What does it all mean? Surely all of those red curtains, strobe lights and dancing dwarfs we keep seeing in David Lynch's films must mean something, right? Well actually, they do. In fact, not only do they mean something, they're all interconnected. Reading these symbols is the key to understanding not just David Lynch's films individually, but his body of work as a whole. Journey with author Mark Allyn Stewart as he travels film by film to let you in on the larger tapestry that Lynch is weaving and shows you how works such as Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet and Mulholland Dr. are all pieces of a larger picture.
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About the Author
Mark Allyn Stewart has a degree in film from Webster University in St. Louis but what he really always wanted to do is write. He is the author of the critically acclaimed Hand of God series, which began with his first novel, Against This Vast Army. He is also the author of the short story collection, Stories Told By Flashlight. For more information you can visit Mark on the world wide web at: www.markallynstewart.com or e-mail him at mark@markallynstewart.com.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Cracking the David Lynch Code,
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This review is from: David Lynch Decoded (Paperback)
According to this fascinating book, spotlights in David Lynch's films represent peepholes into mysterious worlds that are usually outside of ordinary perception. In a similar way, this books casts a revealing spotlight onto the mysterious and seemingly impenetrable worlds of David Lynch's stories.
Make no mistake: Stewart's analysis is laudably consistent, coherent, perceptive, and compelling. For instance, the theory about dogs-as-harbingers-of-danger is solidly supported by evidence yielded from ERASERHEAD, THE ELEPHANT MAN, DUNE, BLUE VELVET, WILD AT HEART, FIRE WALK WITH ME, and LOST HIGHWAY. In short, every single Lynch film with dogs fits like a dream into Stewart's interpretation. And this is true of nearly all of his many astute and surprising interpretations - they hold true with impressive consistently. This isn't to say I agree with everything he says. For instance, I disagree with some of his general interpretations of LOST HIGHWAY's basic story - dogs barking aside. I also feel that his chapter on the megalithic INLAND EMPIRE is inevitably a bit too flimsy to do the film proper justice. But these are trifles, especially when you consider that Allyn himself acknowledges that on a certain level we all see a little something different in Lynch's absurdist visions. And yet his inspired little book is the single best effort this confirmed Lynchophile has ever read when it comes to presenting a clear-headed, even-handed, and (most importantly?) unpretentious unified analysis of the symbolism and themes of Lynch's work. Allyn makes his cases, and he backs them up with loads of direct and fascinating evidence. Many filmgoers are inexplicably invested in the idea that Lynch's films are essentially weirdness-for-weirdness's-sake, and that any attempts to understand them are exercises in futility and subjectivity. The truth, however, is just the opposite: Lynch is one of the most meticulous and obssessive storytellers in cinema history, and his films are elaborate and bizarre mysteries that can be solved. The essential trick for understanding Lynch's films is learning to decode his many visual/non-verbal clues, and this is the very point that Allyn elaborates upon in DAVID LYNCH DECODED. Read the book, watch the films again, and you will almost certainly come to understand Lynch's movies, or at least aspects of Lynch's movies, with a clarity you probably never thought possible. And if nothing else, you're sure to get a fresh new perspective on this great American film-maker's mysterious body of work. 5 stars.
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Questions in a world of blue....,
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This review is from: David Lynch Decoded (Paperback)
First off, I want to say I am a HUGE fan of David Lynch's films, and one of the many reasons I picked up this book.. What Mr. Stewart does here is take the full canon of Lynch films (from ERASERHEAD all the way through INLAND EMPIRE) and look for similarities and consistent thematic elements that tie into an entire director's work. I would imagine Mr. Lynch wouldn't disapprove of these interpretations (he probably wouldn't say anything!!), and even Mr. Stewart himself says at one point that we can all find our own interprations.. I appreciated the attention he gives to the TWIN PEAKS series, as well as the film TWIN PEAKS:FIRE WALK WITH ME, because I believe Lynch cared a great deal about the world he was creating there, and the imagery, and otherworldly characters started becoming commonplace in his films and almost expected after that (and no, I'm not forgetting ERASERHEAD!). This book is an interesting read for the Lynch fan looking for some answers to all those questions...
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Making Lynch Understandable,
This review is from: David Lynch Decoded (Paperback)
As a reader of Stewart's fiction books, I thought that his considerable writing talent could be successfully applied to other areas. This analysis of David Lynch's work confirms my belief. Lynch is a complex and somewhat secretive individual and Stewart has managed to make his work more understandable for us. Readers will appreciate the many insights Stewart has given us into what he calls Lynch's "puzzzle pieces".
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screen blows, blue tomorrows, strobing light Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Twin Peaks, Mark Allyn Stewart, The Phantom, David Lynch Decoded, The Mystery Man, Lost Girl, Agent Cooper, The Lady In The Radiator, Blue Velvet, Laura Palmer, The Beautiful Girl Across The Hall, The Bum, Leland Palmer, The Rabbits, Harold Smith, The Cowboy, Frank Booth, The Giant, The Little Man From Another Place, The Girlfriends, The Black Lodge, Susan Blue, Laura Dern, The Red Room, Inland Empire Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
screen blows, blue tomorrows, strobing light Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Twin Peaks, Mark Allyn Stewart, The Phantom, David Lynch Decoded, The Mystery Man, Lost Girl, Agent Cooper, The Lady In The Radiator, Blue Velvet, Laura Palmer, The Beautiful Girl Across The Hall, The Bum, Leland Palmer, The Rabbits, Harold Smith, The Cowboy, Frank Booth, The Giant, The Little Man From Another Place, The Girlfriends, The Black Lodge, Susan Blue, Laura Dern, The Red Room, Inland Empire Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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