Customer Reviews

David Lynch The Lime Green Set

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Mystery Disc includes...

A brief, awkward, and occassionally funny intro by Lynch himself.

Over an hour and fifteen minutes of interesting unseen footage from WILD AT HEART.

2 episodes of Lynch's absurd and funny online serial, "Out Yonder." For those who are not yet familiar, an episode of "Yonder" is included on DYNAMIC 01: THE BEST OF DAVID LYNCH. Check it out. It's worth mentioning that I found the two LIME GREEN episodes to be much funnier and more inspired than the DYNAMIC 01 episode, which was probably the first in the series.

4 perplexing, eerie, and mystery-haunted episodes of INLAND EMPIRE-related "RABBITS". All of these little gems were originally available on DL's official site, although they can no longer be seen there. The "RABBITS" series is simply the most intruiging and successful short work of Lynch's career, imho.

A 20 minute montage of early experimental work, from when DL was working on "The Alphabet" and "The Grandmother", both of which are included here in THE SHORT FILMS OF DAVID LYNCH disc. Deleted footage from both of these films are part of the montage.

A brief, dream-like, and oddly disturbing early film called "Absurd Encounter with Fear". This one's a personal favorite. I called it disturbing, but it's also pretty funny.

Another funny and bizarre short work called "Imaginary Anacin Commercial." Think of it as an absurdist satire of a television commercial.

A trio of fun and highly imaginative short films that Lynch exclusively screened at the Cannes, Hollyshorts, and Twin Peaks festivals. Two of them are actually more fun to watch backwards on slow-reverse. You'll see what I mean...

A slapdash music video of Lynch and Badalamenti's "A Real Indication" from the TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME soundtrack.

So, that's the Mystery Disc - a cavelcade of stuff for the true Lynchophile, ranging from throwaway oddities ("A Real Indication" video) to compelling outtakes ("Wild at Heart" deleted scenes and the early montage) to must-see minor works (the festival films and the early shorts) to bonafide hidden masterpieces ("RABBITS" and "Out Yonder").

A few other things you might want to know about the LIME GREEN SET:

The ELEPHANT MAN bonus disc is comprised of three excellent interviews, one of which is a recent interview with Lynch that is both entertaining and revealing. The disc isn't very long, but it is satisfyingly substantive.

There are a number of fun and easy-to-find easter eggs on the BLUE VELVET disc. One is an interview in which the long-standing mystery of the fake-looking robin is revealed. And it isn't what you're thinking.

The INDUSTRIAL SYMPHONY 1 disc comes with a great little documentary featuring old interviews with Lynch, Badalamenti, and Cruise. I mention this because I don't believe that the original VHS release had this extra material.

OK, that's it...enjoy!

If you're a cinephile who is either just getting into Lynch or would like to, then this set would be a great purchase. It's got four of his older masterpieces: Eraserhead, The Elephant Man, Blue Velvet, and Wild at Heart. If you don't have these already, then this is a great buy with enough great extras to justify the price tag. And trust me - this is five-star material. David Lynch is one of the greatest artists in American cinema, and any film aficionado should familiarize themselves with his work.

Unless you're rolling in money, though, this set just isn't worth the cash for people like me who have already seen these four movies. I'm lucky enough to have a very well-stocked local library which already has the Lime Green Set, so I was able to check it out without plunking down the money. I already own copies of the four major films in this set as well as the "Short Films" DVD.

This set really does have some very nice extras that were never previously released. The new deluxe editions of "The Elephant Man" and "Wild at Heart" are fantastic, as is the brand-new 5.1 sound mix on this edition of "Blue Velvet." One reviewer already went through the contents of the mystery disc in thorough detail, so I won't bother to repeat it. "Industrial Symphony No. 1" was very interesting to see. I had never previously seen "Dumbland," and while it's hardly Lynch's best work, it certainly does reflect his absurd sense of humor and is worth checking out.

Bells and whistles aside, it's just not worth the price tag if you've already got the main four films. If you don't have it already, I would recommend picking up the "Short Films of David Lynch" DVD, as there is some very interesting material on that. That'll only cost you $20, though, and the rest of the extras, while very nice, are just padding.

In conclusion - if you don't have the four movies, pick it up. If you do, either rent it, check it out of a library if yours has it, or just wait a year or two for the price to drop to something a little more reasonable. However I will say that besides the Eraserhead disc, which is identical, these are the best releases yet of each of the films included.

I suppose reviews should review the item as is, rather than dwelling on how it could have been. As others have mentioned, this is a strange box set. It can't really be seen as David Lynch 1970-1990 because it's missing 1984's Dune and it contains some gear shot very recently. But it does contain his signature films from that period. And that's the important thing. The four feature films contained in The Lime Green Set are absolute classics, the best of Lynch's career my opinion. Lost Highway and Mulholland Dr are terrific also, but not quite as beautiful and riveting as the awesome foursome Eraserhead, Elephant Man, Blue Velvet and Wild at Heart. So while this box set is a bit of an uncategorable ragbag, it's the greatest Lynchian uncategorable ragbag imaginable. I already owned Eraserhead, Blue Velvet and Wild at Heart, but went ahead and bought the box anyway. I'm not unhappy with this expensive choice.

