Saw the new David Lynch film 'Inland Empire' last night

[On The Edge of Insanity]

Having missed the original internet pre-sale, me and a couple of mates turned up the the BFI at half six in the morning to queue for tickets for the first showing of the film, which also featured an interview with David after the screening. Got given our queue vouchers at 9:30am, numbers 8,9 and 10 and were told to return at half five for our tickets (if any were avaliable).

After much attempted sleep throughout the day, we returned at half five and after a quick smoke of the green stuff queued for an anxious half hour for our tickets. Finally at six ish we were all let through to get our tickets. The relief all round was incredibly high, now for the excitement of seeing the film.

Despite the lottery in relation to tickets I ended up with almost the perfect position, second row from the back and dead center. The film critic Mark something or other came out to introduce the film, including the amusing strobe lighting warning, "just to mention there is a scene of prolonged strobe lighting for any epilespy sufferers. There are a lot more things in the film that are more of a headfuck, but thats the only one we're legally obliged to warn you of!". The lights went down and the film began. What exactly happened in the next three hours I'm not entirely sure, the film is pretty much an accumulation of everything Lynch has ever done before, but taking the surrealism to a whole new level (if that was even possible) and leaving you with a lot more questions rather than answers at the end of the film. When it ends you know you've just experienced something great, but you're not entirely sure what it is you've just experienced. Anyone whose familiar with his previous works will know this feeling and whether this is something you enjoy, but for me, being a big Lynch fan, I love it and it just makes me want to watch the film again and again to try and fill in all the holes.

After the film finished there was a fifteen minute interval, before the man himself took to the stage to great applause to be interviewed. It was probably one of the best interviews I've seen, maybe because Lynch was every bit as extravagent and funny as you would imagine him to be, a lot of his commons being met with great laughter from the audience. He always seemed to be moving his hands whenever he answered a question as if words enough weren't sufficient to get across what he was trying to say, which caused great amusement amongst the audience. The whole thing seems a bit of daze, but a few comments stood out, most noticeably when asked by a member of audience why he has chosen to distribute the film himself rather than through the normal channels of using a distribution company he replied, "well the film is three hours long and not many people understand it". There was also the funny moment when Mark presented of his theories about the use of electricity in David's films in a particulary lengthy manner, just for David to response with a perfectly delayed "No" to the suggestion. After about 50-60 minutes of questions Mark rapped it up and David left the stage to applause even greater than that which followed his entrance.

Although we did all want to sit and discuss the film afterwards, we were all dead on our feet by the end, so just said our goodbyes and headed in our various directions home. It wouldn't suprise me if we re-convene for another viewing once its released throughout the UK in early March and I would definitely recommend for any Lynch fan to do so also. Even if you've never seen a Lynch film before I'd suggest for you to go see this film, just for the reason that it is so different to anything else in cinemas at the moment. You may not like or understand it, but what you will get an experience out of it that you will struggle to find in many other films this year.
Saw the