David Lynch Pushes The Envelope Further!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

                                       This was David Lynch's final theatrical feature, and it saddens me to see he did not go further on screen, because it would be interesting to see just how far he might have gone.

                                       Laura Dern plays Nikki Grace, a successful actress living in a gorgeous California mansion, and also Susan Blue, a character in a film she is shooting.  But is she?  Again, Lynch's distortion of space and time, referencing "The Wizard Of Oz," and the duality of personality are trademarks of his and used well here.  Since "Blue Velvet," one could say his narrative schemes are sketchy, but this one questions the concept of narration or even the boundaries of it.  The world that Laura as Nikki/ Susan wanders through is a disturbing one, recalling to me John Parker's 1955 film "Dementia," also known as "Daughter Of Horror."  I would guess Lynch has seen this film, because if I were to show it to a group of people not knowing the credentials, I would guess some of them would say it is a David Lynch film.

                                        The two are similar in that they involve a woman's downward trajectory into madness.  But the question remains is it Nikki or Susan?  Because when she dies on the streets of L.A. as a gutter whore, I was sure it was Nikki.  But then one of the last shots in the film is Nikki smiling contentedly in her California mansion.  So, what happens is anyone's guess.

                                          But Lynch's work is so visually fascinating it almost does not matter.  His colored shots of California catch the underbelly of life there, while the shots of Dern wandering an almost black and white world offer an almost noir look.  "Inland Empire" challenges with its length, but it is exhilarating in its visual detail.  And his ability to acquire interesting actors--Jeremy Irons, Diane Ladd, Justin Theroux-- is genius; but then who wouldn't wanted to have worked with David Lynch?  I would have loved to!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                          So, darlings, this is where we leave our study of David Lynch, remembering a true genius and visionary, only to ask where are such today?

                                            Even worse, will we ever get any?????????????????

Darlings, You Have GOT To See This Short Film By David Lynch!!!!!!!!!!!!! There Is Nothing Like It!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                                                 

                            Footage from this film was used in his 2006 film "Inland Empire," which I will eventually write about.  As this footage was some of the more interesting parts of the lengthier film, I did an investigation and found that the footage was excerpts from a short film he had made back in 2002, the year after "Mulholland Drive."  And three actresses from that film--Naomi Watts, Laura Harring, and Rebekah Del Riio--appear in the film.

                              Or do they?  Because the most fascinating thing about "Rabbits" is its look.  The living room set looks like a miniature doll house, with miniature furniture, so are the rabbits stop animation creatures with the actors' voices or was Lynch somehow able to shoot this with the real actors and then give it a miniaturized look?  That is just one of the questions surrounding this film, which on one level is about a quiet evening at home on a rainy night, but on another level raises the question of the daughter's having been raped, and someone else murdered.    There are also odd bits of humor; for example, when Jack walks through the door, there is always canned audience applause.  And sometimes, after delivering a monologue, rabbits just disappear.  And while delivering said monologues, fire appears over the living room entrance.

                             "Rabbits" is clearly David Lynch.  It is also close to situation comedy, which I think is what Lynch is saying, that American culture, via the sitcoms we all grew up with, has reduced its citizenry to a sitcom outlook on life that distorts reality.  Disagree with me all you might.

                               As for Rebekah Del Riio, her almost otherworldly nightclub appearance gives another persona to Jane, a trademark clearly from David Lynch but highly influenced by Ingmar Bergman. 

                                 To those of a certain age, "Rabbits" may come across as a surreal "Davey and Goliath."  For those beyond our generation, I leave your interpretations to you.

                                   But there is no question this is a masterpiece.  I am so glad he incorporated it into "Inland Empire," because otherwise I might not have discovered this short gem.

                                   And not a single carrot appears in the film!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

I Am Embarassed To Say This Was David's Alternate Choice To "Svengoolie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                                Girls, I mean, really!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  With all the quality cinema in this house, and David chooses this?  I am just thankful he did not choose something like "Revenge Of The Nerds!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                                  I am very familiar with "The Baby," even though I have not seen it in about ten years.  I first saw it accidentally on Channel 9, sometime in my twenties, when I was out of college, but still living at home.  It had Ruth Roman, whom I love as an actress, and was so bizarre, well, I had never seen anything like it.

