David Lynch

Speaks on the shows. Their sketches and lines as a speaker.

Wikidata Q2071: matched by corpus:resolve, told apart by Wikidata joins them to Dune, which Starman with Katey Rich credits them on.

Counted as other. The films the hosts said they were tied to, which the two lists below run through too: The Elephant Man (1980); Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982); Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983); Tender Mercies (1983); (influence); Gardenback (unmade); Red Dragon / Manhunter; Ronnie Rocket. Count them as director (15 films), writer (2 films), composer (0 films), craft (3 films) instead.

Draws on

What the speakers say they, or a film of theirs, drew on. Each is a speaker's account: “the maker said so” when they report the maker's own words, “the host's read” when the read is theirs.

Casablanca (1942): 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983), which they were tied to as offered director: Casablanca ⇒ Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (the host's read). Jabba's court is conceived as Sydney Greenstreet crossed with Casablanca.
    “The concept is he's sort of like Sidney Green Street and then Casablanca, yeah.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:13:00 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

Herbert Cardwell: 1 line

  1. craft (craft) · them, directly: Herbert Cardwell ⇒ David Lynch (the maker said so: Lynch quoted in the dossier on the film). Lynch says the original cinematographer was a genius who helped him understand making movies and lighting.
    “Lynch says he was a genius who helped him understand everything about making movies, like he knew how to light what he did”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Eraserhead (Ad-Free) · 0:54:40 · Griffin Newman (0.30 sure it was them)

Revenge of the Sith: 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983), which they were tied to as offered director: Revenge of the Sith ⇒ Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (the host's read). Lucas added a 'No' to Vader's turn in Jedi that matches Revenge of the Sith.
    “same fucking no from the end of Avenge of the Sith.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Podcast (Ad-Free) · 1:13:31 · unknown (0.00 sure it was them)

Star Wars (A New Hope): 1 line

  1. craft (craft) · through Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983), which they were tied to as offered director: Star Wars (A New Hope) ⇒ Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (the host's read). Leia pulls the Chewbacca-in-manacles disguise trick from A New Hope when infiltrating Jabba's palace.
    “pulling the same trick that they pulled in New Hope, that like Chewbacca in Manacles trick.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Podcast (Ad-Free) · 0:39:43 · unknown (0.00 sure it was them)

Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977): 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983), which they were tied to as offered director: Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope ⇒ Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (the host's read). A second, bigger Death Star is called a lateral remake of the first.
    “We're kind of, it's like a lateral remake.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:04:32 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

Sydney Greenstreet: 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983), which they were tied to as offered director: Sydney Greenstreet ⇒ Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (the host's read). Jabba is said to be visually based on Sydney Greenstreet.
    “He's based on Sydney Green Street, right?”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 0:12:57 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

Drawn on by

What the speakers say drew on them or a film of theirs, marked the same way.

The Phantom Menace (1999): 3 lines

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983), which they were tied to as offered director: Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi ⇒ The Phantom Menace (the host's read). Sees seeds planted in Jedi that bloom in the prequels.
    “you see the things, the mechanations starting to come into place a little bit.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Podcast (Ad-Free) · 0:08:34 · unknown (0.00 sure it was them)
  2. lineage (lineage) · through Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983), which they were tied to as offered director: Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi ⇒ The Phantom Menace (the host's read). The Obi-Wan log scene starts the over-explanation that typifies the prequels.
    “tiptoe towards the problems of the Phantom Madness trilogy, whereas, like, where it's all explained out loud.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Podcast (Ad-Free) · 0:58:53 · unknown (0.00 sure it was them)
  3. lineage (lineage) · through Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983), which they were tied to as offered director: Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi ⇒ The Phantom Menace (the host's read). Ewok guerrilla tactics echo the Gungan thing in Phantom Menace, though that one is far worse.
    “And it just sort of reminds you of the Gungen thing, which is way worse, but is in the same, like, ballpark.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Podcast (Ad-Free) · 1:08:02 · unknown (0.00 sure it was them)

Crazy Heart (2009): 1 line

  1. lineage (remake feel) · through Tender Mercies (1983), which they were tied to as offered director: Tender Mercies ⇒ Crazy Heart (the host's read). Crazy Heart is Bridges doing Tender Mercies, only worse.
    “Oh, Crazy Hearts also kind of just him doing tender mercies, though.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Starman with Katey Rich · 1:48:38 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)

Lego Star Wars: 1 line

  1. lineage (adaptation) · through Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983), which they were tied to as offered director: Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi ⇒ Lego Star Wars (the host's read). Lego game levels from Jedi are always fun; the prequels' plot-heavy levels play less well.
    “weirdly, like Return of the Jedi levels are always really fun to play.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 1:31:02 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

