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Cultural impact of David Lynch

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American filmmaker, visual artist, musician, and actor David Lynch (1946 – 2025) is regarded as a significant figure in the world of filmmaking. Lynch was often called a "visionary" and was acclaimed for films often distinguished by their surrealist qualities. In a career spanning more than 50 years, he received numerous accolades, including the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Film Festival in 2006 and an Honorary Academy Award in 2019.

The adjective Lynchian came into use to describe works or situations reminiscent of his art,[1] with the Oxford English Dictionary noting his penchant for "juxtaposing surreal or sinister elements with mundane, everyday environments, and for using compelling visual images to emphasize a dreamlike quality of mystery or menace".[2]

Awards and nominations

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Main article: List of accolades received by David Lynch

Over his career Lynch won the Honorary Academy Award, two prizes from the Cannes Film Festival and the Golden Lion as well as nominations for two BAFTA Awards, eight Primetime Emmy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

Lynch's oeuvre encompasses work in both cinema and television. He received three nominations for the Academy Award for Best Director for his work on the biographical drama The Elephant Man (1980), the neo-noir Blue Velvet (1986), and his surrealist thriller Mulholland Drive (2000). He won the Cannes Film Festival's Palme d'Or for his romance film Wild at Heart (1990). He also directed the space opera Dune (1984), the drama The Straight Story (1999), the surrealist crime drama Lost Highway (1997), and the experimental thriller Inland Empire (2006).

Lynch whilst his television debut, with the ABC mystery-horror series Twin Peaks (1990–1991) which earned five Primetime Emmy Award nominations for its first season. He was nominated for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series and Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series. Lynch made a prequel film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992) and revival series Twin Peaks: The Return (2017). Indeed, the surreal and in many cases violent elements to his films have earned them the reputation that they "disturb, offend or mystify" their audiences.[3]

In the course of his career, Lynch has received multiple awards and nominations. Amongst these are three Academy Award nominations for Best Director, and a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. He received the Academy Honorary Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2019. Lynch has twice won France's César Award for Best Foreign Film, as well as the Palme d'Or and Best Director Prizes at the Cannes Film Festival and a Golden Lion award for lifetime achievement at the Venice Film Festival.

The French government has awarded him the Legion of Honour, the country's top civilian distinction, honoring him first as a Chevalier in 2002 and then as an Officier in 2009; Lynch was also awarded the key to the city of Bydgoszcz, Poland. In 2017, Lynch was awarded The Edward MacDowell Medal by The MacDowell Colony for outstanding contributions to American culture.[4]

Influence

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Lynch was often called a "visionary" over the course of his career.[5][6][7] In 2007, a panel of critics convened by The Guardian announced that "after all the discussion, no one could fault the conclusion that David Lynch is the most important film-maker of the current era",[8] and AllMovie called him "the Renaissance man of modern American filmmaking".[9] Film critic Pauline Kael called Lynch "the first populist surrealist".[10]: xi 

The moving image collection of David Lynch is held at the Academy Film Archive, which has preserved two of his student films.[11]

The term "Lynchian" has been used to describe art or situations reminiscent of Lynch's style. The Oxford English Dictionary further defines Lynchian artwork as "juxtaposing surreal or sinister elements with mundane, everyday environments, and for using compelling visual images to emphasize a dreamlike quality of mystery or menace."[12] David Foster Wallace wrote, "An academic definition of Lynchian might be that the term 'refers to a particular kind of irony where the very macabre and the very mundane combine in such a way as to reveal the former's perpetual containment within the latter'" but that "it's ultimately definable only ostensively—i.e., we know it when we see it."[13]

While the series Twin Peaks is not usually described as science fiction, it has been noted to have been influential on that genre.[14]

In 2018, the mayors of Snoqualmie and North Bend, which were both used for filming the series, declared Twin Peaks Day to be held on February 24. That was in recognition of the date mentioned in the first episode of the series.[15][16]

Television industry

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Writing for The Atlantic in 2016, Mike Mariani wrote that "It would be tough to look at the roster of television shows any given season without finding several that owe a creative debt to Twin Peaks," stating that "Lynch's manipulation of the uncanny, his surreal non-sequiturs, his black humor, and his trademark ominous tracking shots can be felt in a variety of contemporary hit shows."[17]

