Path: archiver1.google.com!newsfeed.google.com!sn-xit-02!supernews.com!nntp-relay.ihug.net!ihug.co.nz!news-hog.berkeley.edu!ucberkeley!130.54.14.37.MISMATCH!newsfeed.media.kyoto-u.ac.jp!newsfeed.mesh.ad.jp!sjc1.nntp.concentric.net!newsfeed.concentric.net!global-news-master From: Joe Blevins Newsgroups: alt.tv.mst3k.mstings Subject: [MISTING] Ray Wolfe's Guide to ERASERHEAD Date: 15 Jun 2001 01:28:13 GMT Organization: Concentric Internet Services Lines: 1203 Message-ID: <3B292C02.694C3C98@concentric.net> NNTP-Posting-Host: 208.176.214.232 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.61 [en]C-DIAL (Win95; I) X-Accept-Language: en Xref: archiver1.google.com alt.tv.mst3k.mstings:229 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Ray Wolfe's Online Guide to ERASERHEAD ----------------------------------------------------------------- Taken from: http://users.aol.com/raywolf1/eraserhead/index.html A Totally Uncalled-For MiSTing by JOE BLEVINS Send comments to: joe...@concentric.net ----------------------------------------------------------------- HINT: If you've got no idea what "Eraserhead" is, please visit Ray's site before reading this. ----------------------------------------------------------------- [Roll Season 9 credits and theme song.] MY S T E R Y U S E N ET T H E A T ER 30 0 0 [Twaaaaaannnnnngggg....] [*, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, Dog bone] [SATELLITE OF LOVE - BRIDGE] [Mike and Crow are behind the console.] MAGIC VOICE: "Mystery Usenet Theater 3000" is taped in front of a simulated studio audience. [We hear prerecorded applause.] MIKE: Hi, Crow. CROW: Ayyyyy... Sit on it, Potsie! [We hear canned laughter on the soundtrack.] MIKE: [confused] Uh... sit on what exactly? CROW: Up yer nose with a rubber hose. [Canned laughter and applause] MIKE: I don't even think we _have_ a rubber hose. CROW: Whutchoo talkin' 'bout, Willis? [More fake laughter.] MIKE: I was about to ask you the same thing. You've been speaking in bizarre non-sequitirs all day. What's _with_ you? And the name's _Mike_, by the way. CROW: Shazbot! [Canned laugher and applause.] MIKE: You see? You just did it again! CROW: Sorry about that, chief. [Fake laughter. Commercial sign flashes.] MIKE: I hope you're better after we get back from commercial. We'll be right back. [Canned applause. Fade to black.] [Commercial break.] [SATELLITE OF LOVE - BRIDGE] [Mike and Crow have been joined by Tom.] MIKE: Do you know what's wrong with Crow, Tom? He's been acting a little odd. CROW: Dyn-o-mite!!! [more canned laughter] MIKE: See what I mean? He's been saying stuff like that all day. TOM: Oh, that's because he's been watching VW-TV. MIKE: VW-TV? TOM: Yeah, the Vast Wasteland cable network -- the one that tries to fob off old reruns as "classic" entertainment. Crow's been hooked on it since he saw their "Mindless Catchphrase" Marathon. Now, the only things he can say are the overused bywords of TV's past. CROW: You bet your sweet bippy! [canned laughter] MIKE: Can you... uh, fix him or...? TOM: Don't worry. I'll handle this. Cambot, do you mind? [Cambot switches off the visual feed. We still hear the audio.] TOM: [a la Miss Piggy] Hiiiiii-YA!!! [thump] CROW: Mama Mia! That's a spicy meatball [A few seconds of silence, then Cambot switches visual feed back on.] MIKE: Crow...? You okay, buddy? CROW: [groggy] I... I think so, Mike. I guess I just got carried away again. That seems to happen to me an awful lot. [Red light flashes.] MIKE: Don't worry about it. We've learned to compensate for you. Whoops... looks like Josie and the Pussycats are calling. [Mike pushes the button.] [CASTLE FORRESTER - GREAT HALL] [Pearl's scenes are filmed in black and white. There is an ominous buzzing sound in the background.] PEARL: Hi, Nelson Flavor. As you see, I had Brainy Smurf do the whole place over in black and white in honor of today's experiment. [SATELLITE OF LOVE - BRIDGE] MIKE: Oh, great. Another cheesy movie! [CASTLE FORRESTER - GREAT HALL] PEARL: [innocently] No, it's nothing like that. [SATELLITE OF LOVE - BRIDGE] MIKE: It's probably some lame fanfic about "Star Trek" or "Sailor Moon" then. [CASTLE FORRESTER - GREAT HALL] PEARL: Not even close. No, this week I've decided to try something a lit-tle different. Perhaps the less you know about it, the better. [Bobo