynch decides to give up film in turn to use DV I think that may say alot of its ability not only its mobility and ease of use.

[Lino]

More news:

What I can gather is that it's a Twin Peaks-like mystery about a woman that dissapears near the San Gab mountains.

We did auditorium scenes - crowd, typical red-robed curtains behind lounge act - which went over three days, though I was only available for two. The task was to basically sit, in awe, of the performance in stage - played, comically - though I'm assuming my smile will be overshadowed by my look of awe. Not that you'll see my in the finished cut, I'm row P - right-back, near entrance. It's a REALLY dark theatre (though not theatre, just a set near San Gabriel mountains here) too.

We do hear music BUT it's not coming from the singer's mouth. She lip-synches, and I believe they fix it all later - - - or something. I didn't recognize the singer/actress. An older man was there directing ? her music.

Hmm...Mulholland Drive Part 2?

[Fletch F. Fletch]

Not much, but here's a pic of the poster that was on display at Cannes:

[Fletch F. Fletch]

Actor Justin Theroux was interviewed in this week's issue of The Village Voice and offers some tantalizing bits about Lynch's new movie:

He's much more enthusiastic about Inland Empire, though the Lynch process apparently isn't any less baffling the second time around. "You're so used to directors who have a clear idea what they want, but with David, you have to be flexible enough to just trust him—and it's more fun, it frees you up from all that actor bullshit baggage." As for details, Theroux says, "David's playing his cards typically close to his chest." He reveals that the movie contains "some completely bizarre sex scenes," but adds, "I couldn't possibly tell you what the film's about, and at this point, I don't know that he could. It's become sort of a pastime—Laura [Dern] and I sit around on set trying to figure out what's going on.

"I do know that something David really liked about Mulholland Drive was that it had this previous life as a TV show—he equates it to doing a painting that's shelved, someone gives you money to finish it and says, here's three more feet of canvas. With this one he's just giving us scenes—and me, Laura, and Jeremy [Irons] have to justify and make sense of whatever that is. Sometimes someone will show up on set you didn't even know was in the movie. Julia Ormond showed up two weeks ago and David hands me a scene where she's my wife! I'm like, I wish I'd known that! But in a weird way you're glad you didn't."

[Lino]

More news from Dugpa.com:

[quote]According to Marek Å»ydowicz, President of Camerimage, “INLAND EMPIREâ€

[Fletch F. Fletch]

Nothing really new revealed about Inland Empire but there is a new interview with Lynch up on GreenCine about his meditation tour.

[Penny Dreadful]

I saw Lynch on his TM tour and it was actually pretty interesting. They projected some guy's brainwaves on a screen and DL took a bunch of questions for audience members. Also one of the physicists from What the Bleep Do We Know spoke on the Unified Field Theory, though I had a hard time wrapping my mind around that. I mostly came for the movie anecdotes but I left with a better appreciation for meditation (though not necessarily TM).

A little pseudo science and you apparently eat it up.

Well yeah, the "What the Bleep" guy was basically spreading pseudoscience, but you can't deny the fact that David Lynch credits most of his good ideas to meditation. Since he's a great director I'm interested in whatever it was that inspired him. The rest was basically an odd spectacle that I rather enjoyed.

[blindside8zao]

wow, I forgot about this thread. I feel like an idiot now for the way I expressed my dissatisfaction about Blue Velvet, the way I said it was presumptuous. I talked to a few professors about Lynch and found both of them favored Blue Velvet over everything else. One said that it was, like another here mentioned, his capturing the feel of the time and place that really got them. I saw a VHS version of this, so the colors did not grab me as immediately as the DVD might.

Thank you for giving good writeups on this film. I'm definetly going to have to go back and check it out again.

Also, thanks for the recommendations, I've seen everything now cept for Twin Peaks series and Fire Walk with Me. Mullholland Drive was amazing. The colors in it are so lush. Same with Straight Story actually. Wild at Heart did not strike me as much as the others, but it was still very good. Elephant Man was also very wonderful and I did find myself a bit down once the end came along, just as everyone mentioned.

I think I need to buy BV and Twin Peaks Series 1 sometime soon. As well as the shorts that he sells on his site. Can anyone recommend those?

BTW, I am really really excited about this new film too.

