There’s an ass-ton of stupid in this world. So much that it takes more and more outrageous instances of idiocy to even get us to sit up and take notice. There’s nothing much you can do to escape it but there’s plenty you can do to mitigate its effects. One such thing is to take in a piece of art that functions on the assumption that the patron is NOT stupid. The film industry these days, unfortunately, operates on the flip side of that assumption.

David Lynch has carved out a niche for himself in the film world by making films that function on the same level as a jigsaw puzzle. The seasoned Lynch fan knows exactly what I’m talking about but to those uninitiated I propose that you consider the films of David Lynch as a remedy for the daily stupid that we all encounter in the outside world. Start with Tier 1 and work your way up to the baffling but satisfying tier 3.

Tier 1: Lynch films with linear plots

Wild at Heart (1990) starring Laura Dern and Nick Cage: Don’t let the lame romance novel-esque cover on the DVD put you off. This movie is far too twisted to fully be part of that genre. It’s not a monumental feat of filmmaking but nevertheless a good preparation for what’s to come.
Blue Velvet (1986) starring Kyle MacLachlan and Laura Dern: Things get a little weirder and darker here but this film is most like all of his later works. The main difference is that the plot is comprehensible. After seeing this movie you would have no trouble telling your friends what it’s about.

Tier 2: Early work

The Elephant Man (1980) starring Anthony Hopkins: it has Lynch’s characteristic dark tone but being based on a true story, it has few of his usual story elements. I only put it in here as a primer to…

Eraserhead (1977) Consider this a graduation to tier 3. Don’t watch this while eating. It’s dark, surreal, gruesome, and completely terrifying. The plot (if you can call it that) requires undivided attention and extensive thought to comprehend.

Tier 3: The nonlinear “Nightmare” films

Mulholland Dr. (2001) Starring Naomi Watts: This film opens with one of the scariest scenes I’ve ever seen. The plot begins somewhat conventionally but completely unravels leaving the viewer to piece it together at the end.
Inland Empire (2006) starring Laura Dern: It’s longer than Mulholland Dr. and unravels even earlier. It’s much darker and more violent as well. I don’t have much to say about “tier 3″ because these movies are not easily described.

From now on I’m going to limit posts about movies to Fridays only. Naturally, you can buy any of these movies in my amazon store. Or you could just rent them. Don’t watch them all in one weekend. Your brain will melt.