enters, dressed in a rumpled black suit and tie, with black shoes and white socks. The hair on his head is sticking straight upward. He looks like he stuck his finger in a lightsocket.] BOBO: Lawgiver, I think I might have overdone it on the styling mousse. What do you think? PEARL: [ignoring Bobo] Have fun, Nelson. [Pearl laughs evilly.] [SATELLITE OF LOVE - BRIDGE] [Mike and the 'bots are clearly confused.] TOM: Hmm. I wonder what she meant by "different." [Lights blink. Siren goes off.] CROW: I think we're about to find out. MIKE: We have... uh, SOMETHING Sign!!! [Dog bone, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, *] [SATELLITE OF LOVE - THEATER] [Mike and the 'bots enter and take their seats.] MIKE: I dunno about this, guys. CROW: What's the matter, Mike? MIKE: I just have this feeling like Pearl's springing something on us here. Maybe I'm being paranoid. > > > Ray Wolfe's > Online Guide To TOM: Living In Your Parents' Basement Forever! > ERASERHEAD CROW: Part man, part school supply... and all trouble! > > > Like a fine painting, sculpture or other work of art, MIKE: This movie will look great in your den or rec room. > the David > Lynch film Eraserhead has many interpretations yet one explanation. TOM: And the explanation is -- it's completely incomprehensible. Thank you, good night. > The purpose of this book is not to claim the discovery of Lynch's > mindset or reasoning for making this movie, CROW: [as Ray Wolfe] My real purpose was to inform you about the wonderful world of Scientology. > but rather to offer one > possible interpretation which hopefully makes the film a little more > understandable and a lot more fun to watch. MIKE: If he wanted to make the film more fun to watch, he should've just given us one of those hilarious "laser" pointer things. Those liven up _any_ movie. > It is also my intention > to inspire others to start their very own cryptic journey through > the land of Eraserhead. TOM: Is that anywhere near the Land of Dairy Queen? > > Glossary CROW: Aw, no! There are vocabulary terms to learn? Is there going to be a pop quiz later? This thing has barely started, and I already have test anxiety! > > Before any deciphering of the storyline can take place, MIKE: ...You have to get pretty liquored up. > we must first > take a look at each individual character and item within the story > and figure out what they each represent. TOM: Other than a huge waste of our time. > > * Henry represents Henry. Nothing confusing here. CROW: Brilliant analysis so far. > * The Workman represents God or, more specifically, MIKE: Dick Clark > a god. Similar to > Greek mythology. TOM: Most Greek gods don't really seem like the "workman" type. MIKE: Yeah, they seem more like the "lay around on Mt. Olympus drinking wine and tossing lightning bolts at mortals" type. > * The "Rock" symbolizes the dwelling place CROW: Of Nicholas Cage and Sean Connery > of the god. This could mean > heaven, but most likely it represents a church. MIKE: The Church of Latter-Day Blockbusters. > * The "Worms," (which are different from the Baby), TOM: Glad he pointed that out. I tend to get worms and babies confused. > are symbolic of > sin or an evil deed. > * The "Baby" is in reality not necessarily an actual thing. CROW: These are really confusing home pregnancy test instructions. > It represents the outcome or consequence of a sin or evil deed. MIKE: Hmmmm... what kind of sin could result in a baby? > It could be an actual baby, which is the outcome of sex, MIKE: Oh, right! That's the one I was trying to think of! > or a > condition, such as a disease. > * The Radiator represents suicide, not death mind you, but the actual > act of suicide. TOM: Y'know, they say a radiator is really just a desperate cry for help. > * The Chipmunk Girl - she is Death. CROW: Sure, she may _look_ cute... > * The Dead Tree in dirt, which is on the nightstand, MIKE: ...Represents Henry's lack of a watering can. > is a religious > symbol, similar to a cross or a statue of a Saint. TOM: Such as St. Hubbins, the patron saint of quality footwear. > * Electric Lights: in all of David Lynch movies, electricity is good, > darkness is evil. CROW: Probably since he gets a big kickback from ConEdison. > > The Story MIKE: The story you're about to read is truly baffling. Only