David Lynch films--Rankings
I'm a big fan of David Lynch's films. How would you guys rank his work? This is my ranking, from greatest to worst.
Great: Mulholland Drive, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, The Straight Story, Eraserhead, Blue Velvet
Very Good: Lost Highway
OK: Inland Empire (I still don't understand what the fuck I watched), Wild At Heart, The Elephant Man
Poor: Dune
by Anonymous | reply 46 | September 30, 2018 5:55 PM
|
Wild at Heart, Inland Empire and Lost Highway are also great.
by Anonymous | reply 2 | March 2, 2015 10:52 PM
|
I love how his films always build to something very emotionally dramatic and strange. like the twin peaks movie and mulholland drive did that well - even though both have flaws
by Anonymous | reply 4 | March 2, 2015 11:13 PM
|
Great: Mulholland Drive, Lost Highway, Inland Empire, Eraserhead, Blue Velvet
Very Good: Wild At Heart, The Elephant Man
OK: Dune, Twin Peaks - Fire Walk With Me, The Straight Story
Poor: None
by Anonymous | reply 5 | March 2, 2015 11:25 PM
|
Blue Velvet is one of my favorite films. I really don't like Eraserhead. I haven't watched the whole movie. It was just too bizarre, dark and depressing. I think Eraserhead was made at an unhappy time in Lynch's life. He was anxious about being a father at a young age. He had a factory job that he really hated. Maybe I'll try to watch it again one of these days because many people really like it.
by Anonymous | reply 6 | March 2, 2015 11:31 PM
|
R6, it is more like am experimental European avante-garde film than any of his other movies. Inland Empire is more experimental, but it's really in it's own category. Try and watch it all the way through. It's on blu-ray now so it probably looks better than ever.
by Anonymous | reply 7 | March 2, 2015 11:36 PM
|
Ditto R5's list, but I'd switch THE STRAIGHT STORY (which I love) and WILD AT HEART (meh).
by Anonymous | reply 8 | March 2, 2015 11:59 PM
|
Film rankings? I still haven't gotten past his hair!
by Anonymous | reply 9 | March 3, 2015 12:15 AM
|
Mulholland Drive is my favorite movie of all time.
by Anonymous | reply 10 | March 3, 2015 12:22 AM
|
Blue Velvet, The Elephant Man, Twin Peaks: FWWM, Dune, The Straight Story, Wild at Heart, Mulholland Drive, Eraserhead, Lost Highway, Inland Empire
by Anonymous | reply 11 | March 3, 2015 12:29 AM
|
I don't like David Lynch, but I loved Mulholland Drive - it's one of my favourite films and probably one of those all-time major films.
I saw Lost Highway and didn't enjoy it at all. I've never seen any of his other films, never felt the attraction. Perhaps Twin Peaks, one day.
by Anonymous | reply 12 | March 4, 2015 12:38 PM
|
Masterpiece:Mulholland Drive
Great:Twin Peaks:Fire Walk With Me, The Straight Story
Very Good: Wild At Heart, The Elephant Man, Inland Empire, Lost Highway, Blue Velvet, Eraserhead
OK:Dune
Thanks a lot Op for this thread and thank you all for writing your opinion about David's films. He is truly amazing. Genuinely amazing!
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 13 | March 4, 2015 12:50 PM
|
LOVED Straight Story, Elephant Man
Liked Mulholland Drive, Blue Velvet
HATED Wild At Heart
by Anonymous | reply 14 | March 4, 2015 1:50 PM
|
Having suffered through Blue Velvet, Eraserhead and The Elephant Man, as well as one episode of Twin Peaks, I am strongly discouraged from ever trying any of his other works.
by Anonymous | reply 15 | March 4, 2015 1:55 PM
|
Blue Velvet is my all-time favorite movie.
I never did see The Straight Story.
I should.
by Anonymous | reply 16 | March 4, 2015 2:25 PM
|
I think Dune is a lot of fun. You can't take it seriously, but for what it is, it's a fun kind of rainy Saturday film.
by Anonymous | reply 17 | March 4, 2015 2:28 PM
|
R15, give Mulholland Dr a try. It really is one of those films that stays with you forever.
by Anonymous | reply 18 | March 4, 2015 2:33 PM
|
The Straight Story is excellent. It shows he can do anything.
by Anonymous | reply 19 | March 4, 2015 2:34 PM
|
It's like his movies are his dreams. And sometimes dreams are murky and dumb. And sometimes crystal clear and brilliant.
by Anonymous | reply 20 | March 4, 2015 2:43 PM
|
For me, his best films are Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive, and The Elephant Man.
