David Lynch compared the ideas to fish: a minnow and a bream frolic in shallow river water, but they will have to dive into the depths of the ocean for unique specimens. Fished out into the light of day, these ideas often turn into masterpieces, but the number of skilled divers is invariably small, as well as the number of those who are able to identify and evaluate a masterpiece. It is all the more surprising that the works of genuine masters of cinematography continue to appear on big screens.
Lynch also managed to revolutionize the production of TV series, the glow of which can be seen to this day, from The X-Files to True Detective, this long-running production now flirts with the ancient spirits of Eastwood in search of a Black Lodge. The average person insists that he doesn’t understand anything about David Lynch’s films. Lynchian mythology, most vividly revealed in Twin Peaks, was born in the throes of three years of filming the surreal canvas Eraser Head.
The famous director and producer Mel Brooks, who saw in the young man a talent for filming bodily deformities on black-and-white film, handed Lynch carte blanche to film the tragic story of Joseph Merrick. Released in 1980, the monochrome drama “The Elephant Man” unexpectedly garnered excellent box office in the United States and, tellingly, in Japan, repeatedly justifying the budget. Previously, Brooks, known as the creator of comedies, removed the mention of himself as an executive producer from the credits, which was a wise decision.
The next project, which David undertook, turned out to be definitely fateful. Ridley Scott, who never became a visionary, tried on Frank Herbert’s “Dune,” but eventually declined in favor of “Blade Runner,” which failed at the box office. Scott drew his own conclusions from this, plunging into the fragrant sewer of commercial cinema. David Lynch’s “Dune” also turned out to be a failure, and not exactly Lynchian, since the director did not get access to the final editing. The producers decided to check the timekeeping, as exalted ladies deprive their bald cats of testicles. The Dune experience proved invaluable to David: having drawn conclusions completely different from Scott’s, he never stepped on a blockbuster again, and at the same time got a lead actor to continue his mythology.
“Blue Velvet” became the foundation for subsequent creations: here noir wraps itself in the absurd, surrealism dresses in the fashion of the 1950s, and Kyle McLachlan finds someone else’s ear on his lawn, the first bread crumb on the path to a Black Wigwam. This is where David Lynch meets Angelo Badalamenti. It is here that they compose their first song together, Mysteries Of Love, which will be sung by Julie Cruz, the future voice of Twin Peaks. In addition to the film tracks, the Badalamenti/Lynch duo is recording the Thought Gang album, which is beautiful in its abstract frenzy. Lynch got a taste for music.
Christa Bell Zucht was born in Texas. Krista was introduced to singing by her mother and stepfather, who recorded advertising jingles for local radio stations. Her father, the owner of a private cemetery, introduced her to a different kind of business. Her own ambitions led her to want to become an actress, and in 1998 she met David Lynch. The director took note of the talent, but at that moment he did not have any vacancies. By a lucky coincidence, Krista Bell joined the neo-swing band 8 1/2 Souvenirs, with whom she recorded two excellent records.
After breaking away from the band and leaving Texas, Krista moved to California to pursue a solo singing career. Finally, Lynch found a hack, her song Polish Poem landed in the end credits of The Inner Empire, and Christa Bell herself, no stranger to mysticism, completely fell under the influence of David. In 2011, the first collaborative album “This Train” was created, in 2016 – the EP “Somewhere In The Nowhere”, in 2017, Krista starred in one of the main roles in the new season of “Twin Peaks”. She finally secured the status of Lynch’s new muse.
The spirits of the White Lodge wished that the last full-length work of the director would be the album “Cellophane Memories” (2024), where Lynch performed as a lyricist, guitarist and keyboardist, Christa Bell as a vocalist and composer, and another longtime associate of David Dean Hurley played bass and drums. Angelo Badalamenti, who died in 2022, is present with synthesizer parts in the first and fourth songs. We will plunge into this musical pool tonight, and not everyone will rise back up.
She Knew is a twilight landscape of cold tragedy, where voices are layered on top of each other, like unreliable witnesses, leading different narrative lines. In the last seconds, it seems as if dawn has dawned, but these may be the flashes of an approaching fire.
The Sky Falls is a dreamy observation of how the sky collapses. Or is the heroine falling skyward?
You Know The Rest is a crippled country ballad that sand nymphs sing to thirsty wanderers.
So Much Love is another lucid dream in which emptiness is more tender than water, and cigarette smoke is warmer than your favorite blanket.
Two Lovers Kiss is about invisible miracles. That’s how the angels cry over Laura Palmer’s grave.
The Answers To The Questions is a blues song about a premonition of an impending nightmare. The answers are not always what we want to hear. Sometimes they’re even scary.
With Small Animals is another insinuating breeze of shaky melodies. A dream within a dream.
Reflections In A Blade is an ominous message from the Black Lodge. These souls saw the face of their tormentor.
Dance Of Light is ephemeral, like a flame on a candle wick that will die from a weak gust of air that it feeds on.
Sublime Eternal Love is a velvet lullaby for the bitterly sobbing ghosts of love.
David Lynch’s farewell message turned out to be completely different from his previous musical works, more peaceful and thoughtful, permeated with quiet sadness and an otherworldly gentle light. And even the shadows shrank to owl-like pupils. You need to listen to him at times when your senses are heightened, and the moon gently touches the tops of the pines. Something very important has already been said and needs to be heard. That’s what David wanted.
