I Finally Watch Eraserhead

 

In my previous post (about R.E.M.'s Reckoning), I mentioned that my college freshman roommate Tim had an Eraserhead poster on the wall when I arrived in our dorm room. I likely projected my somewhat negative--or at best, ambivalent-- view of Tim onto the movie. I assumed it was some hipster bullshit that I didn't want anything to do with. And despite that fact I enjoyed some other David Lynch creations, I never saw Eraserhead. The sight of the video/DVD cover was the same as the poster Tim had on the wall and immediately irritated me.

As the years have gone by, though, I have had Eraserhead in my mental "need to watch before I die just to see what the fuss is about" checklist, and now after a few serendipitous--or maybe simply coincidental--events I have finally seen Eraserhead.

A few days ago, I noticed that one of my favorite movie podcasts, Blank Check with Griffin & David, had dropped an episode about Eraserhead. That immediately made me think of the R.E.M. post I wrote last week, so yesterday I checked to see if Eraserhead was streaming on any of the streaming services, fully expecting the answer to be either "NO!" or "YES, BUT YA GOTTA PAY EXTRA!" However, to my amazement, MAX (aka HBO MAX) is currently offering the movie, and I did not have to pay extra!

Late last night, I fired up Eraserhead and you know what? I kinda liked it! I won't say I loved it, but I definitely appreciated it. It is without a doubt a strange movie. A surrealistic fever dream (or nightmare) of a movie full of bizarre imagery, but one has to give David Lynch credit for having the chutzpah to make such a singularly strange vision his first feature.

Eraserhead is only 89 minutes and that is the perfect length. Any more than an hour-and-a-half--of slimy "babies" that look like enormous spermatazoa with eyes, "cooked" chickens that move and gush blood(?), warbling circus freaks, and bewildered, bedraggled, shock-haired Jack Nance--would be out staying its welcome.

I can see why 18 year-old hipsters and hipster wannabes loved this movie in the immediate aftermath of its release. The movie's weirdness certainly would appeal to young people in the late '70s and into the '80s. (I'm not sure if it has any resonance with young folks in the 2020s). As a middle-aged parent, I can see how at least part of the film is a metaphor for the fear of parenthood--albeit taken to a surrealistic and horrific extreme.

So I can finally take Eraserhead off my "need to watch" list. I now wish Tim was here with me so we could talk about it, and he could (secretly?) judge me for taking so long to see it.