Mulholland Drive at 25, plus If I Go Will They Miss Me and You Had to Be There | #1083

Josh Larsen (0:00)

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SPEAKER_2 (0:24)

What kind of a show are you guys putting on here today?

Adam Kempenaar (0:27)

You're not interested in art? No. Well, look, we're going to do this thing, we're going to have a conversation.

Josh Larsen (0:34)

From Chicago, this is Filmspotting, I'm Josh Larsen.

Adam Kempenaar (0:37)

And I'm Adam Kempenaar.

SPEAKER_5 (0:38)

I want you to go back to work tomorrow. You are recasting the lead actress anyway. Audition many girls for the part.

When you see the girl that was shown to you earlier today, you will say, this is the girl.

Josh Larsen (0:56)

We've spent the last 25 years trying to unpack David Lynch's Mulholland Drive. We'll see what we come up with in an anniversary review.

Adam Kempenaar (1:05)

Good thing I've got all the answers, Josh. Piece of cake.

Josh Larsen (1:08)

I'm sure.

Adam Kempenaar (1:09)

Plus reviews of If I Go Will They Miss Me. And you had to be there, a documentary about a star-packed production of Godspell in the early 70s. That and more ahead on Filmspotting.

Welcome to Filmspotting, Josh. Our annual Golden Brick Award goes to the best underseen film by a new or emerging filmmaker. And we're adding to that. You've got another film to add to the list of nominees.

Josh Larsen (1:47)

We have a strong lineup already. And yeah, this is a new one. I'm gonna give the title because it's a bit tricky.

If I Go Will They Miss Me? I've been recommending this and I'm sure I've messed that up when I've done those recommendations to people. So gonna get it right here and hopefully right for the rest of the show. If I Go Will They Miss Me? It's one people should check out.

Adam Kempenaar (2:09)

It gets even trickier when you add in more pronouns with the documentary I saw, You Had to Be There.

That's a film about the 1972 Toronto production of the musical Godspell. This ended up launching the careers of some familiar names, Martin Short, Gilda Radner, Eugene Levy and others. Paul Schaeffer included in there, Josh?

Josh Larsen (2:32)

We'll see if we can get through these titles for the rest of the show.

Adam Kempenaar (2:37)

We will also play Massacre Theatre. We remind you that Filmspotting is now available as a video podcast. Please do watch us talk over at youtube.com/filmspotting.

First up, I have a question for you, Josh. A man's attitude goes some ways to the way his life will be. Is that something you might agree with?

Josh Larsen (2:59)

It's how I approach all my reviews.

Adam Kempenaar (3:01)

It's time to talk Mulholland Drive.

SPEAKER_4 (3:03)

Well, it's time to say goodbye, Benny.

SPEAKER_6 (3:07)

It's been so nice traveling with you.

SPEAKER_7 (3:09)

Thank you, Irene.

SPEAKER_6 (3:10)

I was so excited and nervous. Sure great to have you to talk to.

SPEAKER_2 (3:14)

Remember, I'll be watching for you on the big screen.

SPEAKER_6 (3:17)

Okay, Irene. Won't that be the day?

Adam Kempenaar (3:21)

Good luck, Benny dear.

SPEAKER_6 (3:24)

Take care of yourself and be careful. I will.

Thanks again.

Josh Larsen (3:29)

Adam, I've been swimming in the work of David Lynch lately, so forgive me if this setup seems a bit dreamy and perplexing. Last week at the Music Box Theatre, as part of their Twin Peaks Moving Through Time series, I finally saw, for the first time, Twin Peaks Fire Walk with me. That made me a Lynch completist. I don't know, I hope I'm getting like half of a heart locket or something like that as my badge. Now that viewing, it came on the heels of our recent Pantheon Project review of Blue Velvet, part of our attempt to give full conversations to every movie in the Filmspotting Pantheon that hasn't previously received one. Here we are with another Pantheon review, this time of 2001's Mulholland Drive. Mulholland Drive, checking the records, checking with producer Sam, went into the Pantheon in April 2013, and we think that was likely during our episode on top five neo-noirs.

Now, I liked Fire Walk with me quite a bit, mostly due to Cheryl Lee's Highwire performance. But, while watching Mulholland Drive, my mind kept going back to Blue Velvet.

Lynch was very busy between those two films, not only with Twin Peaks, but he also made Wild at Heart, Lost Highway and The Straight Story, which came out just before Mulholland. Mulholland and Blue Velvet are arguably his two defining films.