INLAND EMPIRE (2006): David Lynch's nightmarescape of the unconscious

Heeey! I used to DJ at Star Shoes!! Loved that place!

ONE FUCKING EPISODE!!!! PLEEEEEASE! Sweet mama baby...

My favorite of the extreme closeup scenes is Grace Zabriskie at the beginning of the movie. I get the impression she was having a blast, and I like to imagine David laughing and egging her on.

One of my favourites and nothing like anything else! Such an auteur the great Lynch was. Interesting to hear you mention the Grace Zabriskie mysterious visitor and her accent. I actually think she slips out of it with the 'brutal fucking murder' line and almost slipping into her Palmer character for a moment. Of course completely in line with bigger themes in this movie (later on Nikki mentions dialogue from the film in a southern accent while seemingly slipping into the High in blue tomorrows character) and his whole oevre (doubles, reincarnation, tulpas). So deep... Side note, a line which I think is a brilliant synopsis of the film but nobody seems to pick up on is the Justin Theroux character saying 'she disappeared where it's real hard to disappear', quite early on but in a crucial scene where Nikki transitions from backstage on set to the valley house as Sue Blue (?).

Laura Dern not winning an Oscar for this is the true tragedy

The brief interview of D. Lynch complaining about film being "a nightmare" reminds me - I was a projectionist at an art-house cinema in Vermont when we were showing Mulholland Drive. The entire 35mm movie was comprised of reels that looked like they were developed in different places. On some of the reels, the film stock seemed really light and seemed almost brittle, while others were thick and heavy. When the entire thing was laying on the platter next to the projector you could see that the reels were different colors. - some parts were yellowish, others pinkish. The print also came with a hand-typed note signed by David Lynch asking the projectionist to turn the volume up for Reels 3 and 4, as they were too quiet. I really wish I'd kept that note.

I was just hit with the most desperate craving for circus peanuts

It’s funny how well the digital footage has aged. As an artist he was quick to notice the lo-fi beauty in its aesthetic and its ability to be more flexible and make the filmmaking process less laborious and more intimate. Like any medium it’s about embracing its limitations and its advantages to create your art.

Great episode, but I think you do dive into the heavy and traumatic personal catharsis of Lynch too much, rather than the playful, comedic, absurd dance,.
Lynch is like PJ Harvey, they don't have to wallow in the work as being directly about the horror and trauma, as much as exploring the fun and growth.
The quality will still reveal the empathy and compassion in that unique and entertaining way, as well as a playfulness over the fear

Anyways, it would be great if you get into TP season three, and you should also consider part 3 with those other impactful episodes

You really did it. You crazy bastards. The first time I saw Inland Empire, I had a bit of a headache. Throughout the course of the film, the headache got a little worse and a little worse. It was like Lynch's story about spending the afternoon with George Lucas. I finally watched it again recently, sans headache. I enjoyed it more, but I still couldn't get it. This discussion helped a lot with that and with my appreciation for it. I still need more viewings.

Love this film. ❤️thankyou David ✨️

I remember watching this in college, right when it came out on video, and it was the most surreal movie watching experience of my life. It literally feels like David Lynch stuck a camera in his mind and recorded his own fever dream. Although it's not my favorite Lynch film, I think it's the most successful at mimicking a dream state and utilizing dream logic.

The only Lynch film I got to watch in the theater. Went to NYC on a college trip in 2007 & it was playing at a beautiful old theater. Wild experience. RIP to the master of American weirdness.

I think there is -- to a degree -- a central main "story" to Inland Empire, like with Mulholland Dr., buried in the mysticism, which is that of a low income couple that comes to Hollywood with the woman having dreams of stardom. She has to resort to sex work, and accidentally becomes pregnant by someone not-her-husband. The two of them ultimately decide to have the child and raise it as their own, killing the spectres of guilt and jealousy in order to do so.

I think there are other stories woven into this one, but if you approach the movie with this idea in mind, it makes more sense than it otherwise would, at least to me.

The James Ellroy "Black Dhalia" book was pretty nuts too- albiet, undercut by the fact he was widely known as a peeper...

Rėmy is the only one on the correct path. The "spotlight" is on the evil of the Hollywood system, where women must go through the alley to find the "palace" The film features songs by Little Eva, Etta James and Nina Simone who all faced violence and abuse from men. Julia Ormond spoke out about the Hollywood couch and lost her status in Hollywood. Only now with the Me Too movement is there some progress destroying the male hegemony in Dreamland.

Realizing this the ending credits is so cathartic. The women have spotlit the evil, and now can escape their bonds, power indeed.

Rémy rocks. She was by far the highlight of the David Lynch tribute.

Some extra notes, how can you not mention Lynch's off camera cameo as Bucky J that was absolutely hilarious plus the incomparable Harry Dean Stanton!

