David Lynch Retrospective - Watch the Trailers for His Iconic Films
Honoring the Visionary Filmmaker: A Journey Through the Haunting and Surreal World of David Lynch's Most Memorable Works
With the sad announcement of David Lynch's recent passing — the legendary filmmaker died on Wednesday after suffering from emphysema due to many years of smoking, one can't help but reflect on his past work. He was, after all, one of the most influential directors of his generation, redefining how we saw cinema and reshaping the grammar of storytelling in the medium. It's rare for an artist and filmmaker like Lynch to have his name so closely associated with a distinct aesthetic.
To say he delved into the horror or mystery genres would be too simplistic. To label him a surrealist would also oversimplify his style, as he blended elements of the bizarre and the macabre with a profound emotional depth, capturing the complexities of humanity and creating a world only he could see.
Lynchian might be characterized by a certain dreamlike mood and a dark, ominous vibe, but how can one truly label David Lynch's films, other than with his own name, as he remains a genre unto himself? Lynchian has joined the ranks of other filmmaker terms like Kubrickian, Hitchcockian, Spielbergian, Cronenbergian, and others. These terms have come to represent the distinct styles that defined how filmmakers, like Lynch, told their stories.
Lynch, like many of his generation, was challenging the 1950s prestige of Americana. One could argue that the idealized notion of American Exceptionalism, which took hold in post-war America, was exactly what Lynch sought to expose. He was pulling back the curtain on a distorted image of America, revealing the darkness beneath the surface. He believed that beyond the facade of a white picket fence and the calm of a grassy field lay something far more sinister — a severed bloody ear, a striking image from one of his most celebrated works, Blue Velvet, but also a symbol of the metaphors he painted with, depicting the hidden horrors lurking in the American dream.
David Lynch, with his Midwestern tone in his voice, having been raised in Idaho but born in Montana on January 20, 1946 (he was five days short of turning 80), once said about the infamous scene in Blue Velvet, where a nude and battered Isabella Rossellini walks outside in her front yard at night, that the striking image of a nude woman was based on something he saw as a child living in Boise.
"One night, I think it was around 9:30. You know in the 50s in small towns, there were streetlights, but they were dimmer than lights of today. And it was near a streetlight," Lynch recollects in his Masterclass video on Creativity and Film. "And across the way, I was with my younger brother. Out of the darkness came a woman completely naked. And she had skin the color of milk. And she wasn't walking quite properly. I didn't understand exactly what was wrong. And there might have been some blood on her mouth." Lynch puts his hand to his lips as he conjures up this childhood memory. He continues, "She was pretty oblivious to me and my brother as she came out of the darkness, walked, and sat down on the curb. And I had never seen an adult woman naked. And it was quite a powerful experience. And I knew she was hurt and troubled. And I wanted to help her, but I didn't know what to do."
The scene in Blue Velvet, inspired by Lynch's own experience and memory of a nude woman, became the very element that beloved film critic Roger Ebert despised in his famous negative review of the movie. The famed critic went so far as to accuse Lynch of being exploitative and deliberately cruel to his actress, Isabella Rossellini, by placing her in such a vulnerable and humiliated state. Rossellini, just last year, “refuted” any criticism or accusations that she was purposely exploited. But it underscores that Lynch was the type of filmmaker who sought to challenge the viewer with a genuine, visceral experience—whether that experience was positive or otherwise.
Now, with the passing of any great artist, one would want to take a moment to reflect and look back at their work. So, allow us to do that for David Lynch, as we acknowledge how much he meant not only for the world of cinema but also for many of us who find comfort in exploring the darker side of society.
Below are trailers and clips of a selected part of Lynch's filmography, as we’re sure many would want to take this weekend to revisit some of his classic films or finally catch up on the works that have been waiting to be watched and viewed.
