The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 66, No. 32, Ed. 1 Tuesday, April 10, 1979 Page: 11 of 12
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The Rice Thresher, April II, 1979, Page 11
I
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The Eraser's Edge
F. Brotzen
Eraserhead is a difficult film
to categorize; perhaps
'miscellaneous' would be the
most fitting label. To tell you
it's just about a guy living alone
in a small room in a city who
dreams profusely, would not
even come close to conveying
the spirit of Eraserhead.
The film starts out
believably, (that is to say,
within the realm of reason,
physics, nature, whatever). We
see our hero, Henry (John
Nance), plodding around an
unidentified urban wasteland
with a brown paper bag under
his arm. When he arrives at his
sleazy hotel, he is informed that
his girlfriend expects him over
for dinner. The following scene
at her house is painfully funny,
as a room full of quasi-geeks sit
around and engage in light
conversation.
Eventually, the new Mrs.
Eraserhead moves in with
Henry, accompanied by their
prematurely-born offspring.
Then the real fun begins. The
fine line between Henry's
visions and reality becomes
blurred, with the visions
gaining the upper hand. Yet it
would be innaccurate to say
that Eraserhead is a film about
madness. One gets the feeling
that the hallucinations are just
everyday events for Henry, and
that his life is not particularly
altered by their frequency or
intensity.
Eraserhead is definitely not a
comedy. Although it is being
screened for midnight shows
only (at the Greenway 3), it
should not be confused with
The Rocky Horror Picture
Show or the likes of films by
John Waters and Andy
Warhol. Nevertheless,
Eraserhead is not without a
certain wry humor in several
scenes—such as the one from
which the film derives its title.
After you have seen the film,
you will realize that John
Nance simply had to be Henry.
This goes beyond good casting
— it borders on documentary. A
still photo of Henry only begins
to communicate the eery
feeling he gives on the screen.
But at other times, his
bizarreness takes on a passively
comical element, sort of like
Oliver Hardy, as he sits in
amazement while his world
crashes around him.
Eraserhead achieves much of
its dread, (although I would
hesitate to classify it as a horror
film), through formal devices
such as photography and
background sound. Since it is a
black and white mo\ie, director
m
Henry on his way to the pencil factory
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i
THINKING OF LAW SCHOOL?
On Monday, April 16, There will be a
meeting of the Prelaw Association
presenting representatives from three law
schools to discuss the general law school
application process and their particular
programs. Any graduate or undergraduate
student who may be applying to law school
for admission in 1980 or a later year Is
urged to attend. The meeting will be held at
7:30 In Sewall Hall 301. The schools are:
THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO LAW SCHOOL
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY LAW SCHOOL
YALE LAW SCHOOL
Lynch is able to create an
atmosphere of apprehension
with lighting rather than
laboratory special effects. The
photography is excellent,
especially at the beginning,
when the camera waits
patiently for Henry, watches
him, and then lingers long after
he leaves the frame. This kind
of camera style has an
unsettling effect which all the
cellos of Jaws could not equal.
I am still not sure quite what
to think of Eraserhead. It
appealed to me in many ways,
despite the fact that (or maybe
because) it is an intentionally
disquieting film. Although
Eraserhead has not yet gained
the popular following of The
Rocky Horror Picture Show in
Houston, early indications are
that it is doing rather well. A
final word of caution: This is a
very bizarre film — weak
stomachs and faint hearts need
not apply.
John Nance—The Eraserhead
COLOR
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Heard, Michelle Leigh. The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 66, No. 32, Ed. 1 Tuesday, April 10, 1979, newspaper, April 10, 1979; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth245404/m1/11/?rotate=90: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.