Eraserhead
Where your nightmares end...
Country
Production
Genre
Budget
$10 000
Box office
$7 006 798
Director
Actors
Jack Nance, Charlotte Stewart, Allen Joseph, Jeanne Bates, Judith Roberts, Laurel Near, Jack Fisk, Jean Lange, Thomas Coulson, John Monez
All actors and roles (10)
All actors and roles (10)
Scenario
Producer
Camera operator
Composer
Artist
Audition
Editing
Short description
First time father Henry Spencer tries to survive his industrial environment, his angry girlfriend, and the unbearable screams of his newly born mutant child. David Lynch arrived on the scene in 1977, almost like a mystical UFO gracing the landscape of LA with its enigmatic radiance. His inaugural work, "Eraserhead" (1977), stood out as a cinematic anomaly, painting a surreal narrative of a young man navigating a dystopian, industrialized America, grappling not only with his tumultuous home life but also contending with an irate girlfriend and a mutant child.
What's left behind the scenes
- Jack Nance, who played Henry, wore his character's distinctive hairstyle for all five years of filming.
- In his interviews, David Lynch refers to "Eraserhead" as his most subtle film and fundamentally refuses to comment on its plot, stating that viewers should form their own opinions and grasp its meaning on their own.
- The original screenplay was titled “Gardenback” and was only 20 pages long, which was one of the reasons for funding problems.
- The film’s soundtrack was dedicated “to The Man In The Planet’s Sister.” Jack Fisk played the character of The Man In The Planet in the film, and his sister Mary soon became Lynch’s second wife. Jack Fisk later married Sissy Spacek, who also occasionally attended the filming.
- During the first year of work on the film (out of five), David Lynch's wife left him. Considering that their daughter had been born shortly before, many believe that David Lynch drew on personal experience when filming.
- Stanley Kubrick expressed regret that he was not the one who directed the film.
- The original screenplay was titled 'Gardenback' and was only 20 pages long, which was one of the reasons for the financing problems.
- The black and white zigzag pattern on the floor in Henry’s house is identical to the pattern on the floor in the poet’s house in Jean Cocteau’s film “Orpheus” (1950). Lynch later transferred this same pattern to the floor of the Black Lodge from his series “Twin Peaks” (1990-1991).
- "Eraserhead" was one of the favorite films of Stanley Kubrick and John Waters.
- In his interviews, David Lynch calls "Eraserhead" his most subtle film and fundamentally refuses to comment on its plot, stating that viewers should form their own opinion and comprehend its meaning.
- Stanley Kubrick expressed regret that he did not direct this film.
- The initial version of the film had a runtime of 108 minutes.
- To film "Eraserhead", the director had to find money in a variety of ways – even delivering newspapers.
- Since the film was shot in segments over five years, the same sets had to be assembled several times. The filming was generally very fragmented in terms of timing. For example, the scene where Henry enters his apartment was filmed a year and a half after the scene where Henry opens the door.
- "Eraserhead" made such a strong impression on directors Mel Brooks and George Lucas that the former offered Lynch to direct "The Elephant Man" (1980), and the latter – "Star Wars: Episode 6 – Return of the Jedi" (1983). Lynch accepted the first offer, which became his debut in "major" cinema, and declined the second.
- The film's soundtrack was dedicated to "The Man In The Planet's Sister." In the film, the character of The Man In The Planet was played by Jack Fisk, and his sister Mary soon became Lynch's second wife. Jack Fisk himself later married Sissy Spacek, who also appeared on set from time to time.
- Jack Nance, who played Henry, kept his character's distinctive hairstyle throughout the five years of filming.
- The film's first cinematographer, Herbert Cardwell, died in his sleep at the age of 38, two years after filming began.
- "Eraserhead" was one of Stanley Kubrick and John Waters' favorite films.
- At the beginning of the film, Henry Spencer steps into a puddle with his right foot, but when he gets home, he dries the sock from his left foot.
- During the first year of the five-year production of the film, David Lynch's wife left him. Given that they had a daughter shortly before this, many believe that David Lynch drew upon his personal experience while filming the movie.
- The film's original cinematographer, Herbert Cardwell, died in his sleep at the age of 38 two years after filming began.
- The role of the child-mutant was “played” by an embalmed calf fetus, but Lynch never revealed the secret of how he managed to make it move in such a way. After filming, the director personally buried it.
- At the time, "Eraserhead" made such a strong impression on directors Mel Brooks and George Lucas that the former offered Lynch the chance to direct "The Elephant Man" (1980), and the latter offered him "Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi" (1983). Lynch accepted the first offer, which marked his debut in mainstream cinema, but declined the second.
- The black-and-white zigzag pattern on the floor in the hall of Henry's house is identical to the pattern on the floor of the poet's house in Jean Cocteau's film 'Orpheus' (1950). Later, Lynch would use this same pattern on the floor of the Black Lodge in his series 'Twin Peaks' (1990-1991).
- Premiere magazine named this film one of the 25 "most dangerous films".
- In 2004, the film was deemed culturally significant by the Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.
- The role of the mutant child was 'played' by a embalmed calf fetus, but Lynch never revealed the secret of how he managed to make it move in such a way. After filming, the director buried it personally.
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