*SPOILER ALERT* LET'S TALK ABOUT THE MOVIE!

Discussion of INLAND EMPIRE

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imhotep
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Post by imhotep »

What coffee plug?
And what was the radioshow?

Axxon N is what?

I just saw this film for the first time and it confused me more than any other film I've ever seen and I'm a big DL fan.
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barryconvex
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Post by barryconvex »

To be honest, I expected INLAND EMPIRE to be David Lynch's fall from grace. Looking at the synopsis, I was led to believe it simply explored what Mulholland Dr. had before (as well as many other films.) But - surprise, surprise, I was wrong. In my opinion, figuring out the movie within the movie, selfreference is a dead end, or it least it doesn't matter.

Many actors are terrific -like Laura Dern and Grace Zabriskie, which is the biggest surprise to me. And the surrealism doesn't seem forced (like many times in Mulholland Dr. to my taste) but comes in like something refreshingly natural very much like in Wild at Heart.

Lynch seems willing and daring to enter new grounds and that is the best about INLAND EMPIRE to me.
Yes, there are very few throwaway scenes like the brief scene when "Inland Empire" is mentioned, but I can live with that.
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twin-b
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Post by twin-b »

In reading through all of the theories on the different boards, I don't think I've seen any reference to the train whistle that sounds several times throughout the film. I really noticed it in my third and fourth viewings (on DVD after seeing it twice in the theater). I feel it must have some signifigance, like it's signaling a change or something. But I haven't really put myself to the task of noting where it sounds throughout the film and trying to figure out if it has any meaning. Have any of you read anything about this or have any thoughts?
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barryconvex
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Post by barryconvex »

If I remember correctly, its origin is in the Rabbits series.
I'll watch INLAND EMPIRE again to see if it appears in other contexts.

My guess would be that it is mainly an aspect of creating a mood (I personally love that sound, it sounds typically (film-)American to my ears.

I've recently heard that sounds of trains were also added to the soundtrack of Blue Velvet throughout dark scenes for creating a special atmosphere.

(Then of course, there's also the abandonded train car in Twin Peaks, but I haven't drawn any connection - apart from travelling as a theme that's oftentimes more internal than the real travelling from start to finish in Lynch's films.)
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twin-b
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Post by twin-b »

barryconvex wrote:If I remember correctly, its origin is in the Rabbits series.
I'll watch INLAND EMPIRE again to see if it appears in other contexts.

My guess would be that it is mainly an aspect of creating a mood (I personally love that sound, it sounds typically (film-)American to my ears.

I've recently heard that sounds of trains were also added to the soundtrack of Blue Velvet throughout dark scenes for creating a special atmosphere.

(Then of course, there's also the abandonded train car in Twin Peaks, but I haven't drawn any connection - apart from travelling as a theme that's oftentimes more internal than the real travelling from start to finish in Lynch's films.)
I could really see Lynch directing a movie with trains. I'm reminded of Jarmusch's Dead Man where the Johnny Depp character is riding the train out West. And as I mentioned in another thread, his story about the train ride through Yugoslavia (?) and the gyspies selling sugar-water in the middle of nowhere.
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twin-b
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Post by twin-b »

The yahoo search result abstract for inlandempirecinema.com reads, "Official site for the movie Inland Empire, which is directed by David Lynch and includes three entirely unique plots, including one about an actress who lands a part ..."

I'd like to know what the rest of that statement says and if Lynch approved it or was/is aware of it.

edited to add: I tried to get at the metadata that presumably holds the rest of that description but didn't come up with anything.
Last edited by twin-b on Tue Aug 28, 2007 6:08 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Annie
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Post by Annie »

Remember I had a question about John Neff's participation in this? I got an email from him today, and he said that he worked the first year plus on IE, from July 2003 through December 8, 2004. (The "Lynch" Documentary started shooting Dec. 18, so he wasn't in it.) He did all the location sound recording for the core of the movie, and is in discussions now with Dave about some of the music issues--just saw him last week.

