Eraserhead [DVD]

My favorite movie. Ever.Some will not understand it. Some will be confused by it. Some will be disgusted by it. Some will hate it.But some will get it. And for those people, it will be an experience like no other.By "get it" I don't mean that people will uncover some hidden meaning in Eraserhead, or will walk away from the movie understanding what took place. By "get it" I mean that some people--like me--will resonate the movie on an emotional level even if their conscious mind can't make heads or tails of it. This movie is a like a dream that you still feel hours after waking even if its images and ideas don't make any sense to your waking mind.The only thing I've ever experienced that hits that same level of incoherent emotional intensity would probably be the music of early Industrial music acts like Skinny Puppy. Indeed, the movie's immersive soundtrack is reminiscent of some Industrial music, with its washes of white noise, throbbing bass, and heavy atmosphere. Considering that Eraser was released in the same year as The Second Annual Report of Throbbing Gristle, the album that invented Industrial music, there may be a hidden lineage between this movie and early Industrial acts.Much like Throbbing Gristle, this movie isn't necessarily a pleasant experience, but it becomes all the more powerful for it's horrific imagery, which is so memorable it will probably be with you the rest of your life. The movie is not a gore-fest or anything so straightforward: it's much more powerful than that. The ending was so visually and emotionally intense that I was staring at my screen, slack jawed and shaking, all throughout the credits and for several minutes afterward. No movie has ever affected me even half as much.You have to be in a certain mindset to watch and enjoy this movie. It helped define the "midnight movie" phenomenon, and I can see why: even if you just watch it on a laptop, I highly recommend watching it at midnight. If you do, prepare for one of the most intriguing movies you're likely to ever see.

"Boring, pretentious, overlong, with fleeting moments of delightful weirdness." That was my first impression of this film 5 years ago. But something strange happened after that. I couldn't get it out of my head. The horrific B&W imagery, a cinematographic nod to 40s film noir. The industrial wasteland location—barren, harsh, and alien. The eerie tone, the diegetic mechanical drone, and the howling winds. The crazy characters, the parenthood metaphors, and indecipherable weirdness of it all. I couldn't shake that image of Jack Nance with his wild hair with smoky mist behind him. His lonely one-room home, the unrelenting cries and fish-eyed stare of his hideous "baby"—and who could forget the Radiator Lady, her deformed cheeks singing her strangely catchy tune. I had to see Eraserhead again. Hell, I had to own it. So I saw it again and really dug it. Sure, there are stretches of slow, dull, nothingness. Some of it seems to make no sense. But it's just so enjoyable to me now.

What can you say about this movie? It's by far the weirdest film you will ever see. This is Lynch in his young, raw state. He calls this the most "spiritual film" he's done. Full of the usual unexplainable pieces that make you scratch your head as you ponder the meaning. Definitely not for everyone, most people will really hate it and feel revolted by it. But if you love Lynch and you like weird movies, this is going to satisfy you for awhile.

It's hard to review this without spoiling it, but I'll do my best. Twin Peaks fans will notice a lot of imagery that made its way into the show, especially in The Return, which is a fun Easter Egg. The film itself is wild. Stayed with me for a while after I finished it. Once you crack it open and understand what it's about it's rewarding. Just be prepared for some weird, strange, creepy stuff. Highly recommend it if you're interested in David Lynch's work outside of Twin Peaks.

I have the Blu Ray version and an older DVD version. The contrast, saturation and black level is much betterin this Blu Ray. I will not go into the film it's self, other reviewers have already done a nice job.But, there are several prints of this film avalible, which makes it hard to choose which one is best.Be aware that Criterion is releasing a new digital restoration in Blu Ray in September 2014.I have mine on preorder.We will just have to wait and see if the new Criterion version is any better then this Blu Ray.So, if you want to buy this disk, you would be well advised to wait until September, when the restorationhits the market.I am sure I have bought this film at least 4 times, as formats improve over time.The film it's self is very dark in saturation, and you cant see some of the details.This was also the case in the theater when I first saw it at the AFI (Washington, DC), when I was a member.No one had seen the film, and Mr. Lynch was supposed to have been there to introduce the film, but hedidnt show up. It was his actual final work print that was screened that evening.The Blu Ray edition fixes the black saturation so more details are finally visible.I am wondering what other details I havent seen yet may be revieled in Criterion's newrestoration.I am keeping my fingers crossed, I really dont want to keep buying this film hoping to findthe jackpot!!!!