It was fun to see the Industrial Symphony No. 1 for the first time, presented here in the highest quality possible (it looks like it was shot on video, but has been nicely cleaned up). I had never seen The Short Films of David Lynch before; it's powerfully fascinating to see the master incrementally honing his craft. The Eraserhead soundtrack is the most unusual soundtrack CD in existence - essentially three epic mood tracks. The Elephant Man extras are interesting. Dumbland is plain dumb, which was the point I guess, but it's so lame, so so lame, but it's the only lame entry in the collection. The Mystery Disc is mixed. I was thrilled with the Wild at Heart deleted scenes, all 75 mins of them. The rest is mainly Lynch shorts from throughout his career - some are interesting, others feel very frivolous, like Lynch is parodying himself.

So in conclusion: I'd have liked for Dumbland to have been replaced with something better, perhaps Pretty as a Picture or Lynch (One) or another documentary on the director's method, and some of the shorts on the Mystery Disc are not so great, but everything else on board The Lime Green Set is sheer quality. Please buy it.

I suppose it would have been better if they left off the readily available stuff to knock the price down to, say, two figures and some change, but I purchased this baby a short while after street date anyway. Already owning Eraserhead and Blue Velvet, I suppose it worked out alright for me, especially considering the new audio mix for Blue Velvet. So, in essence, the only one I really doubled over with was Eraserhead. But you don't care about my problems, so I'll shut up about all that.

I've always been a fan of David Lynch, but was never compelled to get his short stories or Dumbland DVDs by themselves (but I bought a used copy of Clive Barker's short films for mucho deniro and the limited edition of Fast Company for the early Cronenberg films; go figure). The main reason I got this set was for The Elephant Man and it's disc of extras, Industrial Symphony No. 1, the Eraserhead soundtrack (gotta love In Heaven) and, of course, the "mystery disc." Kind of a lot of money for two movies and a CD but, hey, I guess I have nothing better to spend my money on. But upon opening the box and flipping through the spindles, I knew I made a good choice. The short films are quite fascinating, whereas Dumbland is... well, kind of dumb. While the Lime Green Set doesn't cover every facet of the man's pre-Lost Highway career, it's still fairly comprehensive in scope. The only things really missing are Dune and Twin Peaks. I can live with that (considering I already own the two movies, repsectively, and the complete TV series). There I go again telling you about my problems.

This review isn't really that helpful, but oh well. Just another five-star satisfied customer.

This 10-disc set, released by Lynch's label Absurda, is a mixed bag. Sadly, it is far from comprehensive. Among the 10 discs are such features as BLUE VELVET, WILD AT HEART, THE ELEPHANT MAN, and ERASERHEAD. In addition, INDUSTRIAL SYMPHONY #1, SHORT FILMS OF DAVID LYNCH, and DUMBLAND are included on their own platters. An ELEPHANT MAN extra disc features a documentary about the real elephant man, along with stand-alone interviews with John Hurt and Lynch. The Hurt interview appears to be recent, the Lynch one looks archival. A MYSTERY DISC is also included, which is chock full of various goodies, including episodes are RABITS (as seen in INLAND EMPIRE). Finally, there is a CD soundtrack for ERASERHEAD.

For Lynch enthusiasts, this set is a must. Personally, I would have enjoyed seeing the inclusion of all of his feature films to date. Maybe those are coming in another color-themed set (???).

The Lime Green Set will appeal to those already familiar with Lynch's products but who do not yet own some of the work. Interviews and extra features are also included. Although The Set is not a complete filmography, it contains a variety of experiences, from Eraserhead to Dumbland, well worth the price of admission. Some pieces are not for the squeamish, but the jokes are funny, really. And never try to watch a Lynch film on a cell phone.

Even though this boxset is a bit expensive, it's still a gem in the collection of any fan of David Lynch's work. Focusing on the first portion of his career (sans Dune, which he refuses to talk about during interviews), this boxset manages to improve the experiment by providing extras available in no other DVD set, such as an additional hour sixteen of Wild at Heart footage, several features for The Elephant Man and a number of goodies in the tenth disc, referred to as the "Mystery DVD".

I have just received my copy, and I am pleased overall with my purchase...I do have a few of the films separately, but to have the extras was worth the purchase, especially Industrial Symphony #1 which I own on VHS...My only minor issue...is the packaging...it is the same as the Twin Peaks Gold Set, but the box is somewhat flimsy, and the same with the inside cardboard sleeve that houses the dvds in their trays...You will have to take great care when removing and inserting the sleeve into the box set...other than that...this is a must for any Lynch admirer out there...and yes I would also like to see a "sequel" set, with his other films...like "Lost Highway" in WIDESCREEN!!!!!!

About a year ago, I ordered this set at least twice, maybe three times, from independent sellers and once from Amazon. Every time except once the plastic cases for the DVD's were completely crushed in shipping. Also, the Blue Velvet disc vibrates horribly and very nearly ruined my DVD player.

The Blue Velvet error happened with ALL copies of the set I purchased, even replicating on computers and other DVD players owned by my friends.

I contacted ABSURDA who acted shocked that this happened. I sent the disc to them and they sent me a replacement disc that was STILL defective.

BEWARE.

This is like a great gift from god. I only wish another box was coming. I carry this around with me if I go anywhere that has a television and DVD player. If your a Lynch fan, you'll love this. Definitely one of those prized possession type things.