Kaleidoscopic, hyper violent, sleazy, sexy bizarro cool as only a 1990 David Lynch could deliver.

A throbbing Angelo Badalamenti score punctuates indelible performances by Nicholas Cage, Laura Dern, Diane Ladd and Willem Dafoe in this twisted fantasy of a love story road movie. Cage perfectly embodies the unhinged, elvis-esque Sailor moored only by his true love for Laura Dern's now iconic hyper sexual, bubble gum Marilyn Monroe-esque Lola. Lynch weaves in numerous Wizard of Oz allusions amidst the bursts of violence and showcases for all the bizarre character moments.

I hadn't seen this since renting the VHS back in the early 90s so this was my first widescreen viewing and some 30 years later. I had forgotten just how sleazy this was and many of the Lynchian twisted fantasy touches (Cirspin Glover's cockroach underwear, morbidly obese galavanting porn starlets, a dog running away with a severed hand, and so so much more)..

Though it all, the love story of Sailor and Lola rises to the top. They are basically good people caught up in bad shit and Lynch's belief in the power of their love drives this through to the very end. This is suffused with Lynch's post Twin Peaks sensibility and many of those cast members (as well as from Blue Velvet) make unforgettable cameos.

Shout Factory released a solid disc with tons of extras. The PQ isn't great and it could certainly benefit from a 4K restoration from the original elements. One of Lynch's best, a mostly linear narrative, and thoroughly entertaining.