David Lynch interview on Late Night (1991)

Director David Lynch appeared on Late Night with Dave on February 27, 1991 to encourage viewers to help save his TV series "Twin Peaks."

[@mainaschaffffk]

letterman looking like ben horne

[@sexobscura]

*BEN IS REAL*

[@MegaTOWNHALL]

LMAO

[@nones100]

Someone needs to get him a sandwich

[@rizzo-films]

Underrated comment.

[@RajAdityaDas]

This comment made my day

[@Scallycowell]

Every other guest: “Everything is great with my career, Dave!” David Lynch: “It’s all fucked up, man.”

[@AnnaLVajda]

Yeah he's odd in some ways and he's authenticity is probably considered odd to some too. That's one of the most important characteristics of a person I think. You can act in a film but real shame if you can't really be yourself at all too.

[@scatreed]

He’s definitely an honest dude.

[@H1K8T95]

"Limited run, but will go on to be a classic" Well letterman, you nailed it!

[@raffin2040]

i've been watching it on netflix. am i missing something? trying to figure out whats so great about it and why it is beloved. just seems like a mystery/soap opera. maybe it was great in it's day but hasn't aged well?

[@raffin2040]

Jack Bool explanation?

[@retroalgic5939]

+Raffi N It's not something we can explain and I won't say you have a poor taste. It's just you have a different taste. For many people including me, Twin Peaks is a deviant and amazing world which get them obsessed. Maybe it simply doesn't appeal to you or you didn't watch it in a good atmosphere or mood.

[@raffin2040]

i didn't think it was bad. but i wasn't understand the rave about it. just seemed like a cool soap opera with trippy elements

[@retroalgic5939]

It's normal for you to feel so. The rave is not understandable actually. The world of Twin Peaks is just extremely mesmerizing to me and to many others so that it became a cult phenomenon. But not everyone in the world is the same, right? And one can never explain well his taste in words and neither can he understand other's.

[@nilazz]

Lynch is older than Letterman but still calls him Sir, such a gentleman he is.

[@Quintessenceofdust7]

Ok

[@thebasedgodmax1163]

@@Quintessenceofdust7 what

[@iamfantastic.iamgreat3649]

@@thebasedgodmax1163 Do you agree? I don't think you do!

[@ezekielbrockmann114]

Also waits for him to sit down first.

[@donaldsterling1631]

It's a Montana thing.

[@ii121]

All the party people like Twin Peaks.

[@sexobscura]

*BOB* *IS* *REAL*

[@troubledsole9104]

Our priest loved the show. What does that say about him?

[@beezy5628]

@@troubledsole9104 He’s a real party animal.

[@jdog7797]

The Queen of England liked Twin Peaks Mikael Gorbachev like Twin Peaks Bush Senior... yup the party people.

[@forcefeedback-kl7rn]

I love how David looks at the band playing the music from his work before sitting down with Letterman with the happiest grin on his face.

[@4231jerome]

Yeah I get the feeling that lynch really likes letterman

[@Skinsylah]

dave reminds me of Benjamin horne pre-civil war breakdown

[@juljasmaharchive]

Yes

[@Zzyxzaa]

David Lynch is such a genuine good guy.

[@sexobscura]

He is *BOB*

[@aquamidideluxe5079]

Welcome...in Jam.

[@FERMUSICA]

JAAAAAAAM

[@michaelblaine6494]

Dave was right,limited run and became a classic

[@michaelblaine6494]

Clever name sir

[@buckass]

Is there talk of a season 4?

[@buckass]

Maybe another movie in the future. Season 3 was excellent!

[@harleyquiinnnn]

so it didnt work with the letter-sending?

[@YouTubeKnight]

As funny as he is, this is one of the most serious interviews I've seen Letterman conducting with a celebrity. Almost no joke or interruptions. It's apparent the kind of respect he has for Mr. Lynch.

[@YouMustYouLust]

As you can imagine, this interview is a lot more pleasant than the Jay Leno one.

[@samjroyale2334]

YouMustYouLust I thought the same. It seems like Letterman really has an appreciation for Lynch’s work while Leno sees Lynch as “some weird guy who makes stuff that makes no sense.”

