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

In an interview with star Robert Loggia he said in his opinion the film very aptly titled, referring to how bizarre the story of Lost Highway is.

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Quotes

[in Pete's vision of Alice]
Alice Wakefield: Did you want to talk to me? Did you want to ask me "WHY"?

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Crazy Credits

A Real Trooper-Guadalupe Hurst

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Connections

Referenced in Mulholland Drive (2001)

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Soundtracks

"I'm Deranged"
Written by David Bowie and Brian Eno
Courtesy of Tintoretto Music (BMI) and Upala Music (BMI)
Performed by David Bowie
Courtesy of Jones Music and Virgin Records America, Inc.

User Reviews

I remember an episode of The Simpsons...

...when Homer was sitting at his couch watching "Twin Peaks", during a scene where a man was waltzing with a horse under a tree with a traffic light swinging from a branch. The words "That's some damn good coffee you got here in Twin Peaks. And some damn good cherry pie" accompany this scene. Befuddled, Homer says "Brilliant! I have no idea of what's going on". This statement perfectly reflects how I felt about "Lost Highway"; I really liked the film, even if my reaction throughout was "what the f**k?". The trick to understanding a David Lynch film isn't to try and decipher each individual scene, but rather to try and find out what the 'message' of the film is, or what Lynch is trying to say, and see how this message fits in with each scene. This is what made "Lost Highway" so much fun. It's undeniably one of the most terminally wierd films I've ever seen (maybe even more so than Eraserhead), whether you get it or not, but it's so deliciously cryptic and bizarre that you can't stop watching. At the end, you'll wish Lynch was sitting beside you so you could ask him "what happened", but what you made of it is probably the right answer.

The one thing I thought was a little off with "Lost Highway" was it's overall 'MTV-ish' feel, with it's guest appearance from Marilyn Manson and it's soundtrack including Smashing Pumpkins and Nine Inch Nails, at times I just thought that maybe Lynch was just making a really wierd video clip the MTV kids will eat up. Still, I rate this film an 8/10. Not Lynch's best, though (that'd be Blue Velvet, though I can't wait for Mulholland Drive").