Lynchverse #5: The Straight Story

Happy Helloween, O children of the night! To sanctify the arrival of the dismal months, we are busting out of our clear acrylic cube to bring you a BRR Special Event! Welcome to GOODNIGHT, LADIES, Part 1, in which we step into the depths of Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell’s legendary graphic novel, From Hell—technically not a Lynch property, although we will be exploring several points of contact, including a fateful meeting at the Gull & Elephant. In this stroll through the nightmares of 1880s Whitechapel, Jennifer dissects the deep disorientation; Damon summons the spirit of anarchy; Jonathan maps the links between The Ripper’s London and the Lynchverse; and Colin invites you into secret association! Keep your eyes peeled out there, friends! LISTEN: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | BuzzSprout | Spotify | RSS | and more!

Howdy out there, denizens of the Lynchverse! Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag because we’re hopping on the midnight bus bound for the Inland Empire. This immersive meditation on Hollywood has a reputation for being EXTRA Lynchian—and we can see how folks might hesitate to dive in at first: It’s a bit of a commitment, that’s true, especially for leporiphobes. But your loyal servants at Back to the Double R have gone to the promised land to mark the way! And ended up right back where started! But with subtle and unspeakable insights we will nevertheless gab about for an hour and change: Jennifer maps the many places that the Inland Empire seems to be all at once; Damon is on the trail of stories within stories (within stories within stories); Colin brings in the scholarly big guns; and Jonathan presses play on the echoing themes of Nina Simone’s “Sinnerman”! For the Twist, we conjure up some of our favorite movies about making movies and ask WWDLD: What Would David Lynch Do? LISTEN: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | BuzzSprout | Spotify | RSS | and more!

Hey, it’s a party! Two years of Back to the Double R and another damn fine Twin Peaks Day! We hope you’ve all come through the darkest weeks of the season and are ready for a little light, because we’re going full-Disney in one of the simultaneously Least- and Most-David-Lynch films in the catalog, the 1999 biopic, “The Straight Story.” In this extremely (in fact, literally) linear narrative, Alvin Straight takes to the open road upon his humble John Deere mower to reconnect with his brother before the chance slips away forever. Jonathan is here with an homage to the late, great Richard Farnsworth; Jennifer flips the script and finds this to be a “coming of old age” film; Damon ponders visions of an antiquated masculinity; and Colin asks what the structure of this picture tells us about Lynch’s style in general. For the Twist, we roll out some other real-life stories that would be fitting additions to the Lynchverse! LISTEN: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | BuzzSprout | Spotify | RSS | and more!

Our tribute to a master. In November, we recorded our episode on the soundtrack to Twin Peaks and the excellent Clare Nina Norelli book in the 33-1/3 series that honors it so well. Then, in early December, we learned that Badalamenti had passed away, and our tribute became a remembrance. In these dark nights, as we crowd around the fire, alone or with those close to us, we are thinking about the magic that Maestro Badalamenti gave us. Wishing everyone a safe and joyful season, and a hopeful turn back toward the light… Happy holidays, Your friends at the 4-top

If it’s Halloween, this must be Eraserhead!! Greetings, dark spirits and woodspeople of all shapes and sizes! Welcome to Back to the Double R’s Very Special Horrorshow, in which we wander through the industrial and psychological wastelands of David Lynch’s first creature feature film, Eraserhead. What better way to celebrate the Spooky Season than in lush black and white, and claustrophobic paranoia? In this episode, Jennifer spots Eraserhead lurking throughout Twin Peaks; Jonathan dissects Lynch’s sympathy for the grotesque; Colin plunges through the inescapable surreal; and Damon comes face to face with the clutches of parental anxiety. For the Twist, we examine the stripped down production techniques of black-and-white film and minimal dialogue and ponder how they can send shivers right down us! Next month, it’s our long-rumored Musical Episode (well, sort of) in which we groove to Angelo Badalamenti’s timeless Twin Peaks soundtrack via Clare Nina Norelli’s book in the 33-1/3 series, available now via your local independent bookstore! LISTEN: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | BuzzSprout | Spotify | RSS | and more!

Howdy, listeners! Our minor time-slip continues to cause static in our temporal continuity, but we are delighted to bring you our September episode, in our new monthly format, with a deep dive into the wild lives of Sailor and Lula, the twin atomic explosions that drive David Lynch’s comparatively light-hearted adventure, “Wild at Heart.” In this jam-packed episode of Back to the Double-R: Jennifer is giving her communications technology expertise a spin; Jonathan busts out some rockin’ production notes and salutes the “lovers on the run” theme; Colin goes to the bookshelf to think about fables; and Damon goes over the rainbow. For the Twist, we ask, “What other genres would we like to see Lynch put his personal spin on?” And join us later in October as we go back, back, back in time to the black-and-white horrorshow that started it all: Eraserhead!!LISTEN: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | BuzzSprout | Spotify | RSS | and more!

