Although there a many things that come to mind when fans think of David Lynch, one thing is certain: it’s never just a memory of Lynch. The beloved filmmaker died Jan. 15, and he has left behind a cherishable legacy many people will remember forever.
Lynch was a filmmaker who never conformed to mainstream media or what average movie fans wanted of him. He was a director of contempt in his own little world, and Lynch is a man who was not afraid to take chances and experiment with his films.
His filmography consists of 10 feature films, 46 short films, four television credits and five web series credits. Lynch originally was a painter before he considered filmmaking, and he studied painting at the Corcoran School of Art, the Boston Museum School and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.
Lynch’s first feature was “Eraserhead” (1977) starring Jack Nance, and the film is bizarre for it’s time. Three years later, in 1980, he made a more contemporary film in “The Elephant Man” starring Anthony Hopkins, John Hurt and Anne Bancroft. The film was a critical hit and even earned eight Academy Award nominations.
In 1984, Lynch took a big swing and a miss with his adaptation of Frank Herbert’s classic novel “Dune.” Lynch’s take on “Dune” is unlike anything else he’s ever done before in his career. It is Lynch’s most expensive film, but the subject matter doesn’t align with what Lynch’s other works have been about.
He quickly rebounded in 1986, when De Laurentiis Entertainment Group released Lynch’s “Blue Velvet” starring Kyle MacLachlan (who starred as Paul Atreides in “Dune”), Laura Dern, Isabella Rossellini and Dennis Hopper. The film was critically divided due to its sexually explicit nature; however, it did give Lynch his second nomination for Best Director at the Academy Awards.
In 1990, two projects were gifted to the world by Lynch. His first was the first season of “Twin Peaks,” starring MacLachlan as FBI Agent Dale Cooper alongside an assortment of wacky and interesting characters in the fictional town of Twin Peaks, Washington. The show, created by both Lynch himself and his good friend, Mark Frost, was a massive success.
Later that year, Lynch’s “Wild at Heart” starring Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern did not receive the best reviews upon its release. However, it is still cherished by many Lynch fans today. In 1992, Lynch and Frost’s television series “On the Air” was released, and a prequel of Laura Palmer’s (Sheryl Lee) life before her death in “Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me” also premiered.
In 1993, a television series created by Lynch and Monty Montgomery titled “Hotel Room” was released, which would be the end of Lynch’s time creating television for a while. In 1997, “Lost Highway” starring Bill Pullman and Patricia Arquette in Lynch’s first film in five years.
In 1999, Lynch took a swing but this time with a hit in “The Straight Story” starring Richard Farnsworth and Sissy Spacek. Like his “Dune,” it’s a film that doesn’t really line up with the rest of Lynch’s work based on its content. In 2001, Lynch released what some call his best film in “Mulholland Drive” starring Naomi Watts, Justin Theroux and Laura Harring.
Lynch’s final film came in 2006 with “Inland Empire,” starring Laura Dern as the lead role. It is by far one of Lynch’s more experimental films. In 2017, a revival of a beloved show in “Twin Peaks: The Return” premiered on Showtime and brought back what many loved about the original “Twin Peaks.”
Fire walked wherever Lynch went in this life and will continue to do so in the next.
