I think something was missed about Dune. Yes, the movie has many faults, but lore says that he originally wanted to make it into two movies, but were convinced to make it into one. After presenting a 3 hour version he was forced to cut it to less than 2 hours to match standard movie runtime (those were the days).
Lynch had been specifically hired to direct "The Elephant Man" by the film's (uncredited) executive producer, Mel Brooks. Obviously their styles of filmmaking didn't mesh well...
David Lynch is my favorite artist. He was a writer, a director, a cinematographer, a painter, a musician, and a poet. He was an empath, a humanist, and challenged us to be the same. All of his work showcases his curiosity about the world, including the worlds inside each of us. His work is often described as surreal or dreamlike but I found his genius shone brightest in capturing the mundane. Once we were comfortable in the known, he’d change something just enough to cause discomfort (the Cowboy in “Mulholland Drive” doesn’t have eyebrows which is why so many find him off-putting). Finally, in defense of his “Dune”, the source material is so complicated and introspective that I believe no film adaptation will ever do it justice. While Lynch’s version is not the most faithful to the plot of the book, it certainly is to the overall spirit of the Duneiverse.
I've only seen Mulholland Drive and Eraserhead (both in theater lucky enough) but I'm kind of fascinated by Lynch. Just the random stuff you see posted on social media of or about him make him sound like an interesting and sweet guy. Naomi Watts and Justin Theroux, for example, say the making of Mulholland Drive was a lot of fun. And the outpouring after his death has been almost universally positive. So between work and the kids I hope to catch at least some of these.
I think something was missed about Dune. Yes, the movie has many faults, but lore says that he originally wanted to make it into two movies, but were convinced to make it into one. After presenting a 3 hour version he was forced to cut it to less than 2 hours to match standard movie runtime (those were the days).
I think it's probably better more fractured and less coherent? certainly Villeneuve's films don't benefit from the additional explication...
Lynch had been specifically hired to direct "The Elephant Man" by the film's (uncredited) executive producer, Mel Brooks. Obviously their styles of filmmaking didn't mesh well...
David Lynch is my favorite artist. He was a writer, a director, a cinematographer, a painter, a musician, and a poet. He was an empath, a humanist, and challenged us to be the same. All of his work showcases his curiosity about the world, including the worlds inside each of us. His work is often described as surreal or dreamlike but I found his genius shone brightest in capturing the mundane. Once we were comfortable in the known, he’d change something just enough to cause discomfort (the Cowboy in “Mulholland Drive” doesn’t have eyebrows which is why so many find him off-putting). Finally, in defense of his “Dune”, the source material is so complicated and introspective that I believe no film adaptation will ever do it justice. While Lynch’s version is not the most faithful to the plot of the book, it certainly is to the overall spirit of the Duneiverse.
I've only seen Mulholland Drive and Eraserhead (both in theater lucky enough) but I'm kind of fascinated by Lynch. Just the random stuff you see posted on social media of or about him make him sound like an interesting and sweet guy. Naomi Watts and Justin Theroux, for example, say the making of Mulholland Drive was a lot of fun. And the outpouring after his death has been almost universally positive. So between work and the kids I hope to catch at least some of these.
Nice, overdue takedown of Roger Ebert.
I have said it before, but if films were food, you have an iron stomach.
Thanks for saving me from watching 10 movies I had heard about but not seen yet. Most grateful.