David Lynch Box Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

David Lynch Box Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 23, 2011

German distributors Concorde Video's David Lynch boxset contains the American director's acclaimed "Lost Highway" (1997), "Mulholland Drive" (2001), and "Inland Empire" (2006). Each disc contains various supplemental features, such as making of featurettes, interviews, trailers, teasers, and more. In English, with optional German subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Mulholland Drive

Betty (Naomi Watts, 21 Grams, King Kong), a beautiful blonde from Ontario, arrives in Hollywood to try her luck in the movies. She moves in her absent aunt’s apartment where she meets Rita (Laura Harring, Ghost Son), an elegant brunette. Betty assumes that Rita is a friend of her aunt.

But Rita does not know Betty’s aunt. In fact, she does not know who she is – she can’t remember her name or where she lives. The only thing Rita seems to remember is that she was involved in a car accident somewhere on Mulholland Drive. Intrigued by Rita’s story, Betty decides to help her.

Rita and Betty begin reconstructing Rita’s life. There are small details about the car accident Rita begins to remember, flashbacks from her past, even feelings she can’t quite understand. But did everything she remembers happen? Or is her brain playing tricks on her?

Meanwhile, a successful director (Justin Theroux, Inland Empire) is ordered to offer the leading role in his upcoming film to a girl he does not like. He attempts to protest, but a funny looking cowboy (Monty Montgomery) appears and repeats the order. He also conveys to the director that it will be in his best interest if they did not meet again. The director gets it, and somewhere in Los Angeles a man in a wheelchair (Michael J. Anderson, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me) is immediately delivered the good news. Before the director begins shooting the film, however, he discovers that his wife (Lori Heuring) is having an affair.

While Rita is recuperating, Betty has a terrific audition. Shortly after, she has sex with Betty. Then the two attend a strange theater and discover a tiny blue box in Betty’s purse. When they open the box all hell breaks loose.

Approximately a week after Mulholland Drive was released in theaters, director David Lynch revealed ten clues that supposedly unlocked the secret of his film. I’ve seen Mulholland Drive a number of times during the years and to this day remain firmly convinced that its narrative actually allows for a number of successful interpretations.

Director Lynch has also revealed that Mulholland Drive is a film about unique feelings, and slipping into another world where specific intellectual judgments are to be avoided. This I agree with. One does not necessarily have to align properly all the scattered pieces in the giant puzzle Mulholland Drive is in order to experience its beauty.

The film is uncompromisingly hypnotic. Even if one does not understand the significance of everything that takes place on the screen, one feels an inexorable need to keep watching, and feeling, and speculating. It is a strange feeling for sure - like being awake in a bizarre dream.

As stunningly beautiful many of the visuals may be, Mulholland Drive would have been a very different film without Angelo Badalamenti’s music score - a striking blend of ambient and electronic tunes that give the film its unique pulse.

Note: In 2001, Mulholland Drive won Best Director award at the Cannes Film Festival. A year later, the film also won Best Film and Best Actress (Naomi Watts) awards at the National Society of Film Critics Awards.

Inland Empire

David Lynch’s Inland Empire is one giant puzzle of a film. I think that it is about a young American actress, Nikki Grace (Laura Dern, Wild at Heart), who experiences a strange form of psychosis that irreversibly damages her ability to separate reality from make-believe. At the same time, she attempts to shoot a film in which the character she plays is an emotionally disturbed woman, Susan Blue, whose affair with a married man, Billy Side (Justin Theroux, The Legend of Lucy Keyes), comes to an end. As her condition worsens, Nikki completely loses control of her thoughts and emotions, and eventually becomes Susan - in real life - causing all sorts of problems for those around her.

Another theory that I have about Inland Empire is that it is about something much bigger, something a lot more serious. At its core is what most of us regard as faith and then relate to a power some of us refer to as God (in the film, it is the Phantom). Somehow, Nikki enters His world and He immediately notices her. In the beginning he only observes her, then, before things get out of control, He pulls her plug and she loses her mind. A group of psychiatrists - the rabbits - attempt to bring her back, but fail, time after time.

Lynch's films are rarely about clear-cut messages, and, obviously, Inland Empire is not an exception. There are a lot of things in it that do not make a whole lot of sense, certainly if one attempts to use conventional logic to deconstruct and understand them, but they do not necessarily have to. Whether one figures out the true identities of the rabbits, or precisely why Nikki loses her mind, is practically irrelevant; what is, is how one reacts to the events taking place on the screen. With other words, Inland Empire is an experience, not a conventional film with a conventional narrative.

Shot on digital video, Inland Empire is undoubtedly Lynch's most experimental film since Eraserhead. In it, light, shadow and color are blended into something quite fascinating and, as many might rightfully argue, quite frustrating – one can see what Lynch filmed but one can’t always see what he apparently did.

The non-linear structure of the narrative is also unusually complex. At first, it seems like Nikki’s reality overlaps with that of the character she plays, but later into the film, the action moves elsewhere – somewhere in between the two realities where it eventually becomes impossible to figure whether it is Nikki or her character that Lynch's camera follows.

