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  • 21 Aug, 2019

  • By, Wikipedia

David Lynch Filmography
David Keith Lynch (born January 20, 1946) is an American filmmaker, painter, television director, visual artist, musician, and occasional actor. Known for his surrealist films, he has developed his own unique cinematic style which has been dubbed "Lynchian" and is characterized by its dream imagery and meticulous sound design. The surreal and, in many cases, violent elements to his films have earned them the reputation that they "disturb, offend or mystify" their audiences.

Lynch's oeuvre includes short and feature-length films, music videos, documentaries and television episodes, while his involvement in these ranges from direction, production, and screenwriting to acting and sound design. Lynch's first project was the 1967 short Six Men Getting Sick (Six Times), an animated film which blended elements of sculpture and painting into its animation. His first feature-length project, 1977's Eraserhead, became a cult film and launched his commercial career. It also marked his first collaboration with Jack Nance, an actor who would appear in many more of Lynch's productions until his death in 1996. Lynch's other feature films include the critically successful The Elephant Man (1980), Blue Velvet (1986) and Mulholland Drive (2001), all of which went on to earn Academy Award nominations, and the commercial flop Dune.

Lynch has also branched out into television, and later, internet-based series. His first foray into the medium was Twin Peaks, a joint venture with Mark Frost. Twin Peaks became a cult success, leading to Lynch and Frost working together on a number of other projects, including On the Air and American Chronicles. In 2002 Lynch began producing two series of shorts released through his official website: the Flash-animated DumbLand and Rabbits. Having begun acting in his 1972 short The Amputee, Lynch went on to appear on-camera in Twin Peaks, Zelly and Me, and Dune. From 2010 to 2013, Lynch appeared in a recurring voice role in the animated series The Cleveland Show.

Feature films

Year Title Director Writer Producer Sound Designer Notes Ref(s)
1977 Eraserhead Yes Yes Yes No Also editor, composer, art director,
and special effects
1980 The Elephant Man Yes Yes No Yes Also musical director,
co-written with Christopher De Vore and Eric Bergren
1984 Dune Yes Yes No No
1986 Blue Velvet Yes Yes No No
1990 Wild at Heart Yes Yes No No
1992 Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me Yes Yes Executive Yes Co-written with Robert Engels
1997 Lost Highway Yes Yes No Yes Co-written with Barry Gifford
1999 The Straight Story Yes No No Yes
2001 Mulholland Drive Yes Yes No Yes
2006 Inland Empire Yes Yes Yes Yes Also editor and cinematographer

Short films

Year Title Director Writer Producer Actor Notes Ref(s)
1967 Six Men Getting Sick (Six Times) Yes Yes Yes No Also animator
1968 Absurd Encounter with Fear Yes Yes No No
Fictitious Anacin Commercial Yes Yes No No
Sailing with Bushnell Keeler Yes Yes Yes Yes
The Alphabet Yes Yes No No Also editor, cinematographer, animator and sound
Early Experiments Yes Yes Yes Yes 16mm, from Lime Green DVD Set
1970 The Grandmother Yes Yes Yes No Also cinematographer, animator and sound effects
1974 The Amputee Yes No No Yes Role: Unable and scared nurse
1988 The Cowboy and the Frenchman Yes Yes No No
1995 Premonition Following an Evil Deed Yes No No No
2001 Pierre and Sonny Jim Yes Yes Yes Yes
Head with Hammer Yes Yes Yes No
Dead Mouse with Ants Yes Yes Yes No
Ball of Bees #1 (aka Bees #1) Yes Yes Yes No
Steam Chain (aka Factory Mask) Yes Yes Yes No
2002 Darkened Room Yes Yes Yes No Also animator
The Pig Walks Yes Yes Yes No
The Disc of Sorrow Is Installed Yes Yes Yes Yes
Laura Palmer Yes Yes Yes No
The Coyote Yes Yes Yes No
2004 BlueBob Egg Yes Yes Yes Yes
2005 Scene from a David Lynch DV Project Yes Yes Yes No For Avid promotional film
2007 Absurda Yes Yes No No
Boat Yes No No No Also editor
Bug Crawls Yes No No No
Lamp Yes No No Yes Role: Himself
Industrial Soundscape Yes No No No
Intervalometer Experiments Yes No No No
More Things That Happened Yes Yes No No Also editor
Ballerina Yes No No No
Blue Green Yes Yes Yes Yes
David Lynch Cooks Quinoa Yes Yes Yes Yes
2010 Dream #7 Yes No No No
Lady Blue Shanghai Yes Yes No No Also editor and composer
2011 The 3 Rs Yes Yes No No Also editor and cinematographer
2012 Memory Film Yes Yes Yes Yes For Serpentine Gallery Memory Marathon
2013 Idem Paris Yes No No No
2015 Fire (Pożar) Yes Yes Yes No
2017 What Did Jack Do? Yes Yes No Yes Also editor
Role: Detective
2018 Ant Head Yes Yes Yes No
2018 This Video of David Lynch Is Not What It Seems Yes Yes Yes Yes For Omaze
2020 The Story of a Small Bug Yes Yes Yes Yes Role: Narrator at beginning
Also editor
The Adventures of Alan R. Yes Yes Yes Yes
The Spider and the Bee Yes Yes Yes No
How Was Your Day Honey? Yes Yes Yes No
The Mystery of the Seeing Hand Yes Yes Yes No

