Wikipedia

Lynch/Oz

Lynch/Oz is a 2022 American documentary film directed and written by Alexandre O. Philippe that explores the influence of the film The Wizard of Oz (1939) on the American filmmaker David Lynch.[1]

Lynch/Oz
Theatrical release poster
Directed byAlexandre O. Philippe
Written byAlexandre O. Philippe
Produced byKerry Deignan Roy[1]
CinematographyRobert Muratore[1]
Edited byDavid Lawrence[1]
Music byAaron Lawrence[2]
Production
company
Exhibit A Pictures[1]
Distributed byDogwoof
Release date
  • June 9, 2022 (2022-06-09) (Tribeca)
Running time
108 minutes[3]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$68,987[4][5]

Synopsis

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David Lynch in 2017

Lynch/Oz examines the influence of the 1939 Victor Fleming-directed film The Wizard of Oz on the work of American filmmaker David Lynch.[2] The concept for the film originates from a response Lynch gave during a Q&A panel at the 2001 New York Film Festival following a screening of his film Mulholland Drive. When asked about the impact of Fleming's film on his work, Lynch said, "There is not a day that goes by that I don't think about The Wizard of Oz." Lynch/Oz attempts to reevaluate the filmmaker's extended filmography within this enduring influence, from his very first short film, The Alphabet (1969), to his latest series, Twin Peaks: The Return (2017). The film was officially described as an exploration of "one of the most fascinating puzzles in the history of motion pictures: the enduring symbiosis between America's primordial fairytale, The Wizard of Oz, and David Lynch's singular brand of popular surrealism."[6][7]

The film is divided into six chapters, each narrated by a different filmmaker or critic who provides their own perspectives on the subject.[6] Among the narrators are filmmakers Karyn Kusama (Jennifer's Body), Rodney Ascher (Room 237), and John Waters (Multiple Maniacs, Pink Flamingos, Female Trouble).[8] The film incorporates hundreds of film clips to illustrate the connection between David Lynch and The Wizard of Oz.[9][3]

Cast

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Release

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Lynch/Oz was selected to be screened in the Spotlight Documentary section of the Tribeca Festival,[10][11] where it had its world premiere on June 9, 2022.[12] Before its premiere, Lynch/Oz was picked up for worldwide release by Dogwoof, a British film distributor specializing in documentaries.[1] The documentary had its UK premiere during the BFI London Film Festival. It received a limited UK theatrical release by Film 4 on December 2, 2022. The film received a limited theatrical release by Janus Films in North America, beginning at New York's IFC Center on June 2, 2023.[6][13]

Reception

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Critical response

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On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 84% based on 74 reviews, with an average rating of 7.3/10. The website's consensus reads, "Thoughtful and absorbing, Lynch/Oz offers an appropriately unique analysis of one of cinema's most idiosyncratic artists."[14] According to Metacritic, which assigned a weighted average score of 62 out of 100 based on 18 critics, the film received "generally favorable reviews".[15]

Screen International's Tara Judah wrote, "With its impressive array of hundreds of film clips, frenetic editing and whip-smart narrators, Lynch/Oz offers an exciting prism through which to view Lynch's oeuvre."[9] David Ehrlich of IndieWire wrote, "Lynch/Oz is less compelling for any of its individual theories or observations than for how it frames movies as permeable membranes that flicker between personal obsession and the collective unconscious."[16] Variety's Owen Gleiberman wrote, "Lynch/Oz is bursting with ideas [...] but the movie is too pie-in-the-sky to quite make it over the rainbow."[3]

Accolades

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Accolades for Lynch/Oz
Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
BFI London Film Festival October 16, 2022 Grierson Award for Best Documentary Alexandre O. Philippe Nominated [17]
Denver Film Festival November 13, 2022 Maysles Brothers Award for Best Documentary Nominated [18]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Ramachandran, Naman (April 30, 2022). "Dogwoof Boards David Lynch, 'The Wizard of Oz' Tribeca Doc 'Lynch/Oz' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  2. ^ a b DeFore, John (June 9, 2022). "'Lynch/Oz': Film Review | Tribeca 2022". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c Gleiberman, Owen (July 17, 2022). "'Lynch/Oz' Review: Alexandre O. Philippe's Latest Dive Down the Rabbit Hole of Film Obsession". Variety. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  4. ^ "Lynch/Oz (2022)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  5. ^ "Lynch/Oz (2022)". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  6. ^ a b c Bergeson, Samantha (October 4, 2022). "'Lynch/Oz' Trailer: David Lynch's Fascination with 'The Wizard of Oz' Is Unmasked". IndieWire. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  7. ^ Murray, Andrew (November 28, 2022). "Lynch/Oz". The Upcoming. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  8. ^ Ferrier, Aimee (November 28, 2022). "'Lynch/Oz' Review: a weakly argued collection of glorified video essays". Far Out. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  9. ^ a b Judah, Tara (June 9, 2022). "'Lynch/Oz': Tribeca Review". Screen International. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  10. ^ Goldsmith, Jill (April 19, 2022). "Tribeca Festival Lineup Includes 'Corner Office' With Jon Hamm, Ray Romano's 'Somewhere In Queens', More". Deadline. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  11. ^ Jeffrey, Andrew (April 19, 2022). "Tribeca Film Festival reveals 2022 lineup". Realscreen. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  12. ^ Rogers, Jamie (June 9, 2022). "'Lynch/Oz' Poster Debut: Alexandre O. Philipp Examines David Lynch's Obsession With 'Wizard Of Oz' [Tribeca Exclusive]". The Playlist. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  13. ^ Eisenman, Andrew J. (June 2, 2023). ""Lynch/Oz" pulls back the curtain on America through film". Elements of Madness. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
  14. ^ "Lynch/Oz". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
  15. ^ "Lynch/Oz Reviews". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  16. ^ Ehrlich, David (June 9, 2022). "'Lynch/Oz' Review: A Fun Essay Film Explores David Lynch's Single Greatest Obsession". IndieWire. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  17. ^ Ravindran, Manori (October 4, 2022). "BFI London Film Festival Unveils Competition Juries". Variety. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  18. ^ "DFF45 Program Sections". Denver Film Festival. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
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