Eraserhead (1977)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

David Lynch

Writer:

David Lynch (writer)

Release Date:

7 September 1979 (West Germany)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

In Heaven Everything Is Fine.

Plot:

Henry Spencer tries to survive his industrial environment, his angry girlfriend, and the unbearable screams of his newly born mutant child.

Plot Keywords:

Nightmare | Imagery | Radiator | Factory | Mutant Baby

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Jack Nance	...	Henry Spencer (as John Nance)
Charlotte Stewart	...	Mary X
Allen Joseph	...	Mr. X
Jeanne Bates	...	Mrs. X
Judith Roberts	...	Beautiful Girl Across the Hall (as Judith Anna Roberts)
Laurel Near	...	Lady in the Radiator
V. Phipps-Wilson	...	Landlady (long version)
Jack Fisk	...	Man in the Planet
Jean Lange	...	Grandmother
Thomas Coulson	...	The Boy
John Monez	...	Bum
Darwin Joston	...	Paul
T. Max Graham	...	The Boss (as Neil Moran)
Hal Landon Jr.	...	Pencil Machine Operator
Jennifer Chambers Lynch	...	Little Girl (as Jennifer Lynch)

Also Known As:

Eraserhead 2000 (USA) (DVD box title)
Gardenback (USA) (original script title)

Runtime:

89 min | USA:108 min (approx.) (premiere version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby (re-release) | Mono (original release)

Certification:

Canada:R (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Iceland:16 | Spain:13 | Singapore:PG | France:-16 | Netherlands:16 | Norway:15 | Denmark:7 | UK:15 (re-rating) (2008) | Portugal:M/16 | Chile:14 | UK:18 (video rating: 1986) | UK:X (original rating) | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-14 | Ireland:18 | South Korea:15 | Sweden:15 | USA:Unrated | West Germany:18 | Canada:13+ (Québec)

Filming Locations:

Beverly Hills, California, USA

Company:

American Film Institute (AFI)

Trivia:

The film was created in a piecemeal fashion over 5 years, with many sets rebuilt after being torn down to make way for other work. Through all 5 years, Jack Nance's only request as far as comfort or entertainment went was "a room and a chair," and he kept his hair in the same frizzy style the whole time. The sparse, drawn-out shooting schedule is revealed when at one point, Henry opens a door, and Nance ages 18 months between cuts. 2 years in, cinematographer Herbert Cardwell, 35, died in his sleep. After 4 weeks of searching, Frederick Elmes was chosen to take his place.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: Continuity "errors" are in keeping with the movie's distorted, surreal atmosphere.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Beautiful Girl Across the Hall: Are you Henry?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Livsfarlig film (1988)

Soundtrack:

In Heaven

Inside Lynch's Head

Typical ultra-weird Lynch movie, surreal to a fault and filled with incredible, off-putting images. It is Lynch's first feature length film. Unfortunately, the film reeks experimental cinema, which in plain English means that the movie is not for all tastes. It is fascinating to watch, but it never escapes the "student project" mentality. In fact, if this was a film made by a student at USC, I would have given it A+, but as a commercial enterprise this movie deserves C-. The movie provides food for the intellect (after all, the movie takes us inside the main character's brain), but it has little heart, a mistake that Lynch did not repeat with his next film, the gloriously weird, but heart-wrenching bio-pic "The Elephant Man (1980)." I admired Lynch's boldness, but I surely did not enjoy this film much. Still, it is a must-see movie for serious students of cinema. Lynch is a fascinating filmmaker and all his films are worth watching (yes, even Lynch's much-maligned "Dune"). I just found this one a little too cold, distant and not spontaneous enough. However, the film is indeed challenging and original. The DVD is amazing, though. I don't think the movie has ever looked this good. You can rent the DVD through Netflix or buy it from Lynch's own website.