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broadwayrock wrote:David Lynch to direct a live online Duran Duran concert

I am quite appalled by this, as I was by his dire Gucci ad.

Here's some video. Who could have guessed it: the 2011 version of Duran Duran and rote Lynchian weirdness are not all that compelling of a combo.

j99 wrote:

broadwayrock wrote:David Lynch to direct a live online Duran Duran concert

I am quite appalled by this, as I was by his dire Gucci ad.

Why are you appaled? Gives him food on the dinner table. And I can't see anything immoral with Duran Duran. I would be happier if state grants existed for making art, including art-films, but not in the USA I guess? At least not if it could be controversial in any way.

Tom Hagen wrote:Here's some video. Who could have guessed it: the 2011 version of Duran Duran and rote Lynchian weirdness are not all that compelling of a combo.

Ricky Gervais' take on this latest Lynchian escapade-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SK3y1a8TYs" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Hey, he's gotta pay his bills too.

Since when exactly has David Lynch been some sort of starving artist figure? He can get Hollywood money to make whatever batshit crazy movies he pleases. He sells his own brand of coffee for chrissake.

When was the last time Hollywood paid him to make a film? Wasn't Inland Empire a french production? And Mullholland Drive is originally a pilot for a tv-series that he couldn't get financed. I'm not sure it's that easy for him to get Hollywood money. I hope I'm wrong.

RobertB wrote:When was the last time Hollywood paid him to make a film? Wasn't Inland Empire a french production? And Mullholland Drive is originally a pilot for a tv-series that he couldn't get financed. I'm not sure it's that easy for him to get Hollywood money. I hope I'm wrong.

I've driven by his house in Hollywood. Anyone who lives in a house like he does is by no means a starving artist.

What does that have to do with what RobertB said?

I'm sure Lynch could snag a Hollywood deal, but not for the projects that interest him now. I'm not even certain he's that keen on writing and directing features; he seems to be in retirement mode, traveling the world and occupying his time with TM promotion, painting...and the occasional commercial or Duran Duran web concert.

RobertB wrote: I would be happier if state grants existed for making art, including art-films, but not in the USA I guess? At least not if it could be controversial in any way.

RobertB wrote: When was the last time Hollywood paid him to make a film? Wasn't Inland Empire a french production? And Mullholland Drive is originally a pilot for a tv-series that he couldn't get financed. I'm not sure it's that easy for him to get Hollywood money. I hope I'm wrong.

Incredibly difficult I imagine, which is why he had to go cap in hand to Studio Canal and Alain Sarde in France to get Mulholland Drive financed, and I believe Inland Empire was a joint French/Polish production. I doubt whether state grants would cover a Lynch production, but it's a travesty that none of the Hollywood studios are prepared to finance one of their greatest film directors. If it's a case of survival, then working with Duran Duran can be excused, but as someone mentioned above, this isn't the case with Lynch.

I'm pretty sure Lost Highway and Fire Walk With Me were made with French money as well. And Lynch directing the Duran Duran thing is no surprise to me. Lynch is a great artist but he's also incredibly corny. He sells his own coffee beans, has made ridiculous commercials (including the Japanese Twin Peaks themed coffee spots(!)), and created the show On The Air. I don't think he did any of these to "sell out"; I just think he genuinely has somewhat bad taste. Who cares if he lives in a big house? He's one of the most uncompromising filmmakers in America - seems like a foolish thing to bring up his house. Also, how much money is the guy making off a Duran Duran concert? When was the last time those guys were relevant?

Say what you want about Duran Duran--"Rio" will still always be better than anything any of you will ever accomplish with your lives.

Also, you don't have to be starving to need money, especially when you have a giant mortgage payment to keep up with. It's not enough he makes films you like--he also has to live a modest life in the suburbs? Give the guy a break.

But what if he doesn't make films that I like? Then can I criticize his frivilous extra filmic activities that may or may not subsidize his prefered standard of living?

How dare Lynch have a nice house. Sell out. Although I suppose it helped cut location costs when shooting LOST HIGHWAY.

Two appropriate quotes from this David Lynch interview:

"I’ve always worked not through a studio system. I’ve never made a studio picture. I believe in freedom, and that’s it."

"...I’m working on painting and music right now, and I’m thinking about the next film."

Re. Lynch's relationship with big studios, Elephant Man was distributed by Paramount, and I suspect had some studio financing as well (unless Mel Brooks ponied up for the whole thing). Dune was distributed by Universal, but famously financed by Dino Di Laurentiis. The Straight Story was greeted at the time as Lynch's "Disney picture," but it seems to have been financed by a mix of American and French companies, and only distributed by Disney. Of course, distributors are often also investors, and don't always receive production credits.

By contrast, Lynch's features have had French financing since Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me. (And his short film The Cowboy and the Frenchman, from 1988, was made for French TV.) Lynch--like Jarmusch, Kiarostami, and countless others--has been a "European" director for a while now.

He's also always been pretty good at branding himself, and I think he embraces the silly aspects of it--coffee beans, etc. He also sells his paintings and furniture on occasion, and--if I'm not mistaken--has pay content on his website. I'd say he's doing OK, and why not? He works hard.

His relationship with TM organizations is more troubling.

David Lynch's new coffee commercial

Has anyone seen 'David wants to fly'?

Lynch's site was relaunched a few months ago as pretty much a music-download-only site. He's selling downloads of the "Twin Peaks Season Two" album, an album by Ariana Delawari, a random Donovan track, other odds & ends. There's also the Inland Empire soundtrack, minus the non-Lynch cues (Nina Simone, Dave Brubeck, etc.) but with additional Lynch tracks not on the regular album. There are some standalone "experiment" tracks by Lynch, droney things that are pretty much what you'd expect.

The biggest draw, however, is the Twin Peaks Archive, an ongoing series of unreleased music from both the tv show and the film. Some of these are alternate versions of well know themes, some are background diegetic music (music that crops up in the background of the Great Northern), and some are full on score tracks that are featured only in excerpted form in the show/film. I haven't checked all of these out; getting every single variation of some of the themes is a bit too completest for me. The unreleased Fire Walk with Me tracks are very nice to have though and provide a nice complement to the albums.

I love you man - finally I've been able to get the slow alternative take of the Peaks theme that I've been wanting to have forever.

Lynch is opening a real-life Club Silencio in Paris. Looks like cackling senior citizens and mud-caked bums will not be allowed entry.

Just tweeted:

With this and the new documentary on Blue Velvet, this bodes well for a Criterion blu! [-o<

I really don't believe Lynch is in need of the Criterion treatment. Correct me if I'm wrong but it seems like his films are always treated fairly well. Good transfers and extra features.