Cinema Shock

"I'm twelve. But I've been twelve for a long time."

For the latest radomly chosen Cinema Shock Roulette entry, the wheels of fate have taken us to Sweden, where we’ll explore the story behind Tomas Alfredson’s LET THE RIGHT ONE IN.

Based on the novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist, LET THE RIGHT ONE IN was almost instantly recognized as a modern day horror classic when it was released in 2008. In this episode, we’ll walk through its entire process of how the film came to be, from its origins as a Swedish-language novel, through its development and eventual release as a film from a director not known for working within the horror genre.

This is everything you need to know about LET THE RIGHT ONE IN.

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Up Next: Cinema Shock Roulette: THE IRON GIANT.

ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS:

Andrew C. | Andy Lancaster | Benjamin Yates | Curt M. | Elton Novara | Justin V. | Nate Izod | Nathan Kelley | Robert Stinson

Become an Associate Producer by joining CinemaShock+.

Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.

This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop & Todd A. Davis.

For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net

After working on the short first season of TWIN PEAKS, David Lynch felt the pull back to feature length filmmaking when he was given a book called Wild At Heart by Barry Gifford. The book seemed ripe for a big screen adaptation and David Lynch immediately began work on it. Within a couple of months, he found himself in New Orleans with stars Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern, plus a host of regular Lynch collaborators.

The production and release of WILD AT HEART was a whirlwind. The film went from the script stage to production in a matter of months, and within the year, the film was making its premire at the Cannes Film Festival, where it took home the festival’s most prestigious prize, the Palm d’Or, a win that came with no small amount of controversy.

In this episode of Cinema Shock — the season finale for our David Lynch: Absurd Encounters series — we will recount the story of how WILD AT HEART came to be, how it was conceived and produced, and how it was ultimately received by critics and audiences.

While this is our final episode in our current series covering the career of David Lynch, our journey through Lynch’s work is not over. In the coming weeks, we will be launching Fire Shock With Me, a TWIN PEAKS watch-along series where we will be working our way through Lynch’s seminal TV series in its entirety. Those episodes will be available exclusively to our $5 and up subscribers on CinemaShock+, where you’ll also find extended versions of all David Lynch episodes that include additional bonus segments. Join now at cinemashock.net/plus.

At the conclusion of Fire Shock With Me, in early 2025, we’ll be circling back to the films of David Lynch, covering the remainder of his filmography, beginning with TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME all the way through INLAND EMPIRE and TWIN PEAKS: THE RETURN.

Up Next: Cinema Shock Roulette: LET THE RIGHT ONE IN

ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS:

Andrew C. | Andy Lancaster | Benjamin Yates | Curt M. | Elton Novara | Justin V. | Nate Izod | Nathan Kelley | Robert Stinson

Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.

This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop & Todd A. Davis.

For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net

"Diane, 11:30 AM, February 24th. Entering the town of Twin Peaks, five miles south of the Canadian border, twelve miles west of the state line. I’ve never seen so many trees in my life. As W. C. Fields would say, I’d rather be here than Philadelphia."

While BLUE VELVET's success (and its Academy Award nominations) helped to cement David Lynch as a director to watch out for, he still wasn't quite on Hollywood's A-list, mostly due to his disinterest in playing by Hollywood's rules post-DUNE.

But he had several offers for a follow-up to that film, some that he pursued which were never made, and some that he flat turned down. And through this process, he was put in direct contact with an experienced television writer named Mark Frost.

Little did he know that Frost would soon become one of his most important collaborators, and within a couple of years, they’d work together to create one of the most influential TV series of all time, TWIN PEAKS.

In this episode, we'll be taking a deep dive into Lynch's journey to TWIN PEAKS, giving you a full look at the development of the show and the filming of its pilot episode, otherwise known as "Northwest Passage." We also discuss our own thoughts on the pilot and TWIN PEAKS's position in the history of episode television.

Up Next: David Lynch: Episode 7: WILD AT HEART.

ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS:

Andy Lancaster | Benjamin Yates | curtcake5k | Elton Novara | Jvance325 | MagicBloat | Nate Izod | Nathan Kelley | Robert Stinson

Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.

This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop & Todd A. Davis.

For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net

"I'm seeing something that was always hidden. I'm in the middle of a mystery and it's all secret."

DUNE, David Lynch's first (and only) foray into big budget studio filmmaking was an unmitigated disaster, both critically and commercially, and in the wake of its failure, his career as a film director was in question.

