u/Dazzling-Ad1894

“Twin Peaks”, of course, was a cultural phenomenon of the 1990s and changed the medium of TV.

MD, as most devoted fans of Lynch know, was originally conceived also as a TV series. It was received dismally by ABC, and they scuppered the project. We all know what became of it ultimately.

But imagine, just for a moment, if it did become a TV series: I think “Twin Peaks” was lightning in a bottle to a large degree, and benefitted from the input of Mark Frost. The “MD series” would just probably have existed in its shadow.

Then again, like all hypothetical scenarios, we can’t just peer into the alternate universe where this all transpired.

Manic episodes are a defining characteristic of bipolar disorder. Because critical-thinking, judgment, and even perception are so drastically reduced during these periods, we all, probably, just have to live with the consequences resulting thereof.

Regardless, I personally had a pretty severe occurrence about ~ 10-11 months ago. I really don't want to get into the specifics of this time, but let's just say, my behavior created a brand new tier of awful. After this period, which lasted about 2 months, I of course went from this high into a depressive episode - which lasted for a considerable time - and here I am.

Now, mainly, I am dealing with this residue of this manic period. I trashed my career, relationships, and finances - having access to social media made my condition even worse, and I made overtures to people I hadn't even spoken to in years. I also used AI for malignant and destructive purposes.

Is this there any effective way to just get rid of all the shame and regret that sometimes causes me to lie in bed all day?

Forgive the histrionic statement; Lynch changed cinema. I am not referring, of course, to the actual completed films of David Lynch, many of which are transcendent, but to the concluding 19+ years of his career.

Every filmmaker, no matter their stature, likely has many incomplete projects. Kubrick has "Napoleon" and "Aryan Papers"; Tarkovsky has "The Idiot" and "The First Day"; Scorsese probably has an infinite number of projects that will likely be totally unmade upon his passing. However, nobody is more striking in the nature and quantity of incomplete projects than Lynch. It is completely fair to say Lynch ultimately did not realize his most striking and creative ideas.

The problems likely began with "Ronnie Rocket". The project had a tumultuous creative origin - and once nearly secured financing via "Zoetrope Pictures" - and Lynch was still kicking it around towards the end of his life. From that point on, the problems Lynch experienced in finding funding for his films only compounded, likely due to the outlandish premises of most of the projects ("Dream of the Bovine"?). The apex of this struggle came after "Inland Empire" - Lynch created several screenplays praised and lionized by friends and colleagues ("Antelope Don't Run No More", "Snootworld", "Unrecorded Night", etc.) that still failed to secure funding from investors and studios. The nail in the coffin of all this was Lynch contracting emphysema in 2020.

This is a a blemish on our cultural landscape.

According to most critics, "Mulholland Drive" is one of the greatest films of the 21st century. It has had this reputation for quite a long time (I mean, it's from 2001 and certain sequences present in the film date back even further) - some people even consider it to be Lynch's masterpiece. Undoubtedly, it's an impressive piece of filmmaking.

Compare this, however, to the reception "Lost Highway" garnered just a few years prior. There were a few positive voices, sure, like any Lynch film, but the majority of critics considered the film to be an absolute dud - incomprehensible, overly cynical, and even pretentious. Audiences generally responded in a similar fashion.

Viewing these films, anyone can clearly see both LH and MD share similar narrative and cinematic conceits. I cannot wrap my head around despising one and lauding the other, but this appears to be what has happened. Imagine if MD had been released first, and LH just a few years later - would people then consider LH to be the "greatest film of the 21st century"?

According to most critics, "Mulholland Drive" is one of the greatest films of the 21st century. It has had this reputation for quite a long time (I mean, it's from 2001 and certain sequences present in the film date back even further) - some people even consider it to be Lynch's masterpiece. Undoubtedly, it's an impressive piece of filmmaking.

Compare this, however, to the reception "Lost Highway" garnered just a few years prior. There were a few positive voices, sure, like any Lynch film, but the majority of critics considered the film to be an absolute dud - incomprehensible, overly cynical, and even pretentious. Audiences generally responded in a similar fashion.

Viewing these films, anyone can clearly see both LH and MD share similar narrative and cinematic conceits. I cannot wrap my head around despising one and lauding the other, but this appears to be what has happened. Imagine if MD had been released first, and LH just a few years later - would people then consider LH to be the "greatest film of the 21st century"?

There are quite a few contenders, but I think the honor goes to the scene in EWS where Bill is exposed before the crowd of onlookers at the mansion. It’s positively nightmarish.

While reading a recent biography of Kubrick, I was struck by an amazing fact. Prior to making “The Killing”, Kubrick was a struggling filmmaker, whose few films were poorly received and struggled with audiences. If not for meeting Harris, his partner from “The Killing” to “Lolita”, it is quite possible his career would never have taken off so quickly. If so, do you think that Kubrick still would have ended up an esteemed director, or do you think he would have ended up a quintessential “starving artist” - a forgotten photojournalist with a film career only mentioned briefly in academic books?

This could include rare outtakes, studio jams, and unreleased material. Something like "Carnival of Light" wouldn't count, IMO, because that is the most famous unreleased Beatles recording.

My guess would be something like "Fuck a Duck".

Of course, after 1970, John was dismissive of much of his work with The Beatles. To me, however, the absolute nadir of this misguided criticism was insinuating that Paul "subconsciously sabotaged" some of his most popular and acclaimed work, including "Strawberry Fields Forever".

In your opinion, what's the most frustrating opinion John held during this time period? (Also, can I get Paul McCartney to "sabotage" some of my work?!)

This is not my contention at all - the critic Mark Kermode recently released a dual-parter on the film, slating it of course, and saying basically that the film was “devoid of humor” amongst other critiques.

Did me and Mark see entirely different films? Film appreciation is a subjective medium, surely, but one couldn’t look at the costume shop scene, for example, and make such a broad statement. It has many blackly comedic elements, like all of Kubrick’s films. Do you agree with Mark at all, and if so, why?