DVD released: January 30th, 2007
Approximate running time: 120 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Full Frame
Rating: NR
Sound: Dolby Digital Stereo
DVD Release: Absurda/Subversive Cinema
Region Coding: Region 0 NTSC
Retail Price: $29.95

While most filmmakers want to make their work more accessible to the masses David Lynch over the last fifteen years since Twin Peaks has been pushing the edge of eccentric /surreal filmmaker to the point where most of latest efforts have confounded even his most die hard fans. The landscape of making cinema has changed a lot in just the last decade with digital filmmaking offering a cheaper/faster way to make films. In 2002 David Lynch launched his own website where he a first used it to showcase his latest creations and now with the release of Dynamic: 1 The Best of David Lynch.com most of that content that was once exclusive to his website is now available for the masses to purchase at a lower more affordable price.

Dynamic: 1 The Best of David Lynch.com seven oddities (The Darkened Room, Boat, Lamp, Out Yonder – Neighbor Boy, Industrial Soundscape, Bug Crawls & Intervalometer Experiments) from Lynch’s website an interview with lynch broken up into nine questions. Each short also come with a introduction with David Lynch who explains the genesis of each project.

The first short titled “The Darkened Room” is a eleven minute piece that almost feels like two separate stories pieced together. The first half of this short is with a woman named Etsuko who shows us around here apartment, talks about bananas and then she asks us if we can see her friend. Then the rest of the short is with a woman crying on the couch and she is joined by another woman later on. The second half of this short is creepy and feels like a David Lynch film.

The second short is titled “Boat” a woman talks in narration while a boat travels into the dead of night. This seven minute short film is almost too simplistic and if you take away the narration and there is very little left of redeeming value to this short.

The third short is titled “Lamp” this is the lengthiest short running around thirty one minutes in length and it is simply just David Lynch creating art with lamp that he works on through out the short.

The fourth short is titled “Out Yonder: Neighbor Boy” two men sit in their backyard talking strangely as every word used starts with BE being added to the rest of the word. They are visited by a neighbor boy who resembles a large monster and wants milk. Visually and sound wise this is the most Lynchian of all the shorts included with this release. The way the characters talk does become irritating fast.

The fifth short is titled “Industrial Soundscape” Lynch uses of picture of one of the industrial tanks used in the film “Eraserhead” and adds minor animation to the picture that works in rhythm with the music being played in the background. Not much to look at and running at nearly eleven minutes this one loses steam fast.

The sixth short is titled “Bug Crawls” a bug crawls over a barn and falls on its back on its way down the other side. This is a simple and crudely made animation.

The seventh short is titled “Intervalometer Experiments” sees Lynch experiment with time lapse photography at three locations. Beautiful to look at in a visual sense as each location changes through out the day.

The DVD:

Dynamic: 01 – The Best of David Lynch.com present the seven shorts in their original full frame aspect ratio. The video introductions with Lynch are all presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. All content on this release looks colorful and the image looks detailed and sharp throughout. There are no problems with compression, artifacts or edge enhancement.

This release comes with one audio option a Dolby Digital stereo mix in English. There are no problems with distortion or any other sound defects. Music and effects sound robust and evenly balanced. Dialog is equally full sounding and easy to understand.

The only content that can be called extra for this release would be Lynch’s detailed intros for each short and the nine questions which he answers thoroughly with insightful answers.  

Dynamic: 01 – The Best of David Lynch.com is far from David Lynch’s best work and while watching the shorts included with this release I had to wonder who this release is really geared towards and even Lynch’s most staunchest supporters will have a hard time digesting this DVD release.

For more information about Dynamic: 1 The Best of David Lynch.com visit Subversive Cinema here.