Quiet, maestro. Oscar-nominated author David Lynch died Thursday at the age of 78. His family confirmed his death in a Facebook post he wrote: “There is a big hole in the world now that he is no longer with us. But, as he said: “Keep your eye on the donut and not the hole.” »
In an interview with Sight and Sound magazine last AugustLynch revealed that he was diagnosed with emphysema and could no longer leave his house. “I have emphysema from smoking for so long,” he explained. “I can’t go out. I can only walk a short distance before I run out of oxygen.
Lynch’s profile – with or without cigarettes – was familiar in Hollywood. The Montana-born filmmaker arrived in Los Angeles in the early 1970s and enrolled at the American Film Institute’s fledgling conservatory. From this fertile creative environment was born Eraserhead, Lynch’s first feature film and a cult calling card that established him as a singular artistic voice.
David Lynch at the 12th Rome Film Festival in 2017Courtesy of Zunino Celotto/Getty Images
The major Hollywood studios quickly appealed.
Lynch’s next projects included The Elephant Man, produced by Mel Brooks, and the first big screen version of Frank Herbert’s mammoth sci-fi epic, Dune. (Fun fact: Before heading to Herbert’s galaxy far, far away, Lynch turned down the opportunity to direct the third Star Wars installment, Return of the Jedi.)
But Dune was a notoriously troubled production that took Lynch back to basics. In 1986, he returned to the art form – and commercial success – with Blue Velvet, a pioneering pastiche of 1940s film noir, 1950s suburbia and 1980s erotica. This film launched a series acclaimed feature films including Wild at Heart, Lost Highway, Mulholland Dr., The Straight Story and Inland Empire.
But Lynch’s most lasting contribution to pop culture remains Twin Peaks. It’s no exaggeration to say that the two-season ABC series — plus a cinematic prequel and a Showtime revival — that he created with Mark Frost redefined what a prime-time drama could look like. To this day, the show remains referenced, imitated, and satirized…but never equaled.
Lynch’s television work was not limited to drama shows. He also directed a number of commercials in the 1980s and 1990s selling products ranging from perfume to video games. Here is a small sampling of some of his distinctive commercial work.
Obsessions: Ernest Hemingway
Lynch got his start in the advertising world with a trio of spots for Calvin Klein perfume, each drawing inspiration from an early 20th century author, including F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway and DH Lawrence. For this particular ad, the director used a passage from Hemingway’s “The Sun Also Rises” in addition to striking black and white images.
Georgia Coffee
It’s a great global synergy. At the height of Twin Peaks’ popularity, Lynch placed Kyle MacLachlan’s coffee-drinking, cherry-pie-loving Dale Cooper at the center of a series of commercials spotlighting a Japanese brand of canned coffee. We’ll leave it to the faithful of the Black Lodge to decide whether or not these count as canon.
Gio by Giorgio Armani
Legend has it that Lynch was at the top of Giorgio Armani’s call list when the luxury fashion guru launched his latest fragrance. The director has created a short cinematic poem that marries Fellini’s flourishes with a distinctly Lynchian style.
Sun Moon Stars
Daryl Hannah sadly never got his own Lynch star vehicle, but the ’80s icon can boast about getting his own publicity with the Lynch helmet. The duo teamed up to promote a Karl Lagerfeld perfume in a very unusual way.
Playstation 2: Third Place
David Lynch… professional player? A year before Mulholland Dr. wowed moviegoers, Lynch directed a one-minute spot announcing the arrival of Sony’s hit Playstation 2 console. Forgive the early 2000s infographic and just vibe to its button-mashing Eraserhead feel.
