There’s only a handful of directors whose name can be ubiquitously turned into an adjective and their style immediately recognized, whether it be their own films or a multitude of those influenced by them. Despite a relatively small body of output compared to other directors in this field, David Lynch is certainly one, and today we have a video essay from Keyframe which explores this Lynchian quality.
First, however, as the first all-too-brief teaser for season 3 of Twin Peaks has arrived, look back at a rarely seen (at least in America) mini-season of the series helmed by the director. Following the success of Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me in Japan, he was commissioned to direct four, 40-second TV ads for Georgia Coffee. Pointed out by Open Culture, they track Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) as he hunts down a missing Japanese woman, with help from some of his Twin Peaks cast. Damn good coffee, perhaps, but these add up to an offbeat oddity more than anything quite substantial.
Check out the teaser, the commercials, and the video essay below, the latter of which comes from Dennis Lim‘s excellent new book, David Lynch: The Man from Another Place, which we spoke to him about here.
The critically-acclaimed, ground breaking television phenomenon TWIN PEAKS returns as a limited series to SHOWTIME in 2017. Currently in production, TWIN PEAKS is written and produced by series creators and executive producers David Lynch and Mark Frost and is directed entirely by David Lynch. While the full mystery awaits, fans can expect many familiar faces, including Golden Globe® winner and Emmy® Award nominee Kyle MacLachlan, who reprises his role as FBI Agent Dale Cooper.
Widely considered one of the most groundbreaking and influential broadcast series of all time, TWIN PEAKS followed the inhabitants of a quaint northwestern town who were stunned after their homecoming queen Laura Palmer was shockingly murdered. The town’s sheriff welcomed the help of FBI agent Dale Cooper, who came to town to investigate the case. As Cooper conducted his search for Laura’s killer, the town’s secrets were gradually exposed. The mystery that ensued set off an eerie chain of events that plunged the inhabitants of Twin Peaks into a darker examination of their very existence. Twenty-five years later, the story continues…
How do you define “Lynchian”?