RIP David Lynch

I talk about the indescribable Rabbits, directed by him in 2002:

I am someone who still has never viewed Twin Peaks (the show or the movie) and besides Blue Velvet, hadn’t viewed any of his movies until 2018. Weird, abstract cinema isn’t my preference. Yet, the plunge was finally taken and from Eraserhead-which I can acknowledge is very good for what it is-through Lost Highway the films ranged from very good to great; what happened w/ Dune wasn’t his fault and I still enjoy his version of Dune. The fear that Mulholland Drive and Inland Empire will be too obtuse for me is why I haven’t pressed “play.” In the future, that’ll change, no matter if one or two disappoint me.

One day I’ll create a list where my reviews are easily accessible for anyone interested but today wasn’t the time to check out anything feature-length. In late 2022 I saw his 1969 short The Alphabet, which was literally based on a nightmare and thus it’s futile to look at it logically. Checking out one of his later shorts seemed worthwhile; as 2002’s Rabbits can be found on YouTube, it was selected.

Surreal cinema still isn’t my bag; if not for the director I would have never bothered w/ a premise of “a 43 minute version of short episodes on the director’s website combined together where three humanoid rabbits speak in non sequitors and bizarre events happen… oh, and it’s always a static shot of a living room… and in addition, there’s a sitcom laugh track.” Of course it’s impossible to even try and explain the happenings or what it all means so I won’t bother.

It was indeed a surreal dream—or more like a nightmare to me. The fuzzy picture and quality droning Angelo Badalamenti score accentuated the mood. Good thing I saw Rabbits this afternoon instead of last night when I felt awful after going out to an event yesterday and eating bad crepes—no, really. I’m exhausted today but otherwise fine; if I had viewed Rabbits while in ill health then fell asleep… I’d have seen those rabbits in my nightmares!

Others have waxed poetic about David Lynch better than I can and could. The sheer outpouring of love and memories that have come out since his death was announced yesterday is a portrait of the impact he had on millions of people around the world. The term “Lynchian” became popular due to his status as THE most popular and successful in the field of surreal, dreamlike filmmaking which has inspired numerous filmmakers. “Iconoclast” is an apt term for Lynch.

I am glad that in recent years I finally gave some of his pictures a shot; those were worthwhile experiences & it was a treat seeing one theatrically-in 2022, the restored version of Lost Highway. Again, RIP David Lynch.