What Did Jack Do? is the new short film from maverick filmmaker David Lynch. It’s streaming now on Netflix.
The 17-minute short film is in black and white. It feels like a passion project and was directed by, written by, and stars Lynch. The truly crooked film involves Lynch in the role of a homicide detective interrogating “a tormented monkey.”
Lynch started his career with a succession of short films. The first of these was 1967’s Six Men Getting Sick. A handful more followed before his feature length debut, Eraserhead (1977).
The release of What Did Jack Do? coincides with Lynch’s 74th birthday . The filmmaker and cultural icon is perhaps more famous than ever, but his film output has slowed over the last 15 years. In fact, his last feature length film was Inland Empire in 2006.
The experimental thriller ran for three gruelling hours and left viewers feeling shaken, battered and bruised. In 2017 he returned with the third season of Twin Peaks. But, while its cinematic credentials are undisputed, it’s not technically a film.
Watch: David Lynch on returning to ‘Twin Peaks’
Lynch has remained in the public eye courtesy of his association with various other mediums. A devout practitioner of transcendental meditation, Lynch founded the David Lynch Foundation for Consciousness-Based Education and World Peace in 2005.
The charitable foundation’s initial aim was to fund TM teaching in schools. Its scope has expanded more recently to include at-risk populations such as the homeless, war refugees and prison inmates.
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Lynch is also a musician and released the albums Crazy Clown Time in 2011 and The Big Dream in 2013. The former includes a collaboration with Karen O and the latter includes ‘I’m Waiting Here’ featuring Lykke Li. Last year, Lynch added vocals to Flying Lotus’ album Flamagra.
Let’s hope there’s more film work to come from Lynch this year. He hasn’t ruled out the possibility of revisiting Twin Peaks yet again, though he’s specified it couldn’t be until 2021.
