In lieu of the usual Takes Two to Review, it’s just Hayley here this week to talk about a unique movie experience Cal State Monterey Bay (CSUMB) hosted in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Science (CAHSS) building theater.
With 45 students in attendance, filmmaker Alexandre Philippe made a return to campus for a screening of his 2022 film “Lynch/Oz,” which has recently had a bit of a resurgence, due to the death of the award winning director David Lynch.
Lynch, who was 78 when he died, was known for his surreal and abstract work in film and television, revolutionizing the industry with his distinctive storytelling style. His impact became so significant throughout the early 1990s that his aesthetic evolved into its own genre, simply titled “Lynchian.” He’s best known for “Blue Velvet,” “Mulholland Drive,” “Inland Empire” and his hit television series “Twin Peaks.”
However, it has been long speculated that Lynch drew significant inspiration from “The Wizard of Oz,” incorporating its characters, costumes, colors, special effects and themes into his work. Director Philippe sought to prove this connection with his documentary, uncovering links between Lynch’s work and the 1939 classic.
“The Wizard of Oz’s DNA goes a lot deeper into Lynch’s work than we thought,” Philippe said. He shared how the idea for this film had been brewing somewhere in the back of his mind for years, but that it wasn’t until the COVID-19 pandemic hit that the dream took form and production of “Lynch/Oz” was underway.
Philippe reached out to Lynch to gauge his interest in participating. “I already knew he wasn’t going to participate, but it was nice getting his blessings anyway to go forward with the project,” Philippe said. “I was met with an often-quoted message from Lynch that read, ‘No I’m sorry. I’m not focusing on the hole but keeping my eyes on the doughnut.’”
The phrase, which Lynch used frequently as a metaphor for focusing on the present rather than what is missing, has since become synonymous with his memory.
The film opened with an homage to both Lynch’s signature style and “The Wizard of Oz,” preparing the audience for a six-part deep dive exploring the vast multitudes of connections Lynch’s work had to the whimsical and otherworldly Judy Garland classic.
After the credits rolled Luis Carama, chair of the Cinematic Arts Department, joined Philippe on stage for a short Q&A with students. Meeting the emotional tension in the room, Philippe shared his thoughts on Lynch’s passing.
“We lost the best spiritual father we had in the world of cinema,” he said.
Despite Lynch’s well-known reluctance to explain his work, Philippe felt that “revisiting pieces of art” was necessary because “they still held many mysteries.” He added, “Where by the end you feel like you know less than you did when you started,” garnering many laughs from the crowd in agreement.
Lynch died Jan. 16, leaving behind a legacy of experimental yet incredibly emotionally complex stories. He was known for his love of black coffee, red wine, cigarettes, routine, meditation and telling interviewers, “I’m not going to explain my work because you already understand it if you watched it.”
Always elusive about the meanings behind his projects, he moved from one project to the next the moment he felt a story was complete– except, perhaps, according to Philippe, when it came to “The Wizard of Oz.”
Takes Two to Review gives “Lynch/Oz” a 5/5. For Lynch fans, this film is a must-watch. I highly encourage you to take that step over the rainbow and deeper into the ever-mysterious mind of David Lynch.
