Read ONLY if you have seen "Mulhollond Drive" !!!

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SanDeE*
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Read ONLY if you have seen "Mulhollond Drive" !!!

Post by SanDeE* » Nov 8th 2002, 2:33 am

Hi all,

I just watched "Mulholland Drive" twice this week, and I really liked it, but I had a lot of trouble understanding it - how the first half and second half are connected. If anyone has any theories or actual info (from an interview they read or something) please help me out here. I've been thinking about it for days and can't figure it out! Cool movie.

Kristin

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Greybird
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Post by Greybird » Nov 8th 2002, 7:09 am

They aren't connected. And there is no plot. It's a putrescent, pretentious mess, symbolism unanchored in meaning, the artiste run amuck, and you'll go insane trying to figure it out.

"Mulholland Drive" even deprived Baz Luhrmann of a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Director. But that, though a tragedy, is not its worst sin.

It shares, with a few other solitary pinnacles of utter anti-art such as "Waiting for Godot" and "Ulysses," the most damning quality I can think of for any work of the imagination:

The creator tries to persuade the viewer that what is deliberately confused, illogical, and nonsensical is, by reason of those "virtues," profound and meaningful.

And that is the worst travesty of all, in art or in life.

I cannot think of anything more profoundly opposed to the joyous and perceptive sense of being in "My So-Called Life" than the excrescence by David Lynch called "Mulholland Drive."
Greybird of Starhaven
"MSCL" crazy since March 1995

sine
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Re: Read ONLY if you have seen "Mulhollond Drive"

Post by sine » Nov 8th 2002, 7:45 am

Kristin wrote:If anyone has any theories or actual info (from an interview they read or something) please help me out here.
Here's a couple of sites:
http://members.aol.com/Heloise6899/drive.htm (one of the first theories offered is the "scrambled chronological puzzle theory" which I find quite pleasing in it's plain simplicity) and http://www.geocities.com/sftola400/mulhollanddrive.html

And here's one I haven't had time to read yet, but heard a lot of good things about it:
http://archive.salon.com/ent/movies/fea ... e_analysis

And you can also find insightful posts on the topic in several usenet newsgroups such as alt.movies.david-lynch -- and even alt.tv.twin-peaks has had it's share of Mulholland Drive theories. To access the archives of those newsgroups, use for example Google Groups.

And all of you literary theory buffs, this is a site not to miss: http://www.metaphilm.com/philms/mulholland.html.
Kristin wrote:Cool movie.
Indeed it's! The Club Silencio scene -- pure magic. Beautiful.
G: it's a problem, when everybody is spitting in the same spittoon (I mean cuspidor). are you following my drift?
D: barely, but let's pretend that I am

-- New Planet, Milwaukee Youth Center Choir

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Post by fnordboy » Nov 8th 2002, 12:39 pm

Well let me start off by saying that i agree somewhat with what Greybird is saying, but i also surprisingly enjoyed Mulholland Drive.

Was it confusing? Yes. Was it purposely confusing? I'm sure. Is that what you should expect from a Lynch movie? Of course.

David Lynch is someone that really bothers me. He is a completely pretentious person. He makes movies intentionally confusing to give it more of an intellectual flair. And the only thing more annoying than him are his die hard fans, because they buy into it all.

Unfortunately I have a real love for a few of his projects. I've been a Twin Peaks fan since day one. I even love Fire Walk With Me. And i really really like Blue Velvet, probably his best film to date.

I think if you go into his films knowing that he is trying way too hard than you will enjoy it, otherwise you are just going to get frustrated.

But getting back to more on topic. The Salon.com article on the film is really good and explains a lot of the things in the movie. I understood a good portion of the movie, but i also didnt see it till it came on DVD and i was expecting it to be even more nonsensical than it was from what i heard from others who saw it in the theater.

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Post by sine » Nov 9th 2002, 10:44 am

Kristin wrote:I've been thinking about it for days and can't figure it out!
There's always the option of attending Mulholland Drive Support Group meetings :wink:

(I hope the url is permanent. But if it isn't, you can find this short film by
Robert C. Barker & Prince Gomolvilas by searching the http://www.ifilm.com site)

Someone really should make a film My So-Called Life Support Group -- you know, about people "confused and traumatized" by the plot threads left to hang in ep. 19 -- don't you think? :D
G: it's a problem, when everybody is spitting in the same spittoon (I mean cuspidor). are you following my drift?
D: barely, but let's pretend that I am

-- New Planet, Milwaukee Youth Center Choir

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SanDeE*
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Post by SanDeE* » Nov 9th 2002, 12:01 pm

sine wrote:Someone really should make a film My So-Called Life Support Group -- you know, about people "confused and traumatized" by the plot threads left to hang in ep. 19 -- don't you think? :D
Totally! I know when I see that scene after I get my DVDs, I'm just going to be all disappointed that there isn't an end and it leaves us hanging! It's like when you're playing a chord progression and end on V instead of I. (I'm a musician, and all other musicians will understand this comparison) Like this:
Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday to you.
Happy birthday dear someone...

