Mulholland Dr. - David Lynch (2001)

Well, fortunately I got to spend some time with my bros this weekend. But unfortunately, that meant that I wasn't able to keep up on the posting. Did stay on track with the movie watching, but I'll need to gradually catch up on this part.

Possibly the only 21st century film to make the Top 100 in the most recent Sight & Sound poll - unless you count Wong Kar-wai's In the Mood for Love (2000, S&S #24)... which I don't.



Mulholland Dr.
dir. David Lynch. 2001, USA.
Sight & Sound 2012: Critics' #28 / Directors' #75
Roger Ebert's movie review
DVD from Amazon
Watch via Hulu-Plus / Amazon Instant / iTunes / YouTube



Mulholland Dr trailer (2001)

Now, David Lynch? Seen a lot of his films, yeah... And I've been told this is one of his best, certainly of the later period stuff. So I was glad to have a chance to force myself to finally watch it!

"This is the girl."

I'd say it's a way better adult fairy tale dealing with the nature of identity, reality and fantasy, than was Pan's Labyrinth. Throughout the film, D was chomping at the bit to discuss specifics about the plot machinations and presentation style and what it all meant - but he managed to avoid spilling the spoilers. Although he did keep saying that to truly understand, I'd have to watch the whole thing over again.



I'm glad I really didn't know too many specifics going in. Just that some false or multiple identities were switched around, and some sexual chemistry developed between the two leads. All true. The early going takes place in a dreamy Hollywood, with typical Lynch-ian acting in the '50s melodrama soap opera style. As is to be expected, kooks galore... but the mystery adventure and possible crime story never float off too much. The Hollywood Dream sections are really great too, especially the big break audition.

I did not get to watch it a second time, and I definitely don't want to get into plot specifics, meanings and interpretations. Knowing how things work in the Lynch world, I had some decent theories along the way - none of them ended up being exactly correct, but I think they were mostly on the right track, which seems like as good a recommendation as any. The film consistently kept me guessing, presented the story as an understandable puzzle, doled out useful information but always kept some for itself.

By the big finale, things had ended up kind of sideways from where they started. As much as it still left open to interpretation, seeing the whole film does cast the early parts in a different light. And there was much to discuss, think about, and (eventually) to fold back into my next watching of the film. Highly recommended!

Black Metal Classics: Tara - Absu

Absu, freshwater elemental and lover to Tiamat (salty) in the Sumerian creation story. Also a thrash-black metal band from Plano, TX. Although they would return to Sumerian occult mythos again with Absu (2009), their all-time classic Tara (2001) was the final chapter of a Celtic myth trilogy of albums. It begins with the title track, which is totally a 2-minute bagpipe intro. Then all hell is unleashed!



"Pillars of Mercy" blows a hole through what black metal is capable of. The influence of Slayer is pretty apparent, but it retains and expands the hallmarks of blackness. Demonic vocals growl (but spout complicated and verbose narratives), tremolo riffs repeat (but also explode in every direction), cheesy cymbals and blastbeats firmly in place (but wedged into some insanely technical stickwork). The drummer, Proscriptor McGovern, was supposedly a frontrunner to replace Dave Lombardo in Slayer - and it shows. The blackened thrash gets some synth bloops and unsheathing sfx on "A Shield With An Iron Face," then a creepy intro and even creepier video for "Mannanan." Next up would be my #2 most ridicvlous Black Metal song title: "The Cognate House of Courtly Witches Lies West of County Meath."



The drums, they are insanity-making! "She Cries The Quiet Lake" is a close runner-up to "Pillars" for pegging the awesome-meter. I totally realize this might not grab everyone right away - give it another go. "Shecries The-huh Quiet Lay-hey-ake!!" The double-bass pummelling runs starting around :50? That's a human being doing that, repeatedly. The spectral evil laugh in the 'scene' before the middle riff-fest. The last bit with the stop-START breaks. Gotta cleanse the palate after that, so Absu settles the listener with a 2-minute interlude of ambient synth washes and chimes ("Yrp Lluyddawe," just to remind you: Celts). Then back into the field of battle... love the inexplicable heavy volume spike.



That's "Four Crossed Wands (Spell 181)," and here's "Vorago (Spell 182)." Two great spells, one epic album! "Bron (Of the Waves)" is a Led Zep III-style folk guitar intro to "Stone of Destiny (... for Magh Slecht and Ard Righ)" [video has both, with Elric of Melnibone art from P. Craig Rusell]. Pretty groovy for thrashened black metal, huh? Then everything wraps up with a "Recapitulation" of the title track, so a couple more minutes of the bagpipe's mournful, ghostly (and Celtic) wail.

Tara (2001) was the last new studio record until this year's self-titled album, with everyone replaced but the drummer. Certain things have changed significantly in 8 years (back to Sumeria), but it's still recognizably Absu... but it's not Tara. But Tara still exists for us!