
The Elephant Man
Mel Brooks saw Eraserhead and perceived what few others could at the time, that David Lynch was an empathetic artist who, while fully capable of provoking nightmares, was just as able to move an audience to tears. That’s exactly what happened with Brooks’ 1980 production of The Elephant Man, a Frankensteinian parable about an outwardly ugly creature with a beautiful soul. Acted to understated perfection by Anthony Hopkins and John Hurt, Lynch’s commercial debut is also one of the most lustrously beautiful black and white films ever photographed, courtesy of Freddie Francis.
About Karyn Kusama
Karyn Kusama wrote and directed her first feature film, Girlfight in 1999. Since then she has directed the science-fiction love story Aeon Flux, and the comedy-horror film Jennifer’s Body. She lives in Los Angeles.