tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post3636732156385813104..comments2024-03-05T21:05:36.848-05:00Comments on CommentaramaFilms: Guest Review: Mulholland Drive (2001)AndrewPricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-23982982896791270672014-04-27T18:50:07.327-04:002014-04-27T18:50:07.327-04:00I agree - just skimming through the film again, I ...I agree - just skimming through the film again, I appreciated several things I hadn't noted before!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18105609617071999765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-49759379510846352852014-04-27T00:38:25.586-04:002014-04-27T00:38:25.586-04:00yeah, after I read your comments, I screened the l...yeah, after I read your comments, I screened the last part again, and it looks like the "red" lampshade is either a different place altogether, or possibly in the corner of the main room between the fireplace, and just outside the entrance to the bedroom. If one wanted to nitpick, it is a strange place to have an ashtray, lamp, and phone, but hey. What piqud my interest after your post was I was looking at the end of the film and clearly so it was a different lamp, and I assumed it was by her bed. Well, as I said in the review, one can go crazy and have fun doing it with MD! :)Tennessee Jedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10604275115906776992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-28022630770048206412014-04-26T17:10:24.228-04:002014-04-26T17:10:24.228-04:00My condolences about the funeral. Incidentally, in...My condolences about the funeral. Incidentally, in viewing the movie again, I noticed that there is another (perhaps clearer) shot of the phone and lamp in Diane's bedroom - just after she wakes up, and is getting up to let DeRosa in.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18105609617071999765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-60418472564660270692014-04-26T16:12:20.285-04:002014-04-26T16:12:20.285-04:00Thanks, John. I had to drive from Knoxville to Lou...Thanks, John. I had to drive from Knoxville to Louisville for a funeral on Friday, and back today so I didn't have an oppotunity to re-look at the "Camilla" call scene. I truly wish he had put in chapters to facilita quicker look-ups. Kind of a classsic Lynch move. :)<br />Tennessee Jedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10604275115906776992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-13319820360184013972014-04-26T13:02:01.968-04:002014-04-26T13:02:01.968-04:00Hi Jed, I had another look at MD and the call from...Hi Jed, I had another look at MD and the call from Camilla, and I see only a wall with reflections on it, no bed. Furthermore at the end of the previous scene, when Diane here's the phone ring, she looks up from the sofa towards the corner of the living room, rather than turning towards the bedroom. Then there is the jump-cut/flashback to the call from Camilla, and Diane enters the living room from the corridor to the bedroom. She is not wearing a black negligee, but her dress for the party.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18105609617071999765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-56214705475183690712014-04-26T00:21:24.060-04:002014-04-26T00:21:24.060-04:00I don't think so. You cannot telll the locatio...I don't think so. You cannot telll the locationthe first time you see it ( at the end of the call chain) but I am ptetty sure you seeit is beside Diane's bed when the call comes from CamillaTennessee Jedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10604275115906776992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-42091835694640011222014-04-25T16:24:40.587-04:002014-04-25T16:24:40.587-04:00Jed, I haven't seen the film for a while, but ...Jed, I haven't seen the film for a while, but one explanation may be that the red lamp and phone is in Diane's living room, not her bedroom. Alternatives: it is the lamp belonging to DeRosa, or the "somewhere" is the room where Diane met her clients. Do any of these fit?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18105609617071999765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-69797402875655241762014-04-24T23:14:18.026-04:002014-04-24T23:14:18.026-04:00and, I should point out, it would be easy to consi...and, I should point out, it would be easy to consider these normal continuity errors in a film where shooting had to be-done at a later time were it not for the black negligee, and the legend surrounding Lynch's leaving nothing to chance.Tennessee Jedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10604275115906776992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-3594835531242607512014-04-24T23:09:46.756-04:002014-04-24T23:09:46.756-04:00I haven't played the micro-analysis game in ye...I haven't played the micro-analysis game in years, but this lampshade thing I never noticed, and shows one can always find new things in MD to talk about. If you go to Lost on Mulholland Drive site, there is a lampshade gallery from the film. On the second row, the lampshade marked bedroom #17 Sierra Bonita, you see the lamp from the suicide scene. The red lampshade labeled "somewhere" appears only in