Anyone reading write-ups of the episodes now that six of eighteen episodes are out in the world? What are the best theories? What are the things that should never get explained? Elements of Eraserhead, pieces of Lynch’s never-produced “Ronnie Rocket” screenplay and outtakes from Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me have echoed into the unfurling narrative. Does Lynch’s one-minute Lumière tribute short, Premonitions Following an Evil Deed, tell us anything?
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It shows how out of it I was in trying to be in it, acknowledging that I was out of it to myself, and then thinking, “Okay, how do I stop being out of it? Well, I get some legitimate illogical narrative ideas” — some novel, you know?
So I decided on three writers that I might be able to option their material and get some producer, or myself as producer, and then get some writer to do a screenplay on it, and maybe make a movie.
And so the three projects were “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep,” “Naked Lunch” and a collection of Bukowski. Which, in 1975, forget it — I mean, that was nuts. Hollywood would not touch any of that, but I was looking for something commercial, and I thought that all of these things were coming.
There would be no Blade Runner if there was no Ray Bradbury. I couldn’t find Philip K. Dick. His agent didn’t even know where he was. And so I gave up.
I was walking down the street and I ran into Bradbury — he directed a play that I was going to do as an actor, so we know each other, but he yelled “hi” — and I’d forgot who he was.
So at my girlfriend Barbara Hershey’s urging — I was with her at that moment — she said, “Talk to him! That guy really wants to talk to you,” and I said “No, fuck him,” and keep walking.
But then I did, and then I realized who it was, and I thought, “Wait, he’s in that realm, maybe he knows Philip K. Dick.” I said, “You know a guy named—” “Yeah, sure — you want his phone number?”
My friend paid my rent for a year while I wrote, because it turned out we couldn’t get a writer. My friends kept on me about, well, if you can’t get a writer, then you write.”
~ Hampton Fancher
“That was the most disappointing thing to me in how this thing was played. Is that I’m on the phone with you now, after all that’s been said, and the fundamental distinction between what James is dealing with in these other cases is not actually brought to the fore. The fundamental difference is that James Franco didn’t seek to use his position to have sex with anyone. There’s not a case of that. He wasn’t using his position or status to try to solicit a sexual favor from anyone. If he had — if that were what the accusation involved — the show would not have gone on. We would have folded up shop and we would have not completed the show. Because then it would have been the same as Harvey Weinstein, or Les Moonves, or any of these cases that are fundamental to this new paradigm. Did you not notice that? Why did you not notice that? Is that not something notable to say, journalistically? Because nobody could find the voice to say it. I’m not just being rhetorical. Why is it that you and the other critics, none of you could find the voice to say, “You know, it’s not this, it’s that”? Because — let me go on and speak further to this. If you go back to the L.A. Times piece, that’s what it lacked. That’s what they were not able to deliver. The one example in the five that involved an issue of a sexual act was between James and a woman he was dating, who he was not working with. There was no professional dynamic in any capacity.
~ David Simon
I can’t contribute anything much to a discussion, because I’ve seen only the first two episodes, which Hulu briefly made available, and I have no idea when I’ll be able to watch the rest (not particularly interested in ponying up for Showtime at the moment). But I will say I enjoyed the hell out of those two. Lynch never apologizes, never explains, and his dreamlike, WTF aesthetic is clearly not to all tastes, but I prefer it to all these other recent WTF shows, such as Legion, The OA, The Leftovers, etc. For one thing, Lynch’s shtick is often laugh-out-loud hilarious, and his images and sound work are indelible. But I suspect any search for “meaning” will be more or less fruitless. The trick is not minding.
At its most basic level of interpretation, TP offers a gnostic view of the world, one in which energetic beings like Archons (the Black Lodge crowd) not only feed off the pain and sorrow that humans experience, but actively seek it. Anything else is just window dressing on that basic thematic idea.
As for the show itself, it continues through six episodes to offer one of the most bizarre, disturbing, and hypnotic “movie” experiences I’ve had since… the last David Lynch movie. Word to the wise: episode six should carry a trigger warning for parents of small children. Just sayin’. Very disturbing stuff.
I’ve found it absolutely thrilling. It’s Lynch without a net. I will admit that I’m beginning to get a bit frustrated with the Dougie Jones stuff but frustration has always been an essential part of Lynch’s work. It wouldn’t be whole without it. I love the expansion of the world beyond the town of Twin Peaks. I loved seeing Harry Dean Stanton’s amazing face. It’s been a hell of a thing to watch so far and hope it maintains.
Agree w/ Bill.
I’d lie if I told you I knew exactly what was going on. But, truth be told, I don’t really care.
It’s like spending an hour in David Lynch’s brain every Sunday night and I’m loving it.
Doubtful that a theatrical release this year will give me as much intense pleasure.
Does anyone know whether Showtime plans on running the entire 18 hours this year?
Movieman, as far as I know all 18 hours are running this straight through this Summer. An 18 hour David Lynch movie is a great way to make up for a crappy movie Summer so far.
Guess I’ll be the lone voice of dissent. I really enjoyed the first two episodes, mostly enjoyed episodes three and four, but have found parts five and six to be fairly tedious. I have no problem with slow moving (and agree it is par for the course with Lynch), but I find myself downright bored with the Dougie material and it has to make up a good 50% of the the past two episodes.
Spoilers follow: For now I am reserving judgment on what I think of what appears to be the senseless and gratuitous on screen death of a young child. I’m generally not very squeamish, but I have to admit my initial reaction was repulsion because, not to be repetitive, but as of now it seems gratuitous.
i really want to see this, but i don’t have the channel it’s on and missed the free eps (hopefully it’ll be available to stream or something soon; the prospect of new lynch makes me anxious for some reason, nervous)
Good to know, Bill.
I was wondering if that was the plan since everyone (AMC and HBO are the biggest champions of this trend) seems to love splitting a finite # of episodes into multiple “seasons” these days.
Mostly Lurking, I agree it was disturbing but I personally didn’t find it “repulsive” or offensive. I mean I am ALWAYS affected when a child dies on screen. It’s rough territory to enter. But what Lynch did, I think, isn’t very different from when John Carpenter shot that little girl in Assault On Precinct 13. It wasn’t played for a joke or a laugh. It was pretty harrowing and i think it was meant to be. That’s my take any way.
Sideshow, I see what you’re saying, which is why I qualified my comment with “as of now”. Because I view this as an eighteen hour movie, I’m reserving final judgment until I can view the work in its entirety. However my initial reaction was negative because although you might be right that it will turn out it’s meant to be or serves a greater purpose in the overall story than if the victim had been older, nothing had been done up to that point to allow me to look back and say, yeah, that was tough to watch but it makes sense and I can see why he did that.
I see what you’re getting at. And I agree. We’re watching an 18-hour David Lynch movie. It’s going to be weeks before we get a handle on what it is.