But thanks to his own inability to stop creating, and incredible support from his DUNE producer Dino De Laurentiis, Lynch was not only able to continue working in film, but his next film would be the the most personal, idiosyncratic film that he'd created since his debut ERASERHEAD.

And although he didn't know it at the time, it was also the film that not only reinvigorated his career, but defined him as an artist, one with an uncompromising artistic vision.

That film is BLUE VELVET. And on this episdoe, we'll discuss how the film was created, from its inception as a "fragment" of an idea to it being filmed on the streets of Wilmington, North Carolina, and its legacy as one of the greatest films of the 1980s and one of the most important films of Lynch's career.

Please Note: This is Part 1 of a 2 part discussion on BLUE VELVET. The 2nd part of this conversation — including the Extended Episode with our "Somebody Needs A Nap" and "Further Viewing" segments — will be released next week.

Up Next: David Lynch: Episode 6: TWIN PEAKS (Pilot).

ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS:

Andy Lancaster | Benjamin Yates | curtcake5k | Elton Novara | Jvance325 | MagicBloat | Nate Izod | Robert Stinson

Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.

This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop & Todd A. Davis.

For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net

"I'm seeing something that was always hidden. I'm in the middle of a mystery and it's all secret."

DUNE, David Lynch's first (and only) foray into big budget studio filmmaking was an unmitigated disaster, both critically and commercially, and in the wake of its failure, his career as a film director was in question.

But thanks to his own inability to stop creating, and incredible support from his DUNE producer Dino De Laurentiis, Lynch was not only able to continue working in film, but his next film would be the the most personal, idiosyncratic film that he'd created since his debut ERASERHEAD.

And although he didn't know it at the time, it was also the film that not only reinvigorated his career, but defined him as an artist, one with an uncompromising artistic vision.

That film is BLUE VELVET. And on this episdoe, we'll discuss how the film was created, from its inception as a "fragment" of an idea to it being filmed on the streets of Wilmington, North Carolina, and its legacy as one of the greatest films of the 1980s and one of the most important films of Lynch's career.

Please Note: This is Part 1 of a 2 part discussion on BLUE VELVET. The 2nd part of this conversation — including the Extended Episode with our "Somebody Needs A Nap" and "Further Viewing" segments — will be released next week.

Up Next: David Lynch: Episode 6: TWIN PEAKS (Pilot).

ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS:

Andy Lancaster | Benjamin Yates | curtcake5k | Jvance325 | MagicBloat | Nate Izod | Elton Novara

Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.

This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop & Todd A. Davis.

For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net

For this special BONUS episode, we sat down for a chat with Max Evry, author of A Masterpiece in Disarray: David Lynch's Dune - An Oral History, one of the most comprehensive behind-the-scenes books that we've come across, and one that was a major resource for our episode covering the making of DUNE.

In this interview, we chat with Max about all things DUNE, David Lynch, Hollywood book-to-film adapatations, and somehow, the 1993 movie SUPER MARIO BROS.

Max interviewed a lot of the folks involved in the making of DUNE (including Lynch himself!), making his insights into the film's creation wholly unique. We can't thank him enough for taking the time to sit down with us!

Follow Max Evry on X at @maxevry and Instagram at @maxevry1 and visit his website at maxevry.com.

Purchase your copy of Masterpiece in Disarray on Amazon, your local independent bookstore, or wherever else books are sold.

Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.

This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop & Todd A. Davis.

For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net

After the critical and commercial success of THE ELEPHANT MAN, David Lynch was suddenly a hot commodity in Hollywood, although it soon became clear that, although many studios were seeking out the idiosyncratic director, what they wanted was another ELEPHANT MAN, and not another ERASERHEAD.

While Lynch would pass on many of the projects offered to him (which we document in this episode), he eventually signed on to direct Frank Herbert's sprawling science fiction epic DUNE for famed Italian producer Dino De Laurentiis.

The resulting film was, for Lynch, "a great sadness," a betrayal of his own artistic sensibilities and a film that was reviled by critics and ignored by audiences. Although it's gained a modest cult following in the 40 years since its release, it's generally considered a failure by most, even die hard fans of David Lynch.

In this episode, we'll tell you everything you want to know about how DUNE came to be, from previous directors who'd attempted to adapt it, to how Lynch became involved, and the myriad of troubles that the cast and crew had while making the film in Mexico. We'll also discuss the film's eventual release, its legacy, and the incredible impact that it had on Lynch's career going forward.

An Extended Episode — exclusive to CinemaShock+ subscribers — contains bonus content including our fan favorite "Somebody Needs A Nap" segment (where we read and react to reviews of DUNE that we've found on the far reaches of the internet), our "Further Viewing" recommendations and more!