[zedz]

wow, I forgot about this thread. I feel like an idiot now for the way I expressed my dissatisfaction about Blue Velvet, the way I said it was presumptuous. I talked to a few professors about Lynch and found both of them favored Blue Velvet over everything else. One said that it was, like another here mentioned, his capturing the feel of the time and place that really got them. I saw a VHS version of this, so the colors did not grab me as immediately as the DVD might.

I think Blue Velvet is still my favourite Lynch, but I'm not sure how much of that is due to its original context. In the mid-eighties, this film really did come out of nowhere (and in my case this was immeasurably assisted by seeing it blind - no advance word, my only previous encounter with Lynch being Dune, which I loathed). No matter how outre he gets, I don't think any of his subsequent films will be able to duplicate that surprise. (Eraserhead, of course, was even more radical, but it wasn't playing at your local multiplex in the guise of a Hollywood thriller.)

It's also a quintessential movie-theatre movie: you need to see it in a big dark room full of strangers, in a good, darkly glowing print. I've tried to watch the DVD, but it seems to me a mere shadow of itself and I had to switch it off.

[lord_clyde]

I think I need to buy BV and Twin Peaks Series 1 sometime soon. As well as the shorts that he sells on his site. Can anyone recommend those?

"The Grandmother" is really cool (and made my top 50 films of the 70's list). It's about a kid who puts dirt on his bed and grows a grandma because his parents suck. Features some crazy twisted cool early Lynch animation.
And you must watch Twin Peaks. Both seasons, easily acquired on VHS.

[ben d banana]

I think Blue Velvet is still my favourite Lynch, but I'm not sure how much of that is due to its original context. In the mid-eighties, this film really did come out of nowhere (and in my case this was immeasurably assisted by seeing it blind - no advance word, my only previous encounter with Lynch being Dune, which I loathed). No matter how outre he gets, I don't think any of his subsequent films will be able to duplicate that surprise. (Eraserhead, of course, was even more radical, but it wasn't playing at your local multiplex in the guise of a Hollywood thriller.)

It's also a quintessential movie-theatre movie: you need to see it in a big dark room full of strangers, in a good, darkly glowing print. I've tried to watch the DVD, but it seems to me a mere shadow of itself and I had to switch it off.

Exactly (well, except I'm quite able to enjoy the DVD). A packed, and seemingly baffled, house on $2.50 Tuesday as a teen and going to the movies would never be the same again. I came back for fourths.

[Fletch F. Fletch]

I think I need to buy BV and Twin Peaks Series 1 sometime soon. As well as the shorts that he sells on his site. Can anyone recommend those?

I would also second the recommendation for "The Grandmother" short film on this collection. It's quite good. I also dig "The Amputee" and the very short but also incredible effective "Premonitions of an Evil Deed" which manages to convey an incredible mood and atmosphere in such a short time.

Behind the scenes photos are online at LynchNet



An update from LynchNet:

Cineuropa.org has an update on the latest with Inland Empire. According to the article, Lynch is back in Poland for filming, and the film is still scheduled to premiere at Cannes. Thanks to b/a for the link. Here's the full text:

Shooting – Pologne
Lynch at Lódz

David Lynch arrived in Poland to complete filming on Inland Empire, his new film whose screenplay is still shrouded in secret. The title does not give much away – referring to the four neighbourhoods of Los Angeles close to the Californian desert. "It's the story of a woman in deep trouble. The story also has a hidden mystery, that's all I will say on the subject," declared David Lynch with regard to his film.

The first visit by Lynch to Poland was in 2000 when the director was invited to the Camerimage festival at Lódz. His fascination since then for this town, headquarters of the famous film school, brought him back two years later. That's when the project began – in a little bedroom painted green, the first images were taken.

Many Polish actors are in the cast, notably Karolina Gruszka, Krzysztof Majchrzak, Leon Niemczyk, Piotr Andrzejewski. But the main roles are taken by Laura Dern, Justin Theroux, Jeremy Irons, Harry Dean Santon.

This time the crew is filming in the Lódz hotels and in Manufaktura, former factories transformed into a modern commercial-cultural complex.

Production on Inland Empire was not officially announced until the last Cannes festival, by Studio Canal – one of the co-producers of the film. The Polish end of the production is being handled by Marek Zydowicz, director of the Camerimage festival, in coopération with Fundacja Tumult.

