The first peak
ERASERHEAD SEEMED TO come from nowhere. David Lynch’s debut 1977 feature began production while he was studying at the American Film Institute and took a long five years, during which time the money ran out but his resolve never did — this was as passionate as projects get. The story — if that’s what it is — concerns Henry, a young man with massive hair (Jack Nance), his sweet girlfriend Mary (Charlotte Stewart), and their highly peculiar baby. Also involved: a writhing, bloody chicken carcass and a lady in a radiator.
A beautiful, black-and-white masterpiece, it introduced the world to a director with an unadulterated vision, and much of its aesthetic is still reverberating in his work today. He’s not one for explanations, but in a rare interview to discuss Criterion’s new Blu-ray restoration, we attempted to unlock some mysteries, at least.
The new restoration of Eraserhead was supervised by you — how much do you get involved?
I’m involved with every shot. Every new format I sit with the timer, George, and go through every single thing.
Do you
