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
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

Release

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

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 83% based on 69 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 Daily'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
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
  1. Ramachandran, Naman (April 30, 2022). "Dogwoof Boards David Lynch, 'The Wizard of Oz' Tribeca Doc 'Lynch/Oz' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  2. DeFore, John (June 9, 2022). "'Lynch/Oz': Film Review | Tribeca 2022". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  3. 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. 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. Judah, Tara (June 9, 2022). "'Lynch/Oz': Tribeca Review". Screen Daily. 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 August 30, 2023.
  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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