Subject: Re: the 50's and Lynch
From: larryy@Apple.COM (Larry Yaeger)
Date: 1991-05-12, 19:35
Newsgroups: alt.tv.twin-peaks

In article <3549@kluge.fiu.edu> ii7gjg0b@serss0.fiu.edu (Jim Stafford) writes:
> >In article <1991May5.033422.10673@watserv1.waterloo.edu> alternat@watserv1.waterloo.edu (Ann Hodgins) writes:
>> >>David Lynch seems to have formed his artistic vision in the
>> >>50's and early 60's - a time of great confidence, security and
>> >>optimism in the United States.
>> >> 
>> >>ann h.
> >
> >I find it interesting to compare Lynch's work with another American director
> >that is obsessed with the same era, John Waters.  ...
> > ...
> >Lynch's characters seem to be folks that are caught on the edge between 
> >"gee, life sure is swell!" and "fire, walk with me!".  Life looks great
> >until you roll it over with your foot, see all the worms and bugs.
> >
> >On the other hand, Waters' people know that they're the worms and bugs 
> >of society, and seem to be saying "Hey! turn that goddam light off".
> >They know what they are; the plots of his movies involve confrontation
> >between straight and sub- cultures, and the subs always win.
> >

Yeah, I'm quite fond of John Waters' films myself, from the early gross-out
films to the almost campy later stuff (that still, fortunately, manages to
make you squirm a bit while you're laughing).

However, thought I'd just note that Waters' characters, instead of "Hey! turn
that goddam light off", seem to me to be saying, "Hey! Point that spotlight
at me so I can wriggle real good for ya."  These folks are proud of their
quirks!

Paul Bartel's another of my favorite off-beat directors (_Eating Raoul_,
_Scenes from a Class Struggle in Beverly Hills_, and a number of others).
George Romero is also a lot of fun - especially _Dawn of the Dead_... those
scenes of the zombies riding up and down the escalators in the shopping mall
caused genuine paroxysms of laughter!

Ob TP content (well, sort of):  One of the 'chess games of life' stories that
was mentioned here a while back was Kurt Vonnegut's "All the King's Men".
That story and two others from _Welcome to the Monkey House_ are being shown
on Showtime tonight and several more times this week/month.  Probably worth
checking out if you've got cable or satellite.
-- -larryy@apple.com "You wouldn't recognize a *subtle plan* if it painted itself purple, and danced naked upon a harpsichord, singing, 'Subtle Plans are Here Again'." - Edmund Blackadder