Much like dreams, merely hearing Lynch's work described does not compare to experiencing his movies and TV series firsthand. Unconventional to the end, the director's filmography (plus Twin Peaks, indispensable to his oeuvre) almost always elicits strong responses, with each project re-assembling a number of core ideas, themes, and images.

In his later life, Lynch charged into the digital frontier in his typically singular fashion. He used grainy digital video cameras to shoot the bizarre California epic Inland Empire mostly on his own dime;

The late director’s unique vision and the love that his persona inspires make it easy to forget how winding his path to greatness was.