David Lynch Was a Singular Filmmaker Whose Dreams Will Always Walk With Us
In a bold and fearless manner, Lynch redefined cinema by taking the raw, homegrown avant-garde creativity brewing within him and transforming it into an aesthetic that flipped traditional Hollywood storytelling on its head. My first experience with a film by Lynch occurred in 1977, during my college years. One of our campus film societies had the foresight to display a massive poster featuring the title character of “Eraserhead” as part of their schedule. All semester long, this ominous image adorned my wall, leaving us all intrigued and eager for more. Finally, the night arrived when we were to watch “Eraserhead.” The auditorium was filled to capacity, and it would be an understatement to say that the film matched up to its poster. The soundtrack, a chaotic mix of whooshes and roars, was captivating. The visuals – Henry with his eraser-like hair, the monstrous baby, the woman in the radiator – seemed to stem from a twisted, illogical nightmare that somehow became our very own nightmares.