The Short Films of David Lynch

31 Days of Spookoween: DAY FIFTEEN

Film #15: The Short Films of David Lynch (2002)

Review: Although I had already seen most of these short films, I felt like it was necessary to watch the entirety of this collection at once, and, as it turns out, this selection of David Lynch's shorter works is best viewed as a collective whole. Each of the films ranged from being pretty decent to straight up fantastic, and below I will briefly sum up my overall thoughts on each of them:

Six Men Getting Sick (1966)-The entire idea behind this film is simply the fact that Lynch wanted to see a painting move, and it just so happens that this very moving painting is CLASSIC Lynch. The visuals are surreal and demented, creating an aesthetically pleasing, if somewhat grotesque experience.

The Alphabet (1968)-A short that is chilling and scary and magnificently mesmerizing; a perfect example of "a nightmare caught on film". It's just simply...not of this earth.

The Grandmother (1970)-The longest short in the collection, and also one of the very best. It borders on "masterpiece" levels of filmmaking despite being such an early work in the director's oeuvre. It feels like a precursor to "Eraserhead", and not only because of its heavy atmosphere and unique, unconventional, and experimental way of telling a loose and surrealist narrative, but also because the tragic boy "hero" at the film's core feels almost like a younger version of Henry. His disturbed, anxious, yet mostly straight faced mannerisms and depressing, creepy, and bizarre overall life situation are both traits that would be explored even further and even superior in the later Lynch film.

The Amputee-Although this is definitely the least of the films in the collection, it is still quite good. It's quite comical (particularly in comparison to the three shorts that come before it), and the concept is a classic combination of Lynch's knack for black humor and surreal horror.

The Cowboy and the Frenchman-This is the only film in the collection I had yet to see before this viewing...and it's also my favorite as of now! It's so, so, so, SO funny! I laughed my ass off while watching this awkward, quirky, and absurdist joy of a comedy. With this jovial gem, Lynch proves himself to be a man capable of creating art that is not only humorous, but lighthearted and happy. For Lynch, feel good movies are very rare, but when he makes them, he sure does make them right! The performances are all great as well, and it contains a few Lynch regulars (Stanton, Nance, and Michael Horse, who'd later have a major role in "Twin Peaks"); Harry Dean Stanton is particularly hilarious and great in the film.

Premonition Following an Evil Deed (1995)-Extremely brief (Lynch remarks that he wishes the film was 55 minutes as opposed to 55 seconds, and I agree with him), but still heavy enough on atmosphere and scares to be a welcomed and impressive addition to Lynch's filmography.