Eraserhead (1977)

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

Director:

David Lynch

Writer:

David Lynch

Stars:

Jack Nance, Charlotte Stewart, Allen Joseph

2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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 Lynch	...	Little Girl

Storyline

A film that defies conventional logic and storytelling, fueled by its dark nightmarish atmosphere and compellingly disturbing visuals. Henry Spencer is a hapless factory worker on his vacation when he finds out he's the father of a hideously deformed baby. Now living with his unhappy, malcontent girlfriend, the child cries day and night, driving Henry and his girlfriend to near insanity.

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Plot Keywords:

surrealism | nightmare | psychosis | factory | deformed baby | 

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Taglines:

Be warned. The nightmare has not gone away...

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Genres:

Horror

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 February 1978 (USA)

Also Known As:

Gardenback

Filming Locations:

4th Street Bridge, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$22,179

Company Credits

Production Co:

American Film Institute (AFI), Libra Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby (re-release) Mono (original release)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Catherine E. Coulson did then-husband Jack Nance's hair throughout the five year production of this film. The process involved lots of pulling and picking at Nance's hair, which the actor hated. Coulson later joked that her duties as hairdresser ruined her marriage to Nance, and resulted in a subsequent divorce. The two, however, did remain friends for the rest of their lives.

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Goofs

Towards the end of the film, there is a picture of what appears to be the Hiroshima explosion hanging over Henry's nightstand. In the next shot, the picture is gone.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Beautiful Girl Across the Hall: Are you Henry?
Henry Spencer: Yes?
Beautiful Girl Across the Hall: A girl named "Mary" called on the payphone in the hallway about an hour ago. She said that she's at her parents and that you're invited to dinner.
Henry Spencer: Oh, yeah?
[after a long pause]
Henry Spencer: Well... thank you very much.
[Henry enters his apartment, while the girl slowly closes the door to hers]

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Crazy Credits

There are no opening credits, just a long, tilted close-up of the face of Jack Nance.

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Alternate Versions

The original print of the film ran 20m longer and featured a number of characters who are referenced in the credits but do not appear: The people digging in the alley show up in the second half of the movie. Henry comes across two kids excavating rows of dimes from the asphalt in the street. The landlady shows up in the second half, in a scene where Henry goes into the lobby of the apartment building and takes out his anger on a bench. "You stop kicking my bench!" the landlady shouts at him. "That's good wood!"

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Connections

Referenced in Very Mean Men (2000)

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Soundtracks

In Heaven (Lady In The Radiator Song)
Mixed By Alan Splet , David Lynch
Written By David Lynch, Peter Ivers
© Copyright 1976. David Lynch.
© 1976 O.K. Paul Music.

User Reviews

I wasted time from my life on Eraserhead; maybe I can save you from the same mistake.

Friends raved, a local band sang of it, people in line praised it-- I not only found it boring, nauseating non-sense, but very disappointing; I went in ready love it. I love black and white film, and I look for good story, some sort of plot, ANYTHING to like-- but I couldn't find anything (but the last shot of the film-- the only image I had seen before the movie.)

Obviously, some people like this film. Maybe they like to be grossed out. Maybe they have a lot of time on their hands. Maybe this film is like the "Emperor's New Clothes"-- nobody sees anything there but they are afraid to admit it. Maybe I'm just too dumb to get it (but being a veteran of over two to three thousand films in 46 years, I doubt it.)

Okay-- if you love experimental film, David Lynch's work or your movies don't have to make any sense, maybe you'll love Eraserhead. But if you consider time irreplaceable, there are thousands of films listed on this database that would be time better spent. May the Force be with you when you decide what to watch.