[gordon_freeman]

Start with "Eraserhead" and then go from there. Surreal is the word I associate with his movies and tv show (Twin Peaks) and I absolutely love watching such movies!

[jimbob45]

Dune or Twin Peaks are probably going to be more accessible than anything else.

For Eraserhead, I understand the metaphor of how parenting can be larger-than-life and terrifying and I see how Eraserhead was trying to embody that but I very much didn't appreciate the highly pessimistic ending. It's an early movie that would have benefited immensely from an alternate ending on its DVD.

[Trasmatta]

I think there's a lot more to Eraserhead than that! I also don't really see the ending as pessimistic personally.

Lynch: "Believe it or not, Eraserhead is my most spiritual film."

Lean: "Elaborate on that?"

Lynch: "No, I wont. No one sees it."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjoMEw2RYlA

[msabalau]

The Straight Story is almost certainly his most accessible film, while also very focused on themes that he cares about.

It isn't the elusive puzzle that many cinephiles value in his work, but it is clearly a Lynch film, even if it's not a stereotypical one.

[saijanai]

His most mainstream work is The Elephant Man, commissioned by Mel Brooks.

[gordon_freeman]

The beauty of Lynch films is that everyone can interpret it in their own way!

[scoofy]

Eraserhead is borderline unwatchable. I love David Lynch, sort of, but without telling people that they're about to sit down and watch an hour-and-a-half of what is effectively an unwatchable piece of avant-garde cinema, then they're not going to be able to appreciate it.

There is nothing worse than getting excited to see a famous director's debut film, thinking you're going to have a good time, and then getting Eraserhead.

[monophonica]

If someone is not into art films, to not start with Twin Peaks is absolutely insane to me.

First two seasons of Twin Peaks are his masterpiece IMO and his most watchable.

Those are some of the best characters of any film/tv show ever.

From there I would go to Lost Highway next for a stronger dose of the more out there stuff.

[tjakab]

Eraserhead is highly watchable, but the first time you see it, it's best to just experience it without trying to process it too much. The nuance comes through on repeat viewings.

[labster]

I rented Eraserhead and watched with some friends in college. I loved it, and so did the other Lynch fan. The other two, well, the first words spoken over the credits were “What the actual fuck was that?” Let’s just say it’s a divisive film.

[Trasmatta]

> Surreal is the word I associate with his movies and tv show

And his style of surrealism has been so influential that it has its own term: Lynchian!

[werdnapk]

The "sausages" skit [1] by kids in the hall I'm pretty sure is massively inspired by eraserhead.

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ChvxsVgT8c

[kingstoned]

    When people say "surreal" they mean "real", it's just most of your life is not very real, just repetition and routine. - Norm Macdonald

[epolanski]

Season 3 Twin Peaks is peak "I don't know what am I looking at".

[ruthmarx]

It's at least a third watching one of Kyle MacLachlan's characters walking around with brain damage.

I liked the season after a rewatch but the Dougie stuff is still tedious.

[Lio]

When it first came out I was so desperate to see it I watched the first episode twice without realising.

I spent the whole time trying to work out what was different between the "two".

I mean, it’s exactly the sort of thing he would do and I still loved it.

Magic!