David Lynch Short Films Collection
For many filmmakers, revisiting their student films or early short movies can be an excruciating experience, as the amateur nature is often clear and undeniable. But for Lynch, his earlier short films showcase the very beginnings of what he would eventually become as an artist and filmmaker. It’s evident from the get-go that he was a talented visionary in the making. Thankfully someone on YouTube has collected his short films in one bundle for us to enjoy.
We recommend The Alphabet (1969) and The Grandmother (1970). These two early works are clear examples of how Lynch blends German expressionism (à-la F. W. Murnau) with surrealist imagery in the style of painter Francis Bacon, alongside stop-motion and graphic photography techniques. The result is an unnerving yet powerful emotional experience that laid the foundation for his later film work.
Eraserhead (1977)
David Lynch himself has called this his most spiritual film. It's certainly the one that opened doors for him as a rising auteur waiting to be discovered. While it eventually gained popularity through the "midnight movie" circuit, Eraserhead was a five-year, self-financed project for Lynch, marking his debut. This black-and-white head-scratcher, which has never lost its shock value, has been re-examined over the years as a nightmarish exploration of the subconscious mind and the fragility of a young man struggling with the responsibilities of fatherhood—his child being a strange, deformed, alien-like "chicken baby." Weird, yes! But Lynchian at its purest.
The Elephant Man (1980)
This film project was brought to David Lynch by, ironically, legendary comedian Mel Brooks, who produced the film but chose not to credit himself to avoid confusing the audience into thinking it was another monster comedy like Young Frankenstein. Lynch, however, infused the story with his signature blend of ominous dread and misery, accompanied by a thick, sonic, ambient soundtrack and stark black-and-white imagery. In telling the life story of John Merrick, a deeply deformed sideshow act (played with great honesty and dignity by a heavily prosthetic John Hurt), and his Victorian-era London doctor (wonderfully empathetically portrayed by Anthony Hopkins), Lynch truly showcased his compassion for the outcast and social reject. Lynch's humanistic side shines through in this beautiful exploration of the thin line between generosity and exploitation. One of our favorites— it is, frankly, a masterpiece.
Dune (1984)
It’s the movie that Lynch himself has disavowed, and many Dune fans have criticized for decades, calling it a travesty. Sure, there’s a lot to criticize, as it never fully captures what author Frank Herbert was trying to convey with his book. But it remains a visually revolutionary science fiction fantasy for its time. Despite its flaws, Lynch’s interpretation brought a unique, bold aesthetic that has earned it a cult following. Count us among its supporters—not because we think it’s a misunderstood masterpiece, but because it’s Lynch at his most Euro-trashiest. Take away the Dune veneer, and it might just be the coolest space fantasy film from an era of Heavy Metal magazines and paperback fantasy covers. And just imagine what Return of the Jedi might have looked like if Lynch had agreed to direct that instead of Dune.
Blue Velvet (1986)
After the box office disaster of Dune, Lynch returned to what he did best: lifting the veil of American suburbia to reveal its hidden, perverse nature. He disguises this film as a teen mystery noir, but what you really get is a disturbing odyssey into the wrong side of the tracks. Set to the haunting tune of Roy Orbison's classic "In Dreams," this film blurs the line between dream and nightmare. Dennis Hopper delivers one of the most manic performances of his career as the gas-huffing brute Frank Booth. Kyle MacLachlan and Laura Dern play the wide-eyed teens who find themselves descending into their own personal Dante's Inferno, while Isabella Rossellini portrays the tragic, broken angel. For our money, Dean Stockwell steals the show as the pancake-powdered, lip-syncing lounge performer simply named Ben. It's the film that solidifies Lynch among the echelons of the greatest American filmmakers of his generation.
Wild at Heart (1990)
Lynch reunites with Blue Velvet muse Laura Dern to reinvent the drive-in rock-n-roll outlaw films of the '50s, adapting Barry Gifford's novel into a chaotic love story about two sex-driven, star-crossed lovers, Sailor and Lula, embarking on a road trip through the American South. Dern plays Lula, while Nicolas Cage taps into his Elvis Presley obsession to portray Sailor, a wild man with a taste for trouble. Willem Dafoe co-stars as Bobby Peru, a slick career criminal who becomes involved with the lovers, propelling them toward an explosive collision course. The film ultimately became a cult hit, despite an initial negative critical reception and box-office disappointment.