Television series

A man in a tuxedo looks directly at the camera, slightly smiling
Twin Peaks earned several nominations at the 42nd Primetime Emmy Awards (Lynch pictured at the ceremony).
A blonde woman and a grey-haired man, holding hands and smiling
Lynch has worked with Naomi Watts on several projects, including Rabbits and Mulholland Drive.
Year Title Creator Executive
producer 		Director Writer Notes Ref(s)
1990–1991 Twin Peaks Yes Yes 6 episodes 4 episodes Co-created with Mark Frost
1992 On the Air Yes Yes 1 episode 2 episodes
1993 Hotel Room Yes Yes 2 episodes No Also sound designer,
Co-created with Monty Montgomery
2017 Twin Peaks: The Return Yes Yes Yes Yes Also sound designer and additional editor,
Co-created with Mark Frost

Web series

Year Title Director Writer Producer Creator Ref(s)
2002 DumbLand Yes Yes Yes Yes
Rabbits Yes Yes Yes Yes
2005–2009
2020–2022 		Weather Reports Yes Yes Yes Yes
2007 Out Yonder Yes Yes Yes Yes
2020–2022 Today's Number Is... Yes Yes Yes Yes

Music videos

Year Song Musician Ref(s)
1990 "Wicked Game" Chris Isaak
1992 "A Real Indication" Thought Gang
1995 "Longing" X Japan
1999 "Thank You, Judge" BlueBob
2009 "Shot in the Back of the Head" Moby
2010 "I Touch a Red Button Man" Interpol
"Lion of Panjshir" Ariana Delwari
2012 "Crazy Clown Time" David Lynch
2013 "Came Back Haunted" Nine Inch Nails
2020 "I Have a Radio" David Lynch
2021 "I Am the Shaman" Donovan
"Gimme Some a That"

Commercials

Year Commercial Title Subject Ref(s)
1988 "F. Scott Fitzgerald", "Ernest Hemingway", "D.H. Lawrence", "Flaubert" Obsession by Calvin Klein
1991 "Mystery of G", "Cherry Pie", "Lost", "The Rescue" Georgia Coffee
"We Care About New York" New York City Department of Sanitation
— Dangerous by Michael Jackson
1992 "Who Is Gio?" Gio by Armani
"Opium" Opium by Yves Saint Laurent
1993 — Alka-Seltzer Plus
"Tresor" Lancôme Tresor
— Barilla Pasta
"Revealed" American Cancer Society
"The Instinct of Life" Background by Jil Sander
"The Wall" Adidas
1994 "Sun Moon Stars" Sun Moon Stars by Lagerfield
1997 "Dead Leaves", "Aunt Droid", "Nuclear Winter", "Rocket" Sci-Fi Channel
— Clearblue Easy
"Mountain Man" Honda
1998 "Parisienne People" Parisienne
1999 "Opium" Opium by Yves Saint Laurent
2000 "Welcome to the Third Place" PlayStation 2
"Un matin partout dans le monde" JCDecaux
2002 "Do you speak Micra?" Nissan Micra
"Bucking Bronco" Citroën
2004 "Fahrenheit" Dior
"Preference" L'Oreal
2007 "Gucci" Gucci
2008 "Revital Granas" Shiseido
2011 "Doll Head" David Lynch Signature Cup Coffee
2012 "Oh Yeah"
2014 — Louboutin Rouge

Concert films

Year Title Director Producer Himself Notes Ref(s)
1990 Industrial Symphony No. 1 Yes Yes Also composer
2014 Duran Duran: Unstaged Yes Yes

Other works

Acting roles

Film

Year Title Role Notes Ref(s)
1980 Heart Beat Painter
1980 The Elephant Man Man in Bowler Hat in Mob Chasing Merrick Uncredited extra
1984 Dune Spice Worker Uncredited cameo
1988 Zelly and Me Willie
1992 Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me Gordon Cole
1994 Nadja Morgue Receptionist Cameo
1997 Lost Highway Morgue Attendant Deleted scene
2006 Inland Empire Bucky J Uncredited voice
2017 Girlfriend's Day Narrator Voice
Lucky Howard
2022 The Fabelmans John Ford

Short films

Year Title Notes Ref(s)
2009 Soul Detective Detective
2017 The Black Ghiandola Man in Black

Television

Year Title Role Notes Ref(s)
1990–1991 Twin Peaks Gordon Cole 6 episodes
2002 DumbLand All characters Voice, 8 episodes
2010–2013 The Cleveland Show Gus the Bartender Voice, 20 episodes
2010, 2016 Family Guy Gus the Bartender / Himself Voice, episodes: "The Splendid Source" and
"How the Griffin Stole Christmas"
2012 Louie Jack Dall Episodes: "Late Show - Part 2 & 3"
2017 Twin Peaks: The Return Gordon Cole 11 episodes
2020, 2022 Robot Chicken Mad Scientist Voice, episodes: "Endgame" and “May Cause Season 11 to End”

Documentary films

Year Title Director Producer Himself Ref(s)
1990 Hollywood Mavericks Yes
For One Week Only Yes
1994 Crumb Presenter
1998 Pretty as a Picture: The Art of David Lynch Yes
2001 I Don't Know Jack Yes
Eraserhead Stories Yes Yes
2004 Dennis Hopper: The Decisive Moments Yes
2005 Midnight Movies: From the Margin to the Mainstream Yes
2007 Lynch Yes
2008 Sunshine Superman: The Journey of Donovan Yes
2009 Transcendendo Lynch Yes
Great Directors Yes
2010 2012: Time for Change Yes
2011 Meditation Creativity Peace Yes
2012 Side by Side Yes
2016 My Beautiful Broken Brain Yes
David Lynch: The Art Life Yes
2021 Moby Doc Yes

Executive producer

Year Title Ref(s)
1991 The Cabinet of Dr. Ramirez
1994 Nadja
2008 Surveillance
2009 My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done
2022 The Other Me
TBA The Happy Worker

See also