Film: Inland Empire (David Lynch)

[L2R]

our views were fine. we were on the middle (mezzanine) level and quite centred.

the dvd is on it's way. amazon have it for 40% off at the moment. w00t!

 

[captainballs]

That's good, then. There's no arguing it is a fantastic theatre, and arguably melds perfectly with some of the themes in the film, as well as some of the actual scenes. That aside you wrote about the woman walking out and making a scene would have caused me to spontaneously combust, though.

 

[psood0nym]

Respect for not releasing it "in theatres everywhere."

If I could pick a theatre to see it in with a small group of people, however, the theatre above would be the one. The atmosphere looks beautiful, but people ruin everything...
these morons will influence your opinion even if they only chuckle at the wrong parts twice

I doubt it could have been released in theaters everywhere. There was only one theater playing it in the city I saw it in, and about 1/3 of the people who were there at the beginning were gone by the end. Lot's of "pffffts!" and "what the fa?!s"--seemingly demanding that the rest of us forego quietly accepting ignorance and instead defensively dismiss the film as pretentious along with them--before they finally got up and left.

I'm sure Lynch wants as many people to see it as possible; he's been much more commercially ambitious lately. Anyone else catch Lynch's slogan drop for his "signature" coffee? Justin Theroux while drinking coffee with Dern on the set: "It's all in the beans...and I'm full of beans" (also an ad inside the DVD case). Though it's obvious in watching Inland Empire that these aspirations certainly have not compromised his vision; I think it's his greatest work.

Out of curiousity, what parts were the wrong parts to chuckle at?

 

[captainballs]

Yeah, Lynch really would want as many people to see his films as possible, that's true. I came to the same conclusion after seeing the coffee ad in the DVD case and the beans slogan (lol). After watching the film, though, yes, his vision is completely uncompromised, and if anything it is growing stronger. i wish he could live forever so we would get to see him keep developing...

Chuckle is the wrong word, I was referring more to what you described above as random "pffts" and "what the fa?" There's no wrong way to react to this movie, of course, and I didn't mean to come off rude but I am of the opinion that this is a film that should be watched in an intimate atmosphere, and that if people really want to get all there is out of it they have to let the movie take them where it goes. A meditative state is almost needed, IMO, to really feel his movies.

I love David Lynch, and I love this movie. Pretty soon I'm going to sit down with my other anti-social Lynch obsessed friend and watch Mulholland Drive and Inland Empire back to back, in a dark room with the music turned up perfectly.

I was reading your reaction to the film, and it seems like you really felt it to the max which is awesome. I love Lynch because you can let his films take you on a very strange emotional ride while on psychedelics, which I've never done with IV DMT but have done with LSA (morning glory extract) w/ Mulholland Drive, but I still like to watch his movies totally sober more to really feel the way I'm reacting to his movies. And I like to rationally figure out the plot, to the fullest extent that it may be possible to figure out. By the way, you're insane - I can't believe you did DMT and watched Inland Empire. Even though I've never done DMT, I've read a lot about it and even have even thought that it might be the perfect drug to combine with one of Lynch's last two films. Or maybe Datura, except you'd be too busy starring in your own David Lynch film to really even pay attention to a movie, based on what I've read on erowid.

 

[L2R]

^dude, eraserhead + lsd = well..... nah, i can't say.

 

[captainballs]

Ugh. Eraserhead was like Inland Empire on steroids with regard to the patience you have to have to really have it hit you heavy. If I took some acid and tried to watch it I'd be all ADD like, "who wants pancakes?" I bet you're mind got a little bent during the dinner scenes with that chicken, not to mention that hideous baby.

 

[L2R]

yeah,




it was incredible :D:D:D:D:D

 

[Finder]

Wow, captainballs, I had no idea you were so passionate about Lynch films! :D

It was bitterly cold evening the night I headed to the theatre causing me to drive there, which I usually don't do. I smoked quite a bit in my car before heading in to the movie which would prove to be a good call for this solo moving-going experience. Lynch has a very strong following in Chicago if the audience I saw the film with was any indication. Here is a photo of the inside of The Music Box Theatre, where I saw the film:

Lynch made an appearance during the opening weekend of the movie and said a few things (sadly, those tickets were sold out before I found out about it). I caught the movie midweek during the first week run and was surprised at the large turnout for a weeknight show. I don't recall anyone shuffling out during the film and I'd say most if not all of the audience remained when the lights went up. The run was extended an extra week, which should be a good indication folks were still showing up for the film.

