Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard and others paid tribute to David Lynch, the visionary director of "Twin Peaks" and "Blue Velvet," who died Thursday at the age of 78.
"I love David's films. Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive and The Elephant Man define him as a unique, visionary visionary who directs films that feel handmade ." Spielberg said in a statement. "I met David when he played John Ford in 'The Fabelmanns.' It was one of my heroes - David Lynch playing one of my heroes. It was surreal, It looks like something out of one of David's own films. The world will miss such an original and unique voice that has stood the test of time and always will."
Last year, Lynch revealed that after a lifetime of smoking, he had been diagnosed with emphysema and would likely no longer be able to leave the house to direct. His family announced his death on Facebook, writing: "He is no longer with us and there is a gaping hole in the world. But, as he said, 'focus on the donuts, Instead of the hole.'"
In a post on
James Gunn said "you inspired a lot of us," while Patton Oswalt nodded to Lynch's surreal style: "RIP. At least that's the horse The horse in the felt hat just told me in a dream* (*backward and in Swedish).”
"I Saw the Light of Television" director Jane Schoenbrun posted a tribute on X: "Like Kafka, like Bacon, he devoted his life to opening a portal. He was the first to me Someone who showed me another world, a beautiful world of love and danger that I felt but never saw outside of sleep. Thank you David, your gift will reverberate through me for the rest of my life.”
The American Film Institute, where Lynch graduated in 1970, called him an "American original" in a statement.
“These stories are true – as a Foundation Fellow at the American Film Institute, he lived in the Greystone stables while filming his AFI thesis film Eraserhead. For decades, David’s passion for film and art The impact proved indelible — and he always gave back to the MPAA — supporting storytellers who made their own rules and pursued something different," the statement continued. "At a campus seminar, he shared this timeless advice with fellows: 'Tell the stories inside you. Everyone has those stories. Just stay true to those ideas and enjoy doing it. He will continue to live on in us. in dreams.”
Lynch has brought his dark, surreal style to the cult classic TV series "Twin Peaks" and critically acclaimed films such as "Blue Velvet," "Mulholland Drive" and "Lost Highway." His 10 film credits also include "Eraserhead" (1977), "The Elephant Man" (1980), "Dune" (1984), "Wild at Heart" (1990), "Twin Peaks: Vs. Fire Walking with Me (1992), Integrity Stories (1999), and Inland Empire (2006). He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director three times for "The Elephant Man," "Blue Velvet" and "Mulholland Drive," and won the Best Adapted Screenplay for "The Elephant Man." In 2019, he received an Honorary Academy Award for his contribution to film.
A true artist, Lynch is an actor and musician, having appeared in "Twin Peaks" and Steven Spielberg's "The Fabelmanns" and released three studio albums. In addition to his hobbies of painting and photography, Lynch is an important figure in the field of transcendental meditation. He introduced the practice of transcendental meditation to other celebrities and established the David Lynch Foundation in 2005 to promote transcendental meditation.