the font has been changed to protect your eyesight. > > In order to explain all of the quirky symbolism which one plentifully > finds in this movie, it is easiest to divide the film into six > chapters. TOM: But I don't want to make things too easy on you, so we'll be dividing the film into nineteen chapters. > Each chapter is determined by grouping common events or > scenes found in the film in chronological order. Each chapter is split > into two parts: CROW: The part that doesn't make sense and the part that REALLY doesn't make sense. > "The Scene" and "The Hidden Meaning". MIKE: Hidden Meaning? Isn't that a salad dressing? > In The Scene portion, the actual story or script will be retold making > it easier to discuss the symbolism. TOM: Hopefully, there will be flow charts or something. > In The Hidden Meaning portion, > all the symbolism found in that particular chapter will be discussed > and interpreted individually. CROW: [as Ray Wolfe] I hope you'll find it clear. MIKE: [as Groucho] Clear? Huh! Why, a four-year-old child could understand this webpage. Run out and find me a four-year- old child. I can't make head or tail out of it. > And now . . . > TOM: Without wasting any more time... wait, let's waste just a _little_ more time. [pause] There. And now... > > Chapter One > Henry's Confession CROW: [as Henry] I ate the last brownie! I'm so ashamed! > > > The Scene: The film opens with Henry's head floating in space with > the rock superimposed over his face. MIKE: This symbolizes the fact that Henry has a head like a rock. > We explore the rock only to find > the weird workman living inside. The workman is constantly looking out > his window. TOM: His job must be union-protected. CROW: "Teamsters in SPAAAAAAAAACE!" > Henry opens his mouth. A worm comes out. MIKE: Y'know, I'd have to attribute this to poor oral hygiene. > This makes the > workman start up his machinery. The machinery takes the worm from > Henry and casts it into a deep mudhole. TOM: [sings] Ya toss sixteen worms and whaddya get Another day older and... > > The Hidden Meaning: CROW: The hidden meaning is that David Lynch is loopier than an outhouse rat. > This chapter begins with Henry thinking or > focusing on church. Church is where he knows god can be found. MIKE: Either there or at Wal-Mart. > God is > always watching his creations (out of his window). TOM: Yup, God's basically your average "armchair quarterback." > Henry confesses his > sin (the worm leaves his mouth). God puts forgiveness to work and > Henry's sin is cast away, (into the mudhole), and forgotten. CROW: I didn't know going to confession was going to be so yucky. > God also > puts the consequence of Henry's sin into being which we will discover > in the next chapter. MIKE: Be with us next time for "As the Worm Turns" > > > Chapter Two > Hello Henry TOM: [sings] This is Louis, Henry. > > > The Scene: In this part of the film we are introduced to Henry. CROW: I thought we were introduced to Henry in the _last_ chapter! > We > observe him walking home, checking his mail and entering the elevator > to his apartment. MIKE: Phew! I think I'm getting overloaded with excitement here. > The lights in the elevator flicker. He "chats" with > his neighbor and enters his apartment. In his apartment he turns on > some music, dries his socks on the radiator and looks through a drawer > for Mary's picture. TOM: You're right, Mike. Lynch never lets up on the heartpounding suspense. Checking his mail, drying his socks -- Henry's life is a nonstop thrill ride. > The apartment itself is rather boring in its > decor: a bed; a nightstand; a dresser; a recordplayer; a radiator; > and a window which is bricked-over. CROW: Damn those three little pigs! > > The Hidden Meaning: This chapter shows us Henry's loneliness. MIKE: Maybe he could use his socks as puppets and carry on little conversations. That could alleviate the loneliness. TOM: C'mon, Mike, you'd have to be _really_ desperate to talk to puppets. MIKE: You're right. You'd have to be some kind of pathetic loser to... HEY!! > He does > not receive any mail, and we get the impression that he never does. CROW: Publisher's Clearinghouse must not have his address yet! > He enters the elevator and the lights flicker indicating an evil > presence. MIKE: I don't know if