This movie takes the psychological distress associated with an accidental pregnancy and turns it into a full-blown horror movie: it's one of the most bizarre and disturbingly relatable examples from the genre, though it's definitely not for everyone. Personally, the subject matter of this film made me feel extremely uncomfortable, but overall, I feel like that was the director's intended goal. It's definitely worth a rental if you've never seen it, and in the pantheon of great horror movies, I feel that it is one of the very best that the genre has to offer.

There is simply nothing else quite like this film.I love Tod Browning, Dwain Esper, Ed Wood jr, John Walters.Jan Svankmajer etcThis is of that realm in my mind.I've watched it 4 times in 30 years and I think it's meant to be an exercise into making the viewer never wanting to have children EVER!I never want to hear what Lynchs thoughts or motives were when making this and nor would I ever want to hear what 'experts' make of it.I have a friend that took a first date to see this at the pictures.This is, possibly, the ballsiest thing that anyone I know has ever done.Anyway this is an absolute unique Cinema classic.

I remember watching this surreal head trip of a film for the first time when I was a child when it was shown on channel 4 sometime in the eighties and the experience never left me. It is one of those films that whenever I revisit it, I always respond to it in a different way. Sometimes I will be able to interpret the meaning of the story and the imagery so that it makes sense, other times I find it really funny or deeply unsettling, or both at the same time. Whatever it’s true meaning, it remains a fascinating and truly original work of art, and it was a no brainier obtaining it on Blu ray.On watching for the umpteenth time, it struck me as being about a man, Henry, who is internally resisting the pull of commitment, with a child in tow, whilst being in conflict with his repressed sexual inclinations. When it all reaches a head (no pun intended), he ultimately chooses to erase the parts of his life which are leading him to the brink of quiet despair. Others may interpret it differently, but that is one of the many commendable qualities of it. Other notable elements are the direction, the industrial soundtrack and sound design overall, the production design and art direction, and all the actors involved; in particular, Jack Nance as the beleaguered Henry.Over 40 years later, Eraserhead still packs a twisted and bizarre punch to the brain, in spite of it’s low budget. Everything about it marks it out as one of the most distinctive films of the seventies, and is arguably one of David Lynch’s best films as well as being one of the best directorial debuts ever made. The Blu ray is all the more worth acquiring because of the inclusion of some of Lynch’s early works, as well as a great transfer of the film itself.A Midnight Movie Classic and a must watch. Highly recommended.

This was the most disturbing but thought provoking at the same time. I think that if you see this and automatically think its weird for the sake of being weird then you didn't understand it all that well. I think there are many different things this could be about.these are my theories1: Henry is actually having a nightmare about his soon to be born child.2: it is set in some sort of future nuclear apocalypse that would explain the depressing broken down industrial setting.3:Henry is a just a very depressed man with insomnia that hallucinates the strange visions.4: !!!SPOILER!!! at the end of the film when Henry meets the lady in the radiator and she sings in heaven she is persuading henry it is alright to put his suffering child's life to an end.5: !!!SPOILER!!! at the end when henry meet the lady in the radiator and you see his head fall out of the sky that could be henry as he committed suicide out of grief of killing his deformed baby.overall you can see how interesting and I have left out how the constant sounds of the factories making huge noises and his radiator hissing it will get in your head and it makes you understand Henrys situation it also adds so much more atmosphere.The film is so depressing that when his baby finally eats and him and his wife smile it fills you with a good feeling.I cannot wait to see other films by David lynch if they are this brilliant I may have a new favourite director.the blu ray picture quality is amazing as always.

I watched Eraserhead for the very first time about a week ago. When I briefly left my flat immediately afterwards, I felt distant and sedated. I ran a few errands in a shuffling daze and felt strangely uneasy about everything and everyone around me.Such is the state that this kind of film can induce. As other reviewers have already remarked, Eraserhead has a disturbing dreamlike quality that taps into many subconscious themes. I almost feel now as though I didn't in fact watch the film, but actually dreamt about it. Those horrible images of the premature lizard-baby...the way it breathed and its eye followed Henry around the room. All of these images keep coming back to me, either in sudden flashes at my desk at work or when I'm in bed at night. The puff-cheeked lady in the radiator, in her transfixed elation, came across as truly evil. I was very interested to read that another viewer interprets her presence as a representation of suicide.Just as a side note - did anyone notice that the zig-zag carpet in the foyer of Henry's flat complex is the same design as the Red Room that Cooper dreams about in Twin Peaks? I thought that was a really interesting insight into recurring Lynchian motifs.

Like some other reviewers, I first saw this film in the early 70s as part of a degree course. Dark, disturbing, nightmare –but what is it all about? Do not try to analyse, rather take it in as an assault on the mind. Strong visual images with great camera shots, bizarre and unexpected behaviour. Not so much horror as challenging.