Twin Peaks (1990-1991)
It’s surprising that Lynch will likely be best known for this groundbreaking television show, which, lasting only two seasons on ABC, didn’t start with the best of ratings. However, it has only grown in popularity over the decades. The series spawned a prequel feature film in 1992 and a Showtime revival in 2017, 26 years after its original network cancellation in 1991. Centered around the mystery of high school student Laura Palmer’s murder, Lynch reunites with his Blue Velvet muse Kyle MacLachlan, who plays FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper. Cooper arrives in the fictional Pacific Northwest town of Twin Peaks, only to discover it's teeming with eccentric and suspicious locals. Drenched in atmospheric surrealism and metaphysical horror, this detective series became one of the most influential television shows of the past 40 years. There’s not a mystery show today that doesn’t owe a great deal to Lynch’s Twin Peaks.
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992)
A prequel to Lynch's short-lived series Twin Peaks, this film was an attempt to revive interest in a possible Season 3, while also giving thanks to the legions of fans who had shown unwavering support for years. The mere fact that the movie was made at that time should be considered a win for the fans. It’s now regarded as one of Lynch's greatest works, with Twin Peaks becoming a perfect example of the power of what Lynch can achieve in the long-form storytelling format.
Lost Highway (1997)
Lynch returns to Los Angeles noir with Lost Highway, which, if you ask us, acts more like a precursor to what would become his late-stage masterpiece Mulholland Drive years later. Both films delve into the fictitious facade of Los Angeles, exploring similar themes of identity and memory. Bill Pullman plays a jazz saxophonist accused of murdering his wife, while Balthazar Getty portrays a young downtown mechanic who becomes entangled with a dangerous woman. The film follows these two intersecting storylines as it explores the distorted boundaries between the conscious and the repressed. It's perhaps best remembered for the scene where Robert Blake, playing a mysterious man in white makeup with shark-like eyes, encounters Pullman’s character at a dinner party and tells him that he’s at his house right now and to call him.
The Straight Story (1999)
Would you believe Lynch made a G-rated Disney movie? He did. This film showcases Lynch at his most humanistic and empathetic, telling the stranger-than-fiction true story of 73-year-old Alvin Straight, who rode a John Deere lawnmower across 300 miles of the American Midwest from Iowa to visit his ailing brother in Wisconsin. Lynch draws heavily on his Midwestern roots in portraying this heartwarming tale of stubbornness and small-town resilience. Richard Farnsworth delivers a soul-crushing performance as Alvin, an elderly man whose eyesight is no longer good enough to maintain his driver's license. Out of desperation, he decides to drive his lawnmower across the country to reach his sick brother. Along the way, he encounters a series of locals who help him in exchange for the life lessons he has learned and is willing to share. This is undoubtedly Lynch's simplest movie, and in turn, it might also be his most personal, as it gets to the heart of what it means to be a Midwesterner: persistent, pragmatic, resilient, kind, and also foolish. The film also features one of the most heart-wrenching scores ever, composed by Lynch's frequent collaborator, Angelo Badalamenti.
Sad note: Richard Farnsworth, a former stuntman-turned-actor, earned an Oscar nomination for his Best Actor performance. A few months after the Oscar ceremony, in September 2000, he tragically took his own life. He had been suffering from terminal cancer that left him nearly paralyzed and in great pain. Farnsworth, like his character, Alvin Straight, in the film, had endured physical limitations for many years. He was 80.