I haven't seen The Straight Story, Inland Empire, or Lost Highway.
Twin Peaks: FWWM, Dune, and Eraserhead are all just meh. I didn't care for Wild At Heart.
I loved the original Twin Peaks TV movie.
by Anonymous | reply 21 | March 4, 2015 3:05 PM
|
I loved Wild At Heart when it came out but I was 18, not sure how I'd feel seeing it now. Other films I love are Mulholland Drive, Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me.
I did like Lost Highway but I don't feel that strongly about it. Straight Story was boring as hell. Yeah yeah I get what it was all about and I didn't feel bad for watching it (I have a vague recollection of tearing up at the end) but for a David Lynch film it's just too plain and normal.
Dune is what it is. I loved the book when I read it as a teen and I don't think the film gets nowhere near in the atmosphere. I haven't liked other Dune films or tv shows either.
I tried watching Inland Empire but the cheap look threw me off and I only managed to keep my interest up for maybe half an hour. I have to try again one day. Haven't seen Eraserhead or Elephant Man.
I guess my favorite from Lynch is Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me. There's no denying that the tv series was a great primer for it. The darkness went so much deeper in the film. And I used to love the show's soundtrack. Julee Cruise singing Into The Night is my favorite although her Falling is also so beautiful.
by Anonymous | reply 22 | March 4, 2015 3:29 PM
|
R22, that's the reason I love Fire Walk with me. The Twin peaks show is a great tv show; the movie is a great movie. It takes whatever was darkness and sadness was in the tv show and takes it up 10 notches.
The Straight Story proves that Lynch can do it all. I loved the way it looks (especially the first shot).
I really liked Wild at Heart the first time I watched it, but it ages worse than all the other Lynch films. Each time I see it, the things I dislike about it become more irritating. It survives of the strength of the cinematography, specific moments and the diverse soundtrack. If the surrealist elements, violence and jokes were toned down, it could have been a much better movie.
Maybe I just need to give Inland Empire a third try. Someone on here should feel free to explain what they think the movie was about. I've heard some people go as far as saying that it's Lynch's best movie. Me, I find it difficult to get into a movie that doesn't have appealing cinematography, especially since that's one of the things Lynch is known for.
by Anonymous | reply 23 | March 4, 2015 11:40 PM
|
I LOVED Mulholland Drive but LOATHED Wild at Heart.
by Anonymous | reply 24 | March 5, 2015 1:11 AM
|
He'll never top Mulholland Dr.,but I wish he'd try.
by Anonymous | reply 25 | March 5, 2015 2:29 AM
|
I decided to revisit Twin Peaks a bit and just started watching the pilot. After that I plan to watch the Season One finale and then the Season Two / series finale. And then Fire Walk With Me.
I haven't watched the pilot since it came out 24 years ago. I have watched parts of single episode reruns during the years, though. First thoughts after 20 minutes: the quality is practically on the cinema level, it's like watching a Lynch movie. Audio on the other hand is not, it's on the tv level. I remember the tv show turning quite quickly into mediocre crap where the weirdness seemed to be the only driving force which is the reason I haven't really wanted to watch it again.
I still want to fuck Michael Ontkean.
by Anonymous | reply 26 | March 6, 2015 5:47 PM
|
I actually think TWIN PEAKS stayed excellent-to-good through the reveal of Laura's murderer. (That episode has to be the scariest damn thing ever shown on network television.) But after that? Ugh.
by Anonymous | reply 27 | March 6, 2015 6:30 PM
|
R27, agreed. It was pretty dumb of them to pressure Lynch into revealing who the killer was so soon.
by Anonymous | reply 28 | March 6, 2015 9:22 PM
|
I had completely forgotten that Season 1 only had 8 episodes. I thought the killer was revealed in the finale of Season 1 but that's not the case. I watched it through and it was terrible. It was badly written soap opera without coherent artistic vision. Mark Frost was the director.
