Eraserhead (USA: David Lynch, 1977)

 

A dream of dark and troubling things . . .
David Lynch’s 1977 debut feature, Eraserhead, is both a lasting cult sensation and a work of extraordinary craft and beauty. With its mesmerizing black-and-white photography by Frederick Elmes and Herbert Cardwell, evocative sound design, and unforgettably enigmatic performance by Jack Nance, this visionary nocturnal odyssey continues to haunt American cinema like no other film. - Criterion Collection

Our Eraserhead screening was naïve and unexpected and for me had lasting impact, because when art enters our heads uninvited, leaves traces after it’s flashed through our consciousness, jars the brain beautifully so we can’t help watching wide-eyed, these experiences take root and give the imagination fertile reach. - Chris Vaughan

 
Eraserhead (USA: David Lynch, 1977: 89 mins)

Bond, Lewis. "David Lynch: The Elusive Subconscious." (Posted on Youtube: September 3, 2016)

Caldwell, Thomas. "Great Directors: David Lynch." Senses of Cinema #20 (May 2002)

Carvajal, Nelson. "Beautiful Nightmares: David Lynch's Collective Dream." (Posted on Vimeo: 2013)

Cox, Catherine S. "Eraserhead." Senses of Cinema #40 (July 2006)

Ebiri, Bilge. "David Lynch Thinks That No One Will Ever Agree on What Eraserhead is About." Vulture (September 16, 2014)

"Eraserhead: Who Hurt You David Lynch?" The Critical Cinephile (February 1, 2014)

Ford, Phil and J.F. Martel. "On David Lynch." Weird Studies #184 *February 5, 2025) ["David Lynch passed away on January 15th, 2025, leaving behind a body of work that reshaped the landscape of cinema and television. Few artists have delved as deeply into the strange, the beautiful, and the terrifying as Lynch, and few have had as profound an influence on Weird Studies. His films have long been a touchstone for JF and Phil's discussions on art, philosophy, and the nature of the weird. To honor his memory, they decided to devote an episode to Lynch's work as a whole, with special attention paid to Eraserhead—the nightmarish debut that announced his singular vision to the world. A study in dread, desire, and the uncanny, Eraserhead remains one of the most disturbing and mysterious works of American cinema. In this episode, we explore what makes it so powerful and how it connects to Lynch’s larger artistic project."]

Godwin, Kenneth George. "Eraserhead: An Appreciation." Cagey Films (ND)

Gonzalez, Francisco. "David Lynch's Eraserhead Explained." The Film Connosieur (November 18, 2013)

Graham, Garrett. "Made my film students watch Eraserhead and this was their reaction." r/davidlynch (2021)

Johnson, David. "Henry's Window is the Key to Eraserhead." Welcome to Twin Peaks (November 25, 2014)

Lim, Dennis. "David Lynch's Elusive Language." The New Yorker (October 28, 2015)

Lynch, David and Chris Rodley. "I See Myself: Eraserhead." The Current (September 16, 2014)

Sobczynski, Peter. "Defying Explanation: The Brilliance of David Lynch's Eraserhead." Roger Ebert (September 16, 2014)

Vaughan, Chris. "Strangest Damn Things: Eraserhead in My Head." Bright Lights Film Journal (October 23, 2020)