The Elephant Man
DAVID LYNCH: ABSURD ENCOUNTERS, PART III
“People are frightened by what they don't understand.”
After five long years making ERASERHEAD, David Lynch emerged with a surreal and singular debut that captivated midnight movie audiences and Hollywood oddballs alike. One of those believers was producer Stuart Cornfeld—who, along with none other than Mel Brooks—decided Lynch was the man to direct a historical biopic about a severely deformed man in Victorian England.
On paper, THE ELEPHANT MAN seems like an unlikely follow-up. But Lynch brought his dreamlike sensibility, his painter’s eye, and his deep empathy to the true story of John Merrick—and in doing so, made one of the most heartbreaking and visually striking films of the 1980s.
In this episode, we explore how THE ELEPHANT MAN came together: how Lynch was recruited, what it was like directing a cast of Britain’s most respected actors, and how this strange American filmmaker crafted a studio-backed critical hit that earned eight Oscar nominations and permanently changed the trajectory of his career.
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ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS:
Andy Lancaster | Benjamin Yates | curtcake5k | Jvance325 | MagicBloat | Nate Izod | Elton Novara
Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.
This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop & Todd A. Davis.
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