Eraserhead is just one of those films that you have to see to believe. Walking an extremely fine line between high-art and high-annoyance, it is the uber-Lynch film (and, quite fittingly, his first feature). It's all here: the excessive emotional responses, deafening silence, non-sequiters and more character quirks than you can shake a stick at - you know, stuff that the whole family can enjoy. Eraserhead is a nightmare through and through. It can be described as atmospheric, creepy, and alienating, but what seems frequently overlooked is the all too human core. Ultimately a film about parenthood, Eraserhead deals with the often contradictory emotions that surface with the birth of a child. Think of it as a male-oriented, postpartum depression story. Of course, this is just one interpretation...
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Eraserhead is currently only available on DVD from davidlynch.com at the rather hefty price of about $50 (which includes standard shipping). That seems like a lot to pay, until you actually receive the disc. Arriving in an ominous black shoebox (which opens to reveal bright red tissue paper, packing peanuts, and finally the rather enormous package for the disc itself), it is immediately obvious that the act of receiving the disc is intended to be part of the 'experience' of the film. This obviously inflates the price of the disc (we're talking about a lot of heavyweight black cardboard here) and the disc won't fit in your DVD rack, but the packaging alone is worth displaying. It all gets more complicated as you dive in, but it would be really difficult to explain that clearly. Needless to say, you've never seen packaging quite like this.
The content of the disc itself is even more amazing. I've never seen this film look anywhere near as good as it does here. This disc was pushed back several times because of the burden that restoring and transferring the film became, but it was all well worth the wait. The black and white image is incredibly dirt free and sharp as a razor. Shadow detail is also spot on and really shows off how rich this film is visually. The audio fares nearly as well, although don't go looking for a new surround mix. Sound is presented just as it was originally intended/constructed: stereo, cobbled together from various sources, not always in the best condition. Information on the disc says that the audio track is PCM, but my players all show it to be Dolby Digital 2.0. I'm not sure if this would make a huge difference in the long run though - we're not talking about a perfect soundtrack here. Regardless, the sound is exceptionally clean throughout, and everything from voices to the hiss of a radiator comes through distinctly. This is most likely the closest we'll come to Lynch's original intent and it's much better represented here than I have heard before.
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For fans of Lynch and the film, this is a no-brainer... even with the steep price. The phenomenal restoration, transfer and documentary (not to mention a truly original film) easily offset the cost. Eraserhead is definitely not everyone's cup of tea though, so those of you who've never seen it should enter into this with a bit of caution. That said, it's definitely still a film that should be experienced.
