“I don’t know why people expect art to make sense. They accept the fact that life doesn’t make sense.”

—David Lynch

Introduction

I started this post because I want one place I can go when I want to go in to full Lynch mode. I dug in and got to work.

A day or two after I began I came across this miraculous post by . It is so great. So rich. I am very glad that I didn’t find it earlier as I might have thought this wasn’t needed. And I was also very glad that I was going in a bit of a different direction. Reading it I wouldn’t have initially thought there was much to add. Marya has done us all a wonderful service:

Cool People Have Feelings, Too

I’m not there yet. It’s still unfolding.

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a year ago · 37 likes · 1 comment · Marya E. Gates

(TH)

Interviews

(SG)

Taking it beyond that, let’s look at some of the work Mr. Lynch did.

Short Films

https://archive.org/details/t-collection-of-visionary-director-david-lynchs-short-films-from-the-first-29-ye

(SG)

Commercials

1993 Adidas Ad:

Here’s a playlist that includes some of these, and a whole lot more.

The Music Videos

How about some…

Filmmaking Advice and Lessons From Lynch Himself

The Posters

The Books

His Comic Strip

David Lynch had a comic strip The Angriest Dog in the World, that ran for 9 years (1983-1992) in the LA Reader.

As the opening paragraph says: “The dog who is so angry he cannot move. He cannot eat. He cannot sleep. He can just barely growl. Bound so tightly with tension and anger, he approaches the state of rigor mortis.”

(AS)

His Artwork

https://www.artnet.com/artists/david-lynch/

His Clothing Design

https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2014/jul/22/david-lynch-turns-fashion-designer-with-range-of-activewear

His Signature Cup Coffee

We all know, David Lynch loved coffee. As we can see in this reel of mentions in Twin Peaks alone:

But did you know he has his own coffee brand?

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/david-lynch-coffee-makes-foods-608250

For which he made this bizarre commercial, which Mattel initially flagged and banned due to copyright issues over the unauthorized use of the Barbie likeness.

(AS)

Interpretations Inspired By David Lynch

The band Xiu Xiu has been doing concerts tied to either Twin Peaks or Eraserhead. I am always happy to have something else on my bucket list.

Eraserhead in a Knitted Shopping Bag, directed by Lili Koss, is a striking and distinctive short film that is a tribute to David Lynch.

Lili Koss takes us to 1990s Bulgaria, into a world without adults, where children grow up far from the innocence we might expect. In industrial landscapes, bathed in the glow of summer, a young girl’s search for a VHS tape of Eraserhead takes on the appearance of a cinephile and existential quest, as if drawn to David Lynch’s dark light, to whom the director pays a moving tribute.

You can read more about it here: https://www.semainedelacritique.com/en/articles/interview-with-lili-koss

Watch it here: https://www.canalplus.com/cinema/eraserhead-in-a-knitted-shopping-bag/h/31146653_50001/resume-casting

(AS)

His Philosophical Ponderings

2019:

https://www.artforum.com/video/david-lynch-on-his-life-and-art-167071/

Lynch On Food, Cooking, and…

Want a tour of David’s house?

And what about the feelings, thoughts, and passions Lynch’s work stirs in us?

Film Daze

Let’s Rock: The Dialectic of the Sublime in ‘Twin Peaks’

Music is a big part of Twin Peaks’ residents’ lives. This is made most evident in 2017’s Twin Peaks: The Return, the third season of the show which picks up where the second season left off in 1991. Nearly every episode of The Return contains a musical number. This isn’t just a needle-drop synced perfectly with narrative action, nor is it a snatch of a …

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a year ago · 27 likes · 1 comment · Alisha Mughal

Roger Ebert: https://www.rogerebert.com/tributes/roger-ebert-and-more-on-david-lynch

More reading on Lynch:

Would YOU like some more?

1. There’s the David Lynch Theater YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/davidlynchtheater

2. Lynch.net

To close out, please enjoy David Lynch’s ice bucket challenge video.

Note: the AI industry is rapidly changing, please keep in mind the publication date of May 27, 2026 while reading. We’ve been sourcing this for awhile, and some of the posts we started with were out of by the time we were ready to publish. Life moves rapidly… and the machines move even faster!

What really is AI? And what is it doing…

When The Pope weighs in on something, you know we all need guidance. And whether you are a believer or not, Catholic or of another faith, we can be thankful that some world leaders put in a great deal of thought to this world we live in and how we might best grapple with the challenges we face.

And FWIW, I for one am with Leo on this one. I side with humans and all that makes us beautiful.

Magnifica Huminatas, indeed!

Even taking all of that into account, particularly the dignity of us, the every day worker… how are we supposed to then go forward?

We can’t run from it. Best to get to know it?

used her spot on the Inspo Challenge to give us a basic primer on AI and how she’s using it as a NonDē filmmaker.