I'd call a defective Sylvania lightbulb an "evil presence." > He is very nervous around his neighbor, probably because he > does not want her finding out about his sin. TOM: Oh, he's pirating cable, eh? > Upon his entering of the > apartment, he dries his socks and contemplates suicide, but only > briefly,(stares at the radiator), as a cure for his loneliness. CROW: End loneliness today with fast-acting suicide! Available in original flavor and new cool mint. > The > bricked over window reinforces this loneliness. Then he remembers > Mary. MIKE: Of "Peter, Paul and..." fame. > While looking through his drawer, he drops a stone or coin into > a pot of water. This is probably a superstitious gesture such as > making a wish by tossing a coin into a fountain. TOM: Or tossing a stool pigeon into the East River. > > > Chapter Three > Mary's House ALL: [sing] Here we go off to Mary's house Mary's house, Mary's house Here we go off to Mary's house So early in the movie > > > The Scene: Henry is invited to Mary's for dinner. Here we meet Mary's > strange family: CROW: Charles, Tex, and Squeaky. > her angry mother; her happy-go-lucky father, Bill; > and her quiet, and possibly dead, grandmother. MIKE: Y'know, keeping your dead grandmother's body at home is really not the best way to avoid funeral expenses. > Henry is asked to > carve the chicken for dinner. It begins to move and starts bleeding > when Henry stabs it with the fork. TOM: This was the one time when Kentucky Fried Chicken _didn't_ do chicken right. In fact, they did chicken horribly, horribly wrong. > Mother asks to speak to Henry just > as the lights flicker, then turn off. CROW: Symbolizing the fact that Mary's family hasn't paid their utility bills in months. > It is then when we discover by > the mother's confrontation that Henry and Mary had sex and there is > a baby. MIKE: It turns out to be Baby Huey, and the rest of the movie is a "Roger Rabbit"-type combination of animation and live action. > > The Hidden Meaning: It is uncertain if the strange happenings are what > is really going on in Mary's house or if it is simply how Henry is > viewing the entire encounter. TOM: While crashing from a glue high. > The latter explanation seems to work > better. Henry is nervous because he does not know how much the parents > know about he and Mary or what they will do to him if they do know. CROW: Maybe they'll make him french kiss the grandmother. > He sees Mary as very nervous, constantly fidgeting. He sees mother as > stern and angry, almost as if she is interrogating Henry the entire > night. MIKE: A natural reaction, seeing as how the part of Mary's mother was played by Senator Joe McCarthy. > Bill seems indifferent. There is one occasion, at dinner, where > Bill gives Henry the chicken to carve. This symbolizes the giving of > his daughter to Henry. TOM: It also symbolizes a product placement for Tyson. > Henry sees himself ruining this gift in some > way. When mom confronts Henry, the lights go out - Henry knows trouble > is coming. CROW: He's scared of the dark. > When mother starts nibbling Henry's ear, he probably is > simply fantasizing. You see, just the memory of what he and Mary did > is enough to turn this lonely man on. MIKE: Yes, they had awkward, unfulfilling sex in Henry's dank, squalid apartment. Ah, memories... > > > Chapter Four > Life with Baby TOM: The unreleased sequel to "Bringing Up Baby" > > > The Scene: Here we find Mary taking care of the baby. Henry comes home > and finds a little worm in his mail box. CROW: Henry must've joined the "Bait of the Month" club. > He hides this from Mary when > he comes in the door. Henry looks at his family them stares at the > radiator. MIKE: [as Henry] A family, a radiator... who could ask for anything more? > Mary asks if there was any mail and Henry lies. Later that > night, Henry puts the little worm in a jewelry box on his dresser. He > has no idea that Mary knows what he's doing. TOM: How long can he expect to keep his fishing trips a secret? > Even later in the night, > Mary goes crazy trying to sleep with the baby's crying, so she leaves > Henry to go live with her parents. CROW: And Henry immediately starts planning a toga party while she's away. > In his loneliness, Henry goes to > sleep thinking of his sexy neighbor. MIKE: