We're nearing the end of our series in a couple of weeks about the filmography of the late David Lynch. We turn this week to his final feature film, a wildly experimental and divisive film called INLAND EMPIRE. An exercise in cinematic experimentation to its core, Inland Empire is one of Lynch's most difficult films to figure out. It has a stream of conscience, non-linear narrative structure that often sees the same performers playing multiple roles without clear transitions from one scene to the next. Although clearly exploring some fascinating ideas, it is a film that tests the patience of even the most avid Lynch enthusiast.

We gather this week with friends of the show Jackson Harper and Dave Courtney to try to get to the bottom of what the film is attempting and finding some remarkably profound and even moving discoveries along the way. Whether or not you enjoyed David Lynch's Inland Empire, we really hope you enjoy our honest and thoughtful conversation about it.

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The next installment in our series on David Lynch was made shortly after the booming popularity of the premiere of Twin Peaks. WILD AT HEART, based on a book by Barry Gifford, tells the story of Sailor (Nicolas Cage) and Lula (Laura Dern), two exuberant and impulsive lovers who set out on a cross-country trek fleeing an array of strange characters who are all trying to kill Sailor on behalf of Lula's mother Marrieta (Diane Ladd).

Although carrying some key signature aspects of Lynch's work, Wild at Heart was unconventional as a subject for Lynch. Its merits remain widely debated to this day, even by us this week as we're joined by Lindsey Dunn and new friend of the FoG Steve Barnes. There's a reckless quality to this story, fitting for its main characters, that paints a difficult picture of a world that's "wild at heart and weird on top."

We have a blast talking about this truly unique film and we really hope you enjoy our conversation.

4:07 - Two Questions with Steve Barnes

11:35 - WILD AT HEART

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We're happy to present you this week with another special interview episode about a haunting, subversive revenge western that is newly released to video on demand as of June 20th.

FALL IS A GOOD TIME TO DIE tells the story of a quiet young ranch hand named Cody (Joe Hiatt), who learns that someone who devastated his family years ago has been released from prison. Intent on serving up justice he believes was never delivered, Cody sets upon a path of uneasy revenge. His journey brings him into collision with a local sheriff named Jane (Jennifer Pierce Mathus), who is haunted by her own past as well as the burden of her job's responsibilities. The film is thoughtful, elegant, and emotionally resonant as it explores the impulses of grief and guilt amidst the weight of redemption and responsibility.

We had the privilege to sit down with writer/director Dalton Coffey as well as the film's two lead actors, Joe Hiatt and Jennifer Pierce Mathus, for a fascinating conversation about a film we greatly enjoyed. We hope you'll check out the film on your on-demand platform of choice and we hope you enjoy this fun conversation.

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We're continuing our series on the films of David Lynch this week with what is arguably his most unusual entry: THE STRAIGHT STORY. Lynch had built a reputation on bizarre works like Eraserhead and Lost Highway. His films were often filled with graphic sex and violence as in Blue Velvet, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, or even Wild at Heart. So, when his gentle, elegant, G-rated Disney film was released, it turned more than a few heads and earned him some of the most broadly universal acclaim of his career.

The Straight Story tells of Alvin Straight, an elderly and ailing man who learns that his brother has suffered a stroke. Unable to drive a car, he determines to set out on a nearly 400-mile journey to visit his brother on a riding lawnmower, embarking upon an episodic journey filled with interesting characters and beautiful landscapes. It is a remarkably spiritual journey of potent wisdom and uncommon grace, offered up with a degree of humanity that perhaps could have only been expressed by the late David Lynch.

We're joined by Andrew Nelson and Matt Murray to discuss the film's finer details as well as debate the wisdom of Alvin Straight's quest and explore just how far we might go in order to put things right. It's a thoughtful, funny, and vulnerable conversation that we really hope you'll enjoy.

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We have something a bit unique for you this week. For the past few months, our Patron subscribers have been listening to us make our way through the classic series TWIN PEAKS, seasons 1 and 2.

This week, we're presenting brief selections from those chats, currently only available in their entirety to our Patron subscribers. We share our variety of thoughts on the mystery of Laura Palmer, the quirky inhabitants of Twin Peaks, and the haunting, mysterious nightmares of the Black Lodge. It's all of that and everything in between.

We'll be back next week with another installment in our David Lynch series. Meanwhile... please enjoy this sampling of our Patron-only chats and for the full conversations, join us on Patreon!

