Legendary Master of Surreal Movies David Lynch Has Sadly Passed Away

Director-writer David Lynch, who radicalized American film with with a dark, surrealistic artistic vision in films like “Blue Velvet” and “Mulholland Drive” and network television with “Twin Peaks,” has died. He was 78.

Lynch revealed in 2024 that he had been diagnosed with emphysema after a lifetime of smoking, and would likely not be able to leave his house to direct any longer. His family announced his death in a Facebook post, writing, “There’s a big hole in the world now that he’s no longer with us. But, as he would say, ‘Keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole.'”

There are a lot of kooks and oddballs in Hollywood but David Lynch was the beacon to them all. He was a combination of the old school no bullshit/compromise mentality with the artistic sensibility as weird as any mind in cinema. He always knew exactly what he wanted to make and if a producer didn't like it, fuck 'em.

Coincidentally, the notable time he tried to work with a big studio and made 'Dune' in 1984 (which is now a monster franchise), he hated it, and the studio cut made the final product something that not a lot of people were fond of. 

He was a master of surrealism and his big 3 movies in 'Mulholland Drive', 'Blue Velvet' and 'Eraserhead' will stand the test of time if you ask me. I never got around to watching 'Twin Peaks', which has one of the most rabid cult fandoms you'll see, but I think this is the sign to check it out. Here is a quick streaming guide:

TWIN PEAKS - Paramount+, Roku

MULHOLLAND DRIVE - RENT

BLUE VELVET - Max, Hulu

ERASERHEAD - Max, Hulu 

THE ELEPHANT MAN - Kanopy 

DUNE - Max, Hulu, Roku

INLAND EMPIRE - Max, Hulu

LOST HIGHWAY - RENT

WHAT DID JACK DO - Netflix 

Also, here is a great compilation

Also Also, the last thing I saw him in was The Fabelmans, where he killed it as John Ford.