Ethel Mertz. > The next day, Henry finds out > that the baby is sick. Now he has to take care of it. Henry sits by > its side all day. TOM: Ah, the preferred Christian Science method of treatment. > The baby lets Henry get up, but it won't let him > leave the apartment. So Henry checks the little worm in the jewelry > box, turns out the light and goes to sleep. CROW: So the little worm is actually a baby monitor...? > > The Hidden Meaning: In this chapter we find Mary taking care of > Henry's problem or condition. MIKE: His itchy, flaky scalp. > During this time Henry sins again,(the > little worm). TOM: [raps] He can't satisfy you with his little worm But I can bust you out with my super sperm > Even though it is just a little sin this time, Henry > hides this secret from Mary. CROW: Because he's afraid she'll beat him up. > He then contemplates suicide again. > This time it seems a little more appealing means of escape. Mary > confronts Henry about his sin and he lies to her, (the mail). Later > that night we realize that Mary knows about the sin. MIKE: "Marriage: just say no." This message has been brought to you by David Lynch and the Council to Prevent Matrimony. > She becomes > frustrated because while she is trying to help Henry with his problem, > (baby), he is continuing to do what he did before, TOM: Go to strip clubs and the racetrack constantly. > so she leaves him > to deal with his problem himself. CROW: Thus becoming a deadbeat mom. > Henry finds there is quite a bit > involved in caring for his condition. What's more, he cannot ignore > or leave his condition anymore. MIKE: He has to constantly drop in to see what condition his condition is in. > > > Chapter Five > The Dream TOM: I dreamt I was watching "Eraserhead" in my Maidenform bra. > > > The Scene: Henry goes to sleep and dreams a strange dream. CROW: Uh, how could it be any stranger than the rest of the movie? MIKE: Well, in his dream, everyone talks and acts normally. CROW: Wow. That _is_ strange! > In this > dream he watches the radiator intently. In it he sees a stage. On the > stage is a chipmunk woman dancing. TOM: No, wait, that's Pia Zadora. > As worms fall from the ceiling, she > steps on them. ALL: [as Mr. Bill] Nooooooo!!!!! > The dream then takes Henry back to his bedroom where he > finds Mary fidgeting next to him. He reaches over and finds Mary is > full of big worms. CROW: Ya think David Lynch _might_ have some issues with women? > He then sees the little worm in the jewelrybox come > alive and start dancing around. MIKE: "Michael Flatworm's Lord of the Dance." > The worm opens its mouth and eats > Henry. TOM: A gummi worm finally gets its revenge! > Next, the dream puts Henry in his apartment. There is a knock > at the door. CROW: Go away! I don't want any of your damned cookies! > It's the sexy neighbor wanting to spend the night. Henry > has sex with the neighbor but struggles to keep her from noticing the > baby. MIKE: [as Henry] Uh... that's my roommate. Just ignore him. > Now back to the stage where the chipmunk girl sings of heaven. TOM: She sings "Ooh Heaven Is a Place on Earth." > Henry steps onto the stage and touches her hand. He sees a bright > light. CROW: So the Chipmunk Girl is one of those touch-sensitive lamps? > Then the weird workman appears. All the worms leave the stage. MIKE: And the workman proceeds to do his version of "Proud Mary." > A giant tree is brought out. Henry gets nervous and his head flies > off. TOM: I'd definitely say that Henry is a type "A" personality. > The baby's head appears in its place. The tree starts bleeding > and Henry's head disappears. His head falls from the sky. A boy finds > it and has it made into erasers. CROW: And this is how spontaneous decapitation fuels our economy. > > The Hidden Meaning: This chapter is probably the most important of > the six. MIKE: And by "important," I mean "nausea-inducing." > In it, Henry thinks very seriously about suicide. With > suicide will come death (the chipmunk girl), TOM: The Chipettes -- Jeanette, Brittany, and DEATH! > but death will stomp out > all of Henry's sin (worms). CROW: So death is basically a little kid squishing worms on a rainy day. Gotcha! > Henry then finds that his problem has > corrupted his life with Mary, (the worms have infested even her). MIKE: