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Eraserhead: 1977 (NR) NEW
USA / Libra Films
91% (CF)
Remember when I said Dawn of the Dead was my favorite conventional horror movie? Well here is an UN-conventional horror movie from David Lynch; his very first movie Eraserhead. It would be hard enough to try and do a proper review on this film like I did for my last Top 50. It would be hard because it is VERY difficult to nail down a definite plot to the film. This movie has been picked apart and interpreted to death. But the plot flows like this. Henry and Mary are dating, he is invited to dinner, Henry gets a bombshell dropped on him in the form of some very sudden news, and then the rest of the movie is surrealist nightmare fuel. And by nightmare fuel, I mean this movie is creepy and disturbing as hell! Not scary in a traditional way of fear of physical harm like with Jaws or a Freddy Kruger movie, but on the basis of psychological and metaphysical terror!
Now as I said, I was first exposed to Lynch when I saw Dune on the Sci-Fi Channel. This however was my first proper Lynch film. As in this movie is much closer to his typical work and certainly one of (if not the) most Lynchian movie of his body of work. I first saw this movie about two years ago. I had heard of this movie and its reputation, but I had never seen it. So I decided to take the plunge and rented it from iTunes… at around 10:30 at night with the lights off. Perfect time to see this film considering its history as a midnight movie. For the better part of 90 minutes my eyes were glued to the screen as my mind tried to process the film. All I remember was that it was the most disturbing movie I had ever seen up until that time. I liked it then… but did not know what to make of it. I would revisit the film about a year later after I joined the site, and on the second time around I loved the movie! And it was after this rewatch where I made a rule to watch a David Lynch film at least twice. Once for the initial viewing, and the second time for trying to get a better grasp on the film. It is a hell of a ride every time I watch the movie and I can totally see why this is a midnight movie classic.
Also fun fact, I learned recently Eraserhead was also Stanley Kubrick’s favorite film and he would show it to the cast and crew of The Shining saying this is the mood they are going for.
Eraserhead: 1977 (NR) NEW
USA / Libra Films
91% (CF)
Remember when I said Dawn of the Dead was my favorite conventional horror movie? Well here is an UN-conventional horror movie from David Lynch; his very first movie Eraserhead. It would be hard enough to try and do a proper review on this film like I did for my last Top 50. It would be hard because it is VERY difficult to nail down a definite plot to the film. This movie has been picked apart and interpreted to death. But the plot flows like this. Henry and Mary are dating, he is invited to dinner, Henry gets a bombshell dropped on him in the form of some very sudden news, and then the rest of the movie is surrealist nightmare fuel. And by nightmare fuel, I mean this movie is creepy and disturbing as hell! Not scary in a traditional way of fear of physical harm like with Jaws or a Freddy Kruger movie, but on the basis of psychological and metaphysical terror!
Now as I said, I was first exposed to Lynch when I saw Dune on the Sci-Fi Channel. This however was my first proper Lynch film. As in this movie is much closer to his typical work and certainly one of (if not the) most Lynchian movie of his body of work. I first saw this movie about two years ago. I had heard of this movie and its reputation, but I had never seen it. So I decided to take the plunge and rented it from iTunes… at around 10:30 at night with the lights off. Perfect time to see this film considering its history as a midnight movie. For the better part of 90 minutes my eyes were glued to the screen as my mind tried to process the film. All I remember was that it was the most disturbing movie I had ever seen up until that time. I liked it then… but did not know what to make of it. I would revisit the film about a year later after I joined the site, and on the second time around I loved the movie! And it was after this rewatch where I made a rule to watch a David Lynch film at least twice. Once for the initial viewing, and the second time for trying to get a better grasp on the film. It is a hell of a ride every time I watch the movie and I can totally see why this is a midnight movie classic.
Also fun fact, I learned recently Eraserhead was also Stanley Kubrick’s favorite film and he would show it to the cast and crew of The Shining saying this is the mood they are going for.