R.I.P. David Lynch (1946-2025)

by John Charet

A polite reminder before reading this blog entry of mine 🙂 I will not tolerate any insults or negativity towards David Lynch or any of his films I mention in this post. Any negative comments will be deleted. As a matter of fact, I will not tolerate any negativity of anybody mentioned in this blog entry. So once again, I am politely asking you all to please be kind 🙂

David Lynch (1946-2025)

Earlier today, the world lost one of our greatest visionary filmmakers. He was 78-years old and the cause of death was emphysema. That director was David Lynch. My introduction to Lynch was in early 2002, when I watched the then entire series of the cult television series Twin Peaks, which lasted from 1990 to 1991. Co-created with Mark Frost, Lynch also directed episodes of the show. When Lynch and Frost brought the series back in 2017 for Showtime, Lynch would direct every episode of the third season. By 2005, I had seen and loved almost every single Lynch film. Dune was good, but after watching it, I can totally understand why Lynch refused to talk about it during his life. Not since the death of British filmmaker Terence Davies back in 2023 has the death of a well-respected director hit me so hard. When I first heard the news, I just could not believe it. Ever since then, I have been in a very sad mood 😦 Lynch’s family made the following statement on his Facebook page – There’s a big hole in the world now that he’s no longer with us, But, as he would say, ‘Keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole.’ … It’s a beautiful day with golden sunshine and blue skies all the way. Read here and here for more information. I know the news is probably not as shocking once one takes into account that Lynch was battling lung disease for a long time (read here), but it is still heartbreaking either way.

Click here to visit the David Lynch Foundation website

Click here to visit a youtube video channel entitled DAVID LYNCH THEATER

Click here to watch a youtube video link to a wonderful remembrance of David Lynch courtesy of Chicago-based cinephile Kursten Ranquist (Click here to see his youtube channel)

Limited to this website only, I would love to remember Lynch through quite a few posts of mine. One of his films is on the first link, three on the second, one on the third and two on the fourth.

Click here to read a 2022 blog entry regarding my Top 10 Favorite Films of All Time

Click here to read a 2023 blog entry regarding my 100 Favorite Films of All Time

Click here to read a 2024 blog entry regarding my Top 10 Favorite Horror Films of All Time

Click here to read a 2024 blog entry regarding my Top 100 Favorite Horror Films of All Time

Click here to read a 2024 blog entry I did where I mention Twin Peaks during my visit to the Music Box Theatre that year

Click here to read a 2024 blog entry wishing actress Sheryl Lee (Laura Palmer in Twin Peaks) a very Happy 57th Birthday

Since I do not have time to do a ranking of every single one of Lynch’s films, I want to let all of my dear readers know that with the exception of Dune (the 1984 version), I love every single film that David Lynch has directed and If you need me to direct you all to every single thing he ever directed, just click here.

Also, below are a few examples of me indulging (but in a healthy way) in Lynch fandom 🙂


–Two More Things–

For David Lynch’s Family

I want to express my condolences to David Lynch’s entire family with this beautiful Catholic (my religious affiliation) prayer for the departed below:

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

For Californians

As all of you are probably aware right now, the recent California Wildfires has affected many Californians through loss of property and loved ones. Once again, I want to offer this beautiful Catholic prayer for the departed below:

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

31 thoughts on “R.I.P. David Lynch (1946-2025)”

  1. Thank you for this loving tribute. I can imagine how difficult it must have been for you to write. also thank you for the links to all your articles about Lynch. Such a fitting way to remember him, his movies, and how his life affects all of us who love movies.

  2. Thank you for the kind words Bill 🙂 As you know already, one of his films I single out as my number one favorite horror film of the 1990’s 🙂 Even If he had to die, he can at least be proud that he ended his film/television career on a high note courtesy of 2017’s Twin Peaks: The Return (season 3). I have a feeling that actress Sheryl Lee (who played Laura Palmer in Twin Peaks) is every bit as sad as me and you.

  3. Oh no!…this is the first I’ve heard of his death. Tragic. It is a sad day. I remember the first time I saw Eraseshead. I didn’t know what I was watching…I was profoundly disturbed by it…but I knew it was special. And I knew that a visionary artist was responsible for it.

  4. A sad day indeed Pam 😦 As for Eraserhead, I echo your sentiments Eraserhead was truly something special. Not only did The Elephant Man move me to tears, but so did Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me. When I first saw that one I wanted to reach inside the screen to rescue and hug Laura Palmer because none of us want to see her descend into madness. When somebody feels that, you know the director is doing something right. Compared to Mulholland Drive, Lost Highway may come off as a dress rehearsal, but a grand one. I loved the gentleness of The Straight Story and was noted for not only being Lynch’s only G-rated film, but also actor Richard Farnsworth’s last role before his death. Let us not forget Blue Velvet either. At the end, who doesn’t root for Isabella Rossellini’s character considering that she is finally free from the clutches of Dennis Hopper’s psychotic Frank Booth.

