Keith Garcia thinks he has the David Lynch masterpiece “Mulholland Drive” figured out.
“It’s a two-hour dream, with a half-hour of awakening to reality,” said Garcia, program coordinator for the Denver Film Society.
But don’t hold him to it, and he won’t hold you to any unsubstantiated thoughts you might have about other Lynch classics like “Blue Velvet” or “Lost Highway.”
“His movies become that individual watcher’s sense of meaning,” Garcia said. “For the most part, everyone is right.”
A David Lynch program is perfect for a film society, because it rules out no potential ticket buyer. Those who haven’t seen Lynch may jump at the chance to see one of the great, un-
duplicated directors of our time. And those who have already seen the eccentric works many times should never miss a chance to launch another theory.
“It’s been 20 years since ‘Blue Velvet,’ and MGM has released a new print,” Garcia said. “He’s done so few titles over that 20 years, but they’ve all meant so much.”
The society’s Lynch mini-festival begins tonight with “Eraserhead” and runs through the special “Blue Velvet” presentation July 28 and 29. In between will be “Wild at Heart” on July 7 and 8, “Lost Highway” on July 14 and 15, and “Mulholland Drive” on July 21 and 22.
The new 35mm print of “Blue Velvet” gives Denver the opportunity to “really delve into this weird sensibility that is David Lynch,” said society artistic director Ron Henderson.
Lynch wedded the erotic and the criminal to the mundane and the suburban in a way few had tried before, and none with as much commercial sensibility or critical success.
Lynch’s movies tend to make less than $10 million at the box office, but his polished production values and almost-normal world view attract big backers. “Blue Velvet” translated into a TV contract for the acclaimed “Twin Peaks” series on ABC, one of the most brilliantly obtuse programs ever to hit the networks. “The Elephant Man,” “Blue Velvet” and “Mulholland Drive” each landed Lynch Oscar nominations for best director.
While Lynch films always make a big impression on their audience, it’s hard to pinpoint other directors or movies influenced by his style, Garcia said. Lynch’s movies are sexy, funny, bizarre and disturbing all at once, and few filmmakers have the vision to re-create the approach.
“What he has brought to American film is that things can get really dark,” Garcia said. “They don’t have to follow this certain path to get to a certain idea.”
For more information on the Lynch series, go to deverfilm.org, or call 303-595-3456.
Staff writer Michael Booth can be reached at 303-820-1686 or mbooth@denverpost.com.
