Subject: Re: Give me plot or give me death! (was Re: Lynch - CRITICISM!!!)
From: daq@hpfcso.HP.COM (Doug Quarnstrom)
Date: 1990-12-07, 09:27
Newsgroups: alt.tv.twin-peaks

> >In article <14740024@hpfcso.HP.COM>, daq@hpfcso.HP.COM (Doug Quarnstrom) writes...

>> >>I think that Lynch is still learning his trade and I hope that
>> >>he matures so that his work can achieve his potential.  

> >Achieve his potential?  I don't know, if I were a moviemaker and "Eraserhead" 
> >(or "Blue Velvet" for that matter) was my only film, I'd be able to die happily.

I have not seen Eraserhead, but Blue Velvet, although very enjoyable 
left me a little empty.  In a way, I think I agree with criticisms
of Lynch (I love TP, by the way) that he does not put enough effort
into plot.  Visually Lynch's work is great.  Emotionally it is pretty 
good too, but I personally think that he has not yet found the
balance between plot, images, and emotional manipulation that will
generate a true masterpiece.  I think Lynch is a great director, but
I honestly think that he could be better.  I think that TP is better
than many of his movies, because it tones down his outright strangeness,
and it has forced him to work with people that seem to have imposed
an enjoyable plot on Lynch's inherent strangeness.

I KNOW that Gary Newell will disagree with this for his own reasons,
but I think that certain episodes of TP approach the zenith of
what Lynch is capable.  They are, if you will, TV masterpieces.
Please do not flame me Gary.  I don't care diddley dick for Lynch and
I would not particularly care if he was hit by a bus tomorrow, but
I do have a great deal of respect for some of the things TP has done.

> >Granted, Lynch could improve or diversify (couldn't we all?), and I do feel 
> >that Lynch is guilty of some of the criticisms Mr. Newell has proposed.  
> >However, I feel that he is much less guilty of these problems than are most
> >filmmakers.  

Maybe.  I guess I do agree that Lynch is 'one of the best', but I still
get the feeling that he is where Woody Allen was 15 years ago when he
was still dorking around with quirky comedy before he made what I
consider to be his truly great films.  Of course if you hate Woody Allen...

> >I also find these criticisms of the "plotlessness" of David Lynch to be 
> >interesting.  To me, Twin Peaks has one of the most involved and convoluted
> >plots of any TV show around.  To most people, THIS has been the ultimate
> >reason people have left the show.  Thus, I think Lynch/Frost's strange
> >"indulgences" (if you insist) are quite forgivable.  

Yes, TP has plenty of plot for me.  It moves very slowly, but who cares.
But TP also has more plot that Lynch movies, so I think most of the
plot comes from elsewhere.  Perhaps from some evil spirit inhabiting
Frost.

> >If you want plot, TP gives it to you.  If you want tone, TP also gives it to 
> >you.  If you want image, style OR substance, you got it.  Granted, there's not
> >an equal balance of all these ingredients, but so what?  If your lasagna had
> >precisely equal parts sauce, cheese, pasta, and meat, it wouldn't be very
> >tasty, would it?  (Strange analogy, I know, but think about it)

By and large, I have very few serious criticisms of TP.  It irritated
me that they did not milk Leland for more drama and more great shots
of that lunatic face.  

I also wisht they would kill James or Donna.  One or the other has
to go!

> >Mike Cluff*   One who knows does not post;

Doug Q