David Lynch Wants To Make His Sci-Fi Film Ronnie Rocket, Is Currently Making A Documentary

[Brendon Connelly]

David Lynch's screenplay for Ronnie Rocket is the story of a small man who runs on electricity and who gets kidnapped for his singing skills; and also of the detective who enters Ronnie's mindscape in order to try and save him. It dates right back to the beginning of Lynch's feature film career, apparently written when he was in production on Eraserhead, but despite it being a genuine passion project, the director has never seen fit to put it before cameras. Actually - it might be because of this passion that Ronnie Rocket has remained on the page. It seems like Lynch has always been worried about not doing his idea justice.

In a new interview with Salon, Lynch says that he does pick the script up:

...from time to time ? there?s always something I haven?t figured out yet. I want to make it; I love that world.

"Always something I haven't figured out yet" - "something" singular, but "always". Maybe Lynch is forever looking for a reason to not make the film.

But he says he wants to do it, and I can promise you, I want him to do it too.

At the moment, Lynch is not at work on a fiction film but making a documentary about Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, leader of the transcendental meditation movement that the director so keenly supports. And, outside of the old day job, Lynch is now very successfully moonlighting as a musician. His debut album Crazy Clown Time came along a couple of months back and really does deserve a listen. It's the sort of thing that, if you like it, you're probably going to really love. Check it out on Spotify.

I wouldn't be surprised to hear that Ronnie Rocket is Lynch's next fiction film, somewhere down the line., but I wouldn't bet on it. In fact, I'm not even convinced he's ever going to make another feature film. Self distribution via the internet has opened up a lot of possibilities, and for Lynch, this seems to mean the freedom to doodle, and release those doodles, relatively free of pressure. I've got a hunch he might spend the rest of his career sketching, never taking anything further.

[sonicdan]

I've always been a fan of his work. I'd love to see Ronnie Rocket make it to film!
DAN

[scottcloster]

I've always been a fan of his work. I'd love to see Ronnie Rocket make it to film!
DAN

Same here. Inland Empire didn't feel like a proper exit to his "ficton" film career. Kind of a digital camera experiment / rumination on subject matter already covered in Mulholland Drive and Lost Highway. I kinda hope he gets bored with what he's doing a little bit down the road and gets to work on Ronnie Rocket or some other screenplay he's probably mulling over in the back of his mind.

[HectorLima]

wow, that's a really old script - almost legendary. I wish we get to see that movie one day, maybe after the documentary. I'm not surprised with him making music and doodling - before being a movie director he's an artschool kid.

I was at the brazilian signing for Catching the Big Fish, his book on Transcendental Meditation that surprisingly has a lot of background info on several of his movies. there was this lady asking people to sign up for the institute Lynch supports and I recall doing a bit of research on that. they really charge a lot for meditation classes.

if you see the Transcending Lynch doc [which has scenes of that signing and many other events while he was in Brazil] you'll learn more about his quest for funding to the institute. he seems to have a really pure intention, but the whole organized thing sometimes is a hair short of the Sc1entol0ly shenanigans - which fits the whole 'weird americana' thing, but the guy is much more than that.

transcendental meditation is amazing - i've tried it to great results - and in general a very simple technique, you don't need millions to build schools to teach it. Lynch has already gotten himself in quite some embarrassing situations because of that. I really hope he distances himself from the image of Maharishi [the Beatles knew better] and gets back to making terrific movies or any kind of Art he's willing to.

[scottcloster]

wow, that's a really old script - almost legendary. I wish we get to see that movie one day, maybe after the documentary. I'm not surprised with him making music and doodling - before being a movie director he's an artschool kid.

I was at the brazilian signing for Catching the Big Fish, his book on Transcendental Meditation that surprisingly has a lot of background info on several of his movies. there was this lady asking people to sign up for the institute Lynch supports and I recall doing a bit of research on that. they really charge a lot for meditation classes.

if you see the Transcending Lynch doc [which has scenes of that signing and many other events while he was in Brazil] you'll learn more about his quest for funding to the institute. he seems to have a really pure intention, but the whole organized thing sometimes is a hair short of the Sc1entol0ly shenanigans - which fits the whole 'weird americana' thing, but the guy is much more than that.

transcendental meditation is amazing - i've tried it to great results - and in general a very simple technique, you don't need millions to build schools to teach it. Lynch has already gotten himself in quite some embarrassing situations because of that. I really hope he distances himself from the image of Maharishi [the Beatles knew better] and gets back to making terrific movies or any kind of Art he's willing to.

I'll have to check out that documentary, I did enjoy the "Big Fish" book. A little slim, but he had some interesting ideas in there.