David Lynch is very much still an enigma. However, if there is someone that can provide a career respective, it's Ian Nathan. Job well done for providing a critical eye on his works and a little background about what makes the this great man tick in his world of weirdness. A great work.

David Lynch. What can I say. Either you love the man and his work, then you'll snatch this up (and won't be disappointed), or you can't relate at all, in which case this book won't change your mind. Great artwork, interesting facts on the man's life and work, coming across this book in your bookstore or whatever is basically a WYSIWYG deal.

When you're done watching - and scratching your head - wondering what you just saw and what actually happened - yes you've been Lynched! A truly creative and off-center director that takes everything to new levels and once you realize there is no one point, you are hooked. One of the more interesting profiles out there.

David Lynch, writes the author, “became a director because he wanted his paintings to move”.
In Ian Nathan's lavishly illustrated book published to coincide with the 45th anniversary of Lynch's debut film, Eraserhead, readers are treated to an engaging retrospective on the multifaceted artist and filmmaker’s creative journey.
The book looks at Lynch's entire cinematic repertoire, from his early short films to his iconic features such as Blue Velvet, Dune, Mulholland Drive, The Elephant Man and the groundbreaking TV series Twin Peaks.
Offering insights into Lynch's life and creative methodologies, accompanied by behind-the-scenes photographs and compelling visuals, the book doesn't critique his work but rather chronicles his artistic evolution. Fans of the director and movies in general will love this book.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

It was impossible to read this book because it was not accessible via Kindle. I am not sure why any publisher is still doing this.

I wouldn't call David Lynch my favorite filmmaker but he is certainly one that I have a lot of admiration for. This book does such a great job at not only tackling the life and experiences of Lynch but also giving the reader amazing insight into the creativity and filmmaking process which I truly appreciated.

My thanks to Ad Lib Publishers Palazzo Editions for a temporary digital edition of ‘David Lynch: A Retrospective’ by Ian Nathan.

This illustrated biography of the filmmaker David Lynch was published to coincide with the 45th anniversary of his first feature film, ‘Eraserhead’.

There’s no doubt that Lynch is an outstanding artist and his unique style has come to be known as Lynchian and indicates a troubling, dark dreamlike narrative. Indeed, the tagline for ‘Eraserhead’ was ‘A Dream of Dark and Troubling Things’.

Nathan examines Lynch’s career including his feature films and of course his ground-breaking TV series, ‘Twin Peaks’ that brought about a paradigm shift in what could be attempted in the format and heralded in a golden age for television dramas.

There are stunning photographs throughout the book along with anecdotes from behind the scenes of each project. Nathan also details how Lynch, who never wanted his ideas to be watered down - ‘rendered normal’, dealt with the demands of the studios.

Lynch’s films have had a profound impact upon me. I especially remember ‘Blue Velvet’ and ‘Dune’, which undoubtedly was flawed but I feel captured the essence of Frank Herbert’s epic. I was also surprised to learn that Mel Brooks’ company had made ‘Elephant Man’.

I was especially interested in the material presented in the ‘Twin Peaks’ sections, that covered the original series, the prequel film, ‘Fire Walk With Me’, and ‘Twin Peaks: The Return’ that eerily fulfilled Lara Palmer statement to Agent Dale Cooper in the Season Two finale: “I’ll see you again in twenty-five years.”

Overall, I found ‘David Lynch: A Retrospective’ a satisfying and informative biography of an outstanding film auteur. Ian Nathan writes in an accessible style and rounds out the book with a filmography to date.

An incredibly detailed dive into the work and mind of director David Lynch with intense focus on each of his films. A must read for any fans of his work or those just interested in trying to understand how the creative mind works in the film and television industry of the last half century.

An absolutely brilliant insight into my favourite ever director David Lynch. Some great unknown facts about him and his movies/tv shows and some fabulous photos. Highly recommended for any Lynch fan or film buff.

I am so glad there is finally a comprehensive book about David Lynch films! I saw my first two Lynch films in college (Eraserhead and Elephant Man) and was completely blown away by the imagination, emotion and creepiness in his films. I had never really seen anything like it before. Fast forward to Blue Velvet, Twin Peaks and again I was hooked on his work. He is clearly influenced by other great films and filmmakers (The Wizard of Oz, Hitchcock, etc.) and is not afraid to reveal the ugly undercoat on the artificial veneer called "small town America" or "Hollywood." His movies can be really twisted and hard to sit through, yet it is also difficult to turn away. What is so great about this book is the in=depth "behind-the-scenes" of making these films and the beautiful photos throughout. This book has inspired me to go back and watch all of his films again with this great book as a companion guide. I highly recommend this book to film lovers and David Lynch fans.

Thank you to Netgalley and Ad Lib Publishers, Palazzo Editions for an ARC and I left this review voluntarily.

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Ad Lib Publishers, Palazzo Editions for an advanced copy of this new illustrated memoir and guide to the lives and films of one of the more diverse, controversial, gifted, talented, and in the words of Mel Brooks, madman of motion pictures.