7:25 - Twin Peaks Pilot

16:39 - Season 1, episodes 2 & 3

28:01 - Season 1, episodes 4 & 5

38:08 - Season 1, episodes 6 & 7

46:52 - Season 1 finale

53:42 - Season 2 premiere

1:00:20 - Season 2, episodes 2 & 3

1:09:16 - Season 2, episodes 4 & 5

1:12:55 - Season 2, episodes 6 & 7

1:21:11 - Season 2, episodes 8 & 9

1:28:35 - Season 2, episodes 10 & 11

1:38:15 - Season 2, episodes 12 & 13

1:45:50 - Season 2, episodes 14 & 15

1:56:56 - Season 2, episodes 16 & 17

2:05:52 - Season 2, episodes 18 & 19

2:15:59 - Season 2, episodes 20 & 21

2:25:48 - Season 2 finale

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Continuing our journey through the work of the late David Lynch, we finally arrive at what is often considered his finest film. MULHOLLAND DRIVE brought Lynch some of the largest and most universal acclaim of his career. Its Los Angeles-centric mystery traverses the territories of dream logic, identity, ambition, envy, and the elusive way we all try to find ourselves. It featured a star-making performance from Naomi Watts and was nominated for numerous awards.

We're joined by friend of the show Sarah Welch-Larson (author of Becoming Alien) and new friend of the show Abby Olcese (author of Films for All Seasons) to dive deep into the spirit and the mind of all that happens on Mulholland Drive. It's a hearty and thoughtful conversation that we really hope you enjoy!

5:41 - Two Questions with Abby Olcese

15:23 - MULHOLLAND DRIVE

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We continue our series examining the films of the late David Lynch by tackling one of his most elusive and bleak visions of sex and violence: LOST HIGHWAY. We're joined by special guest Matt Cosper to unpack the surrealist fever dream of a man trapped between two lives, two minds, and perhaps even two souls. It's a compelling portrait of the inability to cope with who we are and what we've done, traversing through wishes and memory as only David Lynch could do it. Although the film's focus on the darker shades of human nature is sometimes challenging and even potentially offensive, it's also a rich exploration of the mental, emotional, and even spiritual landscapes that sit within each of us.

Head with us as we head 90 miles an hour down a dark and frightening road and we really hope you enjoy the ride.

4:42 - Two Questions for Matt Cosper

25:35 - LOST HIGHWAY

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We arrive in our series on David Lynch at what is widely considered to be one of his greatest films. BLUE VELVET acted as a creative and cultural palate cleanser for Lynch following his strong disappointment and frustration with Dune. It sits quite effectively at the intersection of Lynch's more eccentric qualities and his more accessible qualities, offering up a story that it both elusive and coherent. We're joined this week by Father Josh Bowron -- last heard on our Midnight Mass Clergical Roundtable episode -- who is a longstanding Lynch fan and offers up some keen insights into both this film and Lynch's broader creative processes.

We go to some rich and thoughtful places in this episode and we really hope you enjoy it!

4:23 - Two Questions with Father Josh Bowron

14:30 - BLUE VELVET

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Frank Herbert's landmark science fiction novel has become more culturally central thanks to the recent blockbuster films by Denis Villeneuve adapting the story. But as we make our way through our series on the late David Lynch, we had to stop by Arrakis and grapple with his much-maligned adaptation from 1984. Featuring a massive budget (which came with lots of production demands as well), a star-studded cast, and classic 1980s sets and effects, Dune did everything it could to capture an epic space-opera vibe.

We discuss how successful or not it was alongside friend of the show Julie Ahern and new friend of the show Nicole Amato. This is a hearty, fun, thoughtful conversation that also wrestles with Dune's unique themes subverting our prominent concepts of destiny and heroism. We enjoyed tremendously discussing this film and we hope you enjoy it as well!

3:32 - Getting to know Nicole Amato

19:10 - DUNE (1984)

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Through the darkness of future past, the magician longs to see. One chants out between two worlds... fire walk with me.

When David Lynch's megahit series Twin Peaks was cancelled after two seasons, people eagerly awaited the announced feature film. Responses were decidedly mixed, however, on the finished film, controversial as it was for missing lots of key series regulars and for focusing almost exclusively on the last week of Laura Palmer's life. Despite an outstanding performance from Sheryl Lee and Lynch's signature stylistic flourishes, Fire Walk with Me was greeted with mostly negative feedback.

This week, we continue our Lynch series by revisiting that film and trying to uncover its value in light of its subject matter. We're joined by friend of the show Steven Beckley and feature a Patron-only segment featuring a chat between Reed and Nathan about episodes 8 & 9. Whether you've been following our chats from the beginning or whether this is your biggest prompt yet to do so, we hope you enjoy this look at "who killed Laura Palmer" and the legacy of Twin Peaks.

Patron Only Segment: Twin Peaks, Season 2, Episodes 8 & 9

4:41 - TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME

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