Not that she was such a prize to begin with. > His > "little" sin then taunts him in his dream, reminding him of what he > did. TOM: He cheated on a math test in the third grade! > Henry tries to "get to know" his neighbor, but even in his dreams > his "condition" (baby) haunts him. He does not want his neighbor to > know about his problem. CROW: Henry really needs to join Parents Without Partners. > Now back to death, which reminds him again > that death will solve his problems, ("in heaven, everything is fine"). MIKE: Heaven may be fine, but how's the TV reception there? > He begins to accept this. Death gives him a little taste of what it > would be like with a warm, bright light. TOM: Being dead is like being a hamburger under a heat lamp. > God (the workman) now > intercedes in the dream. CROW: [as Jimmy Durante] Everybody wants t' get in on da act! > He and Henry carry on a silent conversation.> God tells him,"Hey, I can get rid of that sin (worms) for you. MIKE: [as God] I know a place where I can pawn it. > Remember what I did for you" (large dead tree appears on stage). TOM: [as God] I gave you Dutch Elm disease! > "But > you don't know what I really am," says Henry, "Inside I am horrible > (Baby's head replaces Henry's). CROW: I've heard of having an "inner child," but this is ridiculous! > "But remember my sacrifice." says god > (Tree bleeds). MIKE: Is there a tree surgeon in the house? > "No, no," says Henry, "My whole existence should be > rubbed out" ('eraserhead'). TOM: I'm gonna rrrrrrrrub ya out, see? Rrrrrrrrrub ya out! > Refusing God's intervention, Henry > wakes up. CROW: And finds Auntie Em and Uncle Henry gathered around his bed. > > > Chapter Six > Henry's Solution MIKE: I'll bet it involves big hair and worms. > > > The Scene: Upon waking up, Henry finds himself alone with the baby. TOM: We now return you to your depressing little life. > Remembering his dream, he tries to visit his neighbor. No one answers > and the baby laughs at Henry. CROW: [high-pitched "baby" voice] Sucker! > Henry then hears the neighbor in the > hall. He opens the door only to find the neighbor with a "friend". MIKE: So please listen to the message that I send Don't ever talk to a girl who says she just has a friend > The neighbor looks at Henry and sees him with the baby's head. TOM: [sings] Baby face You've got the most repulsive baby face > Henry > goes back into his apartment and watches them through the keyhole. CROW: Look familiar, Mike? > Frustrated, Henry gets a pair of scissors and cuts open the baby's > wrappings. MIKE: Despite the stamp that says "Do Not Open Til X-Mas." > The baby struggles. Henry pokes its organs to try to put > it out of its misery. TOM: I wonder what Dr. Spock would say about this odd form of parenting. > The lights flicker, then shut off. Henry has a > vision of the asteroid. CROW: Oh, great. Just what we need. ANOTHER asteroid movie! > Inside he finds the workman trying to stop his > machine without success. Henry is then standing in a bright light. He > hugs the chipmunk girl and everything goes dark. MIKE: And the audience storms the ticket booth demanding their money back. > > The Hidden Meaning: In Henry's dream his only solace was the affair > with his neighbor, so he tries to make his dream a reality. TOM: Of course, if the movie were being made today, Henry would probably go to one of those "adult" chat rooms. > He (the > baby) laughs at himself. He tells himself that he is stupid if he > thinks anyone as nice as his neighbor would go out with someone as > horrible as him. CROW: [as Henry, berating himself] Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! > When the neighbor arrives home, Henry finds that she > already has a lover and he suspects she only sees him as the horrible > sinner that he is anyway. MIKE: She also wishes he wouldn't play the stereo after nine, but that's a whole other subplot. > With that he decides to remove his problem, > "cut it out" if you will. TOM: No, _you_ cut it out! > Based on the dream there is only one way to > end his torment: death. He stabs himself. CROW: What a heartwarming message for the moviegoing public. Have a problem? Kill yourself! > Evil runs rampant in Henry's > apartment (lights flicker on and off). MIKE: It's either evil or some punk kid messing