These have truly been trying times, but through it all, we’ve had one constant source of comfort; a light at the end of the quarantine tunnel if you will – the chaotic brilliance of David Lynch. Since the beginning of quarantine, The David Lynch Theatre has delivered nothing but hits. Spanning from his daily weather reports to the occasional short film, the acclaimed director has truly snatched 2020 by the horns.
Every video holds cultural power and there has never been a dry moment. We then pose ourselves the impossible question: which of these cinematic clips were the best? On the ever accurate scale of least to most Lynchian, here are the best The David Lynch Theatre videos to come out of quarantine.
It’s here, the moment you’ve all been waiting for: a definitive ranking of the very best videos created by Twin Peaks director David Lynch during quarantine. You’re welcome.
#7 – What Is David Working on Today? 6/9/20
First up, we have one of the most confusing additions to the director’s home reno series. The three and a half minute clip features his latest invention, the elusive checking stick. To this day, I still have no idea what a checking stick is supposed to be. Is it some telepathic conduit, a replacement for critical thinking? David does let us know that a common substitute is also known as “intuition”, but still doesn’t give audiences much.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the time has come for the incredible checking stick,” he announces in front of a painting. He then continues to detail the many mechanics of the checking stick and demonstrate how it’s used.
#6 – DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION FOR DAVID? PART 1
Despite being a bit of a different one from the Lynchian content train, the Do You Have A Question For David? series quickly leapt into the hearts and minds of fans. Answering fan-submitted questions, the director highlights his wisdom and dry humour in the most classically Lynchian way. Key highlights include David repeating everything that his interviewer asks, his selective hearing, the exceptionally long delays between questions, and the killer line “I’m proud of everything [I’ve made], except Dune.”
With over 67,000 views, the 37-minute video is easily a crowd favourite. You’ll even catch the answers to key questions, such as; “Do you keep a dream diary?”, “What did you learn from making your earliest short films?”, and “How did you come up with the Dreams lip-sync scene and song in Blue Velvet?”
#5 – What Is David Working On Today? 5/29/20
Potentially the most underrated Lynchian creation, the saga of the wooden sink. In his previous WIDWOT video, we caught a glimpse of David in action, completely replacing the sink’s wooden base. In this edition, we find the finished product; functional, water-resistant, and gorgeous. But, that’s not even the best part. No sir.
As the director breaks down the nuts and bolts of his project, the audience is caught completely off-guard as he casually adds: “But before I turn on the water, I’ll share with you my urinal, swing-out urinal. In England, they call it the ur-eye-nal.” That’s right, he just whips out a wooden urinal from underneath the sink. Very chill, nothing to see here.
#4 – Weather Report 6/3/20
Throughout the last weeks, celebrities from around the world have been standing in solidarity with the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement. Our favourite director is no exception. This Weather Report begins like any other, detailing what can be seen from outside his Los Angeles home. We hear the predicted turn of temperature and weather for the rest of the day before David finishes with the line: “Have a great day everyone.”
As he leaves the scene, the viewer is left with the words “Black Lives Matter. Peace, justice, no fear” written on a poster, while the docile sounds of an angle grinder echo in the background. If there was ever a way to send a message, this is it.
#3 – 6/2/20
Stirring, poignant, a masterpiece.
#2 – HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO SIR PAUL McCARTNEY
How fitting that David’s second most popular Weather Report is second on our list too. It seems that after filming his daily broadcast, poor old Lynch forgot that today was in fact the birthday of Beatles legend Sir Paul McCartney. In an attempt to spread the birthday cheer, David quickly got back behind the camera to film a quick little message to his old pal.
“Today during my Weather Report, I wished Isabella Rossellini a happy birthday. But to you: Sir Paul McCartney, someone pointed out it’s your birthday as well,” he explained. “Happy Birthday Sir Paul, I hope you have a great, great year.”
Don’t ask me how, but this video exudes the chaotic energy that I expect from every Lynchian production.
#1 – What Is David Working On Today? 6/28/20
I know you’ve been wondering; out of all these gems, what could possibly take the number one spot? There was only one answer, David’s attempt to mend his pants with paint and glue. You heard right! The man uses glue to strengthen a weak spot in his pants, while he’s wearing them, and finishes the whole thing off with a fresh coat of paint.
The paint definitely doesn’t match, he ends up randomly slapping his knee for way too long, and we see can still clearly see the glue marks as he finishes with a confident “damn near good as new.”
It’s the cinematic masterpiece of our generation.
