"Eraserhead" (1977) - David Lynch's Exploratory Dreamscape

[DonRocks]

I'm not going to write much about "Eraserhead," because quite frankly, I don't really know what to write.

I originally saw this film in the early 1980s, during one of my first-ever trips to New York City - I saw it for the second time just now, and after about 35 years between viewings, it makes just as little sense to me now as it did then.

Only a fool would acknowledge that this isn't some type of masterwork from the twisted mind of genius David Lynch; *what* it is, exactly, I have almost no idea: some type of dream, perhaps, rich with symbolism about creation, destruction, technology, sex, paranoia, dystopia, and who-knows what else.

Rather than reading a bunch of critiques, and then writing this post, I'm deliberately writing this first, because I don't want to sound like a false intellect - I have nothing at all to say of any merit, other than that I sat, riveted, through the entire ninety-minute film.

*Now* I'll go through and read all the critiques about "Erasehead," which are required reading, because if you don't piece together some coherent thoughts about this jumble-patchwork of allegorical imagery, you won't have any idea what you just saw.

Does *anyone* have anything to say about this film? I suspect piecemeal contributions may result in some type of synergistic whole. As for my opinion? It's essentially worth nothing.

Wow.

[cjsadler]

I feel like it helps to know that David Lynch had an unwanted baby at the time, otherwise, yeah, I’ve been just as disoriented as you watching this film.

[DIShGo]

Sep 16, 2014 - "I See Myself: Eraserhead" on criterion.com.

This interview with Lynch about his film is well-worth a read.

[DonRocks]

13 minutes ago, DIShGo said:

Sep 16, 2014 - "I See Myself: Eraserhead" on criterion.com

The penultimate question in this lengthy interview makes a very good point:

In some respects, it would be virtually impossible to do Eraserhead now. Not to make it, but it would be virtually impossible to deliver it to an audience because that “underground” circuit barely exists now. Theatrical venues and distributors rarely take such risks today. All the truly experimental work is taking place on video in art galleries.

[DonRocks]

Here's one *nobody* knows!

The "Beautiful Girl across the Hall" is Judith Roberts.

Okay, so who the hell is Judith Roberts?

Believe it or not, she's Taslitz in "Orange Is the New Black."

I swear that DIShGo picked this up *out of the blue*, based on facial recognition alone!