Eraserhead

[rwaits]

I remember a few years back there being speculation that Criterion would be putting out an edition of Eraserhead, which eventually fell through when Lynch became irritated about one thing or another. The edition Lynch released last year is certainly the best the film has ever looked---just wondering if another company might release an SE (and hopefully less expensive) edition in the future, or if Lynch is just not willing to ever give up the rights to this film?

[zedz]

If you like the film, you should bite the bullet and buy it. The image is gorgeous, and Lynch talking about the film is a superb (feature-length) feature, far more wide-ranging and informative than most commentaries or making-of docs.

The Short Films disc really is for ultra-hardcore fans, though.

[THX1378]

remember a few years back there being speculation that Criterion would be putting out an edition of Eraserhead, which eventually fell through when Lynch became irritated about one thing or another.

Years ago Tower Records posted a date for when Criterion was going to put out Eraserhead on Laserdisc. I remember seeing it and being overjoyed since I had a crapy VHS copy of the film from when Columbia TriStar still had the home video rights. From what I remember hearing was that places started to post a street date before Lynch or Criterion even started to work on the disc, they may still even have been in talks about it. Because David is a private person and doesn't like to be rushed on a project and take his time he pulled the project all together. I got the Eraserhead DVD when it first came out and it's great. It's the best I think the film has ever looked. It's really worth it just for the making-of doc that comes with it just to hear Lynch talk about the film.

[Anonymous]

Does the dvd from davidlynch.com come with English captions? If I'm gonna dish out $50+ for this mutha, it better come with English captions!

[Michael]

No, it doesn't. It's really unfortunate because a few of my friends are deaf. I always turn the captions on whenever they're in my home.

[Narshty]

It's not exactly a Billy Wilder film though. There can't be more than five or ten minutes of dialogue at the absolute most.

[Faux Hulot]

It's not exactly a Billy Wilder film though. There can't be more than five or ten minutes of dialogue at the absolute most.

That just makes them all the more important!

"Henry, what do you do for a living?"

(long pause)

"I'm on vacation!"

[solaris72]

The Brattle Theater here in Boston recently had a David Lynch retrospective, and when they showed Eraserhead, it was projected from the DVD, according to them "at David Lynch's request." Kind of weird that he'd want the film only projected theatrically from the DVD. I guess it allows him to maintain control over the quality of the print shown. The DVD's great, but no substitute for 35mm. I didn't go to the screening because, well, I'm not going to pay $7.50 to watch a DVD I already paid $40 for.

[Cinephrenic]

I'm surprised no one voted for Eraserhead.

[mbalson]

Eraserhead? Isn't the self released Lynch version good enough?
He owns the rights and spent two years working on the DVD, so I don't think he'll be letting anyone else release this anytime soon.

[Jun-Dai]

Wasn't Eraserhead originally pegged as a Criterion release? I think it even made it into one of their booklets before it went into negotiation hell. Anyways, I doubt Lynch would be interested it redoing it, since he already put it out himself after overcharging everyone on his web site.

Anyways, I made all the updates. I left Secrets & Lies since the current DVD is barebones, and so Criterion could potentially put it out, if they _really_ wanted to. Also, Kino hasn't touched Ashes of Time. In fact, I don't think anyone has, U.S.-wise.

[Cinephrenic]

overcharging

Exactly

[Nihonophile]

Lynch is not over charging for Eraserhead. All that work on the film and documentary let alone the 5 years he spent making that movie. Is 40 dollars really so much to ask?

Lost Highway would definitely be a welcome addition to the collection.

[Cinephrenic]

Your right, he's a business man.

[The Invunche]

Eraserhead? Isn't the self released Lynch version good enough?

It most certainly is.

Is 40 dollars really so much to ask?

No, but an added $45 for shipping to Europe is pretty much insane.

[exte]

Lynch is not over charging for Eraserhead. All that work on the film and documentary let alone the 5 years he spent making that movie. Is 40 dollars really so much to ask?

Lost Highway would definitely be a welcome addition to the collection.

Exactly. All the time and effort really shows on that dvd. It's perfect. The sound and image are just perfect. My friend put this on his new plasma, and it is flawless. It really does look amazing on that thing, and it is because of all the very hard work this man put into it.

[pianocrash]

Didn't the legend of Criterion's Eraserhead have something to do with Lynch disapproving of their transfer (a year or so worth of work), leading to his subsequent self-release? And the rights business, too, maybe had something to do with it (surely).

[Michael]

Sure it's very costly ... but worth every cent even counting the insane shipping cost.

One of my most treasured DVDs ... one of the top five for sure.