fantasy. It is the one you with the ashtray, seen twice as I noted above.Tennessee Jedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10604275115906776992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-74442704479535252342014-04-24T22:54:33.024-04:002014-04-24T22:54:33.024-04:00Scott - there are scenes that were deleted from th...Scott - there are scenes that were deleted from the DVD at the actresses' request. Full frontal, apparently. They supposedly circulate around in pirated copies, but I don't know.Tennessee Jedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10604275115906776992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-53800415167607896932014-04-24T22:52:46.236-04:002014-04-24T22:52:46.236-04:00John Jamison - I had copy today and tonight so sor...John Jamison - I had copy today and tonight so sorry for not getting back to you sooner. When I went back to some of the analysis about red lampshades after your post (such as the key Pink's scene,) I also looked at the other scenes where the red lampshade is shown. The first time is at the end of the call chain from Mr. Rourke. The other is when the call comes from Camilla to Diane telling her she is sending a limo to pick her up. Now look very closely at the death scene where Diane shoots herself. It is a different phone, a different lamp, and no ashtray. I had never noticed that before. Furthermore, when Diane is shown with the red lamp shade and ashtray, she is wearing a black slip. In the real world, the negligee is either gray or dirty white. Any thoughts?Tennessee Jedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10604275115906776992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-23207753007118256802014-04-24T21:57:26.940-04:002014-04-24T21:57:26.940-04:00oh, and if you liked Jennifer Connelly topless, th...<i>oh, and if you liked Jennifer Connelly topless, the scenes with Naomi Watts and Laura Harring can definitely rock your world. </i><br /><br />Hell, even I've seen those scenes. ;-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-12062609276747603782014-04-24T18:02:54.597-04:002014-04-24T18:02:54.597-04:00Jed, of course I agree with you that the money in ...Jed, of course I agree with you that the money in the dream segment tells us about Rita: indeed, the people looking for Rita are looking for a high end call girl (the telephone calls, lamps, black book, Pink's scene all make that clear). However, there are two things we may take from this in the reality segment.<br /><br />1. Rita is a (high end) prostitute in the dream; as you say, this suggest that Camilla has slept her way to stardom (or more generally used her sexuality). Her relationship with Adam is further evidence of this.<br /><br />2. The money in the dream came from prostitution. In the reality segment, this is Diane's money, suggesting that she earned it through prostitution. Her uncomfortable interaction with Badalamenti's character further suggests this, as does the telephone, lamp and ashtray beside her bed.<br /><br />Related to this, I did not understand your last remark: by "are not" did you mean to write "are" ?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18105609617071999765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-59323640793140210862014-04-24T17:43:05.934-04:002014-04-24T17:43:05.934-04:00I have seen this film and I was a fan of Twin Peak...I have seen this film and I was a fan of Twin Peaks so I know what you mean Jed on all counts. :)Outlaw13https://www.blogger.com/profile/17232117096525959967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-28829864662788072272014-04-24T09:12:30.647-04:002014-04-24T09:12:30.647-04:00oh, and if you liked Jennifer Connelly topless, th...oh, and if you liked Jennifer Connelly topless, the scenes with Naomi Watts and Laura Harring can definitely rock your world.Tennessee Jedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10604275115906776992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-4115115004133715002014-04-24T09:09:39.061-04:002014-04-24T09:09:39.061-04:00Outlaw, have you ever delved into David Lynch? He ...Outlaw, have you ever delved into David Lynch? He is like so many of the avante gard film makers; Fellini, Bergman, etc. Sometimes with Lynch, it doesn't seem worth the efoort, but sometimes, if you do, it can be amazing. "MD" is a movie that can put you to sleep, but if you can stay with it, after the initial "WTF" was that, it gets into your head and hooks you. There is a ton of texture here.Tennessee Jedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10604275115906776992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-49026535301156418322014-04-24T08:30:48.267-04:002014-04-24T08:30:48.267-04:00I keep getting this movie mixed up with Mulholland...I keep getting this movie mixed up with Mulholland Falls. Which is awesome because it has Jennifer Connelly topless...but so do several other films so scratch that. :)Outlaw13https://www.blogger.com/profile/17232117096525959967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-76094683868961553472014-04-24T02:20:50.543-04:002014-04-24T02:20:50.543-04:00Scott - it wouldn't surprise me either, but do...Scott - it wouldn't surprise me either, but does show a certain