We have some very sad news to report today, as the family of David Lynch has taken to social media to confirm that the legendary filmmaker, who would have turned 79 on January 20th, has passed away. His family wrote, “It is with deep regret that we announce the passing of the man and the artist, David Lynch. We would appreciate some privacy at this time. There’s a big hole in the world now that he’s no longer with us. But, as he would say, ‘Keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole.’ It’s a beautiful day with golden sunshine and blue skies all the way.“
Just last year, Lynch revealed that he was homebound and on oxygen due to emphysema – but that didn’t mean he had any intention of retiring. Although Lynch hadn’t directed a feature film since Inland Empire in 2006, but he did follow that up with many short films, as well as all 18 episodes of Twin Peaks: The Return and videos for some of the songs from Cellophane Memories, the new music album he sent out into the world last summer with Chrystabell (copies of the album are available to order at THIS LINK). Even though he would only be able to direct remotely, he was interested in doing more. He had also let it be known that he was hoping to make an animated film called Snootworld, which was rejected by the Netflix streaming service, but that he was thinking of passing the helm of that one over to a different director.
Born in Missoula, Montana on January 20, 1946, Lynch got his filmmaking career started by making shorts in the late ’60s. Over the decades, he went on to direct the likes of, among many other credits, Eraserhead, The Elephant Man, Dune, Blue Velvet, Wild at Heart, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, Lost Highway, The Straight Story, Mulholland Drive, the aforementioned Inland Empire, and episodes of the Twin Peaks TV series, which he co-created with Mark Frost. Lynch also wrote the scripts for many of his directorial efforts.
As it turns out, a brief cameo in Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans would be the last cinematic contribution from an artist whose legacy will be felt for generations to come.
Outside of film, he was a painter and enjoyed working on music projects. A student and advocate for transcendental meditation. Lynch was known for having a bizarre public persona that was vastly different from the actual down-to-earth man behind the pompadour and dark clothes.
Lynch was married four times and is survived by his last wife, Emily Stofle, as well as his four children: Jennifer, Austin Jack, Riley, and Lula.
Our sincere condolences go out to David Lynch’s family, friends, and fans. Cinema has lost a giant and a pioneer.
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