I recently became friends with this 56-year-old man and we’re having a movie night tomorrow together. He wants to show me the “trio” of the greatest movies ever made: The Godfather, The Shawshank Redemption & Casablanca. Haven’t seen any of those (probably cause of my age: almost 22). For me the 3 greatest movies ever are Titanic, Lord of the Rings 2003 & Spirited Away. Wondering what those are for you.
Mullholland Drive is fucking fantastic and I almost put it on the list over Blue Velvet. I’m sure this will forever be debated by film nerds as long film nerds continue to exist. There’s something about that heightened, unreal 80’s vibe in Blue Velvet, plus what a fuckin’ cast. I also like the “dark side of a quaint small town” theme, which reminds me of his work in Twin Peaks a bit, where Mullholland Drive feels more like he’s expressing more a criticism(?) of the place Hollywood occupies in the cultural consciousness. I’m a sucker for a suburban dystopia, it feels more relatable. Ultimately though, Mullholland Drive feels like a second take on the same kind of ideas, and it’s glossier and more plotty, but I personally I like the smaller, more raw version. Lynch was a master of the medium and almost all of his films are either outright masterpieces or at least incredibly artistic curiosities.