St. Louis: Explore the Films of David Lynch this August – October

Many people discuss David Lynch‘s films by describing them as bizarre or absurd and void of any rational explanation or meaning at times.  While that’s certainly one way to look at them, other people might see a filmmaker exploring the dark underbelly of society.  There’s a particular fascination for unearthing hidden secrets found in many of Lynch’s characters that makes each of his films intellectually stimulating while also existing as a lurid nightmare.  The Montana filmmaker can just as easily be described as an artist more so than just simply a director.  Over the years Lynch has focused his time on as many short/experimental films as his feature length projects while still avidly painting (which he originally studied before film), composing new music (he just released the album Crazy Clown Time this year), and owning a nightclub/bar in Paris.  Ambitious doesn’t even begin to describe David Lynch – eccentric would be another fitting adjective though – and his years spent as a Hollywood outsider.  Aside from a brief stint at the helm of the critical and commercial failure Dune and a near miss as the director for the then final Star Wars film Return of the Jedi (YES! He even met with creator George Lucas before running from the project), Lynch has isolated himself from what is considered the “studio norm.”  Even so, his films have earned several awards and nominations over the years with the most recent being a Best Director nomination at the Oscars in 2001 for Mulholland Dr.  Thirty five years after Eraserhead became a word-of-mouth midnight hit in Los Angeles, critics and filmgoers are still discovering the film and attempting to decipher the hidden meaning behind such things as what exactly is wrong with that baby and why is there a singing woman in a radiator.  In 1977, audience members were given buttons that said “I saw it,” with the iconic image of Jack Nance adorning it as a promotional item for the film.  Even though you won’t be able to receive these buttons, you too can discover Eraserhead on the big screen along with several other classics from David Lynch in the months ahead.

“Everything is Fine: The Films of David Lynch” will be presented through the Webster Film Series every Thursday at 7:30 beginning August 23 through October 11.  All of the screenings will be held on the campus of Webster University in the Winifred Moore Auditorium at 470 E. Lockwood.  The schedule of films and their dates can be found below.

For more info, check out the Webster Film Series website HERE.

August 23 – Eraserhead

August 30 – The Elephant Man

September 6 – Blue Velvet

September 13 – Wild at Heart

September 20 – Twin Peaks (original pilot)

September 27 – Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me

October 4 – Lost Highway

October 11 – Mulholland Dr.