The X-Files notably takes major inspiration from Twin Peaks especially in execution of atmosphere and attempts to blend comedic moments and horror. David Duchovny appeared as Denise Bryson in Twin Peaks, prior to his role as Fox Mulder on The X-Files.[18] In an interview celebrating the third season, David Chase, the creator of The Sopranos, stated that "Anybody making one-hour drama[s] today who says he wasn't influenced by David Lynch is lying."[19] In 2010, the television series Psych paid tribute to the series by reuniting some of the cast in the fifth-season episode "Dual Spires".[20][21] Carlton Cuse, the co-creator of Bates Motel, cited Twin Peaks as a key inspiration for his series, stating, "We pretty much ripped off Twin Peaks." Cuse and Damon Lindelof, who both co-produced Lost, cited both Twin Peaks and David Lynch as a major influence on their work. Lindelof stated "There is no show in television history that had more impact on me than Twin Peaks."[22] Noah Hawley, creator of Fargo and Legion, cited Twin Peaks as a major inspiration on his work, particularly Fargo.[23] Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, the creator of Riverdale, remarked that "all roads on Riverdale lead back to Twin Peaks" given its thematic similarities.[24][25]

The TV series Atlanta has been cited by its creator, Donald Glover, as being inspired by the show, labeling it as "Twin Peaks with rappers."[26] Additionally, the animated series Gravity Falls repeatedly referenced the Black Lodge along with other elements of Twin Peaks throughout its run.[27] Critics have also noted similarities and borrowed elements from Lynch's Fire Walk with Me and Twin Peaks in Veena Sud's American adaptation of The Killing.[28][29]

Music

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The score of Twin Peaks, helmed by Angelo Badalamenti, Julee Cruise, and David Lynch, was a notable influence for many genres of music, specifically dream pop. Cruise's compositions inspired the likes of Lana Del Rey and the score of the show was a direct inspiration for dream pop duo Beach House, who have a history of paying homage to the show.[30][31] The show's legacy of honoring dream pop and indie rock compositions is observed in the third season, with its inclusion of performances from contemporaries such as Sharon Van Etten, Nine Inch Nails, and The Veils.[32]

Bands like Bastille have penned songs in honor of the show like "Laura Palmer", which was influenced by the "slightly weird, eerie" atmosphere of the show.[33] Xiu Xiu completed and released a 2017 tribute album titled "Plays the Music of Twin Peaks", where they performed several tracks from the show's main soundtrack and leaned into a more experimental sound.[34]

Video games

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Twin Peaks has also influenced a number of survival horror and psychological thriller video games, most notably games produced by Sam Lake at Remedy Entertainment, such as the "Remedy Connected Universe" of games,[35] which includes the Alan Wake series, and the game Control.[36] For Alan Wake II, the developers took heavy inspiration specifically from the third season of Twin Peaks.[37] The Remedy-produced Max Payne series also takes inspiration.[38] Other games of the genre that take heavy inspiration include Deadly Premonition,[39] and the Silent Hill series.[40]

Twin Peaks also served as an inspiration for the 1993 video game The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, with director Takashi Tezuka citing the series as the main factor for the creation of the "suspicious" characters that populate the game, as well as the mystery elements of the story.[41] The 1998 open world adventure video game Mizzurna Falls was highly reminiscent and an homage to Twin Peaks.[42]

The Velvet Room featured in the Persona video game series is inspired by the Black Lodge, and is also a reference to a previous Lynch film, Blue Velvet.[43] Other games and video game series influenced by Twin Peaks include the Life Is Strange series,[44] and the indie games Disco Elysium,[45] Virginia,[46] Kentucky Route Zero,[47] Thimbleweed Park,[48] and Puzzle Agent.[49]

Tributes

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Steven Spielberg, who cast Lynch as John Ford in The Fabelmans, wrote upon his death, "Here was one of my heroes—David Lynch playing one of my heroes ... The world is going to miss such an original and unique voice. His films have already stood the test of time and they always will".[50] Martin Scorsese wrote a statement that read in part, "He put images on the screen unlike anything that I or anybody else had ever seen—he made everything strange, uncanny, revelatory and new".[51] Lynch collaborators such as Kyle MacLachlan, Naomi Watts, and Nicolas Cage also wrote statements honoring Lynch.[52][53] Others who paid tribute to Lynch include Mel Brooks, Francis Ford Coppola, Ron Howard, Ben Stiller, James Gunn, Judd Apatow, Pedro Pascal, Questlove, and Patton Oswalt.[54][55] Critic Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian eulogized Lynch as "the great American surrealist".[56]