I definitely plan on picking this up on DVD when it gets released so I can give it a second viewing. It occupied my thoughts for weeks after that first time.

 

[captainballs]

Wow, captainballs, I had no idea you were so passionate about Lynch films!

His movies make me feel so good (inspired, antgonized, generally turned on so to speak) it's unexplainable.

 

[psood0nym]

By the way, you're insane - I can't believe you did DMT and watched Inland Empire. Even though I've never done DMT, I've read a lot about it and even have even thought that it might be the perfect drug to combine with one of Lynch's last two films. Or maybe Datura, except you'd be too busy starring in your own David Lynch film to really even pay attention to a movie, based on what I've read on erowid.

It was 4-AcO-DMT (very similar to psilocin, which is 4-ho-DMT, though both, alone, are a little different than mushrooms) intramuscularly injected (not IV) in the bathroom right before the show. The plateau lasts about 3 hrs by this route, so it was perfect for Inland Empire. I was sure I'd be fine because I get off on things like psychedelic bungee jumping, but would advise others to test their limits before tripping in public. DMT would unfortunately be too short for a film (only 40 minutes intramuscularly, 15 minutes IV)--and maybe a little too demanding of your attention--though you could conceivably use it orally with an MAOI (lasts 1-1.5hrs) and re-dose half-way through (you'd need synthed or a near-pure encapsulated extract to pull that off; walking in with a cup of putrid brown ayahuasca liquid and retching into your popcorn bucket might arouse suspicion). For shorter films DPT is a good option (2-2.5hrs IM). Of course, there's a lack of films that really justify tripping at a theater at all, but I tell you this was more of a profound life experience than a film in that condition, and I'm very glad I did it. Also, I would recommend against datura at any time, though especially in public! However if you do it write a report because datura reports are always the most entertaining--running from the cops naked through the neighborhood and the like.

 

[captainballs]

Maybe I'll try some of the above in private, in a dark room with Inland Empire or Mulholland Drive (since I haven't seen it in a while). I usually give bad connotations to needles, but IM psychedelics seems pretty benign for some reaon. In fact, I really don't like psychedelics anymore, but watching either of these two films seems like a good enough excuse for one more time.

 

[L2R]

there's an exclusive 11 minutes interview with lynch here on amazon where he's asked about his films, influences, future plans, meditations and audience experiences.

 

[captainballs]

^^That's an awesome edition. We watched the whole second disc and it was so full of interesting stuff.

 

[junglist15]

i watched this last night....i give it a 4/5. i really liked it, just not sure why??

glad i waited for it to get to DVD, don't thik it could have sat through the whole three hours without a smoke break.

 

[drEaMtiMe*@#]

watch lynch campaigning for inland empire on the streets of hollywood:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ut6zdE8qWj0

 

[Jamshyd]

Hmm... it is playing here in Tokyo... not sure till when... soooo tempted to go see it!

 

[jpgrdnr]

One of the most psychologically strange films since Mulholland Drive. I saw it on DVD and really wished I saw it in a big theatre. But its loong...I couldn't watch it
all the way through. Being a Lynch fan I didn't fall for all his usual cinematic tricks (walking through doors that change sets, strange looking characters that don't say anything at all and when they do its that great Lynch dialogue, weird lighting, and strange objects that just appear and disappear).

Dern is great though and probably gives the best performance of her career.

There are some weird musical moments though.
Having Beck do a song for the film seemed really odd.

And the credits was probably the weirdest credits I've ever seen.

 

[Finder]

Hmm... it is playing here in Tokyo... not sure till when... soooo tempted to go see it!

Doooo eeeeeet!

 

[L2R]

lynch gives his eloquent and concise thoughts on product placement
:D

 

[L2R]

just watched my dvd. not nearly as funny as the first time but just as freaky as ever.

not sure how alcohol affected it.