David Lynch's Essentials: 5 Movies Twin Peaks Creator Wanted Everyone to See

When you have a dilemma, you turn to your friends for advice. For example, when it is connected to some personal life problem, it’s better to have a friend in psychology, and if you don’t know what to cook, a chef can be your helping hand.

But what if your question is as simple as what to watch? Of course you can ask your cinephile friend, but is that the best you can do? Well, the better option is to turn to popular directors’ choices, because you know you can trust them.

All fans of intellectual cinema are definitely familiar with the works of the late David Lynch. The brilliant director is famous for films like The Elephant Man, Blue Velvet, Lost Highway. But for me, Lynch's name is forever tied to Twin Peaks. And this is hands down my favorite show in this genre (although I'm not sure which one it is).

The feeling of "what was that" after watching something Lynch has created never leaves you, but at the same time you are ready to watch it again. So in order to understand the director’s inspiration, it’s best to watch the movies he said were the greatest.

1. Sunset Boulevard (1950)

There’s no wonder this iconic movie ended up in Lynch’s list: Billy Wilder was one his favorite directors of all time. Sunset Boulevard is a noir about an aging actress named Norma Desmond, determined to become a star once again. She makes a deal with a screenwriter Joe Gillis, who is so desperate for money that he is okay to stage the whole thing with her.

“Sunset Boulevard just has the greatest mood; you’re immersed in it like a dream. It captures a Hollywood story that connects the golden age of Hollywood with the present day. But it’s a truthful movie, and so it carries through to today,” Lynch once said an interview with Dazed & Confused.

2. Lolita (1962)

Stanley Kubrick is another director Lynch thought was brilliant. And he chose Lolita, one of Kubrick's most ignored and misunderstood films, as his favorite.

Well, it's obvious that the movie was very controversial with the audience because of its plot, but the director’s work is worth the time and effort. After all, Lynch himself is among the fans!

3. The Apartment (1960)

Another movie that surely deserves the praise it gets from cinefiles. When Lynch opened his Club Silencio in Paris in 2011, he celebrated the event by screening his favotire movies. And guess what: the week ended with this classic romantic dramedy created by Billy Wilder.

When an insurance clerk starts using his apartment as a workplace, his personal life complicates it all.

“Lynch loves a lot of Wilder. I think he really buys into the magic of Old Hollywood but also knows the horrors of that town/industry from personal experience, and the contradiction drives him nuts. Hence stuff like Mulholland Dr,” Redditor pwppip said.

4. Rear Window (1954)

The next film on Lynch's list is Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window. In his book, he said that the Master of Suspense was able to create "a whole world within tight parameters." He also said that something absolutely huge was made into something small — all thanks to Hitchcock's talent.

Naturally, Lynch isn’t the only fan of the movie.

“Its biggest virtue is the setting. We as an audience are trapped in James Steward’s character point of view (him being handicapped in a wheelchair with a broken foot staring at his window). Since the movie has limited action, the suspense benefits from having just two/three characters interact with the MC, and lets us unravel the mystery through his lens, with no need for exposure dialogue,” Redditor lebronjamesgoat1 said.

5. 8 ½ (1963)

Another example of perfect filmmaking for Lynch is Federico Fellini's 8 ½. The Twin Peaks creator said that only a few directors have ever managed to accomplish so much through cinema without actually explaining what they were doing. He communicated with his audience through emotion, not words.

Fellini’s iconic movie is about a director struggling with a creative block, stalled on his new sci-fi film. One doesn’t have to be a director to understand the message of the movie; but being one, Lynch could not help but appreciate Fellini’s work.

Source: Dazed & Confused