Kimchi Uttapam: Indie Film Journal

#FilmStack Inspiration Challenge: Day 136

Hi FilmStack…

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6 months ago · 1 like · Yeon Jin Lee

But as Jon points out, don’t be surprised though if AI rubs you the wrong way…

How Not to be a TV Writer

The GenAI Ick (Part 1)

GenAI Disclosure…

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5 months ago · 15 likes · 11 comments · Jon Stahl

I mean after all The Youngs are now booing it’s very mention…

The question for us cinemakers perhaps becomes “How do we use it and why?”

And yes, it’s really good to see some folks being fully honest about it… particularly when many others are not.

Dara’s Substack

Everyone Is Lying.

Last year I was at a dinner with showrunners and futurists. It began as a conversation about the future of storytelling. It ended in a shouting match — writers who were using AI on one side, writers who wanted nothing to do with it on the other. It got ugly fast. So when the subject comes up now, I parse words. I speak carefully. I match the room. I’m d…

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3 months ago · 66 likes · 16 comments · Dara Resnik

Some will master it… and some already have.

And to be clear… in case it wasn’t obvious… this is happening EVERYWHERE right now.

Elena's Growth Scoop

The rise of the AI-native employee

I’ve been at Lovable for five weeks and yeah… I’m not in Kansas anymore. This company operates on a completely different level - and as someone who’s spent my entire career in traditional tech, I’m seeing a very different pattern here that’s worth sharing…

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a year ago · 313 likes · 42 comments · Elena Verna

It isn’t just the FKATheFilmBiz that will have its world turned upside down (again).

Robert Reich

The AI Job Apocalypse Is Already Happening

Friends…

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a month ago · 2432 likes · 330 comments · Robert Reich

Maybe it will NOT cost us all our jobs, but only change HOW we do them—at least that’s the takeaway of a recent Gallup poll:

As we pointed out at the top of this post, it certainly feels like you can’t run from AI.

The Honest Broker

The Force-Feeding of AI on an Unwilling Public

A few months ago, I needed to send an email. But when I opened Microsoft Outlook, something had changed…

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a year ago · 1677 likes · 410 comments · Ted Gioia

Not long ago, consumers were invited to purchase hot new tech products, and were excited about the opportunity. Not anymore. Now AI is forced on us everywhere.

Instead of customer service, I get a bot, not a person. When I stream music, bot slop is served up by the platform. When I want to write an email, a bot intrudes. Microsoft not only bundles unwanted AI with its software, but then forces a price increase on me for the privilege of using something I don’t even want.

This is stirring up an intense backlash from the general public. But will AI companies read the room? Or will the force-feeding of AI continue?

Or can you?

The Honest Broker

Anti-AI Laws Now Get Unanimous Support from Left & Right

In just the last few days, the anti-AI movement has achieved a stunning new milestone. It has actually united the Left and Right in a common cause. That’s how much this intrusive tech is now hated…

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a month ago · 283 likes · 54 comments · Ted Gioia

Across the US, more than 300 bills restricting data centers have been introduced in states and communities. At least 14 states are considering total moratoriums. And in places where politicians hesitate, the public is stepping in—putting voter initiatives on the ballot.

(TH)

… Hollywood’s Job Market?

Stephen Follows goes through how AI is already altering day-to-day work for filmmakers.

StephenFollows.com - Using data to explain the film industry

How AI tools are already changing the jobs of film professionals today

This article is part of my ‘Big Ideas’ series, in which I explore the evolving landscape of the film industry. Each instalment combines data, research, and analysis to go deep on a trend, idea or case study to reshape the film business over the next decade…

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a year ago · 31 likes · Stephen Follows

And writes about the middle class’ vulnerability, particular to Anthropic’s Claude:

“Studios don’t need to announce “AI replacements” for this to matter. They simply stop hiring for tasks Claude can already perform. The creative top — the stars, the showrunners, the marquee talent — remains intact. The middle — readers, assistants, junior development execs — thins out. Development pipelines accelerate, decisions happen earlier and risk is filtered faster.”

The Ankler.

Anthropic Is a $350 Billion Problem for Hollywood About to Strike

I cover the intersection of Hollywood and AI for paid subscribers. I wrote about eight companies doing AI the right way, explored Disney’s deal with OpenAI and dove into what AI performer Tilly Norwood means for actors…

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5 months ago · 8 likes · 5 comments · Erik Barmack

And just in case you forgot, remember it was Anthropic that first stole everyone’s books and all they contained.

Theft is theft though, and they had to pay out.

Have Anthropic and the other AI companies already done the same with our movies?

(TH)

… Filmmaker Workflows?

Is the future of filmmaking as we know it on the line?

Eli’s Substack

AI Generated Video and Celluloid/VHS Emulators

In Jakko Kemper’s now essential essay “Generative AI, Everyday Aesthetic Production, and the Imperial Mode of Living,” he posits AI’s aesthetic promise and subconscious allure as that of a frictionless utopia of aesthetic production, untethered from mastery of an apparatus, instrument, or craft. The totally administered assistant in the form of an LLM, …

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6 months ago · 1 like · 1 comment · Eli Horwatt

…. what is it doing to our entire ecosystem???