Join now at cinemashock.net/plus.

Up Next: David Lynch: Episode 5: BLUE VELVET.

ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS:

Andy Lancaster | Benjamin Yates | curtcake5k | Jvance325 | MagicBloat | Nate Izod | Elton Novara

Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.

This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop & Todd A. Davis.

For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net

ERASERHEAD’s success on the Midnight Movie circuit didn’t suddently thrust David Lynch onto Hollywood’s A-list but it did turn some heads. Some of those who were impressed by his debut feature included producer Stuart Cornfeld (THE FLY) and legendary filmmaker Mel Brooks (BLAZING SADDLES), who recruited Lynch to direct a biopic of a disfigured man in Victorian England titled THE ELEPHANT MAN.

In this episode, we’ll reveal the full story behind Lynch’s sophomore film; how (and why) he was pursued to direct a film that, on the surface, seems like a far cry from his surreal debut; and how an unknown American director traveled to England, where he’d direct some of Britain’s most well-respected actors in a film that would ultimately become his breakthrough, earning the director awards and accolades, and altering the course of his career.

Getting there wasn’t easy. In this, the third part of our series exploring the career of David Lymch, we’ll tell you everything you ever wanted to know about how David Lynch’s THE ELEPHANT MAN came to be.

Bonus content available for Cinema Shock suppporters:

An extended episode with over 30 minutes of additional content which includes bonus segments and further insights into THE ELEPHANT MAN and David Lynch is available exclusively to members of CinemaShock+.

Up Next: David Lynch: Episode 3: THE ELEPHANT MAN.

ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS:

Andy Lancaster | Benjamin Yates | curtcake5k | Jvance325 | MagicBloat | Nate Izod

Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.

This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop & Todd A. Davis.

For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net

After spending his youth pursuing "the art life," David Lynch dipped his toe into the medium of film with his shorts THE ALPHABET and THE GRANDMOTHER. 

With THE GRANDMOTHER, he received attention from the American Film Institute, who invited him to move to the West Coast, where he'd spend a whopping five years working on what would become his feature film debut, ERASERHEAD.

In this episode, we'll discuss the creation of ERASERHEAD, through all of its ups-and-(many)downs, its mysteries, its near abandonment, and how it nearly didn't receive a release at all before being "discovered" by Ben Barenholtz, who turned it into a bonafide hit on the Midnight Movie circuit, forever altering the trajectory of Lynch's career.

Bonus content available for Cinema Shock suppporters: An extended episode with over 30 minutes of additional content, that includes, among other things, a Further Viewing segment — where we suggest other films to pair with ERASERHEAD — and the fan favorite Somebody Needs a Nap segment — where we read and react to some of the more ridiculous reviews of the film that we've found on the internet — and is available exclusively to our supporters in our $5 and up tiers. Join now on Fourthwall.

Up Next: David Lynch: Episode 3: THE ELEPHANT MAN.

ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS:

Andy Lancaster | Benjamin Yates | curtcake5k | Jvance325 | MagicBloat | Nate Izod

Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.

This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop & Todd A. Davis.

For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net

In our new series, David Lynch: Absurd Encounters, we'll be taking a deep dive into the first chapter of David Lynch's career, covering everything from his early short films through his success on the midnight circuit, his disastrous attempt to film Frank Herbert's Dune, his controversial Palm d'Or win, and everything in-between.

(And not to worry, Twin Peaks fans. While we won't be covering that television show during this series, plans are in place to bring you complete coverage of all seasons of that fan favorite in the coming months, along with the rest of Lynch's career.)

In this introductory episode, we'll cover Lynch's beginnings, from his birth in Missoula, Montana, through his upbringing in Idaho and Virginia, through his time as an art student in Philadelphia and his subsequent time spent at the American Film Institute in Los Angeles, where he'd begin his career in film. Along the way, we'll be exploring his influences, his family, his career as a visual artist, his commitment to "the art life," and how all of these things helped to create the singular visionary that we're all familiar with today. In this episode, we'll also be discussing the creation of three of his ealry short films: SIX MEN GETTING SICK, THE ALPHABET, and THE GRANDMOTHER.

Join us as we begin our journey through the life and filmography of David Lynch.

Up Next: ERASERHEAD 

Bonus content for Cinema Shock suppporters: An extended episode that includes a Further Viewing segment (plus a few other bonus goodies) and is available exclusively to our supporters in our $5 and up tiers. Join now on Fourthwall.

Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.

This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop & Todd A. Davis.

For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net