with the light switch. > Henry sees God trying to stop > the guilt and consequence that he put into motion at Henry's > confession. The consequence was only meant to keep Henry from sinning > again, not meant to cause his death. TOM: Whoops! I guess this will wind up on "God's Bloopers and Practical Jokes." > (This imperfection in the god is > why the workman symbolizes more of a mythological god rather than the > One True God.) CROW: Are you saying that the True God never messes up? I mean, what about Paula Cole? Brussel sprouts? The entire state of New Jersey? > The chain of events cannot be undone, however, and > Henry embraces death. > MIKE: But death won't let him get to first base. > > > > The Numerology of > Eraserhead TOM: For you Lynch fans who like to play the Daily Lotto. > > One of the oddities of this film is its unusual tendency to revolve > events around the number 13: CROW: For instance, the average viewer gives up the film after about 13 minutes. > > When Henry enters the elevator and pushes the button, it takes 13 > seconds for the doors to close. MIKE: David Lynch took the calculated risk that audiences wouldn't mind waiting through this scene. > > In Henry's dream, he hears a knock at his door. He opens the door and > looks out into the hallway. His neighbor appears out of the darkness > 13 seconds later! TOM: In other films, this would be considered a lull, but in a Lynch film it's "genius." > > During the same scene the neighbor has two lines separated by a long > pause, CROW: Remember, this isn't "dead time," it's brilliant symbolism! > "I locked myself out of my apartment." (Start counting now. > 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13) "And it's so cold." MIKE: Uh, do I have to keep counting, or are we done? > > Henry's apartment number is 26. (2x13=26). TOM: It's also the number of bottles of Brylcreem he goes through in a week. > > Mary's address is 2416. (2+4+1+6=13)!!! CROW: [as Chevy Chase as Gerald Ford] It was my understanding that there was to be no math. > > There are also other examples, but I will leave them for you to find. MIKE: ...because I'm too damned busy. > > > Classic Scenes > TOM: Yes, six classic scenes from "Eraserhead" are depicted on a series of "Burger King" glasses. > > > David Lynch is more than simply a Producer, Writer and Director. CROW: He's also an Amway salesman in his spare time. > He is > an Artist. MIKE: He's Prince? TOM: Uh, no that's _the_ Artist. MIKE: Oh. > By using the camera, lighting and visual effects he creates > images which, if they could be captured in a single frame, would be > truly a work of art. CROW: But can he draw Popeye freehand? > By using many of the elements of design, such as > balance, contrast, depth, symbolism, Mr. Lynch creates a private > gallery of stunning visual masterpieces. TOM: He also uses man-eating worms, mutant babies, and guys with big hair. > A few examples of these > scenes are given below: > > Look for the scene at Mary's house where we see Mary crying in the > background and her dad's face grinning in the foreground. MIKE: Denial -- where would families be without it? > > While Henry is being questioned by Mary's mother, Mary walks into > the hall to join them. CROW: I didn't expect the Spanish Inquisition. MIKE & TOM: Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition! > A longer look will show that a pipe is in the > foreground and is completely separating Mary from her Mother and > Henry. MIKE: Once again, we see a family divided by plumbing. > > When Henry arrives at Mary's house she is very angry with him as > long as she stays behind the screen in the kitchen door. Once she > steps around this barrier, she is pleasant and smiles. TOM: She's a slightly defective Stepford Wife. > > One of the best scenes in the entire film is when Mary leaves Henry. > She walks over to the bed (while Henry is it) and starts pulling at > the baseboard. CROW: A low-budget alternative to a vibrating bed. > She looks like she is behind bars or in prison trying > to get out. MIKE: I know the feeling, toots. > After what seems like an eternity, we find that she was > simply trying to get the suitcase out from under the bed. TOM: Again, this is a stroke of genius, not a lull in the movie. > > Something That Makes You Go Hmm... CROW: