Red-Barracuda
'Hotel Room' was a made-for-cable anthology mini-series created by David Lynch and Monty Montgomery (best known to me as the deeply sinister Cowboy from Mulholland Drive (2001)) which didn't get beyond the first three episodes. The critical reaction to the series was pretty negative and so HBO didn't take the project any further. From the perspective of today the most significant thing about 'Hotel Room' now is that two of its three parts were directed by Lynch and written by Barry Gifford, the director/writing team who devised Wild at Heart (1990) and Lost Highway (1997). The other instalment was directed by the unheralded James Signorelli who directed the (rather fun) Elvira movie.When you take into account especially that Lynch and Gifford team up here, it has to be said that the results have to be considered somewhat disappointing. Neither the writing nor the direction seemed particularly good in their segments, while Signorelli's was poor also. The basic idea has the action in each episode occurring in the same hotel room but in differing years, in 1936, 1969 and 1992. It seems especially unfortunate that this wasn't a lot better really, as the potential is undeniable. The set-up is one which invites a lot of scope for creativity seeing as so many different characters and situations could be used in each episode. The recent British series 'Inside No.9' in fact shows brilliantly how such an idea can be used to devise something inventive and original. But as it is, Hotel Room definitely falls short and I can sort of understand why it wasn't recommissioned. No episode truly stood out for me as all felt under par in at least some way. You could probably argue that the final one 'Blackout' had at least a bit more atmosphere and overall purpose but it I did find even it somewhat uninvolving overall. The other two episodes felt a bit pointless and directionless. It seems to exist now in the form of an anthology film with all the episodes running together. It is still an interesting enough watch for the most part, especially if you like the work of Lynch but the overall feeling is that, with better writing especially, this could have led to something more.
GuiltlessSon
The first part of Hotel Room is complete perfection. The first time I viewed this piece I knew I had just witnessed something amazing, but like many other of Lynch's pieces it would require a second viewing. It has been two years and I have watched the first part over 50 times. I have showed this film to about 40 people. Thirty of them get it, ten are baffled. We recite quotes and facial expressions from Moe and Lou on a daily basis. Some of my favorites are "The Sh*t Moe, The Sh*t" "I know about crucial, Moe", and "It's not every hooker from New York that can do a cheer like that let me tell you." This is the most comical Lynch piece I have ever seen, Let me tell you. The humor is varied but does have a underlying consistent form which is crucial. All in all this movie is the Sh*t Moe the Sh*t!
MisterWhiplash
Three half-hour episodes were produced, two from David Lynch as director and Barry Gifford as writer, one from some random guy, James Signorelli, I never heard of (though, according to IMDb, directed an Elvira movie, and surprisingly helmed Easy Money), each set in a hotel room in a particular year in time: The first segment, Tricks, set in 1969, is a story of a man (Harry Dean Stanton) right about to get some from a stoned prostitute, who gets visited at that moment by an old white-bearded friend with some dark past history. The acting is good all around, particularly from Stanton during a monologue about his first sexual encounter. But it also doesn't really lead much anywhere, even through touches of Lynch's usual twists (the appearance of the 'friend', the final twist that does cleverly wrap around old relationship ties). It also tries to be funny, and it isn't, which makes it a little awkward when the subtle wit doesn't work. (7/10) The second segment, Getting Rid of Robby, set in 1992, is like some slightly sleazier, less witty episode of Sex and the City (if you can imagine that), with very lame would-be-clever dialog, and the only redeeming aspect being Griffin Dunne playing a man who's breaking up with a woman who usually 'takes care' of him when he comes by during business trips. Not sure why it was here, even if Badalamenti puts in a groovy jazz song over material that isn't worth it; it's not necessarily a horrible short, but it has no real entertainment value except for people who can't distinguish fake-feminist-trash from quality product, and it is a significant drop in comparison to the other two shorts. (5/10) Blackout, 1937- Probably the closest that Lynch has come to doing full-on Bergman, via Gifford's script, by ding very simply shot but emotionally complex character studying. Crispin Glover plays a small-town guy who stays in the same hotel room from the other two shorts with his love, played by Alicia Witt, who's sort of slow and affected mind-wise, but has a lot to say about Chinese fish and seeing things like their future children. Witt has a look like the classic Bergman actresses, and the dialog even goes further than Bergman, maybe back to Ibsen, in capturing the tense but always powerfully human tradition of characters who are disconnected from one another, but wanting to be close as possible, through revelations in behavior and stark details. Glover, in a rare instance, plays a guy who is the straight character (straight as possible anyway). In the Barry Lyndon-esquire candle-lit lighting, Lynch makes this all so spare that it seems like the farthest thing removed from an quagmire like Inland Empire. But in its own way, Lynch is experimenting just as much in getting inside the nature of a character's psychology, and it's refreshing to see him let the actors find their own beats in the performances. (9/10)
nostromoid
A very good trilogy of short stories that take place in a hotel room, during 40's and 90's. The second story is not directed by D.Lynch and you as a lynch fan will notice it right away. The first one is very good but the last story takes the price. Very classic Lynch directing. We see the characters many times from a mirror reflection, gives us the "watching" mood as in Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks. The story is dark and very moody. Angelo Badalamentis work haunts in the background. Just beautiful. Recommended. 9 out of 10!!