lack of consistency on his part. Lynch "being Lynch" I suppose.Tennessee Jedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10604275115906776992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-62833647672011087962014-04-24T02:17:35.442-04:002014-04-24T02:17:35.442-04:00John Jamison - I did look at the scene, and agree ...John Jamison - I did look at the scene, and agree the strongest hint is through the juxtaposition of the "Made especially for Pink's" scene with the "how did you get the money" scene. But that, to me, is more an indication that Camilla was the prostitute rather than Diane. If so, it is possible more the figurative prostitution symbolic of the Hollywood casting couch. That one, to me, is more interpretive since Lynch is not disposed to say if Diane was acting as a call girl. As far as the red lamps, I still wonder why the red lamp shade, ashtray, and telephone are not Diane's real phone and lampshade. They are shown when Diane is in black negligee, the same one where Betty encounters the dead Diane, is "awakened" by the cowboy, and gets a "call" from Camilla.Tennessee Jedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10604275115906776992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-18527029792836663072014-04-24T00:49:55.993-04:002014-04-24T00:49:55.993-04:00Jed -
To be fair, Lynch may not have 100% contro...Jed - <br /><br />To be fair, Lynch may not have 100% control over when/where his movies are released. It's obvious Universal is taking their sweet time... but if Criterion is doing it, I'm sure it'll be worth it. (I think a different company owns the home video rights in Germany, hence the release over there.)<br /><br />I know Lynch doesn't do commentaries and from some of the DVD/Blu reviews I've read, sometimes he does interviews, sometimes he doesn't. It wouldn't surprise me if he purposely kept things cryptic with this one.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-17861456695606115152014-04-23T23:08:54.431-04:002014-04-23T23:08:54.431-04:00As far as the Criterion Blu-Ray release, it was ru...As far as the Criterion Blu-Ray release, it was rumored almost a year ago with nothing since. It is annoying it was released in Germany and not here. Lynch likes money, and one of my gripes with him is the way he seems to treat fans of the movie with a certain lack of respect. The DVD was disappointing. There are no chapters which makes analysis really difficult. Almost nothing in the way of special features, and while Lynch won't discuss the meaning of the film, the ten "clues" to unlock the mystery seems to fly in the face of that stance. On the criterion edition of Persona, there are wonderful interviews with Bergman. I do agree with both that to spell everything out kind of robs the film of it's ability to permit the viewer to interpret as they see fit.Tennessee Jedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10604275115906776992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-26875259565444518392014-04-23T22:48:23.975-04:002014-04-23T22:48:23.975-04:00Scott - while I'm surprised you haven't se...Scott - while I'm surprised you haven't seen this, it would be interesting to see your take on it if you ever do view it. I think the fact it was a t.v. show morphed into a feature changed a lot of Lynch's original thoughts. If you like Igmar Bergman, I would think you will appreciate this one, and in many ways, it is easier than some of his other films to comprehend.Tennessee Jedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10604275115906776992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-48336279689219027542014-04-23T22:33:22.471-04:002014-04-23T22:33:22.471-04:00John - you may well be correct. I would have to go...John - you may well be correct. I would have to go back and look at the scene again. I thought the hitman was the pimp, but it has been a while.Tennessee Jedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10604275115906776992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-76376767268699577052014-04-23T21:52:26.783-04:002014-04-23T21:52:26.783-04:00Jed -
I've never seen the film so forgive me...Jed - <br /><br />I've never seen the film so forgive me for skipping the review on account of the spoilers. :-)<br /><br />I'll get to it one day! (I keep hearing rumors of a Criterion Collection release but it hasn't happened yet.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-4883987851708127122014-04-23T21:14:03.113-04:002014-04-23T21:14:03.113-04:00Jed, yes, I agree that the prostitution references...Jed, yes, I agree that the prostitution references could be metaphorical, but I find the way Lynch cuts the prostitute-pimp-hitman scene into the money scene rather strong (the scenes are not cut this way in the original pilot, if I remember rightly). And the red pole is blatently telling those who notice it to take the prostitution connection seriously, cf. Gene the Pool Man for the incest/child abuse connection.<br /><br />On the other hand, I don't see the hitman as a pimp: his interest in Rita and the black book in the dream are professional (i.e., he is being paid to be interested).Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18105609617071999765noreply@blogger.com