[@jaredsmith1216]

The Leno interview is cringeworthy.

[@greatgodpan5001]

Jared Smith Leno is cringe worthy

[@haywoodjablomee6671]

Dude, Letterman called the shit out of what was to become of Twin Peaks... a very limited run that would turn into a major cult hit.

[@basielu]

even the continuation!

[@BenStillerFaggot64]

You can't just call a man an elf, David.

[@troggdoor8613]

BenStillerFaggot64 I know, it's DWARF.

[@Irish0wl]

What an asshole.

[@Actiomedey]

@@Irish0wl It was early 90's noone gave a shit back then. I'm sure he meant no disrespect

[@Irish0wl]

@@Actiomedey What does it matter if it were the early 90s'? You do know that people were assholes back then aswell? Also, when Letterman says that, you can clearly see that David took exeption to it.

[@TETCOM.]

Lol

[@rem2267]

Love the way he pronounces it CHEW-WOW-WOW.

[@ParadoxdesignsOrg]

you remind me today as a small mexican chihuahau.

[@dreamyloon6997]

paradoxdesigns he is actually look like chihuahua no offense

[@ItzhakEthanEskimo]

ChiWowWow

[@elchewbacco]

Is that some kind of clue from lynch. Is he refering to the loony toons pairing of the bulldog (truman) and the chiwowow (cooper)?

[@ColombianThunder]

@@elchewbacco don't think it's a clue moreso that it's subtle world building. Later on in the show and film, we learn that Gordon actually will say a phrase that seems absurd but is actually code for something else relating to a blue rose case. I'm not sure what it means but i think that is what's happening here.

[@wolfstar675]

Mulholland Drive is a masterpiece.

[@fetishmonument9566]

Most of his films are masterpieces

[@TheBestCommenterEVER]

tfw no love for eraserhead

[@smartypants4571]

Mulholland Drive is the location in Hollywood where they found one of the Charles Manson murder victims !

[@alimokhtari2287]

Astrodex lost highway’s boring? GET OUT! GET OUTTA HERE RIGHT NOW!

[@lalarimekaki5173]

i consider it the best movie ever made.

[@chickenringNYC]

"I love annoying these network weasels!" Classic Dave.

[@LordMarlle]

It was little peeks behind the curtain we got from Dave that made him real

[@Mudget]

"But you know the truth of it is, if you stop and think about it, it seems like it might be the kind of show that would kind of have a limited run and then become a classic forever and ever..." --- Dave was absolutely right, and that's exactly what happened.

[@420protoman]

nice little twin peaks theme by the band

[@sammymarquez4101]

This video always makes me smile. It's amazing how many people mistake being genuinely funny and an authentically good guy for being weird or odd. Maybe that is indeed so rare for Hollywood, salute to Sir David Lynch.

[@azluan]

artists like him come once in a lifetime, you know, he's up there with Francis Bacon, Andre Breton and the likes, love him

[@withnail-and-i]

Guy Maddin

[@Wilantonjakov]

Luis Bunuel, Kubrick, Hitchcock...

[@juzujuzu4555]

Clearly the best of the best in his own category is Stanley Kubrick. And after Twin Peaks The Return, I have to say David Lynch comes second. He was in shared second position with couple of others, but now he clearly is second on his own. Appreciation of Kubrick will only rise during to following decades when people have enough understanding on his totally amazing work. And same can be said of Lynch. The Return is his most complex creation, it has multiple layers and multiple different goals. In this sense its like Kubrick's films. I truly hope we will get more from Lynch.

[@alimokhtari2287]

Great Destroyer yes. Because unlike Kubrick, bunuel’s work (with the exception of Nazarin and Andalusian dog) is a huge dreary bubble of tastelessness.

[@HotStrange]

Wow he’s been talking about Ronnie Rocket for years. I completely forgot about it. Would love to see him finally make it happen.

[@im.9648]

Haut Strange he had a big falling out with Michael Anderson so I don’t think it’ll happen.

[@HankGowdey]

@@im.9648 What happened? Where can I read about it?

[@mrfrisk007]

@@HankGowdey just search michael j anderson david lynch, it'll come up

[@holyanorexia]

"it might be the kind of show that would have a limited run and then would become a classic forever." yep...pretty much.

