Screened/ David Lynch at Texture, Manchester

Tom Grieve, Cinema Editor
Lost Highway - Image courtesy of Screened/ Mcr

Screened/ David Lynch at Texture Manchester, 3 July 2017 Tickets from £5.00 — Book now

One of the most illuminating facts about David Lynch is that he once shaved a mouse – just to see what it looked like without any fur. The multi-talented director/painter/musician/actor has made a career out of examining what lies beneath; peeling back surfaces to get a good look at the hidden, and often deeply disturbing, textures of life. It is this earnest appetite for the unknown, combined with a surrealist bent, an overlooked, deadpan gee-golly sense of humour and a supreme natural instinct for constructing images and scenes that have built Lynch such a dedicated fanbase.

This fanbase has been starved in recent years. The odd album, and a terrific extended appearance on television series Louie, have provided glimpses of the revered artist, but Lynch is most appreciated for his directorial work – and it’s been ten years since his excellent, free-associative INLAND EMPIRE (screening at HOME on the 13th June) hit screens. It should come as no surprise then, that the return of seminal ‘90s television show Twin Peaks – which sees Lynch direct all 18 new episodes – last month has seen an outpouring of love and appreciation flow in the direction of the Montana-born maverick.

Patricia Arquette in Lost Highway

Alongside the re-releases and special screenings of his work, a new documentary entitled David Lynch: The Art Life will hit cinemas in July, and, in Manchester, the folk at Screened/ Mcr will present their own tribute. Hosted at Texture, the evening will feature guest speaker Mary Wild, whose work on the Projections lecture series, and interest in cinematic representations of the unconscious, surrealism, dystopia and love, render her perfect for wrestling with Lynch’s work. Alongside Wild, there will be a screening of the director’s 1997 film Lost Highway.

A noirish L.A. mystery, Lost Highway begins with jazz-musician (Bill Pullman) and his wife (Patricia Arquette) being stalked in their own home, before an act of violence and a “psychogenic fugue” (Lynch’s words) signal a radical second act break that sends the film spinning in a new direction with a new set of characters. It’s a beguiling work that has been interpreted both as a depiction of mental illness and as a dive into the supernatural. However one chooses to take it, the film is kinetic and ferocious; seducing the audience whilst generating a deep, distinctly Lynchian unease that lingers and affects long after the closing credits.

Screened/ David Lynch at Texture Manchester, 3 July 2017 Tickets from £5.00 Book now

Where to go near Screened/ David Lynch at Texture, Manchester

Manchester
Restaurant
Fairfield Social Club

Launching in spring 2024, Fairfield Social Club is a multi-purpose site next to Angel Meadows Park in the Green Quarter.

Cumbria
Theatre
The Coro

Nestled in the heart of Ulverston, a rural market town on the fringes of the Lake District, stands The Coro —an esteemed historic hub for arts, culture, and entertainment

Cumbria
Shop
Sam Read Bookseller

Award-winning small bookshop in the Lake District. Est. by Sam Read in 1887. Run by Will Smith and Polly Atkin.

Restaurant
Capri

Capri serves up homely, family-style Italian food in North Yorkshire.

Manchester
Restaurant
Manchester Wine Tours

Manchester Wine Tours is a relaxed, fun wine tour, taking in four or five venues across three hours, plus six high-quality glasses of wine.

Sheffield
Shop
Juno Books

Friendly local queer and intersectional feminist bookshop in Sheffield. Visit for interesting fiction and non fiction books.

Restaurant
The Dusty Miller

Family friendly pub situated in the beautiful village of Mytholmroyd.

What's on: Cinema

CinemaManchester
It’s A Wonderful Life at HOME

This ultimate feel-good, festive favourite, from Oscar-winning director Frank Capra, stars James Stewart as despairing businessmen George Bailey. HOME present their annual screenings.

from £9.15
CinemaLiverpool
Charade at Showroom Cinema

Over in Sheffield this December, Stanley Donen’s Charade is an early Christmas treat scheduled as part of Showroom’s Spotlight series.

from £10.30

Culture Guides

Music in Manchester and the North

Spotlighting global artists who all, in one way or another, break the mould, we preview the best gigs happening this side of Christmas and beyond.