When you receive the package, it will make you feel like you're actually receiving it directly, personally from David Lynch himself...the packaging is beautifully designed.. all drapped in blood red tissue paper. But make sure you have a spare DVD holder/case on hand.. you will see what I mean.

[The Invunche]

Sure it's very costly ... but worth every cent even counting the insane shipping cost.

I don't disagree, but you can't justify the shipping cost with how much effort Lynch put into the DVD.

[dekadetia]

When you receive the package, it will make you feel like you're actually receiving it directly, personally from David Lynch himself...

I'm not spoiler-tagging this, although packaging enthusiasts might want a **SPOILER ALERT**. Others might want to be prepared.

Someone said in a review at the time of this disc's release that the packaging was proof that Lynch harbors great contempt for the dvd format.

make sure you have a spare DVD holder/case on hand.. you will see what I mean.

It's like this:
The disc is found inside a cardboard flap (kind of like a paper/plastic cd envelope, but worse), which is attached by a pliant glue seal (the sort they use to seal the flap in magazine advertisements for perfume) to an 8" x 8" cardboard box which is otherwise entirely empty save for a slim booklet, also 8"x 8". The box, which has no markings of distinction on it, is then placed inside a thin glossy paper slip-sleeve which begs to tear or dent and says "Eraserhead DVD 2000" (!?) on it. The entire object is inside of a plastic wrap "bag" with a resealable flap, and this rests in the red tissue paper inside a shoebox which says "David Lynch" on it. You recieve this in the mail, carefully break the glue seal and remove the dvd, knowing that it will never be placed in the flap again. You place the disc in an amaray for safety's sake, and after seeing how ridiculous this "unique square box" (davidlynch.com) looks on your shelf, you end up putting it back in the Lynch shoebox and sticking it in the closet or something.

The experience is truly one to remember.

[Keaton]

Sure it's very costly ... but worth every cent even counting the insane shipping cost.

I don't disagree, but you can't justify the shipping cost with how much effort Lynch put into the DVD.

Yeah, for europeans this DVD is unaffordable...I hope it gets a decent release somewhere else.
It's a pity because of the shortfilm set too.

Regards,

Dennis

[mbalson]

Assuming everyone owning this has placed it in a proper amaray DVD case. Here is a printable cover I designed using elements from the 8x8 inch box and booklet. Some elements from a cover designed by a guy named JLyon (from the old DVDcoverart.com) where also used.
I would suggest printing the cover in two halves, front & spine and then back.
I have placed it on my webspace and the file is about 1.5MB.

http://www.markbalson.com/forum/eraserhead_mbalson.jpg

[neuro]

That's really some excellent work, mbalson...now, uh, just let me know when you do one for the short films collection...

Also, for those interested, here's a link to a freeware program that automatically resizes custom art to its correct size. It's only available free for a limited time, but if you're using it only a few times, it's a decent tool to have.

[THX1378]

Didn't the legend of Criterion's Eraserhead have something to do with Lynch disapproving of their transfer (a year or so worth of work), leading to his subsequent self-release?

I never heard that that was the reason why it never came out. I posted about what I knew and had heard in another Eraserhead post on this board. Eraserhead was going to come out from Criterion around 1997 or 1998 on Laserdisc then on DVD. I think it was ment to be one to the last lasers that they were going to do. At one time Tower Record even had it listed as coming soon and some places even a date when the disc was going to come out. Here is some more info from Peter Becker from an interview with The Digital Bits back in 99:

The biggest disappointment for all of us right now is Eraserhead, which is a title that we never announced. We were in year-long conversations with David Lynch. And it's one of these things where David Lynch is a very particular person. He has very peculiar ideas about how he wants to do things. And he doesn't want to be rushed to make up his mind. And he wants to do what he wants to do, in the way that he wants to do it. He doesn't want his privacy infringed, and he doesn't want to be reading about himself. We were in very protective conversations with him about Eraserhead that were all positive, over a long period of time. Suddenly, there's a rumor on the web that we were actually doing it, and had announced it. At some point, I even saw street dates posted for it. You know, this is something that never even made it on to our actual production load. It had been, at one point, penciled into a schedule -- if we could finish up negotiations in time. But that's as close as it ever come. We had certainly never announced anything about it. That's upsetting.

[denti alligator]

That cover is perfect! Thank you!

Here's another vote for a cover for the Short Films set too?

Also, for those interested, here's a link to a freeware program that automatically resizes custom art to its correct size. It's only available free for a limited time, but if you're using it only a few times, it's a decent tool to have.

Can you explain to an idiot like me how to use this program with such a file? Do I need to cut up the file into two parts first?