Lost Highway (David Lynch)

[Abishai100]

Lost Highway is a truly eccentric but visually exploratory film by weirdo-genius David Lynch, a man who gave us empirical gems such as The Elephant Man, Dune, Eraserhead, and of course, Blue Velvet.

Lost Highway features a modest but very effective cast (Bill Pullman, Patricia Arquette, Balthazar Getty) and presents the weird optimism-alienation tale (in the tradition of The Hitchhikers's Guide to the Galaxy) of a wishful jazz saxophonist who has a very bizarre encounter at a party before being framed for the murder of his wife, sending him on a dreamy but completely confusing hallucination during which he transforms into a young mechanic and starts leading a completely different life of promise.

This very unusual film is a terrific Blu-ray experience for reasons you might imagine (overall atmospheric experience and storytelling uniqueness and hence moviegoing-electricity), but what sets it apart is how we can cast strange and unusual 'life-decision' conversations.

That's why I give this image-rich Lynch trophy 4/5 stars if I give a mediocre imagination-themed film such as Galaxy Quest 2/5 stars and a very well-renowned imagination-themed film such as Frantic 5/5 stars.


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FRED: What the hell are you doing here?
MYSTERY MAN: I'm here to give you a special message...
FRED: You remind me of a muppet.
MYSTERY MAN: Never take your wife for granted...
FRED: You're too ugly to advise.
MYSTERY MAN: Don't end up as one of those 'blues musicians'...
FRED: I have no idea what you're talking about.
MYSTERY MAN: Fate and consequence are very different things...
FRED: I think you're trying to 'teach' me about regret, and I'm not in the mood.
MYSTERY MAN: What do you want, a love-letter from God?
FRED: Remember, 'dude,' I'm a man, and men like straight-talk.
MYSTERY MAN: Men hate telephones, and you're going to be scrambling to call me...
FRED: I'm proud of my wife, and I don't fear the 'consequences' of misdirected fate, sir.
MYSTERY MAN: Sounds like a jazz-tune...
FRED: You have something metaphysical against jazz, Mystery Man?
MYSTERY MAN: You might have to 'jazz' up your love-life...

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[waltky]

Thought he died a while back?

 

[Abishai100]

Lynch died? I had no idea. Thanks for the heads-up waltky (I've always appreciated your sticky comments)!

Are you a fan of his films? I personally find his movies to be representative of cinematic self-directed imagination, and very few film-makers (perhaps Terry Gilliam, David Fincher, and Sam Mendes) make such films.

I'll do a Google search about whether or not Lynch is still alive...

Cheers,