Mulholland Drive (2001)
This started as a television project that Lynch was developing but was rejected by television executives before it ever got off the ground. Here’s the thing: half of the movie was shot as a television pilot back in 1999, with an open ending for more episodes. When it was rejected, Lynch decided to change the game plan and turn it into a feature film, shooting the second part with a definitive ending. Somehow, it freakin' worked. It feels like two parts that somehow close in an infinite circle. It’s a mindfuck. But it’s also everything Lynch is known for up to this point: surrealism, LA noir, Hollywood satire, lost memory, lost identity, and stretching the boundaries of time and space, all wrapped in metaphysical horror and fantasy. Naomi Watts plays an aspiring actress who, after just arriving in Los Angeles to kick off her career in Hollywood, discovers a mysterious woman with amnesia (Laura Harring). Together, they try to piece together the woman’s identity as they descend into a world of twisted dreams and shifting realities. It’s the movie that made Naomi Watts’s career, as she was on the verge of quitting showbiz altogether, making her performance all the more poignant.
Inland Empire (2006)
Lynch marks his first foray into digital filmmaking, returning to a run-and-shoot style, shooting the entire film in standard definition with a hand-held Sony video camera. He once again reteams with Laura Dern, who plays an actress recently cast in a film that eerily mirrors a cursed production abandoned after its lead actress was murdered. Once again blurring the line between dream and nightmare, Lynch creates a nonlinear structure that becomes an existential exploration of the price of fame and the creative process of an artist. Running three hours long, this psychological thriller wasn’t well-received at the time. And it is now best remembered for Lynch’s unorthodox Oscar campaign for Dern. He sat in a lawn chair at the corner of Sunset and La Brea with a cow and a huge banner that read "For your Consideration: Laura Dern." Dern found it quite endearing, and we do too.
Twin Peaks: The Return (2017)
Lynch finally gets to do his third season of his beloved cult TV series. It’s a miracle, really. During the rise of binge-watching and streaming platforms, a new type of television genre emerged: the revival. TV viewers were more than ready to welcome back some of their favorite shows for another season, no matter how long it had been. And Twin Peaks was likely at the top of everyone’s list for a comeback. After all, the show had become a bona fide cult sensation. With message boards and numerous fan clubs, Twin Peaks had truly taken on a life of its own. But the real testament was that Lynch didn’t just return with new episodes; he came back with what might be his crowning achievement. The critical success of his Twin Peaks Showtime revival not only validated the brilliance of his original series but cemented his place as a master storyteller. It wasn’t a cheap gimmick—it was Lynch returning to show us how it should be done.
We would be remiss if we didn’t mention some of David Lynch’s notable appearances in film and television. Although he wasn’t a professional actor, he had a distinct quality about him that was undeniable.
Lynch had a little fun here, putting himself in Dune as a lowly spice worker:
Lynch took on a real, though minor, role in Tina Rathborne’s 1988 indie Zelly and Me, where he acted opposite actress Isabella Rossellini, his then-girlfriend at the time. This was after they worked together on Lynch’s Blue Velvet, and it’s clear they share a bit of chemistry that feels genuinely sweet:
Lynch threw himself into the role of Bureau Chief Gordon Cole in the Twin Peaks prequel movie. He shared the screen with David Bowie, and we're sure that had something to do with his decision to cast himself in the role:
Lynch got to act alongside the great Harry Dean Stanton, whom he had just worked with on the Twin Peaks revival. The movie was the 2017 indie Lucky, and it marked one of Stanton's final on-screen performances:
Lynch was not shy about making fun of himself and his dark persona. He provided a voice as himself, playing the Grinch in a Christmas bit for Family Guy:
Lynch made a cameo in Louie, where he played a kingmaker who can take a lowly comedian and turn him into a legit talk show host—because he knows what’s funny:
And of course, Lynch famously made a notable cameo in Steven Spielberg’s semi-biographical film The Fabelmans. He portrayed the legendary director John Ford, and he truly stole the show:
Well, that's about it. We could go on, and we're sure we've missed some other notable works from David Lynch. But we've covered as much as we can for today.
Thanks for supporting us here at TheMovieBox. For daily updates on newly-released trailers, please visit our main blog, or sign up for our weekly newsletter.