Growing up my town had two video stores. One was in a prime location, in the center of our town next to the chain supermarket, with a pharmacy, liquor store, bank and hardware store. Everything one needs for the weekend. The had all the Hollywood movies, usually multiples, and were popular with well average filmgoers. The second was near the center of town, but off to the side, an area that looked to be zoned as a house, but was an island in an ocean of normalcy. There were foreign films, odd films, music videos, movies that didn't have boxes and the JVC label was larger than the movie's name which was printed in hand on the tape. Plus they didn't really care about age ratings. It was here that I borrowed Eraserhead, and as much as I would like to say my life changed, I think I was more confused and befuddled. I'm assuming this was after Dune, but before Blue Velvet, but I am not sure. Later I was able to see it with a crowd on a big screen in Boston(?) and I was in awe. The same experience thought opposite can be said for Lost Highways. Loved it the first time, saw it with friends the second time, and was like, huh? And that is David Lynch. Lynch would like one to enjoy his movie, but isn't going out of his way to make it easy for one. Even The Straight Story a G rated movie offers a lot of scenery and lawn mower shots. And yet. And yet. David Lynch: A Retrospective by journalist and former editor of Empire Magazine Ian Nathan, looks at this director, his vision and skill, and the unique, sometimes wonderful, sometime baffling movies that he makes.

The book begins with the birth of David Lynch in the American midwest growing up as normal as one could be. Lynch was a popular person, with friends and girlfriends and was even an Eagle Scout who went to Washington to meet Presidents. Not sure of what he wanted to do with life, Lynch met through a woman he was dating the artist Bushnell Keeler, who was a professional artist, something that Lynch had never thought of. Keeler gave Lynch room in his studio, taught him something about art, and helped guide him to the right school for him. Which was in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Not the safest of places at the time, Lynch lived in a neighborhood that was falling apart, just as quickly as the city was. Lynch's interest in art was moving from paintings to film, and he began to make shorts, which got him the attention of the American Film Institute, asking him to come to California. Lynch did so, working on small films and for 5 years worked on his first movie, Eraserhead, a movie that confused and confounded, but made money on the midnight movie circuit. At a loss at what to do, Lynch asked for scripts to direct, and upon hearing The Elephant Man, accepted. And a career was begun.

A very detailed account of Lynch from his ups and downs, movie and relationship wise, inspirations and his work ethic. Along with the many instances of studio mishandling and projects that came to naught. The book is very well-written, and well-researched with lots of quotes from Lynch, people around him and film experts about his work. Also the illustrations really give a sense to the man, his vision, and makes one wonder how he can sleep at night. Pretty much everything is covered, the movies, shows, shorts, commercials even the ones that got away like Ronnie Rocket, one of the great lost movies. While Lynch has written his own account this one goes into more detail on the films, reception and the critical appraisals, subjects I quite enjoyed reading.

A book for fans of David Lynch and for film readers in general as his rise corresponds with a lot of changes in the film industry. Also this is a great book for creative people, as it gives us all hope that even the oddest of ideas could find someone who appreciates them. Even if the project is about a monkey in a train station.

What a gorgeous book! It's a visual feast of information about the director David Lynch. Ian Lathan's work on Lynch's life and career was an absolute treat to read. Alongside the beautiful photos and layout of the book, Nathan traces Lynch's life through his work. Nathan has a special eye for the smallest of detail in Lynch's work, and he combines this with information on the history of each film. This is a book I would recommend to film lovers and David Lynch fans.

I was curious to read something about Mr David Lynch, well known surrealistic master of cinematography. While this is the first book I‘ve read on the subject, I‘ve seen video material before, so a few facts were already known to me. It was a fairly quick read, rich with illustrations which are always pleasing to the eye, especially given the nature of the subject. The book describes Lynch‘s career, briefly touching on some of the personal facts and traits. It was interesting but it felt a bit dry at some points, however, it might look different to someone who is a die-hard fan of David‘s work. Furthermore, while I appreciate that it was a quick read, it probably would have added some value to the book's lesser-known works and facts, as well as general life facts, which is always a lovely addition to understanding someone‘s creative choices.

Were it not for the existence of David Cronenberg, David Lynch would be indisputably the weirdest film director called David in the world.
As it is, thanks to unique cinematic visions like Eraserhead, The Elephant Man, Dune, Blue Velvet, Wild at Heart, Mulholland Drive and the film and TV versions of Twin Peaks, he has still been one of the most unusual and and brilliant filmmakers of the last half century.
Although he skips over the director's later Inland Empire, top British film writer Ian Nathan covers Lynch's career thoroughly in this otherwise comprehensive book.

It’s about time someone wrote this book! Lynch has created some incredible TV and cinema and this book gives insights into the person and the life leading up to them. I think the author presented a good balance of information, allowing the reader to gain some insights into the creative process as well as learning more about the life and experiences of the subject.