Like Krazy Gluing your lips together! > In Mary's house her clock has only one hand, but in her kitchen she > has two stoves. Hmmm. MIKE: Probably so there's no waiting if more than one person wants to stick their head in the oven. > > > [Mike and the 'bots get up and start to exit the theater.] TOM: That wasn't so bad, I guess. It was roughly the literary equivalent of a mild ice cream headache. [*, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, Dog bone] [SATELLITE OF LOVE - BRIDGE] [Mike is dressed up as Henry. He wears a black suit and a fright wig. He's cradling Crow in his arms. Crow's body has been replaced by a bandaged bulbous shape. Only his head and neck stick out from the bandages. There's a weird buzzing in the background.] CROW: Wahhh! Wahhh! MIKE: [singing softly] Hush little mutant Don't say a word Henry's gonna feed you A mockingbird CROW: Wahhhhhh! Wahhhh, I say! [Mike starts throttling Crow.] MIKE: C'mon, ya little brat! Shut up! CROW: Ack! Ack! [Tom Servo enters. His normally see-through head is filled with something.] TOM: Stop it! You're killing him! [Mike gently sets Crow down on the console.] MIKE: Tom! Uh, I mean God! What have you got inside your head? TOM: Why don't you look inside and see? [Mike cautiously unscrews the top of Tom's head. Several of those novelty store springy-snakes pop out.] MIKE: Ah! My secret sin! Nooooooo!!!!! [Red light blinks.] TOM: Oh, Henry? MIKE: Yes, God? TOM: I think the Chipmunk Girl is calling. MIKE: Right. [Mike hits the button.] [CASTLE FORRESTER - GREAT HALL] [Pearl is alone. Everything is still in black and white. Pearl gives Mike and the 'bots a slow, sarcastic round of applause.] PEARL: Very nice performance, guys. I'm sure you'll be up for a Tony Award. [SATELLITE OF LOVE - BRIDGE] [Tom, Crow, and Mike -- now all back to normal -- take their bows.] MIKE: Thank you! TOM: You're too kind! CROW: Drive home safely! [CASTLE FORRESTER - GREAT HALL] PEARL: Okay, that's enough, hambones! I don't understand it. I thought that guide was going to be the experiment that finally broke your wills once and for all, but I guess I mistook "puzzling" for "painful." HEY, WOLFIE! GET IN HERE!! [Ray Wolfe enters, timidly.] RAY: Uh, yes, Mrs. Forrester? PEARL: Your little "Eraserhead" guide didn't have quite the devastating effect I was going for. Have you overanalyzed any _other_ movies from the 1970s? RAY: Well, there's my "Online Guide to SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT." PEARL: Hmmmmm... that sounds like it has potential. What's it about? RAY: Basically, I explain that the film is a metaphor about how mankind only wants that which is unobtainable. We are all Smokeys in eternal pursuit of the elusive "Bandit" of true happiness. PEARL: [rubs hands together] Excellent. And how long is it...? RAY: It's divided into eleven main chapters, plus a glossary and a study guide. It prints out at about 513 pages altogether. PEARL: Perfect! Now, be a dear and go fetch it. RAY: Yes, ma'am! Right away, ma'am. [Ray scurries out of the room.] PEARL: [to the camera] Oh, Nelson! I have a little something I think you're going to enjoy.... [Pearl does her standard laugh.] [Roll closing theme song and credits.] NOTE: I encourage everyone to visit Ray Wolfe's wonderful "Eraserhead" site. It's really a great source about a great movie, despite the jokes I made about it. Once again, that URL is... http://users.aol.com/raywolf1/eraserhead/index.html Joe's Mystery Usenet Theater 3000 Episode Guide ----------------------------------------------- [001] Boycott This Blasphemous Movie [002] Sweet Valley High: Oracle On-Air [003] Revenge of the Old Queen [004] Three Usenet Posts About "Titanic" [005] Orgy of the Dead [006] IMDb Entry for Rick Sloane [007] Ray Wolfe's Online Guide to ERASERHEAD ----------------------------------------------------------- D I S C L A I M E R ----------------------------------------------------------- Mystery Science Theater 3000 and its associated characters and situations are the property and trademarks of Best Brains, Inc. In no way should this MiSTing be construed to be an infringement on those rights. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 1998 by Joe Blevins > * The Chipmunk Girl - she is Death. Produced in an evil attempt to thwart the Sci-Fi Channel