“Everything is Fine” is a Lynchian colloquialism uttered by Laura Palmer as she inhabits the Black Lodge in her afterlife. It joins phrases like “This is the girl,” “You’ll never have me,” and incomprehensible reverberating and whooshing as essential Lynchian notions that rattle throughout my subconscious at all times. The fact that David Lynch is my favorite filmmaker seems to go beyond even that basic sentiment – I fear I have an obsession.
The first David Lynch movie I watched was Mulholland Drive, on my laptop at home while I painted my nails. I didn’t understand it, but I knew instinctively that it was a powerful film. I continued to indulge with Lynch’s filmography, but what really cemented him as my favorite filmmaker were my experiences watching his films in theaters. As I’ve stated in many love letters to the theatrical experience, it is simply incomparable to any other way of watching a film. Lynch’s narratives are so intense and fascinating that they nearly require the theatrical experience to be made as effective as possible.
On Friday, November 8, The Coolidge played Lynch’s Dune, a rather unpopular adaptation (especially in comparison to Denis Villenueve’s stylish new version), but still a fascinating look at Lynch’s unique storytelling. Even when Dune doesn’t work, when the acting feels stale and overwrought and the special effects look shocking and laughable, his creative intent and style feels inexplicable. Though it isn’t effective in the same way that the rest of Lynch’s filmography is, there is something to appreciate in the campy ridiculousness of it. On Saturday, the Coolidge presents the classic Blue Velvet, featuring TikTok sensation and celebrated Lynch collaborator Kyle MacLachlan. This is a Lynch classic, perhaps the most accessible film in his filmography, so I’d highly recommend it to Lynch skeptics or people who may need to ease their way into his macabre weirdness.
The next weekend brings Wild at Heart at midnight on Friday, and in the dead of winter, there may not be a room as riotous and rambunctious as the one showing this sexually-charged, nightmarish road trip picture. Homages to The Wizard of Oz, as well as Elvis covers and strong Southern accents by leads Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern, make this film wild and weird as possible, and definitely one of the more underrated films in Lynch’s canon. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me screens the following night, a truly sickening film, and perhaps the saddest horror movie of all time. I often name Fire Walk With Me as one of my favorite films of all time. It’s tragic, extremely difficult to stomach, and terrifying beyond belief – Lynch’s masterful blend of trauma with supernatural, unexplainable evil in the core of Twin Peaks has made it a tale that our culture and audiences can’t seem to shake.
On Friday, November 22, the Coolidge screens Lost Highway, where his filmography begins to get darker than before. I once went to a double feature of Mulholland Drive and Lost Highway, the latter of which made Mulholland feel like a sunny, delightful romance in comparison. The sharp stray from classic narrative coherence (if Lynch ever indulged in that in the first place) makes Lost Highway such a rich film, rife with so much mystery and room for interpretation. The theatrical experience of it is unforgettable. The following night, they’re screening Mulholland Drive, another excellent entry point into Lynch’s filmography that explores romance more vividly than most of his other pictures (except for Wild at Heart, of course!) and has such a popular, fascinating mystery that Lynch himself wrote a list of clues for audiences to attempt to understand it.
The first piece I ever wrote for Boston Hassle was a Go-To for Inland Empire; it was one of the most memorable theatrical experiences of my life, and the film absolutely requires and commands full attention in a dark, crowded, often horrified room in order for the film to be as effective as possible. The Coolidge is showing it on November 30 at midnight. It’s shocking, scary, and nearly impossible to comprehend. It’s as Lynchian as one can possibly get – confusing and depraved and macabre and stunning and unforgettable. Be warned for its length and profound Lynchian quality, but do not miss your chance to experience the film in the most powerful way possible.
Everything Is Fine: The Films of David Lynch runs midnights, Fridays and Saturdays throughout November – click here for full schedule and ticket info