Perhaps the most bizarre piece of the puzzle Inland Empire is, however, is the "Polish connection". Early into the film, Nikki is visited by one of her new neighbors (Grace Zabriskie, Chain of Desire), who casually informs her that today is tomorrow, and that the film she is about to begin shooting is actually a remake of a Polish film, which was once cursed by gypsies and abandoned by its producers because the actors they hired were killed.

The acting is outstanding across the board. Dern delivers a bold and very convincing performance as the emotionally battered Nikki/Susan. When she begins to lose her mind and finds herself amongst the prostitutes on the streets of Los Angeles, she is at her best. Theroux’s time in front of the camera is limited, but he makes the most of it. Finally, there are a number of excellent cameos in Inland Empire that deserve to be mentioned - Jeremy Irons is the enthusiastic director of the film Nikki is shooting, Harry Dean Stanton is his trusted assistant, and Julia Ormond plays a seriously disturbed woman who has suddenly realized that she is about to commit a terrible crime.

In 2006, Inland Empire was screened at the Venice Film Festival where it won the Future Film Festival Digital Award (David Lynch).

Lost Highway

Fred Madison (Bill Pullman, Liebestraum, Brokedown Palace) is a professional saxophone player who suspects that his wife, Renee (Patricia Arquette, Goodbye Lover), is having an affair. But he can’t prove it – which may or may not be the reason why he is having some serious nightmares.

Someone leaves a large brown envelope with a videotape on their steps. There is footage on the tape showing the inside of their house, then Fred and Renee sleeping. More videotapes arrive, showing more. Concerned about their safety, Fred and Renee contact the police.

During a chic party, Fred meets a man (Robert Blake, In Cold Blood) who tries to convince him that they’ve met before. In Fred’s house. Unsure what to make of the man and his strange claim, Fred walks away. Soon after, Renee is killed, and Fred thrown in prison.

While waiting in his cell for a trial date to be set, Fred becomes seriously ill - and then suddenly transforms into a different man, Pete Dayton (Balthazar Getty, Where the Day Takes You). Unable to make any sense of the event, the prison authorities free Pete and he goes back home. The cops immediately begin monitoring him and his family.

On the following day, Pete gets his old job, fixing cars in a rundown garage. He is soon visited by a wild wacky gangster (Robert Loggia, Scarface, Prizzi’s Honor) and his toy, (Patricia Arquette again), a blonde bombshell with beautiful green eyes. Pete fixes the gangster’s car and falls in love with his girl.

Pete and the girl begin seeing each other. The gangster starts sniffing around and heads begin rolling. Then Fred and his nightmares return, followed quickly by the man from the party, who calls Pete to let him know that they’ve also met before. Then all hell breaks loose.

David Lynch’s Lost Highway is a certified mindbender that is more about moods and feelings and less about plot. It is a wicked game that is easy to get sucked into and next to impossible to exit. The best thing about it is not being able to figure out its secret but the effort it demands to stay in it, the process of speculating with various 'what ifs'.

The core of Lost Highway is comprised of surrealistic scenes that point to a tragedy. Some show key events from before the tragedy, others show key events from later on, after it had occurred. The rest of the film is clever baiting - various characters and relationships are introduced but not all of them are as important as they seem.

From start to finish, the atmosphere in Lost Highway is dark and unsettling. Evil is almost certainly in the air. There is plenty of sex. Angry bits from industrial gurus Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson, and Rammstein occasionally pop up here and there.

Note: Lost Highway was adapted into an opera by acclaimed Austrian composer Olga Neuwirth. In 2003, the opera premiered in her home town of Graz. In 2007, the opera made its U.S. premiere at the Miller Theater in New York City.

David Lynch Box Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with VC-1 and granted a 1080p transfer, David Lynch's Mulholland Drive arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of German distributors Concorde Video.

The high-definition transfer used for this Blu-ray release (50GB) of David Lynch's Mulholland Drive is not identical to the one Studio Canal and Optimum Home Entertainment used for their Blu-ray releases in France and the UK. It is encoded with VC-1, as opposed to MPEG-4, and there are some minor differences in terms of contrast and color reproduction.

Though it is not easy to tell, contrast levels are slightly toned down. As a result, a few of the daylight scenes are not as vivid as they appear on the Studio Canal Collection release. However, as far as I am concerned, the difference is academic. Color reproduction is marginally stronger on the Studio Canal Collection release. Once again, however, one is only likely to notice that the reds on the Studio Canal Collection release appear a tiny bit richer. Detail and clarity appear identical on both releases - if there are any discrepancies, I certainly could not spot them. Lastly, I noticed the same mild edge-enhancement and traces of sporadic noise corrections that are present on the Studio Canal Collection. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location. For the record, there is no problematic PAL or 1080/50i content preceding the disc's main menu).

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with VC-1 and granted a 1080p transfer, David Lynch's Inland Empire arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of German distributors Concorde Video.

