Pretty as a Picture: The Art of David Lynch

Starring:Jocelyn West, Mary Sweeney, Bill Pullman, Balthazar Getty, Jennifer Chambers Lynch, Robert Loggia, Mel Brooks, Jack Nance, Natasha Gregson Wagner, Dean Stockwell, Angelo Badalamenti, Patricia Arquette, Jack Fisk, Barry Gifford, Robert Blake, Austin Jack Lynch, Dennis Hopper, David Lynch
Director: Toby Keeler
Studio: Image Entertainment
Product Type: DVD

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Director Toby Keeler investigates all of David Lynch's artistic endeavors (which include photography, painting, music, and furniture building as well as filmmaking) in this fascinating documentary shot during the making of Lost Highway. Along with film clips and interviews with Lynch, composer Angelo Badalamenti, and producer Deepak Nayar are numerous behind-the-scenes glimpses at Lost Highway and Lynch at work in other media. The highlight is the Eraserhead reunion, where Jack Nance, Catherine Coulson (the "Log Lady" from Twin Peaks and Nance's first wife), and Lynch visit the site where Lynch's first successful feature was shot in the mid-1970s over a two-year period. Maybe not as revealing as one could hope, but an always intriguing portrait of an uncompromising artist driven to create in a wide range of media. --Sean Axmaker.

Description

From an early age, David Lynch was inspired by the arts and the warm inner glow that comes with the pursuit of creative expression. "Pretty as a Picture:The Art of David Lynch" examines how this modern day Renaissance man makes a motion picture, and examines, through his artistic explorations, the very nature of creativity.

Customer Reviews:

Great for Lynch fans.......2006-08-25

This is an interesting documentary that isn't so much about David Lynch's films, it's more of a biography and then we learn a little about his film making process. It also talks alot about his paintings, furniture and other things like that. It was made during the filming of Lost Highway so there are interviews with many cast and crew members. I'd say that this is for hardcore Lynch fans only.

"Jimmy Stewart from Mars"--Mel Brooks.......2004-07-01

Here's a good documentary about Lynch. Of course, you never get a clue of insight from him or his friends about what informs the strange metaphysics and obsessions that we the audience experience in his films. But sensing what a likable and completely normal person he is in these interviews makes the disjunction all the more fascinating. He's just a painter and sculptor (albeit one whose medium sometimes involves dead rats, flies, and his beloved ants) who happened to get a commission from AFI in 1970 and has chosen to make films at his whim ever since, with complete artistic control of his projects. We experience his close working collaboration with composer Angelo Badalamenti in Prague and elsewhere, and it drives home how important music and sound is to him, and get glimpses of his earliest films. "Pretty as a Picture" is a must-own for his fans.

Not Bad, But..........2003-01-12

Pretty As A Picture is an 80 minute documentary focusing on America's most original director, David Lynch. And while it was somewhat interesting in spots(the clips of his early short films were pretty neat), as a Lynchaholic, I was hoping for something a little more in depth. While it spends a lot of time talking about Lost Highway, Lynch's other films(The Elephant Man, Blue Velvet, TV's Twin Peaks) are only brushed over slightly. Wild At Heart, winner of the Palm D'Or for whoever cares, was barely mentioned if at all. For my money, I'd go with the 80 minute documentary on the Blue Velvet Special Edition DVD. Yes, it focuses mostly on Blue Velvet, but it is far more informative and interesting than Pretty As A Picture. I just think that a brilliant filmmaker like Lynch deserves a much better documentary. That's my two cents.

Look at that HAIR!.......2002-10-17

yes, David has 'genius' hair...spikey, going in at least 5 different directions, when untamed...what joy to behold!
anyhow, I found this to be an enjoyable glimpse into Lynch's work (as much of a glimpse as I think we're going to get from the strange and media shy guy).
Most striking to me was the portrait of his artwork and his creation of it...I think this speaks most directly to his film work, since as his ex-wife put it, he wanted to make 'art that moves', and I'd purchase any of it (if I could afford it) in a second!
The discussion of his filmwork is rather shallow, but it's the interviews by people such as Peggy Lynch, Jack Fisk (longtime childhood friend), and his kids that light up this piece (Austin Lynch sounds *exactly* like David, with the midwestern twang and the long, slow deliberation with which he speaks). The Jay Leno interview is priceless ('they were sugar ants, but I think they were coming in for water...'), but, overall, if you're looking for what makes Lynch 'tick', you won't really find it here, but it's worth watching if you're a fan.

Ideas are the best thing going.......2001-06-30

Ideas are the best thing going. That's what David Lynch says in the interview on this DVD.

This is a great overview of David Lynch.. It provides some good insight into his history interspersed with interviews with his ex-wife, his children, Mary Sweeney, Barry Giford and many others.

As a Lynch fanatic, I find this documentary exemplary. The best part by far is the interview with Lynch himself, who does not give interviews very often. You get a real sense of what a cool dude he is. Aside from the fact that his art stands on it's own, it is interesting to watch this documentary and learn that David Lynch is just an ordinary guy doing extraordinary things. To me, that in and of itself is inspiring.

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