Lost Highway (1997)

After a bizarre encounter at a party, a jazz saxophonist is framed for the murder of his wife and sent to prison, where he inexplicably morphs into a young mechanic and begins leading a new life.

Director:

David Lynch

Writers:

David Lynch, Barry Gifford

Stars:

Bill Pullman, Patricia Arquette, John Roselius

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bill Pullman	...	Fred Madison
Patricia Arquette	...	Renee Madison / Alice Wakefield
John Roselius	...	Al
Louis Eppolito	...	Ed (as Lou Eppolito)
Jenna Maetlind	...	Party Girl
Michael Massee	...	Andy
Robert Blake	...	Mystery Man
Henry Rollins	...	Guard Henry
Michael Shamus Wiles	...	Guard Mike
Mink Stole	...	Forewoman (voice)
Leonard Termo	...	Judge (voice)
Ivory Ocean	...	Guard Ivory
Jack Kehler	...	Guard Johnny Mack
David Byrd	...	Doctor Smordin
Gene Ross	...	Warden Clements

Storyline

Fred Madison, a saxophonist, is accused under mysterious circumstances of murdering his wife Renee. On death row, he inexplicably morphs into a young man named Pete Dayton, leading a completely different life. When Pete is released, his and Fred's paths begin to cross in a surreal, suspenseful web of intrigue, orchestrated by a shady gangster boss named Dick Laurent.

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Plot Keywords:

prison | videotape | detective | gangster | murder | 

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for bizarre violent and sexual content, and for strong language

Details

Official Sites:

davidlynch.com [us]

Country:

France USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 February 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

Carretera perdida

Filming Locations:

803 South La Brea Avenue, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$212,710 (USA) (21 February 1997)

Gross:

$3,796,699 (USA) (18 April 1997)

Company Credits

Production Co:

October Films, CiBy 2000, Asymmetrical Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

134 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Richard Pryor's last feature film appearance.

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Quotes

Mr. Eddy: [to a tailgater after running him off the road] Don't tailgate! Don't you ever tailgate! Do you know how much space is needed to stop a car traveling at 35 miles per hour? Six car lenghts! Six fuckin' car lengths! That's a hundred and six fuckin' feet, mister! If I had to stop suddenly, you woulda hit me! I want you to get a fuckin' driver's manual, and I want you to study that motherfucker! And I want you to obey the the goddamn rules of the road! Fifty-fuckin' thousand people were killed on ...

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Crazy Credits

A Real Trooper-Guadalupe Hurst

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Connections

Referenced in The Straight Story (1999)

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Soundtracks

"Something Wicked This Way Comes"
Performed by Barry Adamson appearing courtesy of Mute Records Ltd.
by arrangement with Warner Special Products.
Written by Barry Adamson (courtesy of Mute Songs and Windswept Pacific) and contains excerpts from
1) "Spooky"
Written by Harry Middlebrooks (as H. Middlesbrooke), Mike Shapiro (as M. Shapiro),
'Buddy Buie' (as B. Buie) and J.R. Cobb and published by Lowery Music Co. Inc.
2) "Blues Lines"
Written by Robert del Naja (as R. Del Naja), Grant Marshall (as G. Marshall),
Mushroom Vowles (as A. Vowles) and Tricky (as A. Thaws) and published by Island Music Ltd. and
3) "Le Temps Des Souvenirs"
Written by Jacques Datin (as J.J. Datin), Maurice Vidalin (as M. Vidalin) and Charles Blackwell (as C. Blackwell) and published by EMI Limited Partnership Ltd.

User Reviews

Very eerie, very disturbing, very nightmare-ish and very entertaining!

I absolutely loved this movie. I have always loved to watch a good flick that puts my brain to the test. Maybe the film isn't suppose to make much sense, but that's what I love about it. You have to try and analyze it and make your own theories about what just took place. This movie isn't for a lot of people and I mean a lot. You have to like movies like Mulholland Drive, Memento, The Man Who Wasn't There, etc.. to even begin to like this one. I'm not necessarily a big David Lynch fan, but this movie rocked big time.

One of the most eery parts of the film is when (Bill Pullman) is making love to his wife (Patricia Arquette) and her face turns into the mystery man (Robert Blake). A very freaky looking individual, indeed. In my eyes, he represents the devil. But, that's my take on it.

Another great scene is when Pete is making love to Patricia Arquette in the Desert. The lighting, music, camera angles, emotions and everything is just one of the best pieces of cinemtography I've ever seen in my life.

My recommendation is this: If you liked Mulholland Drive, Memento, Pulp Fiction, Fargo, The Man Who Wasn't There, Blue Velvet, then this movie is your cup of tea. If not, don't waste your time, cause you'll hate it, more than likely. 3 1/2 *'s out of 4 *'s.