Many of the Hollywood Bigwigs have taken AI money when they could:

Fred Koschmann

Hollywood Gets AI-curious

With companies like OpenAI and Anthropic raking in tons of money and as the legacy movie studios falter, some in Hollywood are looking to AI for a lifeline…

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2 months ago · 2 likes · Fred Koschmann

After all, Amazon is all-in on AI

Stephen Follows looked at 7,423 Amazon video-related patent filings to uncover which technologies are most likely to reshape how films are developed, produced, finished, and distributed. And AI is ever-present!

StephenFollows.com - Using data to explain the film industry

What Amazon’s patent filings reveal about how filmmaking may change in the future

This article is part of my ‘Big Ideas’ series, in which I explore the evolving landscape of the film industry. Each instalment combines data, research, and analysis to go deep on a trend, idea or case study to reshape the film business over the next decade…

Read more

a year ago · 25 likes · Stephen Follows

At least we don’t have to watch their shows anymore! We can just watch their AI recaps.

… and what about Higher Education?

(TH)

So let’s look at:

The Case Against AI

https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/05/20/1116327/ai-energy-usage-climate-footprint-big-tech/

1. Okay, so you were going to have Marilyn & Jimmy Dean star in your new slasher spectacular, eh?

Better know the ever changing rules.

2. AI generated films are “empty”

In this article by John Semely featured in Wired, called “I Saw The Future of AI Film and It Was Empty”, he discusses his experience attending an all AI Film Festival and the questions for the future of its use in filmmaking that it raised, such as:

As something of a generative-AI skeptic, watching the program raised all kinds of questions. Some of these were pretty pedantic and boring. Like: Does standard movie theater etiquette (re: looking at one’s cell phone) apply during an AI film fest? You could imagine a computer filmmaker might actually like to see another little computer, lighting up in the dark theater, as if approvingly.

Other questions were a bit more existential—or, perhaps, ontological—relating to the very nature of so-called “AI art.” Even when these films were entertaining or nice to look at, I couldn’t help but feel a little tricked. Aren’t those qualities mere impersonations of real films, painstakingly made by real people? And so, aren’t even the “good films” still fundamentally bad?

https://www.wired.com/story/cream-of-the-slop-an-ai-film-festival-screening-left-me-with-more-questions-than-answers/

(AS)

The Case for AI (in some capacity)

1. Is it all a matter of how we use it?

takes a look at the different areas of the creative process where AI tools can be useful or helpful, but then draws the line on where he believes we need to step up and do the work ourselves.

In order to remain the masters of our technology rather than becoming the servants to our robot overlords, we must devise a comprehensive set of rules to clearly delineate where to safely collaborate with the machines as opposed to cognitively offloading the entire creative process. Otherwise we risk leaving ourselves unable to string a coherent thought together on our own (and nobody to call for help because we can’t remember their damn phone numbers!). Because without these rules, once AI enshittifies (and AI is going to enshittify HARD), we’ll be f•cked.

This Analog Life

Where do the robots belong in the creative process? Where do we?

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3 months ago · 11 likes · 3 comments · Zack Arnold

(AS)

2. Could there be an equal and opposite reaction to the machines by all us humans?

FILMMAKER IN THE LOOP

AI won’t replace filmmakers — it’ll reveal who the real ones are.

AI won’t kill indie filmmaking — it’ll crank the volume for the ones brave enough to plug in. You don’t need film school, just fire. Curiosity, nerve, and a cheap camera will do. This next wave belongs to the restless — the ones breaking shit, learning fast, and seeing who’s got the…

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8 months ago · 13 likes · Sasha Santiago

Moving Forward

What should the rest of us do about AI?

Fortunately for you, did an overview recently of what does what and why:

The Ankler

Grok, Kling, Runway: AI Video’s Future Has Hollywood on the Outside Looking In

I cover Hollywood and AI. I wrote about the real reason OpenAI acquired TBPN, the sudden death of Sora, Val Kilmer’s AI-assisted posthumous movie role, Ben Affleck selling his AI company to Netflix and the entertainment industry’s meltdown over ByteDance’s Seedance…

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2 months ago · 1 like · Erik Barmack

If you’re making a documentary, follow these best practices

Best Practices for Use of Generative AI in Documentaries / ARCHIVAL PRODUCERS ALLIANCE, September 2024

Remember: AI use will change you and the things you do

And it is going to happen faster and faster and faster.

Klein spells out what many of us feel; anyone who has engaged in any creative process for an extended period time recognizes that what we do and the way we do it is a determining factor on the outcome. I particularly like the focus on the difference between “cognitive offloading” and “cognitive surrender” — but still feel regret on what is lost in the offloading, and not just the surrender.

As someone who wants to feel our cultures evolve as I explore them, I can’t help but feel it is the widespread cognitive surrender that has put the breaks on the rapid change that we once might have enjoyed (or refused). I get that others may not like the immersion in something new when it finally occurs, but that is not me.

The choice to embrace the machines that Klein documents is not the world I have dreamed of, but the one where we recognize how we have to free ourselves from the Narcissistic Trap is. I think we are currently appreciating only a small fraction of what we will one day know how to love, but that is just me.

Free gift article here.

(TH)

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