  5. So true. You expertly summarize his seminal works. I’m one of those who really likes Mulholland Drive. I put off watching it for years because I’d watched a portion of it and wasn’t impressed…then I had to watch it twice, back to back to get the gist of it…but when I did, I loved it.
    The Straight Story is another Lynch film that I really like…very un-Lynch like, and of course Blue Velvet is a masterpiece. (And I loved him in Lucky.) Lynch was grandly original.

  11. I love that one too Pam 🙂 Then again, that is because I love all of my photos and posts 🙂 I actually think that the jar is one of the most beautiful tributes to a fictional character and I know I said it a million times before, but when one watches Fire Walk with Me, you want to reach to the screen and hug and console Laura Palmer to save her from descending into madness. Any director who can make one do that is doing something right 🙂

  12. So do I Bill 🙂 I want to reiterate something I just posted to Pam 🙂 I actually think that the jar is one of the most beautiful tributes to a fictional character and I know I said it a million times before, but when one watches Fire Walk with Me, you want to reach to the screen and hug and console Laura Palmer to save her from descending into madness. Any director who can make one do that is doing something right 🙂

  14. I was sitting thinking about ‘The Straight Story’. Not typically Lynch on first sight, but once you watch it you can see his touch. I have seen that film 3 times and always find something wonderful in it.

  15. John, What you said about wanting to reach out and save Laura from madness, I felt the same way toward Julie Moore in Todd Haynes’ Safe….and for both the women in his “Carol.”

  16. Julianne Moore in Safe and Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara in Carol are inspired choices as well Bill 🙂 Coincidentally, as you know, both are directed by Todd Haynes, though the latter was scripted by Phyllis Nagy 🙂

  19. I too can his touch Pete 🙂 Also, when one really thinks about it, even standing on it’s own, The Straight Story is far from a traditional film plot wise. I mean it is about an elderly man, who travels cross country on a lawnmower. Even though David Lynch did not write the script, I can totally see something like that appealing to him to incite him to direct it 🙂

  20. I was fairly shocked to hear this news the other day, John. It’s a loss. Your personal tribute above is just great. I love the photo of you and the jar along with the Laura Palmer fund jar on top of the counter with the movie-goers’ treats and the David Lynch poster in the background. 🙂

  21. It truly is sad Stacy 😦 Thank you for the kind words. I know I said this a million times before, but I truly feel that the Laura Palmer memorial fund tip jar is one of the most touching tributes to a fictional character. As for the David Lynch Retrospective poster, I took a picture of it last year in 2024, when I saw the 70mm Vertigo on a big-screen at that same place, which is Chicago’s glorious Music Box Theatre 🙂 I so wish I could have watch the 2022 Retrospective of David Lynch films during then, but I was busy 🙂

  22. Ooh. I like the sound of this Music Box Theatre in Chicago. That must have been so much fun! Maybe similar to the time I saw Lawrence of Arabia when I was living in NYC in a famous theater there. I was trying to look it up, but none of the names sound familiar. However, I DID find a Music Box Theatre (same spelling with the “re” instead of “er”, lol) on Broadway and 45th! So NYC has one too. I guess it’s a popular name. I’ll have to ask my husband what the name of the one we went to is. He has a better memory than me. And he’s from New York anyway. 🙂

  23. Oh, duuuuuuh. The Zigfield Theater. How could I have forgotten THAT name? lol
    That’s where we saw Lawrence of Arabia. So much fun.

  24. Let me tell you something Stacy 🙂 The Music Box Theatre is simply glorious 🙂 Lawrence of Arabia is also an exhilarating experience on a huge screen 🙂

  26. I’d love to see The Music Box one day. I’ll put it on my bucket list!
    And yes, Grauman’s is here, right over the hill from us! One of the best times I had in there was seeing Star Trek: Undiscovered Country. Great audience reaction. A very fond memory.

  27. Oh yes, please do Stacy 🙂 You will love it and I hope to see The Grauman one day 🙂 I have heard so much great stuff about that movie palace as well 🙂 I think it is wonderful that we are talking here about great movie palaces 🙂

  28. I know! I have a lot of good memories for the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood, too. It’s just down the street from Grauman’s. Ghostbusters, Legend, then many years later seeing the first Pirates of the Caribbean with my nephews. They had a live show first with an organ and everything and special concessions of round chocolate wrapped in gold foil paper to look like coins (pirate booty, lol) and it was a blast!

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