Walking into the theater to see this film, I must admit I was extremely excited. I always look forward to taking another trip into the surreal that only a visionary like David Lynch can fully provide. Mullholland Drive was originally shot as a pilot for a television series. When the powers-that-be panicked at the obscurity of what Lynch had conceived, they turned tail and ran the other way.

You know what really gets me? The fact that they'll spit in the face of artists who bring forth challenging and provocative projects, yet Everybody Loves Raymond is in its sixth season. But, I digress. That is a completely different argument.

Lynch took the pilot, re-shot and added several scenes to come up with a feature film that won him Best Director at Cannes 2001.

Mullholland Drive begins with a mysterious woman, (Laura Elena Harring) stricken with amnesia after a car accident. She comes across a young woman (Naomi Watts) whose just arrived in Hollywood from a small town in Ontario, hoping to get her 'big break'. The two of them form a bond and try to find out who she is. This story is juxtaposed with a storyline about a director (Justin Theroux) whose life is turned upside down when he refuses to cast a certain actress, put forth by an eccentric and powerful talent agency, as the lead in his film.

Lynch maintains his status quo of engaging characters, chilling orchestrations by Angelo Badalamenti (who also has a cameo in the film) and disorienting visuals. What further adds to the feeling of weightlessness is that Lynch employs a mostly unknown cast. Using the same actors in multiple films used to be a staple of his-although Michael J. Anderson; the dancing dwarf from Twin Peaks does appear, as the eerie Mr. Roque.

I have found that with Lynch's last three films (excluding, of course, 1999's The Straight Story) these being Fire Walk With Me, Lost Highway and now Mullholland Drive that a knowledge of the Twin Peaks mythology goes a long way in helping to understand the inner workings of the more perplexing sequences. In terms of an outside viewer without the familiarity of the "lodge" and it's time bending and mind altering qualities, those three movies, though still enjoyable, would be extra strange indeed. That is just the impression I've gotten from reading other uninformed reviewers throwing around words like 'nonsensical', 'absurd' and 'self indulgent'.

In my opinion, they just haven't seen the light.

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Copyright© Written By: Tom Servo
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The DVD Review:

The disc doesn't seem to be coming with any special features which is sad because it sure as hell would be interesting to know why David Lynch does what he does sometimes. On the upside it is said to be released in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 surround sound so the sound should be amazing! Production notes, filmographies, and the advertising trailer will also be included.

The film has done solid business with the critics but received a lukewarm reception by regular theatre goers. The National Society of Film Critics and New York Film Critics Circle named it best film. Naomi Watts also received the prize for best actress by The New York Film Critics Circle. The Los Angeles Film Critics Association and the Toronto Film Critics Association named Lynch best director following the mood at Cannes where Lynch won best director (in a tie with Joel and Ethan Coen for The Man Who Wasn't There).