Leave in to the ever-atypical David Lynch to make a strange and unconventional, but still engrossing and illuminating sort of retrospective documentary on the making of his debut feature "Eraserhead." Basically an extended interview with Lynch along with plenty of behind the scenes still and a few clips, among the things we learn are that Lynch got the idea for the movie from the industrial landscape in Philadelphia, lead actor Jack Nance was recommended by a friend (of course, we also get the straight dope on Nance's highly distinctive haircut), Lynch almost didn't cast Jeanne Bates because he thought she looked too beautiful, a scene with a nurse in a hospital basement that was never shot, a disastrous screening for Cannes, and how the picture eventually became a huge success on the midnight movie cinema circuit. By far some of the best anecdotes shared by Lynch pertain to cinematographer Herbert Cardwell, who sadly died in his sleep at the too young age of thirty-five. Lynch's stories about first arriving in Los Angeles and attending the American Film Institute are also cool and enjoyable to hear about while his dead cat anecdote rates as super freaky and alarming stuff. Worth a watch for fans of the film.
Review of Eraserhead Stories