Hello friends of Back to the Double R! In the closing hours of July, we are sneaking in our first new monthly installment of our hot take on the wider Lynchverse and associated delights. First up: 1997’s exquisite “Lost Highway,” a true Lynch joint through and through, with a number of twists that will definitely follow you home in the dark. Join us back at the 4-top as we navigate our way through the echoing realities and ominous interlocutors that make David Lynch David Lynch. This month(!): Damon is seeing similar patterns from different angles; Colin is flipping through a Field Guide to Human Consciousness; Jonathan is talking true crime, before and after; and Jennifer is cranking up the machinery for recording memories. For the Twist, we break down the road trip mix in “Lost Highway” and find it to be potentially running on fumes. ***NOTE! This podcast contains spoilers for any or all of "Twin Peaks," right through the final episode, so beware!***Be sure to join us next month as we continue the blacktop tragedies with another powerhouse couple in “Wild At Heart”! LISTEN: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | BuzzSprout | Spotify | RSS | and more!

Let’s bring it on home, folks! In this super-sized sendoff, we reflect on the rewatch adventure we went on with you, dear listeners, and we ponder some deep questions about what makes this show magic, after all these years (and in at least three different universes). With 18 months of coffee, kismet, and conundrums under our belts, we close the conversation with: Jennifer, on the singular voice and presence of our beloved Julee Cruise; Colin, on what we learned bringing you this humble pod; Damon, on the ultimate theory of what Twin Peaks really is (!!!); and Jonathan, on the dichotomies and dualities that echo after the final curtain. For our last Twist (for now), we wrangle over the Top Ten Greatest Episodes of Twin Peaks, According to Us, At Least For This Week. And with that, we come to the end of our focus on “Twin Peaks”—but we’re not abandoning you in the dark woods! Starting in July, we transition to the wider world of the Lynch-verse and switch to our new monthly format—first up: Lynch’s 1997 masterpiece, Lost Highway!LISTEN: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | BuzzSprout | Spotify | RSS | and more!

The circle is now complete! We started our humble rewatch adventure with you roughly a year and a half ago, and in that time, we have worked our way through 48 episodes, a pile of books, and several tasty Specials. Now, not unlike our earnest Man in Black, we go back to where it all started: the pilot episode of the series! But wait! Because this is Twin Peaks (and Back to the Double R), there’s a Twist! We couldn’t resist the opportunity to go back and change history. Instead of the standard pilot, we watched the infamous “international pilot,” with its twenty-odd minutes (and they certainly are odd) tacked on to the end. It was the best of both worlds, a chance to reflect on that very first episode and to contemplate alternative universes that just don’t seem quite right. This week: Colin investigates the Lynch magic that made us instant, rabid fans; Jonathan reaches back for Sheriff Harry Truman and How It Started with Cooper; Jennifer is seeing Bobs within Bobs, and other multiplicities; and Damon says it was always going to end like this. For the Twist, we savor the sweetness this alternate universe offers us via a snapshot of the wacky home life of Lucy and Andy. LISTEN: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | BuzzSprout | Spotify | RSS | and more!S1, E1 INTERNATIONAL PILOT NOTES:David Lynch (episode director)David Lynch, Mark Frost (episode writers)

Book Club is back in session! After the epic inter-temporal wipeout of Part 18, we pick up the pieces and turn to the slender tome known as The Final Dossier, which is the last of our in-Peaks books (though we will be sticking our noses in other books of the Lynch-verse down the road). One Mr. Mark Frost does a deft job of wrapping up various storylines in bows of various tones, both sad and silly, and he fills in a few lingering points of order and chaos. Please open your texts, then, and turn to page infinity. This week: Damon makes his case that much less is much more; Jennifer spins you right ‘round, baby, right ‘round, like a record, baby, right 'round, ‘round ‘round; Colin highlights (and underlines) the show’s deep themes in Margaret’s final reflection; and Jonathan ponders the meanings of questions and answers alike. For the Twist, as with all our bookish episodes, we ask, “Is it canon? And do we care?” LISTEN: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | BuzzSprout | Spotify | RSS | and more!THE FINAL DOSSIER NOTES:Mark Frost (author)