David Lynch: The Art Life (2016)

David Lynch: The Art Life (2016): directed by Jon Nguyen, Rick Barnes, and Olivia Neegard-Holm; starring David Lynch (Himself): Born in 1946 in Missoula, Montana, David Lynch would have a semi-peripatetic childhood, living in a couple of places in the Pacific Northwest before his family moved to Virginia when he was in his early teens. In this odd, informative, enjoyable bio-documentary, Lynch rhapsodizes about childhood in the Pacific Northwest while also revealing a couple of sources for one famous movie scene and one enigmatic character.

Lynch isn't here to talk about his work after Eraserhead. The documentary has lengthy interview segments in which Lynch discusses his childhood and young adulthood as a painter who almost stumbled into film-making, only to discover that he loved it. We're shown montages of Lynch's painting and other artwork, early movie work, and some out-takes from Lynch's breakthrough movie, Eraserhead.

If you like Lynch, this movie is about as essential as a movie can get. Lynch moves between frankness and obliqueness in his inimitable, gnomic way. The art is extraordinary. One wishes for more but is grateful for what one gets in these 90 minutes. Long live America's greatest living film-maker. Highly recommended.