You can hear that last line in your head. No resolution! I hate it!

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Post by Calhoun07 » Nov 13th 2002, 12:59 am

Greybird wrote:They aren't connected. And there is no plot. It's a putrescent, pretentious mess, symbolism unanchored in meaning, the artiste run amuck, and you'll go insane trying to figure it out.

"Mulholland Drive" even deprived Baz Luhrmann of a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Director. But that, though a tragedy, is not its worst sin.

It shares, with a few other solitary pinnacles of utter anti-art such as "Waiting for Godot" and "Ulysses," the most damning quality I can think of for any work of the imagination:

The creator tries to persuade the viewer that what is deliberately confused, illogical, and nonsensical is, by reason of those "virtues," profound and meaningful.

And that is the worst travesty of all, in art or in life.

I cannot think of anything more profoundly opposed to the joyous and perceptive sense of being in "My So-Called Life" than the excrescence by David Lynch called "Mulholland Drive."
Actually, I found that Mulholland Drive makes perfect sense upon repeat viewings. It's actually one of the most brilliant films in recent memory that I can think of. But I do not recommend it for casual viewing, this movie requires thought and analysis after seeing it and it is necessary to watch it more than once. But that's a given with all of David Lynch's work. The man is incredible, and one of my favorite directors.

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Post by TomSpeed » Feb 14th 2003, 6:34 pm

One thing to keep in mind when watching Mulholland Drive is that Lynch originally intended it to be a TV series. He had already filmed much of what he intended to be the "Pilot" episode when ABC decided not to pick up the series. About the last third of the movie was added to complete a story that was intended to take several hours to untangle. The fact that the movie works, or almost works, so well in its truncated version is a testament to Lynch's imaginative and directorial skills.

Personally, I liked Mulholland Drive. I had to watch it a few times to get a firm handle on it. However, each time I watched it, the more I enjoyed it.
TomSpeed

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Post by Angela_Catalano » Aug 29th 2004, 10:11 pm

Mulholland Drive is my all time favorite movie!! I was so excited when I saw that this is a topic! This movie always leaves me with something to talk about afterwards, and I always want to watch it again and again. I always pick up on something different everytime.

I think this movie makes perfect sense. It just tells many stories. Nobody is right or wrong. Its whatever you want it to be. I my self have an interpitaion if anyones interested. Im not saying its right though.

First of all the First 2/3's of the movie is a dream. The last 3rd is reality. Diane hired a hitman to Kill Camilla, because of the way Camilla treated her. Deep down in Diane didnt want Camilla to die, So in her dream she makes Camilla survive a car crash. Its basicly the story of how she wanted things to be with Camilla.

There are many clues through out the movie that kind of let you know that its all a dream, especially Club Silencio.

I hate comparing this to the wizard of oz, but in a way it takes the idea from there. Everyone that you see in her dream also appears in reality, basicly as someone else (accept for Adam, and maybe CoCo)

One of my favorite scenes in the movie is Adam with The "COWBOY". I think this scene is just telling you that Camilla really didnt get her roles in hollywood for being talented, that people were forced into hiring her. Also the cowboy says "you will see me one more time if you do good, and 2 more times if you do bad" We the audience see him 2 more times and assume Adam did bad, but Adam must have done good, because he only sees him one more time at the party.

The hitman... Diane dreamed him up as a screw up, because she is hoping that he would fail to Kill Camilla.

One of my other favorite parts of the movie is when Diane/Betty goes to Adam's audition. I love the music and the eye contact between adam and Betty. I think this is important, because if Adam wasnt forced into picking Camilla, Diane would probably have been his choice.

Ive read many other peoples opinions and views on this movie. They are very interesting, and could be true. Im just going with what my original take on the movie was.

Tell me your opinions on the movie.. I'd love to hear them!!!

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Post by EWU MSCL fan » Oct 17th 2004, 1:49 pm

I agree with you that Adam's scene with "The Cowboy" were really good. Just makes you wonder how much outside influences affect who gets casted in commericals, TV shows, movies, etc.

I believe after "the real imitate scene in the bedroom with Noami Watts and Laura Harring" the story shifts into like a different time where both characters completely change who they are and the lives they lead and that Hollywood and be a real scary and life-changing place.

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