White Wall Cinema: INLAND EMPIRE

With the sad passing of a true icon of cinema in David Lynch, we screen the final feature film of his illustrious career in the shape of this special 4K remaster presentation of the infamous Inland Empire. The final ‘ultimate’ puzzle of a career made out of cinematic puzzles, this 2006 experimental psychological thriller represents the natural progression and final landing point of the much discussed Lynchian style. Inland Empire is the direct successor to the likes of Blue Velvet, Wild At Heart, Twin Peaks, Lost Highway and perhaps most crucially Mulholland Drive.

A crucial artefact of the early digital filmmaking era, Lynch is as innovative as ever in this wild tale of a Hollywood actress (a mighty performance by Laura Dern) who begins to take on the personality traits of a character she is playing in a supposedly cursed film production. ​​Largely financed by Lynch himself, started without a finished screenplay and developed (as was Lynch’s preference) on a scene by scene basis, the film is famously shot by Lynch himself entirely on a handheld Sony camcorder. If Lynch was known for his pre-occupation with the relationship between cinema and dreams then Inland Empire is the closest we will ever come to having a live feed from inside David Lynch’s head on the screen.

The final and most undiluted statement by one of cinemas great heroes Inland Empire is a full circle moment and easily his most personal film since 1977’s Eraserhead and an extraordinary document of Lynch’s boundless imagination. Once again joining with regular collaborators like Dern (Blue Velvet / Wild At Heart) as well Justin Theroux (Mulholland Drive), Harry Dean Stanton (Wild At Heart) & Grace Zabriskie (Twin Peaks) David also brings in the likes of Jeremy Irons and Julia Ormond plus a collection of star cameos. Uncompromising and masterful, Inland Empire is a deep, seductive, troubling and confrontational whirlwind of a film that will confound and beguile you throughout. 

• DOORS: 5.40pm*
• START TIME: 6.10pm*
• RUN TIME: 180 mins
• CERT: 12 (Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult)