Review of Eraserhead (1977) by Steven H — 21 May 2011

The first time I saw Eraserhead was in an English class at East Carolina University. I don't really know why my teacher chose to show us the movie, but I remember him saying, "OK.... half of you are going to hate this movie; the other half of you will never forget it.

" About 20 minutes in, I looked around and the ENTIRE class was either sleeping, doodling, or talking to each other. I was riveted. I had never in my life seen a movie like this. It's the closest anyone has ever come to accuratly portraying a nightmare on screen.

It's creepy, it's ambiguous, it doesn't make a whole hell of a lotta sense, but you can't deny it's power. The whole thing is a metaphor of the terror one feels at the prospect of unplanned parenthood (but don't quote me on that).

This is further proven by the "child" thats born: a mutant, disfigured creature that endlessly cries and mews. The sound design for the movie is actually quite brilliant, filled with white noise and industrial clanging.

The scene that still sends shivers down my spine is when our lead Henry goes to his girlfriend's parent's house for dinner. He and the father are having a very awkward conversation when, suddenly, on the other side of the screen, the girl starts frantically beating her head with her hand and her mother quickly runs over and starts brushing her hair.

AND NO ONE ACKNOWLEDGES IT. The scene just goes on as if nothing has happened. The first time I saw it, I was like, "What the hell was that?". But it's moments like those that lend to the feeling of watching someone's dream, where logic and rationality are thrown right out the window.

This movie, along with El Topo, became the grandfather of midnight cinema. Lynch finally released it on DVD in 2000 and for that I thank him. Because my shitty bootleg was exactly that: shitty. The DVD is crystal clear and glorious.

Bonus nugget of info: the song that the woman in the radiator sings, "In Heaven", is now a staple in the Pixies' live set, with Kim Deal singing the haunting melody. If you've never seen it, check it out.

But have an open mind. You're gonna need it.