                                   In 2013, 40 years after the film was made, some Fringe Festival in California attempted a musical version of it, and boy would I like to have seen that.  If done today, Tyne Daly, now butch as all get out, could play the Ruth Roman role!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Or maybe Nathan Lane!  I always confuse the two!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                    To think the film was made the year I graduated high school!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                    How to explain "The Baby."  I wonder if David Lynch had ever seen this film, because it was before "Eraserhead," and while lacking in his artistry, was not far from his cinematic territory.  I would not be surprised if he had seen this film!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                      Anjanette Comer, who died on May 26 of this year, at the age of 86, plays Ann Gentry, a dedicated social worker in Los Angeles, assigned to the Wadsworth case, in which a family, consisting of a mother, Mrs. Wadsworth, played by Ruth Roman, who is so butch she would be welcome at any lesbian bar on Saturday night, and her two daughters, Germaine (Marianna Hill) and Alba (Suzanne Zenor), and Baby a grown man kept as an infant.  At first, Ann takes a genuine interest int the case, and this gradually turns to obsession, the reason for which is the movie's plot twist which I will not reveal here.

                                      I can say that the movie is both campy and disturbing.  The abuse scenes of Baby were upsetting and repugnant to watch, and the dynamics of the Wadsworth brings new meaning to the word dysfunctional. There is even incest and adult breast feeding!  I mean, can you imagine?

                                       Granted it is better than "The Ghost And Mr. Chicken," but trust me, girls, next week we will watch a real gem.  And Baby Gojira will have something to say about it.

                                          Speaking of babies, Baby Gojira is his own independent reptile!  This house answers to him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                            But we are not nearly as crazy as those in "The Baby!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                                            What would "Ozzie And Harriet" say???????????????????  

                                             One more thing.  David Manzy, who played Baby, eventually became a high school English teacher in California!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                              I hope he taught AP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                              

                                         

"They Say That All Good Things Must End........Someday! Autumn Leaves Must Fall!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                                            "One last caress/It's time to dress/For Fall."                                                                                                          --Michel LeGrand, "Summer Of '42."

                                  Yes, girls, it is the last day of Summer.  Proserpina is packed and ready to go tomorrow.

                                     This is always a sad time for me.  The days grow shorter, darkness lasts longer than day, and we are forced to spend more time indoors.  Autumn and Winter seem the longest six months, while Spring and Summer seem so short.

                                      Starting tomorrow Summer Of 2026 will be history.  So, enjoy this day while it lasts.

                                        We had some magical moments during this Summer.  I started my film project, we saw, on Broadway, "Two Strangers (Carry A Cake Across New York)," which I loved, "The Rocky Horror Show," which was so much fun, "Hadestown," which was disappointing, and "Ragtime" which unexpectedly impressed the hell out of me.  Concerning the aforementioned film project, we saw a lot of cinematic gems, like "Oliver!,"  "Citizen Kane," "The Third Man," "Brief Encounter," "Leave Her To Heaven," "Wild Inside","(the documentary about Flaco, The Owl), "White Nights" (an early work of Luchino Visconti) "2001:  A Space Odyssey," Disney's 1951 cartoon "Alice In Wonderland," (my favorite), and Louis Malle's "Elevator To The Gallows."

                                        Need I forget--we saw "Disclosure Day," which we were not crazy about, and "Paranormal Activity," on Broadway, which we hated!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                         As far as trips, we stayed some nights in the city at The Algonquin, which is still awaiting a new Hamlet, and we made a visit to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, which was lovely.