Keep on rock'n'roll

I disagree with calling the cameras he used "consumer grade." It was a professional grade camera (Sony DSR-PD150), but it was Standard Definition digital video (480p). It's essentially the same grade of camera that the original generation of documentary reality TV series' (The Amazing Race, Deadliest Catch, etc.) were shot on, before the advent/availability of HD digital video. That said, I always love your discussions!

I’m not a big fan of this movie but props to Laura Dern for giving an anchor to this absolute insanity

After watching this movie for the first time because of your video i can say i consider it a masterpiece too, it is like a hardcore version of Mulholland drive, like what Aladdin Sane is to Ziggy Stardust if you know what i mean, a B-Side that´s not as polished as the A-Side, is almost the same theme, i consider the fire walks, lost highway, Mulholland and Inland a quadrology on a same subject, maybe there was a fifth movie in eraserhead, the theme of trauma and the process of accepting pain, the movie is 3 hours long and i didn´t felt it, the ending in my opinion represents the main protagonist accepting all of what happened to her and feeling free of it, also i didn´t feel the cinematic style he chose to be wrong, the movie was so good the style just fitted, and also gave this "true memory, or true dream like aesthetic", what can i tell you, Inland Empire was a real shocker i had a bad impression of it for years but really was a good surprise

I watched it through once, and bits again. i'll watch again but haven't because it scared me so much the once

I need to rewatch this. I consider myself a big Lynch fan but this one, alone in his filmography, unfortunately was lost on me. I just found it incomprehensible and..very long.

Congrats to Tom for finally realizing how annoying his drunk uncle overtaking was! 👏👏👏

Love that Marcus shouted out the paper towels line, it cracks me up everytime, including this time. Lynch is often overlooked as an absolute master of absurdist comedy

I can’t remember if he also sold the DVD directly from his website as well? The Rabbits shorts on his site were such nightmare fuel especially at like 240p haha and shoutout to his cow 🐄 campaign to get Laura Dern an Oscar. Finally the songs he wrote soon after this with Danger Mouse were great as well.

Scarface fuck yeah! One of the funnest movies ever

YESSS THANK U GUYS!!!

You've no idea how long I've waited for you guys to cover Inland Empire. It's my favorite Lynch film.

Mullonad Drive is not only "accesible" is well written, the script is very good, it could be a book, there is no wonder on why many movies based in novels or books are great because the skeleton of it all is in the writting, of course casting, directing and editing is important, very important to have taste and talent to translate stuff, but i bet hollywood doesn´t want to pay for a good script, i really don´t think a randomizer like IA can create good scripts, it takes great artist, great talent to really touch the soul of people. The problem of the criptic films is that it lacks the context for people to follow it, are too condensed, in the case of Mulholland Drive it was enough context and layers of meaing so different kind of people can understand some level of the plot, the basic being the story of a woman that goes to hollywood, inland empire is agressively hermetic if you will, kinda borders the "magical mystery tour" movie from The Beatles, a movie you should cover by the way lol

My entry to win $200 from Evan (el-oh-el) – March episodes will focus on:
1. Silent films starting with Metropolis
2. 30s movies starting with I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang
3. Rock movies starting with 200 Motels
4. Favorite foreign movies starting with Soy Cuba

MUTHAFUCKIN GAHDAMN AHRENGE PEEL BEEF!

In some weird way i think Inland Empire is "the fire walks with me 2" or an extention of what he wanted to do with that movie, i think you sold me on that movie and i´m gonna watch it now cause really i´ve binge a bit of it in the past and thought it was "weird for weird" sake and you know that´s the cringiest trash ever, but after hearing your review, i´m interested

Will you ever cover Lars Von Trier movies ?

Watched this movie in a browser when they threw this movie on streaming in the early days of Netflix. My eyes dilated on multiple parts of it, notably the ketchup scene and the 'Where am I?' part. Laura Dern acted her ass off in this. Loved this one.

Great episode! I appreciate how you guys approach discussing Lynch films. Thanks a million. I'm really looking forward to the Twin Peaks Season 3 episodes! Damn good stuff.

🔥🖤🔥

I think the big reason Lynch was so complicated with the industry is that Dune was on his resume and made him unbankable. I imagine he wanted to make more movies all throughout the 90s and 2000s and may have had that film basically halted his career. It's very jealous ex behavior.

March series = something Sopranos related? 👀

Insane genius. Brilliance in bizarrities.

Roger Ebert: (on Mulholland Dr.) "This is the first time, in a while, that David Lynch created something and didn't drop the test tube". Sorry to all: Inland Empire dropped another test tube. Video is UGLY. Sad that this was not Lynch's Eyes Wide Shut final film. I saw Inland Empire in a theatre -- it was painful to sit thru all that.

Righteous

That intro went hard today

Axxon=Action

Can’t wait!