[@FetaCheese222]

This video confirms my suspicion that David Lynch was actually never a child.

[@plasticweapon]

he never stopped being one.

[@Sternertime]

i still see him as GORDON COLE

[@rizzo-films]

WHAAAT???

[@rizzo-films]

LOUDER!

[@chadscott3620]

YES IT HAS BEEN QUITE COLD

[@WendyKroy77]

Lynch is so goofy. I really like him. I like that he isnt Hollywood AT ALL. Not even a sliver of that - he is always just him and a little off and you can see that while looking at this interview. Love.

[@melrupinski88]

Julee Cruise described him as “Jimmy Stewart from Mars”

[@phototristan]

I actually wrote to Bog Iger back then after seeing this on TV. I included a dollar bill partly as a joke. Never heard back of course.

[@JaQuicker]

For some people, art is about recreating feelings; David Lynch tries to create new ones entirely.

[@lamolambda8349]

That's a great quote

[@rizzo-films]

Amazing. One of the best descriptions of the work of David Lynch I've ever read. Underrated comment. This needs 12k likes.

[@silvia7292]

Oh my god, he is precious

[@Zzyxzaa]

The difference between this interview of David Lynch and the Jay Leno one shows how great a host Dave Letterman was. Being funny and also respectful. Jay Leno's legacy will be fucking over Conan.

[@eamonhanka]

Yep 100% agree

[@spencer2596]

As Laura Palmer says in the Black Lodge, "I will see you again in 25 years."

[@fetishmonument9566]

And it came back and was significantly better.

[@plasticweapon]

MEANWHILE

[@smartypants4571]

I think that the black lodge and the white lodge have to do with freemasonry !

[@smartypants4571]

@gina Find out about the Freemasons ; they have lodges where they do their ceremonies and child sacrifices to Satan .

[@MasDouc]

@@smartypants4571 ok, but how does that correlate with the lodges?

[@EllisThings]

He did the "have a great day everyone" salute at the end!

[@herrwabbaloo937]

I saw that, that was awesome.

[@carol48200]

TWIN PEAKS coming back 2016... Can`t wait

[@delta2ish]

OMC DubKrett Official I believe only two of the cast members have died so since Twin peaks aired (Killer Bob and Pete silva) And from what I've seen Kyle maclachan has actually aged pretty damn well.

[@delta2ish]

OMC DubKrett Official Actually Donna and Shelly are still looking pretty damn fine. Audrey looks meh but not like horrible.

[@elguitarTom]

Pia Winther I can bet you it will suck compared to the original. Better leave it alone.

[@devo229]

elguitarTom wrong... it's brilliant so far,loving it

[@CrescimoneMatt]

I liked it more than the original seasons, personally (and that's some of the best tv, period). Then again, they're all kind of one thing even though each installment has an incredibly different vibe. Also - even though I've read about the reasons why and I sort of get it - I'll never truly understand how the critics largely disliked and even hated Fire Walk With Me. I put off seeing it b/c of the bad reviews, but it ranks right up there with the best of Lynch's work for me. What caught me from the pilot episode of Twin Peaks was largely the most earnest and brutal display of grief I had ever seen. Forever haunting. FWWM, again, is so affecting in its portrayal of sexual abuse and incest (very much so because of Sheryl Lee's Oscar-worthy performance)...it's terrifying, but an absolutely amazing film. Maybe it has its missteps, but idk how critics walked away disappointed. I feel like critics should be open to anything, and the film not delivering on more Cooper and coffee and donuts seems like it should be irrelevant.

[@AleMaya]

i love how he speaks!! his tone of voice, his sense of humor

[@mlp101096]

this is pure and genuine

[@mandalayfilmclub]

Miles better than any of the Leno interviews where they try to parade him like some type of circus act

[@Danimal300zx]

When David Letterman had energy and still gave a damn.

[@seamac206]

T.V. shows in general have an advantage over films because of their nature. While FWWM is one of the best and most CRIMINALLY underappreciated films of all time and one of my favorites, Twin Peaks on HBO would've A) Given each episode 10 to 15 extra minutes B) Given the series the time it DESERVED to properly develop C) Given the show its "proper" ending D) Gotten rid of those pesky censorship restraints E) Gave Lynch and Frost a HELL of a lot more control over the show and its direction.

