On Jan. 15, 2025, David Lynch, the visionary director, died from an ongoing struggle with lung cancer. He was a lifelong smoker, which led him to being homebound and dependent on an oxygen tank for his last couple of months of life.
On Facebook, his family released a statement on his passing: “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.”
Lynch originally developed his skills as an artist at Corcoran School of the Arts and Design, The School of Museum of Fine Arts and The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. He preferred social life to academics. He believed real learning happens outside of school. Lynch had a long film career from the 1970s to 2017, but he was most famous for directing and writing the TV show “Twin Peaks” with co-writer Robert Frost. His work has a cult following because he managed to move audiences with his unique films.
Lynch’s popularity is evident in his frequent visits to Bob’s Big Boy in Burbank, CA; he ate there almost everyday in the 1970s. When learning of the surreal storyteller’s passing on Jan. 16, fans began to flock to Bob’s Big Boy. They not only wanted to enjoy “a damn fine cup of coffee” in honor of the director but also to see the framed picture of Lynch.
In his book, “Catching the Big Fish: Meditation, Consciousness, and Creativity,” Lynch devoted page 39 to Bob’s Big Boy: “I used to go to Bob’s Big Boy restaurant just about every day from the mid-seventies until the early eighties. I’d have a milkshake and sit and think. There’s a safety in thinking in a diner. You can have your coffee or your milkshake, and you can go off into strange dark areas, and always come back to the safety of the diner.” Lynch fans in the Los Angeles (LA) area have gathered around the diner to create a shrine in remembrance of Lynch’s legacy. Fans left cigarettes, Heineken beers, candles, flowers, coffee cups, money and other Lynch inspired items.
Lynch’s films are known for their surrealism. Surrealism is “a movement in art and literature seeking to express the subconscious mind by any of a number of different techniques, including the irrational juxtaposition of realistic images [or] the creation of mysterious symbols.” Lynch used surrealism to help craft a story with the use of visual elements, such as color, composition, bizarre editing techniques and camera angles. His approach would leave readers confused. This makes the quality of his films special – so much so that a term was created for them – Lynchian films
“Lynchian” films are described as “characteristic, reminiscent, or imitative of the films or television work of David Lynch.” Lynch is noted for juxtaposing surreal or sinister elements with mundane, everyday environments and for using compelling visual images to emphasize a dreamlike quality of mystery or menace.
Lynchian films are filled with absurd imagery and content, which forces the audience to think for themselves. This was his main philosophy: independent interpretation. Lynch didn’t like explaining his films to his viewers. Instead he urged them to close read for themselves. Lynchian films require careful attention to detail to all visual and narrative elements.
What makes David Lynch’s work so unforgetable is the way he’s able to tell a story and push the limits through a visual medium. He was not afraid to be experimental. When you watch a Lynch film, you don’t forget the red curtains on top of the black and white zigzag floors from “Twin Peaks” (1990) or the red flowers against the bright blue skies from “Blue Velvet” (1986). From strange bunnies on the television in “Inland Empire” (2006), to mysterious characters and possible possessions in “Twin Peaks,” this imagery drives viewers to be more engaged with the media they consume.
For newcomers to the Lynch archive, the cult classic “Twin Peaks” is a good place to start. At its core, it’s a “whodunit” detective show about solving the murder of Laura Palmer, a local prom queen in a small Washington town. The show employs added elements of sci-fi and mystery. The series begins when Pete Martell from the Sawmill finds the prom queen wrapped in plastic on the beach. This prompts the FBI to get involved, which is where Agent Dale Cooper comes in. Cooper is a coffee and pie-obsessed, lovable character, who is played by Kyle MacLachlan. The viewer learns more about the town through his lens, through which the town’s darker secrets end up being revealed.
The loss of David Lynch is not only felt by his family and friends, but also by his fans and the film industry. David Lynch was the filmmaker of his generation. The type of films he made are one of a kind. Lynchian films explore darker elements that feel like a fever dream.