Mulholland Dr.

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Aerosin
so, i bought this movie on clearance for 3.66, it was worth it. but, i watched it
AND I AM ENTIRELY CONFUSED...i have a small idea about it, but i really dont understand it at all.....like any of it..... someone please help me...

theez1
It's a mind f@ck of a movie. I think that's the main purpose of the film. That and an awesome erotic lesbian scene.

Myth
THIS MOVIE TRICKS PEOPLE INTO THINKING THAT IT IS CLEVOR!

I rented this based on recommendations for my taste in weird movies but had no idea what it was... crap. First of all the acting and the set up of scenes were awful. The scene that comes most into mind as an example of this is in the cafe with 2 of the male actors and one is telling a dream of his. The guy telling his dream could not act at all. Then to top it off, they went outside to see this "scary man" and as they approached the wall that he was behind, the mood was set up all wrong. It should have had much more suspense to it. Then the bum came around the corner and the guy collapsed (heart attack?). Again, the mood was all calm while this happened which is not the way you film a scene like that. Maybe they were trying to be unique, but there attempt failed and it came across as shit. The only reason I got through the crappy acting and set ups was by having high hopes for the end. It was obvious that it was going to have an odd ending because of all the strange things that occurred yet were unrelated. Movies don't just leave things unlinked, so I was curious to see how they were going to piece everything together to make it make sense. I expected to be amazed and say "Wow! Now I see how everything was connected. I can't believe that they managed to link all that stuff together." But no, what was the explanation? She's crazy. That was a copout ending. It didn't link anything together, it just made it so nothing had to make sense. I wanted to see the importance of the bum, but there was none. They try to make the movie seem clevor but its not. Anybody could have made this movie. I could have slapped a bunch of random things on film (with bad acting just like this movie) to get people wondering how everything is linked and then just say "She's crazy" so everything makes sense. Typically, I like movies with a twist. This is one of the select few that tried and failed miserably.

Solo
It's a very beautiful, well-paced film, with great acting.

If you're not sure what happened I'll try to clear it up with my theory:
So basically, everything was all a dream that happened before the scene with the blue box.

Betty's name is actually Diane.

Rita's name is actually Camilla.

Diane and Camilla were actually lovers.

Diane's dream was driven by jealousy. She was jealous that Camilla was an actor, and got a part in The Director's films. Therefore, she came up with The Director's "segment" in her dream as an excuse for why she didn't get any part in any of The Director's films.

i.e.
- Diane (Betty) going to the rehearsal.
- The Director is being forced to pick a different woman for the part.

Diane then receives news that Camilla was getting married to The Director, and Diane doesn't think she can live without Camilla.

Therefore, they go into Diane's apartment (into the dream) and see Betty (Diane) dead laying on the bed. Showing that Diane's depressed, and doesn't believe she can live without Camilla.

Afterwards, Diane awakes from the whole dream, pays the "hitman" to go kill Camilla and returns to her apartment to kill herself.

It then goes and shows Aunt Ruth and her husband chasing Diane, and the hobo.

So everyone that has any part in the dream, is a real person, if you look closely in the scene when Camilla announces her marriage with The Director you can see The Cowboy in the background.

So I assume that the hobo is real too.



I don't see how the film isn't clever, it's cleverness to the highest degree. But if you're not a Lynch fan, or you don't respect art, don't bother seeing it.

MetallicaT
Originally posted by Myth
First of all the acting and the set up of scenes were awful. The scene that comes most into mind as an example of this is in the cafe with 2 of the male actors and one is telling a dream of his. The guy telling his dream could not act at all. Then to top it off, they went outside to see this "scary man" and as they approached the wall that he was behind, the mood was set up all wrong. It should have had much more suspense to it. Then the bum came around the corner and the guy collapsed (heart attack?). Again, the mood was all calm while this happened which is not the way you film a scene like that. Maybe they were trying to be unique, but there attempt failed and it came across as shit.

heh..that part scared the shit out of me..i thought it was set up perfect
its a great movie..think i'll go watch it right now actually

Ushgarak
That looks like a seriously misunderstood diagnosis, Myth.

Lynch wants people to think about this one, not have it all put together for them. It all works fine- the problem here is clearly with you.

Mando
Originally posted by Ushgarak
Lynch wants people to think about this one, not have it all put together for them. It all works fine- the problem here is clearly with you.

I think Lynch does that in just about all of his workings. Some more than others.

Ushgarak
Nah, he does plenty of straight up films as well- Elephant Man etc.

Mando
Originally posted by Ushgarak
Nah, he does plenty of straight up films as well- Elephant Man etc.

I forgot to take that one into account. messed

BackFire
Elephant Man is my favorite Lynch film.

Phat J
i didnt quite understand the movie, even tho the acting was meant to be bad (im pretty sure it was) i didnt feel like watching it again to figure out because of it.

Deathblow
I don't like movies I don't understand. I like movies which challenge me sure, or may take repeated viewings, but a lot of Lynch's work to me just seems to revel in the knowledge that is flying straight over everyone's heads. Mulholland Drive is guilty of that, no doubt.

Lynch himself confessed in an interview he didn't actually know what it was about.

Myth
Originally posted by Ushgarak
That looks like a seriously misunderstood diagnosis, Myth.

Lynch wants people to think about this one, not have it all put together for them. It all works fine- the problem here is clearly with you.

Well, I'm not going to argue how well the movie connects simply because it has been way too long since I've seen it and I didn't find it that memorable. Fact is I didn't like it and I remember that the acting was really bad and I remember feeling like the mood was set up wrong on several occasions (IMO).

I'm going to second Elephant Man as a superior film.

BackFire
I remember Mulholland Dr. being somewhat interesting, but it was way to abstract for me. It was like an overblown student film, very close to being pretentious, trying to make a point but the execution being way to over the top and silly to really make the point in any coherent manner.

Oh, and I think I remember hearing that the film was supposed to be a metaphor for Hollywood, or something.

The Simpsons did a hilarious and accurate joke about Lynch once, making fun of, I believe, Twin Peaks, where it showed the actor dancing with a horse with a stoplight hanging over them.

Anyways, I don't think it's a bad film, it was interesting, and definitely unique, but too abstract and purposely weird for my tastes. Also, I have a bad taste in my mouth because so many of the fans of this movie think that just because they like it that they're more intelligent then those who don't care for it, assuming it's because they are unable to understand or comprehend it, when most of the people who like it don't even comprehend it.

That is the cool thing about the movie though, it's so open for interpretation. I just wish some of the pretentious arthouse wannabe's would realize that as well.

Solo
Originally posted by Ushgarak
Nah, he does plenty of straight up films as well- Elephant Man etc.
Blue Velvet, Straight Story, Eraserhead...........

Point is, the acting was meant to be bad in certain sections of the film.

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