[@ImmaDoWhatIWant]

Hope you lived until 2017 man because you called it! Just the wrong company haha

[@obscure.reference]

they have an advantage in potential but ultimately the goal of television even in the age of streaming is longevity, not storytelling.

[@FearAndLoathing122]

fuck i love david lynch

[@gozzilla78]

It’s always nice and refreshing to listen to two very intelligent people’s conversation. Thanks!

[@nirbguest]

The awkward moment at 0:23 lol!! Can't wait for Season 3!

[@sir_john_hammond]

did u like s3

[@rileyedwards887]

@@sir_john_hammond we need to know

[@alainportant6412]

probably

[@migol1984]

i see this guy at work here in san francisco. he's always dressed up very nicely and always has nice things to say. he's a bit goofy, and he reminds me of david lynch. the gray hair, even the soft spoken voice. i always imagine that every time i see him in a strange way david lynch is playing a trick on me like in all of his movies. its either that or i've just been watching too much david lynch lately. there could be no other better explanations than those two and neither one sounds far off.

[@v-town1980]

Man...two legends!

[@800pieds]

At the time Lynch had won a Palme d'or at Cannes, but I guess it was not worth mentioning compared to being a nominee for the Academy Awards. What is international recognition worth after all?

[@HDadvocate85]

Cannes wasn't as televised or popular at the time

[@tatehildyard5332]

+Patrick Gogan It's still not as televised. Most people I know don't even know don't even know what the Cannes Film Festival is. And one of them was in Cannes a week before the festival.

[@CrescimoneMatt]

I agree that Cannes (and anything foreign) is still largely ignored here in the U.S., but it's wayyyyy more visible, paid-attention to, and respected by Americans today than it was nearly 3 decades ago.

[@RogueBoyScout]

Who cares... At least Letterman didn't treat Lynch like a punchline/act like a douchebag like Leno...

[@yohei72]

Man, what a time warp. Takes me back to that weird, brief moment in yesteryear when David Lynch had a prominent position in mainstream pop culture. How the hell did that happen? That was such a formative moment for me, with "Twin Peaks" leading me to the rest of his work, which in turn expanded my mind as a moviewatcher. It's easy to forget that he got so overexposed for a couple years there that a lot of critics turned against him (and even I got tired of him for a while).

[@lpnelson6584]

I agree, to have a successful big-screen movie director write and direct a TV series was unheard of. Amazing time.

[@yohei72]

@@lpnelson6584 Not just that, but maybe the most outré filmmaker in mainstream American cinema.

[@nickywilliams8540]

His laugh is so cute

[@keepplayingnice]

Wow, Bob, Wow Regards, David Lynch

[@alanjenkenev1382]

3:44 BEST ANSWER EVER

[@SonHouse245]

I would expect that a genius would be really arrogant but Lynch is such a humble man

[@house684]

Such a sweet man.

[@Traumaqueenamy]

Love the smooth jazz take on Twin Peaks theme when they bring on David Lynch.

[@colinrumford2265]

Great interview 👍

[@bebop54]

eraserhead a masterpiece... TP 2016 great news ....

[@Estusstew]

Twin peaks such an awesome show definitely a must to check out if your not familiar. Both seasons on Netflix

[@destrysparks1428]

Season 3 on Amazon Prime!

[@supervintagekurwo6899]

first time in my life I see him without an earphones

[@pauline9303]

God, I love his movie there's always this special" Lynch mood". And honestly Lynch seems just as crazy and genious as his movies,

[@anondalorian3719]

Wow and Bob Iger now runs Disney...

[@ColombianThunder]

Not anymore

[@crlyhdedfnck]

Boy do I have news for you

[@Danimal300zx]

That's okay. We got Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me in 1992.

[@avantgardenovelist]

03:57 a smile I haven't seen from Lynch before.

[@manchesterisblue1023]

NEW SEASON OF TWIN PEAKS

[@woprl]

What a great prediction by Dave!!