The high-definition transfer used for this Blu-ray release (50GB) is again encoded with VC-1, as opposed to MPEG-4 AVC. I could not see any key discrepancies to mention in this review. Aside from, maybe, the reds appearing slightly richer on this release (see the screencaptures with Laura Dern), the transfer basically replicates the same source limitations that are present on the UK Blu-ray release. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location. For the record, there is no problematic PAL or 1080/50i content preceding the disc's main menu).

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with VC-1 and granted a 1080p transfer, David Lynch's Lost Highway arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of German distributors Concorde Video.

The high-definition transfer used for this Blu-ray release is again encoded with VC-1, as opposed to MPEG-4 AVC. It is also placed on a 25GB disc, while the French release, courtesy of MK2, uses a 50GB disc.

The comments I left in my review of the French release can easily be used here to describe the quality of the presentation. Obviously, the high-definition transfer has been struck from the same dated source which MK2 used awhile ago. As a result, exactly the same sharpening and noise corrections are present here. The color-scheme has also inherited the somewhat weak blacks. Detail and clarity, however, are certainly satisfactory, and when blown through a digital projector the film undoubtedly looks the best it ever has. This is not to say that there is no room for improvement, but the issues mentioned above are indeed very easy to tolerate. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location. For the record, there is no problematic PAL or 1080/50i content preceding the disc's main menu).

David Lynch Box Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Mulholland Drive

There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and German DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. For the record, Concorde Video have provided optional German subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they split the image frame and the black bar below it.

As it is the case with the Studio Canal Collection release, the English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 opens up the film in a way that transforms the entire viewing experience. Indeed, the loseless track has a terrific dynamic amplitude and wonderful organic qualities that are extremely easy to appreciate. The dialog is clean, crisp, stable, and very easy to follow. There are no balance issues with Angelo Badalamenti's atmospheric score either.

Inland Empire

There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and German DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. For the record, Concorde Video have provided optional German subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they split the image frame and the black bar below it.

In my review for the UK release of Inland Empire I mentioned that the English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is a good enough reason to consider owning the film on Blu-ray. I have not changed my mind. I've seen Inland Empire on DVD and the experience is simply not the same - there are countless ambient effects that are basically unrecognizable without the loseless treatment. For the record, the dialog is crisp, clean, and very easy to follow.

Lost Highway

There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and German DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. For the record, Concorde Video have provided optional German subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they split the image frame and the black bar below it.

The English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is very good. I compared selected scenes from the French release and the dynamic amplitude of this loseless track is indeed identical to the one from the French release. Naturally, Angelo Badalamenti's music score again sounds great and enhances the film's terrific atmosphere exceptionally well. The dialog is crisp, clean, and very easy to follow.

David Lynch Box Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Note: The supplemental features included on the three Blu-ray discs are encoded in PAL. Therefore, you must have a Region-Free player capable of converting PAL to NTSC in order to view them in North America.

Mulholland Drive

• Making of - in this exclusive featurette, produced by Studio Canal, director David Lynch and various cast and crew members discuss Mulholland Drive, its complex story, characters, message, and production history. On the Studio Canal Collection release, the featurette appears as On the Road to Mulholland Drive. In English, not subtitled. (23 min, PAL).

• Interviews -
  
  -- Naomi Watts. In English, with optional German subtitles. (5 min, PAL).
  -- Laura Elena Harring. In English, with optional German subtitled. (3 min, PAL).
  -- Justin Theroux. In English, with optional German subtitles. (2 min, PAL).
  -- David Lynch. In English, with optional German subtitles. (4 min, PAL).

• TV Clips - three TV clips for Mulholland Drive. In English, not subtitled. (2 min, PAL).

• Trailer - the original German trailer for Mulholland Drive. In German, not subtitled. (2 min, PAL).

• Trailer - the original U.S. theatrical trailer for Mulholland Drive. In English, not subtitled. (2 min, PAL).

• Trailers - trailers for other Concorde Video releases.

Inland Empire

• Trailer - the original German trailer for Inland Empire. In German, not subtitled. (3 min, PAL).

• Trailer - the original English-language trailer for Inland Empire. In English, with imposed German subtitles. (2 min, PAL).

• Teaser - the original English-language teaser for Inland Empire. In English, not subtitled (1 min, PAL).

• Trailers - trailers for other Concorde Video releases.

Lost Highway

• Making of - a standard featurette with raw footage from the shooting of Lost Highway. David Lynch is also seen and heard directing various scenes. In English, with optional German subtitles. (10 min, PAL).

• Interview - in this short interview, director David Lynch discusses the main characters in the film and the cast. In English, with optional German subtitles. (5 min, PAL).

• Trailer - the original English-language trailer for Lost Highway. In English, not subtitled. (2 min, PAL).

• Trailers - trailers for other Concorde Video releases.

David Lynch Box Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

German distributors Concorde Video's David Lynch boxset is an excellent alternative for fans of the American director and his work who reside in Region-A territories and cannot play Region-B "locked" discs. Though the three releases (Lost Highway, Mulholland Drive and Inland Empire) are not identical to the ones released by MK2, Studio Canal, and Optimum Home Entertainment (they use different high-definition transfers and some have different supplemental features), all three appear to have been sourced from the same masters. RECOMMENDED.