References

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  1. ^ Foster Wallace, David (September 1997). "David Lynch Keeps His Head". Premiere.
  2. ^ "Lynchian". Oxford English Dictionary.
  3. ^ Lynch and Rodley, p. 245.
  4. ^ "MacDowell Colony to honor David Lynch - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Archived from the original on December 28, 2017. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
  5. ^ Hoberman, J. (January 16, 2025). "David Lynch Dead: 'Twin Peaks' and 'Mulholland Drive' Director Was 78". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  6. ^ "David Lynch, visionary filmmaker behind 'Twin Peaks' and 'Mulholland Drive,' dies at 78". AP News. January 16, 2025. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  7. ^ Galloway, Stephen (January 16, 2025). "David Lynch, Auteur Drawn to the Dark and the Dreamlike, Dies at 78". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 17, 2025.
  8. ^ "40 best directors". The Guardian. London. 2007. Archived from the original on July 4, 2007. Retrieved November 29, 2010.
  9. ^ Ankeny, Jason. "David Lynch: Biography". AllMovie. Archived from the original on December 28, 2020. Retrieved November 29, 2010.
  10. ^ Lynch, David; Rodley, Chris (2005). Lynch on Lynch (revised ed.). New York: Faber and Faber. ISBN 978-0-571-22018-2.
  11. ^ "David Lynch Collection". Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. September 4, 2014. Archived from the original on July 3, 2016. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
  12. ^ Oxford English Dictionary.
  13. ^ Foster Wallace, David (September 1997). "David Lynch Keeps His Head". Premiere.
  14. ^ Telotte, J. P. (2016). "Complementary Verses: The Science Fiction of Twin Peaks". In Weinstock, Jeffrey Andrew; Spooner, Catherine (eds.). Return to Twin Peaks: New Approaches to Materiality, Theory, and Genre on Television. New York: Palgrave Macmillan US. pp. 161–174. doi:10.1007/978-1-137-55695-0_9. ISBN 978-1-137-55695-0. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  15. ^ Yang, Rachel (February 24, 2020). "Kyle MacLachlan celebrates Twin Peaks Day by joining TikTok and recreating Agent Cooper's first scene". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  16. ^ Craighead, Callie (February 24, 2021). "Feb. 24 is 'Twin Peaks' Day. Celebrate with coffee, cherry pie, road trip to Snoqualmie, Washington". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  17. ^ Mariani, Mike (January 23, 2016). "The Remarkable Influence of David Lynch". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on March 16, 2017. Retrieved March 15, 2017.
  18. ^ Millman, Joyce (May 19, 2002). "Television/Radio; 'The X-Files' Finds the Truth: Its Time Is Past". The New York Times. Retrieved July 9, 2009.
  19. ^ Dockterman, Eliana (May 11, 2017). "Creators of Lost, Fargo, The Sopranos and Other Shows on How Twin Peaks Influenced Them". Time. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  20. ^ Moorhouse, Drusilla (December 1, 2010). "Psych's Delicious Tribute to Twin Peaks: This Must Be Where Pies Go When They Die". E! Online. Archived from the original on October 18, 2014. Retrieved October 10, 2014.
  21. ^ Hale, Mike (November 30, 2010). "A Series Homage Lovingly Wrapped in Plastic". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 18, 2014. Retrieved October 10, 2014.
  22. ^ Dockterman, Eliana (May 11, 2017). "Creators of Lost, Fargo, The Sopranos and Other Shows on How Twin Peaks Influenced Them". Time. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  23. ^ Hawley, Noah (August 24, 2017). "Noah Hawley: How 'Twin Peaks' Influenced My Work". TV Insider. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  24. ^ Moylan, Brian (May 11, 2017). "Riverdale's Showrunner Talks Final Cliffhangers, Incest, and His Plans for Season Two". Vulture. Archived from the original on August 9, 2020. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
  25. ^ Haithman, Diane (May 10, 2013). "Carlton Cuse On 'Bates Motel's Twin Peaks' & 'Psycho' Heritage". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 7, 2013. Retrieved May 11, 2013.
  26. ^ Cwik, Greg (January 16, 2024). "Donald Glover Wants Atlanta to Be 'Twin Peaks With Rappers'". Vulture. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
  27. ^ Weinstock, Spooner (November 17, 2015). Return To Twin Peaks. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 216–218. ISBN 978-1-137-56384-2. Archived from the original on November 14, 2020. Retrieved May 28, 2017.
  28. ^ Lyons, Margaret (April 25, 2011). "How The Killing Channeled Twin Peaks Last Night". Vulture. Archived from the original on January 2, 2014. Retrieved July 24, 2013.
  29. ^ Patterson, Troy (April 1, 2011). "The Killing: A new crime show has some of that Twin Peaks flair". Slate. Archived from the original on July 26, 2013. Retrieved July 24, 2013.