Mean Girls (2004): 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), which they were tied to as offered director: Fast Times at Ridgemont High ⇒ Mean Girls (the host's read). Simmons proposes a championship-belt lineage of smart teen movies starting with Fast Times and running through Mean Girls.
    “I feel like Fast Times at Ridgemont High was the 1st one.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Mean Girls’ With Bill Simmons, Juliet Litman, and Amanda Dobbins · 0:02:07 · Bill Simmons (0.85 sure it was them)

Revenge of the Sith: 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983), which they were tied to as offered director: Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi ⇒ Revenge of the Sith (the host's read). The Emperor in Jedi sits in a chair saying roughly the same things as in the identical-chair scene in Revenge of the Sith.
    “he's basically saying most of the same thing.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Podcast (Ad-Free) · 1:11:34 · unknown (0.00 sure it was them)

The Incredibles (2004): 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983), which they were tied to as offered director: Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi ⇒ The Incredibles (the host's read). The speeder bike forest chase is a clear inspiration for the Incredibles chase.
    “This is such a big inspiration too, clearly, on the Incredibles chase sequence.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Return of the Jedi · 1:02:11 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

What the speakers said they did

Directing (33) everyone in directing

Other (8) everyone in other

Craft (4) everyone in craft

Writing (2) everyone in writing

Music (1) everyone in music

What was said about them, by kind

career (3)

  1. career (career): David Lynch → Red Dragon / Manhunter. Roth approached Lynch to direct Red Dragon, which Michael Mann later made as Manhunter.
    “Richard Roth approached him to direct Red Dragon, which, of course, eventually Michael Mann makes as Manhunter.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Dune with John Hodgman · 1:05:31 · Griffin Newman (0.60 sure it was them)
  2. career (career): David Lynch → Blue Velvet. Lynch pitched Blue Velvet to Roth in the same meeting.
    “That is when he pitches Roth on Blue Velvet.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Dune with John Hodgman · 1:05:38 · Griffin Newman (0.60 sure it was them)
  3. career (career): David Lynch → Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Cameron Crowe approached Lynch to direct Fast Times.
    “He was also approached by Cameron Crowe to direct Fast Times at Ridgemont High.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Dune with John Hodgman · 1:06:16 · Griffin Newman (0.60 sure it was them)

contrast (2)

  1. contrast (contrast): David Lynch → Denis Villeneuve. Lynch cast the weirdest character actors he could, Villeneuve cast shorthand faces audiences trust.
    “As opposed to the David Lynch approach to casting, which is, let's find the weirdest looking character actors we can. and then put boils on them.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Dune with John Hodgman · 0:19:53 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  2. contrast (contrast): Janicza Bravo → David Lynch. Bravo says Lynch works in nightmares while she works in anxiety, an internal demon rather than a demon behind the garbage can.
    “I think he works in nightmares and I feel I work in anxiety.”
    The Big Picture · Janicza Bravo and Brett Gelman Channel Rejection and Anxiety to Make ‘Lemon’ | The Big Picture (Ep. 22) · 0:39:41 · Janicza Bravo (0.75 sure it was them)

craft (3)

  1. craft (craft): Joanna Ray → David Lynch. Joanna Ray, Aldo Ray's ex-wife and Dune's casting director, goes on to cast all of Lynch's movies.
    “his ex-wife is Joanna Ray, who ends up casting all the Lynch movies.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Dune with John Hodgman · 1:50:03 · David Sims (0.60 sure it was them)
  2. craft (craft): David Lynch → The Elephant Man. Lynch planned to do the Elephant Man makeup effects himself, as he had on Eraserhead, until the production insisted on a professional.
    “Like his plan was to do the makeup effects entirely himself because he was used to working that way on Elephant Man, or not Elephant Man, Eraserhead.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Dune with John Hodgman · 2:10:50 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
  3. craft (craft): David Lynch → Herbert Cardwell. Lynch says the original cinematographer was a genius who helped him understand making movies and lighting.
    “Lynch says he was a genius who helped him understand everything about making movies, like he knew how to light what he did”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Eraserhead (Ad-Free) · 0:54:40 · Griffin Newman (0.30 sure it was them)

lineage (2)

  1. lineage (lineage): David Cronenberg → David Lynch. Cronenberg is the speaker's Lynch, the director who spoke to his soul at 13 or 14.
    “Pronenberg is kind of my lynch.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · 2025 March Madness Update 1 · 0:42:28 · David Sims (0.45 sure it was them)
  2. lineage (lineage): David Lynch → Henry Mancini. Lynch as a child liked the music of Henry Mancini; the speaker then jokes none of these influences show in his work.
    “He liked Henry Mancini and Sandra D.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Eraserhead (Ad-Free) · 0:29:34 · Griffin Newman (0.30 sure it was them)

people (6)

