Probably not wrapped in plastic, but still.
Sorry, that was in poor taste, although I believe he’d have chuckled. I have to believe it.
The world has lost a very special mind this week, the kind that mine could always relate to – yet, ironically, I’ve seen so little of his work.
Apart from Dune, Twin Peaks and Mulholland Drive, and probably scenes from The Elephant Man when I was a kid (1980 is a great vintage btw), I’ve got a lot of catching-up to do. Wild At Heart, in particular, has been on my list for too long.
Of course, it was very cool to see him play John Ford in Spielberg’s The Fabelmans (which I loved), and it was only today that I learned he directed the music video for Chris Isaak’s song, Wicked Game. That thing was basically pornography back then. (He directed other music videos, but boy does that one stick in my head…)
He died yesterday, aged 78, from emphysema – exacerbated by the need to evacuate him from California’s wildfires.
Lynch’s family posted the following on his Facebook page yesterday:
“It is with deep regret that we, his family, announce the passing of the man and the artist, David Lynch. We would appreciate some privacy at this time. 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.”
It’s a beautiful day with golden sunshine and blue skies all the way.
Twin Peaks star Kyle Maclachlan had this to say on his Instagram page:
Forty-two years ago, for reasons beyond my comprehension, David Lynch plucked me out of obscurity to star in his first and last big budget movie. He clearly saw something in me that even I didn’t recognize. I owe my entire career, and life really, to his vision.
What I saw in him was an enigmatic and intuitive man with a creative ocean bursting forth inside of him. He was in touch with something the rest of us wish we could get to.
Our friendship blossomed on Blue Velvet and then Twin Peaks and I always found him to be the most authentically alive person I’d ever met.
David was in tune with the universe and his own imagination on a level that seemed to be the best version of human. He was not interested in answers because he understood that questions are the drive that make us who we are. They are our breath.
While the world has lost a remarkable artist, I’ve lost a dear friend who imagined a future for me and allowed me to travel in worlds I could never have conceived on my own.
I can see him now, standing up to greet me in his backyard, with a warm smile and big hug and that Great Plains honk of a voice. We’d talk coffee, the joy of the unexpected, the beauty of the world, and laugh.
His love for me and mine for him came out of the cosmic fate of two people who saw the best things about themselves in each other.
I will miss him more than the limits of my language can tell and my heart can bear. My world is that much fuller because I knew him and that much emptier now that he’s gone.
David, I remain forever changed, and forever your Kale. Thank you for everything.
Steven Spielberg said:
“I loved David’s films. ‘Blue Velvet,’ ‘Mulholland Drive’ and ‘Elephant Man’ defined him as a singular, visionary dreamer who directed films that felt handmade.
I got to know David when he played John Ford in ‘The Fabelmans.’ Here was one of my heroes—David Lynch playing one of my heroes. It was surreal and seemed like a scene out of one of David’s own movies.
The world is going to miss such an original and unique voice. His films have already stood the test of time and they always will.”
Ron Howard:
#RIPDavidLynch, a gracious man and fearless artist who followed his heart & soul and proved that radical experimentation could yield unforgettable cinema.
John Carpenter:
I got to be friends with David Lynch when we were both at Universal years ago. A very kind man, he was a fan of Bob’s Big Boy. So was I. I’m going to miss him. R.I.P. David.
Patton Oswalt, who really gets it:
David Lynch, RIP. At least that’s what the horse wearing a fez just told me* in a dream. (*Backwards and in Swedish)
Naomi Watts:
My heart is broken. My Buddy Dave… The world will not be the same without him. His creative mentorship was truly powerful. He put me on the map. The world I’d been trying to break into for ten plus years, flunking auditions left and right. Finally, I sat in front of a curious man, beaming with light, speaking words from another era, making me laugh and feel at ease. How did he even “see me” when I was so well hidden, and I’d even lost sight of myself?!
It wasn’t just his art that impacted me – his wisdom, humor, and love gave me a special sense of belief in myself I’d never accessed before.
Every moment together felt charged with a presence I’ve rarely seen or known. Probably because, yes, he seemed to live in an altered world, one that I feel beyond lucky to have been a small part of. And David invited all to glimpse into that world through his exquisite storytelling, which elevated cinema and inspired generations of filmmakers across the globe.
I just cannot believe that he’s gone. I’m in pieces but forever grateful for our friendship. I’m yelling from the bullhorn: Godspeed, Buddy Dave! Thank you for your everything. —Buttercup xox
Lauren Dern, who got her start in Blue Velvet:
The only way to pay tribute to David Lynch, and celebrate giving him his Oscar, would be his homage by the greatest other artist/genius possible, Raf Simons. Here with his amazing coat. My favorite images from the world of David. Even my brilliant mama from WILD AT HEART on one of his coats. Masterpiece collection.
Lynch himself, in 2014:
“We don’t do anything without an idea, so they’re beautiful gifts.
And I always say, you desiring an idea is like a bait on a hook, you can pull them in, and if you catch an idea that you love, that’s a beautiful, beautiful day.
And you write that idea down so you won’t forget it.”
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