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LOST HIGHWAY

Bill Pullman plays a nervous jazz musician, suspicious that his wife (Patricia Arquette as Bettie Page) has been having an affair. The vaguely unhappy couple suddenly has their lives invaded by a supernatural demon (Robert Blake as Bela Lugosi), who prowls around their house at night with a video camera, then leaves the tape on their doorstep for them to watch in the morning. While trying to come to grips with the situation, Pullman suffers a blackout, after which he is accused of his wife's murder. He is quickly tried and sentenced to death in the electric chair. On death row, he disappears from his cell. Found in his place is a young local auto mechanic (Balthazar Getty as Brad Pitt). Then things start to get really weird (Vampyre as Carnival of Souls).

Filmmaker David Lynch returns with his first feature since 1992's Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, the underrated horror film which prequeled his fascinating ABC television series. Lost Highway is his most overtly horrific work yet, a film that may well be the source of a great deal of aggravation to many viewers. Lynch's films always retain a definite flavor of unreality, and here he takes that flavor and makes a full meal of it. The plot operates on its own internal illogic. It's a perplexing film - just when you think you may be about to discover what's really going on, Lynch purposely throws you a curve ball that has you scratching your head again.

We start out with the fright film, with Pullman haunted by supernatural forces (perhaps from the Black Lodge of Twin Peaks). The prison scenes are almost cartoonish. Getty's story is straight out of such film noir classics as Double Indemnity, embroiling him in an affair with mobster Robert Loggia's sexy girlfriend (Patricia Arquette as Barbara Stanwick). The gears keep shifting from suspense to drama to comedy to eroticism to horror.

Lynch's aim is to capture a nightmare on film, and like a nightmare, it appears to be perfectly realistic from one moment to the next, but many scenes seem to contradict each other. The videos left by Blake provide an early clue - dimly lit and grainy, the camera floats along the ceiling at an impossible angle, perfectly reproducing a common dream. What point he's trying to make is unclear - Lynch's movies are built to invite repeat viewings. I feel as though I'll have to see this one half a dozen times before I'll be able to properly review it.

One pleasant side effect of an illness is that you get those wonderfully entertaining fever dreams. David lynch has given us one to watch in a theater. ½

Learn more at the October Films website.

STAR WARS (Special Edition)

Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

The "middle" chapter of the Star Wars trilogy is often favored by fans as the best of the three. It's odd that this should be - it's by far the most dependent on the other two. It opens unsteadily, making viewers scrambling to adjust to its pace, and the ending is not satisfyingly conclusive. However, it has alot of other things going for it.

Enthusiasm, for one thing. While the first film was self-conscious and unsure of itself at times, and the third was often downright smug in its assured success, Empire has a cast and crew flush with the sudden and overwhelming triumph of its predicessor. They're running hot and are anxious to score another hit.

Craft is another. Lucas was far from sure he'd have a chance for a sequel, and so loaded the first episode with as much dazzle as he could, while hampered with a less than generous budget. Here, more attention is paid to the script, and the special effects - which won a well-deserved special Oscar - are more carefully prepared (of the three, this special edition seems to have the least amount of added footage).

And a third is Irvin Kershner, a much more experienced director than Lucas. Every scene, every camera angle, is much more polished. Lucas is a gifted writer and producer, but his direction is often flawed by a poor choice of views, and his framing lacks atmosphere. Kershner knows better how to manipulate mood and build tension.

And, at least upon it's initial release, this sequel benifited from the most delicious sense of anticipation. Everyone had of course seen the first film, and we all had a million questions about the characters and their universe waiting for some answers. Empire was especially tasty treat, which satisfied millions while leaving them hungry for more. Star Wars ushered in a new era in motion pictures, and its sequel confirmed that the new era was her to stay.

Enter here for the official Star Wars website.

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