Looking for films/shows that friends could view over the Easter holiday,I spoke to a DVD seller about what titles he had recently picked up. Only knowing Twin Peaks as the TV work he had done,I was surprised to find out about a one-off mini-series that David Lynch had made after wrapping up TP (at the time) with Fire Walk With Me,which led to me booking a room.
View on the mini-series:
Made as three eps but trimmed into one 90 min film, (thankfully,the longer uncut eps survive)the writers Barry Gifford & Jay McInerney check in close to themes of David Lynch, (who co-created the show with Monty Montgomery) with the program entering a lone hotel room in 1969,1992 and 1936 that are home to white picket-fence visitors attempting to escape from the destructive outside world. Later adapted into plays, the limitations of the location allows for an excellent theatrical exploration of the characters,from the scotch on the rocks Noir ep 1 Tricks and the darkly comedic ep 2 Getting Rid of Robert, to the surprisingly touching final ep Blackout.
Directing the lone ep not done by Lynch, James Signorelli aims for the peculiar mood of the other pieces in Getting Rid of Robert,but misses the mark by being too self-aware at the strangeness of the situation, and the repeated cuts away from the hotel room breaking the tension. Reuniting with a smooth score from Angelo Badalamenti,Lynch gives his first ep a boiler room atmosphere, as Moe (played by a dripping with sweat Harry Dean Stanton) finds himself trapped in the past with two fellow guests who will land Moe with some deadly Tricks. Lit with stray shots of thunder on the window and candle light,Lynch reins in Crispin Glover's usual quirks to get an outstanding performance from him as Danny in ep 3 Blackout, with Alicia Witt joining Glover with a beautifully unsettling,calm performance as Diane,in David Lynch's minimalist, experimental hotel room.
View on the mini-series:
Made as three eps but trimmed into one 90 min film, (thankfully,the longer uncut eps survive)the writers Barry Gifford & Jay McInerney check in close to themes of David Lynch, (who co-created the show with Monty Montgomery) with the program entering a lone hotel room in 1969,1992 and 1936 that are home to white picket-fence visitors attempting to escape from the destructive outside world. Later adapted into plays, the limitations of the location allows for an excellent theatrical exploration of the characters,from the scotch on the rocks Noir ep 1 Tricks and the darkly comedic ep 2 Getting Rid of Robert, to the surprisingly touching final ep Blackout.
Directing the lone ep not done by Lynch, James Signorelli aims for the peculiar mood of the other pieces in Getting Rid of Robert,but misses the mark by being too self-aware at the strangeness of the situation, and the repeated cuts away from the hotel room breaking the tension. Reuniting with a smooth score from Angelo Badalamenti,Lynch gives his first ep a boiler room atmosphere, as Moe (played by a dripping with sweat Harry Dean Stanton) finds himself trapped in the past with two fellow guests who will land Moe with some deadly Tricks. Lit with stray shots of thunder on the window and candle light,Lynch reins in Crispin Glover's usual quirks to get an outstanding performance from him as Danny in ep 3 Blackout, with Alicia Witt joining Glover with a beautifully unsettling,calm performance as Diane,in David Lynch's minimalist, experimental hotel room.