  1. people (people): George Lucas → David Lynch. Lucas pitched Return of the Jedi to Lynch, who found Star Wars not his cup of tea.
    “Unfortunately, Star Wars wasn't my cup of tea.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Dune with John Hodgman · 1:02:05 · unknown (0.50 sure it was them)
  2. people (people): David Lynch → Kyle MacLachlan. Lynch cast MacLachlan without an audition after talk about the Northwest and red wine.
    “They talk about red wine and and Lynch is like, I like your vibe, read this script.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Dune with John Hodgman · 1:45:16 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
  3. people (people): Kyle MacLachlan → David Lynch. Lynch handled Dale Cooper's words, which sounded like how Lynch himself talks.
    “Mark Frost did lots of stuff, obviously, but Lynch handled Dale Cooper.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Dune with John Hodgman · 1:46:46 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  4. people (people): Janicza Bravo → David Lynch. Gelman says the same moment can read as disturbing or hilarious in a Lynch film or a Bravo film.
    “And both filmmakers make nightmares.”
    The Big Picture · Janicza Bravo and Brett Gelman Channel Rejection and Anxiety to Make ‘Lemon’ | The Big Picture (Ep. 22) · 0:39:38 · Brett Gelman (0.60 sure it was them)
  5. people (people): David Lynch → Jack Fisk. Fisk, the production designer who plays the Man in the Planet, is the other big friend Lynch made in high school.
    “Uh, the other big uh, friend that he makes in high school. Jack Fisk.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Eraserhead (Ad-Free) · 0:33:40 · Griffin Newman (0.30 sure it was them)
  6. people (people): Dominique Pinon → David Lynch. Pinon's weird face and presence reads as a Lynchian figure.
    “He's a very lynchian figure.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Alien: Resurrection · 1:07:54 · David Sims (0.50 sure it was them)

unmapped (1)

  1. unmapped (perfectionist hands-on): David Lynch → The Elephant Man. Lynch, frustrated by wrong materials on the Return, mirrors his wish to do John Hurt's makeup himself on Elephant Man until Paramount said no.
    “he wanted to do all the makeup for Elephant Man himself.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Twin Peaks: The Return (Episode 8) with Connor Ratliff · 1:16:52 · Connor Ratliff (0.40 sure it was them)

verdict (2)

  1. verdict (verdict): David Lynch → Dune. Lynch's visual weirdness survived even if the narrative is lost; the movie is an object of love.
    “And I do, I now have gotten to a place where I love it as an object.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Dune with John Hodgman · 0:57:24 · unknown (0.35 sure it was them)
  2. verdict (verdict): Wild at Heart → David Lynch. Great but not in the upper echelon of Lynch.
    “Although I wouldn't say it's in my like upper upper echelon for Lynch.”
    The Big Picture · The 1990 Movie Draft · 1:12:13 · Sean Fennessey (0.85 sure it was them)

what-if (3)

  1. what-if (what-if): David Lynch → Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi. Lynch would have gone wild on Jabba's Palace.
    “The whole 1st 30 minutes, you're like, Lynch would go fucking hog wild on that.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Dune with John Hodgman · 1:04:23 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
  2. what-if (what-if): David Lynch → Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi. Lynch could have handled the Luke, Emperor and Vader climax but not Endor.
    “I actually think he would probably do a good job with the final chunk with Luke and the Emperor and Vader.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Dune with John Hodgman · 1:04:27 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)
  3. what-if (what-if): Jason Clarke → David Lynch. Jason Clarke should play Lynch in a biopic.
    “And he should be played by Jason Clark in the film.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Eraserhead (Ad-Free) · 0:40:11 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

Fun items about them

  1. fun, about David Lynch: Lynch's famous quote about Dune is that he died on that movie and has never fully recovered.
    “I died on that movie, and I don't think I've ever fully recovered.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Dune with John Hodgman · 0:06:42 · unknown (0.50 sure it was them)
  2. fun, about David Lynch: Lynch's mother refused him coloring books so he wouldn't learn to stay in the lines; the host jokes about the Dune coloring book.
    “Beautiful dramatic irony when Dune the coloring book came around.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Eraserhead (Ad-Free) · 0:29:08 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  3. fun, about David Lynch: Lynch was an Eagle Scout and Little League first baseman and always insists he's normal and boring.
    “Yeah, he basically always is just like, I'm normal and boring.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Eraserhead (Ad-Free) · 0:30:24 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)