The film's première is scheduled for the next Cannes festival. In Poland, the film will probably come out in the autumn, and Kino Swiat will be the distributor.

Original link

[Oedipax]

I still can't believe Lynch is shooting on the Sony PD-170. The production classes at my university use them and in my opinion they're nowhere near as nice as the 24p-capable cameras like the Panasonic DVX100. The PD-170 is 29.97 interlaced-only, so as nice as things might look, it still feels very much like video. You can convert to 24p in post-production, but it's a bit of a hassle and it doesn't look as good as if it were shot natively. Then again, maybe Lynch is going for a more video-based look. And is that a film camera I see in one of the frames as well? So maybe it's a mix of both...

[NABOB OF NOWHERE]

I met Mr Lynch briefly on his last visit to Poland (in what he pronounces as "Whooodge"). In response to my question what he was particularly looking for over there for this particular film he instantly rhapsodised with the words - "Electricity, electricity, electricity !!"

Be interesting to see how that particular take pans out.

[Fletch F. Fletch]

I met Mr Lynch briefly on his last visit to Poland (in what he pronounces as "Whooodge"). In response to my question what he was particularly looking for over there for this particular film he instantly rhapsodised with the words - "Electricity, electricity, electricity !!"

Be interesting to see how that particular take pans out.

It should be interesteing to see how he further explores his preoccupation with electricity that features so prominently in films like Fire Walk With Me and Lost Highway.

Courtesy of Dugpa.com:

Room to Dream DVD Available for Free - Get Your Copy Today!!!

Now here's something big worth talking about. I just received a copy of the DVD Room to Dream. Digidesign has put this FREE DVD out as a promotional piece by Digidesign which showcases Lynch's work with DV and Avid. They take a scene that David has filmed on DV and basically go step by step on how he used the Avid to design and complete the scene. The scene features appearances by John Neff, Mary Sweeney, Chrysta Bell, as well as some of the actors that have been attached with INLAND EMPIRE. While there is no confirmation to whether or not the scene on the DVD is from INLAND EMPIRE, I would be willing to bet that it is. The DVD is so good that I would have actually paid to own a copy, but best of all, the DVD is available for FREE. That's right my friends. Click here for more details on how you can get yourself a copy and see some really cool stuff. After watching the DVD, I sure as hell want to upgrade to an Avid.

[J M Powell]

Esp. since he has chosen with this new "film" to remove everything but electricity from his images . . .

[Noir of the Night]

Does anyone know if this has been confirmed as an actual part of INLAND EMPIRE? I saw the clip (for anyone else who is interested, a search of Inland Empire on youtube.com brings it up), and while there are various reasons to believe that it is from the film (it uses several of the actors in IE, the Stanley Kamel character refers to a circus and one of the production photos from the film in the link above was of a circus), it's also possible that Lynch was just messing it around, sort of like how he used actors from Mulholland Drive in Rabbits.

As for the clip itself, it's sort of hard to form an opinion on it without the context of the film if it is part of it. If it's just a standalone, it's sort of pointless and somewhat ponderous, although it does have that unsettling quality that Lynch's work always inspires in me (well, not in The Straight Story).

[blindside8zao]

I, too, don't really know what to say about the clip on the disc. It's definetly interesting but without seeing things in context it'd be premature to say much. I'll just say it didn't really produce any excitement in me for inland empire.

[Dylan]

I'm almost positive that the clip is just one of the many shorts he did for his website, except in this case he filmed it around a docu crew for the DVD. It is definitely not part of "Inland Empire." And I agree, whatever it is, it's certainly lesser Lynch.

[Noir of the Night]

Is there any hard proof that it is indeed a short for his website? I know that there are a lot of people who are absolutely sure that this is not a part of Inland Empire, but, considering that we know next to nothing about the film's plot, it could feasibly be about anything. As such, without some sort of confirmation from Lynch or anyone else involved with this scene/short, there really isn't a way to definitely confirm or deny whether or not this is a short for his website, part of IE, or something else entirely.

[Lino]

This page here from the Venice Film Festival confirms that this one will be 168 minutes long(!). I do hope he doesn't cut it down to a 2 hour running time like he did with Wild at Heart (and then refuses us that cut).

BTW, the thread's title should be changed. It's INLAND EMPIRE and not Inland Empire.