[@notwerkinginthishouse8634]

How can anyone forget him in Twin Peaks

[@sunilrampuria7906]

"absurd mystery of the strange forces of existence", restated by Albert in the third episode of the third season of twin peaks

[@spershall]

His hair is so normal here!

[@lolvonlolipopp]

Listened to an interview with Lynch, and he said he tried making Ronnie Rocket after each of his productions. He truly was not kidding

[@notsandycheeks]

this man is maybe one of my favorite human beings

[@AnnaLVajda]

I love him. He's genius. I love his work and his voice and his hair.

[@KarlMarxhaswifi]

Let this man have many more years to come , a world without lynch is a world I don’t care to live in

[@BennyGaberMusic]

I love that look he gives to the musician, He's digging the saxophone!!

[@SalikIndaHouse]

why have there been such little views of this brilliant man???

[@deathhzrd]

I wonder why lynch said no to voicing bill cipher, it would have been perfect, especially with how much gravity falls was inspired by twin peaks

[@tatehildyard5332]

God dammit! They would have been the best thing ever. I don't even watch GF and I think that would be amazing.

[@averybrooks5233]

MirumExMachina Lynch just does what he wants to do, if he doesn't feel like working on a project it won't happen, which is why he hasn't made a new movie in 11 years.

[@nataliemathis4523]

2024 - I’m going to write in

[@troubledsole9104]

Dave hit the nail on the head.

[@yakamon123]

2:14 Wise and prophetic words from Letterman here. To a tee he's predicted the exact evolution of Twin Peaks' run. Sadly it did only have a limited run. Sadly it has only recently had a revival of popularity, and sadly it has forever maintained a cult status/following. Some might argue this is the very element that breeds it's appeal - it's niche underground following it's disregard of mainstream, and it part I'd agree, but you would also say the show was worthy of much more recognition.

[@rozgrywkasmierci7706]

Nice interview.

[@vavedern8860]

Wow I'm surprised how candid Lynch is being. He basically said that they are going to he cancelled.

[@mwmingram]

Legend.

[@occult1390]

"... and you're playing a sheriff right?" Twin Peaks fans: ⚰

[@Sonofanoob]

WELCOME TO LATE NIGHT WITH LOUIE

[@joelbizzell1386]

"How'd you get that elf to talk backwards?" 😆

[@wedidthemonstermash]

legendary

[@epentes]

"the truth of it is, if you stop and think about it, it seems like it might be the kind of show that would be, you know, kind of have a limited run - and then would become a classic forever and ever." you don't say.

[@peluksape]

yo that intro was the sickest late night intro ever

[@adamkadmonmusick]

they did the music some great justice

[@YungM.D.]

2:13 Letterman predicts not just the outcome of Twin Peaks, but of many other series (True Detective season 1, for instance)

[@seamac206]

if it was on HBO, it could've gone on for at least another year or 2

[@bradydavis5791]

You remind me today of a small, mexican Chee-wow-wow.

[@drwierd]

LOL, Write a letter.

[@PinkFloydrulez]

spirit animal

[@petecherry3621]

the static noises are making my brain hurt.

[@marcovanbasten3077]

Genius david

[@newmusic4piano]

The clip from the show somehow makes sense with the live audience laughter.

[@keyworkforcoheed]

David Lynch is the fuckin man

[@williamhassell5589]

We can learn alot , from his films and t of course 😉 from him

[@danielsalisbury245]

2:40 based David Lynch and David Letterman giving away Bob Iger’s old business contact info on the air.

[@liketanyanot]

He's a peach.

[@andymassingham]

Can’t help but think that David is paying tribute to the Wienie King from The Palm Beach Story.

[@nanoshed]

If we could post letters into the past, with the amount of interest that Twin Peaks has generated in the years since it was axed, it would definitely have been saved :-(

[@ziekboi]

wow the bob iger name drop is crazy

[@miracles4u]

Oh shit. I never saw the second season of tp but that was enough apparently. Blue velvet, twin peaks, wild at heart. That's enough for me

[@timothymaynard5122]

Red, pink room genius. White, Black Lodge heinous and poetic. Justice, pleasure and pain... Bob will kill a-gain.