Eraserhead (1977)

I hope it’s true this was Stanley Kubricks favorite movie. If it is, there is a 100% certainty the screengrab I used inspired the blood elevators in the Shining.

What I found most shocking was how straight forward the story is. Yes, the imagery is surreal and illogical, but emotionally and chronologically, it all makes sense. The movie is about fear of not just growing up, but settling down. You spend your childhood fantasizing and planning out your future, but once you actually get there, it’s messy, confusing, and overwhelming. Sometimes you knock up the wrong person. Sometimes you make mistakes and you find yourself stuck, and your only escape is sleeping with the neighbor and fantasizing about a dance show inside your radiator. It’s one thing to see your age go up and say, “oh I’m old.” It’s another when you have a child, and no kidding have to slow down and take responsibilities. Raising a child CAN be a living nightmare.

After nearly 20 years of loving this film, I still have no idea what the “eraserhead” scene means or how it ties into the rest of the narrative. Any ideas?