                                         We also made an emotionally charged trip to New Brunswick, New Jersey, just across the river from my hometown of Highland Park.  The purpose was not to visit the town, but to visit the graves of my parents, so I could read over them the last paragraph of Emily Bronte's "Wuthering Heights."  It was done, after an eight year wait, and it was an emotional time for me.  Floods of memories kept coming back and the What If question, being what if I had stayed in the area, rather than go to New York.  In retrospect, I am not sure I would have been happy, and the city had always been beckoning me from an early age.  Speaking of memories, we had dinner with a former high school friend of mine, Neil, who still lives in Highland Park.

                                              There was also a commemoration party at The Actors' Temple, saluting Rabbi Jill's twenty years of service to the temple, and a celebratory party at David's former boss, Nadine, on Long Island, which was lovely, and with lovely people, including that live wire, Marcel!!!!!!!!!

                                                So, while we did not travel, it was a pretty active Summer.  I wish all of you a pleasant Fall and Winter, with good things abounding.

                                                 Soon, darlings, those falling leaves will drift past our windowpane!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                   

Absolutely Do NOT Tune In!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                       After showing the classic, the original 1958, "The Fly," "Svengoolie" has reached rock bottom again, showing 1966's "The Ghost And Mr. Chicken."  There is some demographic out there who like this film, as it seems to turn up sometime each year.

                                       David and I have seen it, so we know how awful it is.  We choose not to watch it, and David has chosen his film tonight, and while I would not have chosen it, it is also wonderfully campy, and I will reveal what that choice was tomorrow.

                                           For those who have never seen the film, it is so bad I urge you to skip it.  Here's the thing--for anyone having seen Don Knotts do his Barney Fifte schtick, imagine two solid hours of it with him at the lead helm!  It is clear the schtick does not last that long, and he is incapable of carrying an entire film.

                                              If I were a member of The Sven Squad, I would have taken the night off.  Even they have better sense.

                                               Girls, an evening of scrubbing the floors would be more productive.

                                                It would make you feel like Jennifer Jones in "The Song Of Bernadette!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

100 Years! La Festa Da San Gennaro!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                From last night, September 17, until Sunday September 27, is the 100th occurrence of The Feast Of San Gennaro on Mulberry Street in Little Italy.  I have gone for years, and it is an event, but I caution you, darlings, do not go on a weekend; the crowds are unbelievable.

                                 This is an experience beyond "Moonstruck," and everyone should experience it at least once if you are a New Yorker.  The crowds and eating on the street do not appeal to me anymore, and the indoor restaurants are so packed it is impossible to get a seat.

                                     Nevertheless, I have happy memories of festivals past, but I want to make sure all my readers who have not experienced it, and/or want to, get down there immediately.

                                         And make sure you watch those waistlines and take some Alka-Seltzer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Go Play With The Planchette!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                             No, darlings, I am not being obscene.  Nor do I own a planchette.  They have been around since appearing in Paris, France in 1853.  The original ones had casters on their rods underneath, which made them appear to move; later, with my Ouija board, they became smooth fabric easy to maneuver.  They also originally had a hole in the center, through which a pencil was inserted, because, before Ouija boards, the pencil was used to evoke written messages.

                              What brought all this up was a book I recently read.  It was "The Unknown," by Riley Sager, an author I like.  The only thing wrong was the title; it was too generic.  Within the story, seances are held, and a home-made Ouija board is constructed out of Scrabble tiles, and an ordinary drinking glass is used for a planchette.  I suppose that could work, but if you cannot buy a planchette then I suggest making one's own; either by yourself or getting a friend to do it. I know someone who would be excellent at making planchettes, but I am not really sure if I would need one.  As for Ouija boards, are they sold anymore??????????

                               I have had the boards and their planchettes over the years but have never managed to hold on to them.  I am not that into the occult, so how many times can I use the Ouija?  I am not one of those folks who consult it daily!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                The only things daily I do are drink coffee and write this blog!

                                But it is time to bring back the planchette!

                                Mystic oracle, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                Addendum: The planchette, pictured above, was the one I saw, whenever we would visit my parents' friends, The Lammers, in South Plainfield, NJ.  How I wish I had it now!!!!!!!!!!!!!