I just finished the reveal episode (Season 2 episode 7) and even though it's directed by Lynch it's nowhere near the cinematic quality of the pilot.
by Anonymous | reply 29 | March 6, 2015 9:43 PM
|
I agree with R13, minus Erasurehead. I cannot fucking stand the crying baby.
by Anonymous | reply 30 | March 6, 2015 9:50 PM
|
Diane Ladd in Wild At Heart is a blast to behold, loved that meltdown with the lipstick and the twitching curly tip slippers, same admiration for Dennis H in Blue Velvet. But Twin Fire Whatever With Me and Lost Whywherewhatway, Lynch just gets too self indulgent, he seems to want to drown the audience in his sideshow wallowing, fapping. I like a little more coherence and warmth in movies. Okay okay David, harriet hymen saw it all, you can close the trenchcoat now.
by Anonymous | reply 31 | March 6, 2015 10:04 PM
|
I looked into purchasing "Inland Empire", but I hesitate to pay more than $60 a movie I might end up hating.
by Anonymous | reply 32 | March 6, 2015 10:40 PM
|
R32, good call. For what it's worth, it's the only movie I have ever seen that has left me more confused the second time around. You could always purchase Mulholland Drive, Lost Highway and Inland Empire together. They are all similar in some way (I bought this bluray package myself).
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 33 | March 6, 2015 10:49 PM
|
Numerous critics organizations and movie journals - including Indiewire, the LA Film Critics and Film Comment - voted Mulholland Drive the best movie of its decade (2000-2010).
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 34 | March 6, 2015 10:58 PM
|
[quote] Diane Ladd in Wild At Heart is a blast to behold, loved that meltdown with the lipstick and the twitching curly tip slippers, same admiration for Dennis H in Blue Velvet.
Before Wild at Heart I was only familiar with her from "Alice." It was surreal seeing Belle acting crazy and cussing. I wonder if Linda, Beth and Vic went to see the movie when it was released. Though I did like the movie itself I did find Nicolas Cage's performance a bit hammy when revisiting the film on DVD.
Eraserhead and Blue Velvet are probably my favorite among Lynch's films.
by Anonymous | reply 35 | September 18, 2018 4:17 PM
|
i also love the fact that he's the king of creepy/scary stories, but when he wants to he can move you to tears like it's no one business (The Straight Story, Elephant Man)
by Anonymous | reply 36 | September 18, 2018 4:21 PM
|
[quote] he can move you to tears like it's no one business
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 37 | September 19, 2018 1:37 PM
|
Mulholland Drive is my all time favorite film. Naomi Watts was fantastic in that role and was robbed of an Oscar.
I hated Wild at Heart.
by Anonymous | reply 38 | September 19, 2018 1:58 PM
|
Wild at Heart has some great moments but to me it seems like a big "David Lynch Digest for Dummies".
by Anonymous | reply 39 | September 19, 2018 2:38 PM
|
HATE Wild at Heart with a passion
by Anonymous | reply 40 | September 19, 2018 3:41 PM
|
From best to worst: Lost Highway, The Elephant Man, Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive, Straight Story, Eraserhead, Inland Empire, Wild at Heart, Fire Walk With Me, Dune.
by Anonymous | reply 41 | September 23, 2018 2:29 PM
|
Fire walk with me is scary and better.
by Anonymous | reply 42 | September 23, 2018 2:33 PM
|
I preferred the Straight Story and after that, Muholland Drive.
by Anonymous | reply 43 | September 23, 2018 2:38 PM
|
Great: Blue Velvet, The Elephant Man, Mulholland Drive, The Straight Story Very Good: Wild at Heart, Lost Highway, Eraserhead, Twin Peaks - Pilot Good: Inland Island, Dune Shit: Twin Peaks - Fire Walk With Me
by Anonymous | reply 44 | September 23, 2018 2:48 PM
|
i'm dying to re-watch Mulholland Dr. right now, but that film scares me so much i can't find the strenght.
by Anonymous | reply 45 | September 23, 2018 3:49 PM
|
uh oh... i had never seen this! The unaired Mulholland Drive tv pilot!
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 46 | September 30, 2018 5:55 PM
|