Ooh, and I bought some Quinoa, so I'll let you know how it is later; Emeril used it on a recent special show in South Beach in Miami. The Quinoa is a South American grain; mine's from Bolivia.
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twin-b
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Post by twin-b »

Annie wrote:Ooh, and I bought some Quinoa, so I'll let you know how it is later; Emeril used it on a recent special show in South Beach in Miami. The Quinoa is a South American grain; mine's from Bolivia.
I kind of wanted to try it until I came to the conlcusion that it's probably a lot like couscous. My wife used to make couscous with broccoli, much like David's quinoa recipe. But, give it a good review and maybe I'll try it.
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Post by cubist »

I've watched both INLAND EMPIRE and More Things once each. I love them both. First of all they look fabulous - I was concerned about the quality but need not have been. They are gorgeous. The cinematography is absolutely superb. Its a beautiful looking piece of work & I love the ultra wide angle shots. THe story ? What is it about? I haven't read many thoughts on that and i'm really not sure what is going on other than what is stated in the film - the curse, the murders, the original polish film and the remake. More will become apparent perhaps when i watch it again. However i did read one review (think it was the UK Guardian) where the reviewer suspected that IE could not be unravellled like Mulholland Drive becasue it was in fact a huge sprawling anarchic slab of film spectacle held together by its own internal logic and references. The way the same dialogue is repeated in different scenes for example, implying some kind of psychic link or parallel reality.

The film - in retrospect - already has a six year history from the apperance of the Rabbits sitcom & the crptic AXXON - N image that sat on Lynch's website for all that time. So its like IE already feels familiar to me despite my incomprehension at its plot.

For me, the film hangs together just fine as it stands, whether or not the strands tie up. If it really is this anarchic film spectacle held together only by its own internal logic, well that's fine with me. You can go to so many places with it.

I do see the Rabbits as being in some kind of Black lodge scenario and that is where Nikki ends up. That scene when she walks into the room and it is the rabbits' sitting room and she can hear the audience - just sensational.
I can't yet place whare the prostitutes come in & who the one legged girl is and what her significance is. i'm also particularly baffled by the Crying Girl staring at the TV. Both I feel are pivotal characters but i can't place them. Axxon-N - the longest radio play in the world. Could Axxon-N be the internal dialoguie of nikki's mind, running continously all of her life? Notice that she follows the Axxon-N sign when she has the wormhole experience - seeing herself rehearsing in the studio.

THe scene when she runs to the back of the film lot, opens a door and is suddenly in that red room with the yellow light coming through the windows. She goes outside and it is a country scene. Her expression of utter utter nonplussed confusion is fantastic. Just spot on.

Just some first thoughts I wanted to get off my chest!!
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Post by Driftwood »

Maybe it's just my need to "solve" Twin Peaks but I can't help but think think that with Inland Empire you could almost do it. I just think of the Log Lady introductions and how, for the last episode, when she's obviously speaking about Cooper she's talking about "reflections." And then here is Mrs Palmer talking about a boy who opened a door to go out into the world and when he stood in the 'doorway' a 'reflection' was created and evil was born. I mean it just drives me crazy sometimes, thinking about this stuff. And of course, the girl being lost in the alley behind the market place is the same tale, different version. I sort of think of the 'marketplace' as being hollywood or being a prostitute maybe, I don't know.
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Post by eyeboogers »

barryconvex wrote:...Yes, there are very few throwaway scenes like the brief scene when "Inland Empire" is mentioned, but I can live with that.
How do you consider that a throwaway scene? it's fairly vital to the plot. It gives a bit more information about Krimp and how he got intertwined with the live of Laura Derns character.
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Post by LeoFaraon »

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Post by snikgrif »

Thanks for that post LeoFaraon,

I too have just seen Inland Empire, and what you have said is great food for thought, brilliant!
It has started the ball rolling for me on analyzing this great film, and there is a lot in this movie to sift through.
First though the initial impact on my senses and emotions was quite acute and lasting, excellent surrealism effecting the right side of my mental processes.
This will stand, for me, as one of the best from DL, along with Eraserhead, Lost Highway and Mulholland Drive
Si

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imhotep
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Post by imhotep »

After watching my DVD a second time I love it.
After the first viewing I felt like I had been hit by a train.
The second viewing providing me with more clues and I could digest it better.
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Post by LeoFaraon »

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