Director weathers hard times
Lynch's reports perfect respite from pandemic
We are more than five months into a relentless pandemic — a stress-inducing situation that's made losing track of time a widespread phenomenon. We humbly recommend turning to an expert, of sorts: filmmaker David Lynch.
The Twin Peaks co-creator has been uploading daily Los Angeles weather reports to the David Lynch Theater's YouTube channel since midMay, returning to an occasional hobby of his. He sits in what appears to be a basement but could well be a bunker, surrounded by random objects including a landline telephone and, in typical fashion, a damn fine cup of coffee. He looks into the camera, stating the date and day of the week before moving onto business: “Here in L.A., some heavy fog moved in last night — hopefully it'll be lifting soon,” he says in Monday's video. “Very still right now, around 70 degrees F and 21 C.”
Then, he pivots. “Today, I'm wondering: What will happen next?”
The videos amass thousands of views. One commenter describes Lynch as
“the man providing the world with a sense of stability and structure.”
Stability and structure aren't always associated with Lynch, an artist known for the uncanny elements of his work. Perhaps it is the filmmaker's established knowledge of peculiar terrain that deems him trustworthy in our current world.
Those stuck at home might find this a wise time to catch up on Lynch's body of work, from the original two seasons of Twin Peaks and its Showtime revival to films like Blue Velvet, Inland Empire and his cult classic debut, Eraserhead.
Lynch, a most prolific vlogger, has even released a few shorts to YouTube in the past few months that strike the same precisely bizarre tone of his longer projects. All 12 minutes of his July windowsill drama The Spider and the Bee, for instance, are set to spooky music reminiscent of composer Angelo Badalamenti's reverberating Twin Peaks soundtrack.
But those creations don't soothe troubled spirits like Lynch's weather reports.
There's a balm-like quality to his steady voice and the endearing way he pronounces “Monday,” which the New York Times would attribute to the “flat folksy accent of his native Missoula, Mont.” — a description pulled from a 2006 article aptly titled David Lynch's Shockingly Peaceful Inner Life. Your ears grow accustomed to hearing dates like July 4, read quaintly as “July four,” your eyes lulled by the blue and grey filters overlaying the images.
Lynch still manages to make mention of this serotonin-boosting weather, even if it happens to be a dreary day. On “July 25,” he looks out at the foggy gloom. “Once this burns away, per usual, we should be having those beautiful blue skies and golden sunshine once again,” Lynch reassures the public. “Everyone, have a great day!”
The Washington Post