  30. ^ Tedder, Michael (May 17, 2017). "The 'Twin Peaks' Sound Has Influenced Everyone From Kanye West to Beach House". Esquire. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  31. ^ Grow, Kory (December 12, 2022). "Angelo Badalamenti, 'Twin Peaks' Composer Who Helped Popularize Dream Pop, Dead at 85". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  32. ^ Ivie, Devon (September 5, 2017). "Your Guide to All of the Bands in Twin Peaks". Vulture. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  33. ^ "Bastille, 'Laura Palmer' – Song Stories". NME. April 18, 2013. Archived from the original on March 1, 2014. Retrieved August 23, 2018 – via YouTube.
  34. ^ Pearce, Sheldon (March 9, 2016). "Xiu Xiu Announce "Twin Peaks" Covers Album, Share "Falling"". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  35. ^ Garcia, Derek (July 23, 2021). "Why Twin Peaks Inspires So Many Video Games". ScreenRant. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  36. ^ Reed, Kristan (May 31, 2005). "Alan Wake". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on September 14, 2013. Retrieved November 13, 2014.
  37. ^ "Alan Wake 2 takes bold notes from Twin Peaks: The Return". Digital Trends. September 27, 2023. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  38. ^ Iwaniuk, Phil (October 11, 2017). "One of Max Payne's greatest moments is its own weird version of Twin Peaks. Did you watch Address Unknown?". GamesRadar. Archived from the original on October 12, 2017. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
  39. ^ Schilling, Chris (July 7, 2011). "The Cult of Deadly Premonition". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on May 3, 2014. Retrieved November 13, 2014.
  40. ^ Kelly, Andy (April 29, 2014). "On The Level: Silent Hill, Silent Hill 2". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on November 13, 2014. Retrieved November 13, 2014.
  41. ^ "Iwata Asks: The History of Handheld The Legend of Zelda Games – Make All the Characters Suspicious Types". Nintendo of America Inc. January 2010. Archived from the original on May 5, 2013. Retrieved January 13, 2011.
  42. ^ Haske, Steve (September 1, 2017). "What Made This Fan Translate an Obscure 1998 'Twin Peaks'-Inspired PS1 Game". Vice. Archived from the original on December 18, 2019. Retrieved December 18, 2019.
  43. ^ Megami Ibunroku Persona Digital Collection: Persona World (in Japanese). ASCII Media Works. 1993. pp. 6–11. ISBN 978-4-7572-0014-2.
  44. ^ Kelly, Andy (April 12, 2016). "How Life is Strange channels Twin Peaks". PC Gamer. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  45. ^ D'Amato, Lee (2023-11-08). "Alan Wake 2 Isn't A Horror Game, It's A Twin Peaks Game". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2024-12-02.
  46. ^ Smith, Adam (July 8, 2014). "A Mysterious State Of Mind: Virginia Interview". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  47. ^ Smith, Ryan (January 22, 2013). "Jake Elliott, writer and designer of Kentucky Route Zero". The Gameological Society. Onion Inc. Archived from the original on September 15, 2019. Retrieved July 26, 2016. Tamas and I are always talking about David Lynch, and he's a huge influence on us as far as tone.
  48. ^ Gilbert, Ron (November 18, 2014). "Please Join Us On Kickstarter". Grumpy Gamer. Archived from the original on April 10, 2016. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  49. ^ "Nelson Tethers Puzzle Agent on Wii No More". Cubed³. June 23, 2011. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved August 15, 2011.
  50. ^ Shafer, Ellise (January 16, 2025). "Steven Spielberg Honors David Lynch as Hollywood Mourns a Film Icon: 'The World Is Going to Miss Such an Original and Unique Voice'". Variety. Archived from the original on January 16, 2025. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  51. ^ Bergeson, Samantha (January 16, 2025). "Kyle MacLachlan, Naomi Watts, Martin Scorsese, and More Pay Tribute to David Lynch: 'He Made Everything Strange, Uncanny, Revelatory, and New'". IndieWire. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  52. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 16, 2025). "Naomi Watts Says 'Mulholland Drive' Director David Lynch 'Put Me On The Map'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 17, 2025. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  53. ^ Zee, Michaela (January 16, 2025). "Kyle MacLachlan Says 'I Owe My Entire Career' and Life to 'Blue Velvet' and 'Twin Peaks' Director David Lynch; Naomi Watts Says 'My Heart Is Broken'". Variety. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  54. ^ Carson, Lexi (January 16, 2025). "Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard, James Gunn and More Pay Tribute to David Lynch: He 'Inspired So Many of Us'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  55. ^ Morrow, Brendan (January 16, 2025). "Steven Spielberg, 'Twin Peaks' star Kyle MacLachlan, more remember David Lynch". USA Today. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  56. ^ Bradshaw, Peter. "David Lynch: the great American surrealist who made experimentalism mainstream". The Guardian. Retrieved January 17, 2025.
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