In the Criterion Closet, everything is fine…With his latest film The Shrouds now streaming exclusively on The Criterion Channel, David Cronenberg paid a visit to the famed Criterion Closet, where he filled up his tote with a wealth of international must-sees. But some special attention was given to another great filmmaking David: Lynch, with Cronenberg pocketing Eraserhead and fondly remembering the late director.
Pulling David Lynch’s first feature, 1977’s Eraserhead, from the shelf, Cronenberg said the film was “very American and saying some really interesting kind of sublime things about American culture and the American ethos and zeitgeist that you wouldn’t see in a Hollywood film…but you also wouldn’t see in a European film.” Cronenberg also noted that his Canadian roots put him somewhere between America and Europe in terms of cinema.
And while Cronenberg was already starting to get his career moving (his fourth feature, Rabid, came out one month after Eraserhead), the impact it had was undeniable – come on, doesn’t the baby seem like something that would fit perfectly in the realm of Cronenberg? “This is a really special film that had a big impact on me. I can’t say that it was an influence because I had already been making films by this time, but it was…it was significant for me. And I met David and we get along very well. I went with him to Bob’s Big Boy where we would eat hamburgers for lunch. And we got along very well. And…of course it’s a tragedy that he died so young.” For reference, Lynch passed away earlier this year at 78, while Cronenberg is 82.
Eraserhead was actually David Lynch’s first film included in The Criterion Collection as spine #725, while David Cronenberg’s first was Dead Ringers all the way back at spine #21. To date, seven of Lynch’s 10 features are in the collection. Cronenberg, meanwhile, has six, with the latest addition being Crash (spine #1059).
Showing a true love of international cinema, Cronenberg also picked Italy’s La Strada, the U.K.’s Odd Man Out and a box set of Swedish director Ingmar Bergman’s works.
Which David do you find yourself gravitating towards: Lynch or Cronenberg? Give us your pick and your favorite film of theirs in the comments section below.
