I’d been looking forward to this interview ever since my sister told me about Steven McCaig (26). He’s originally from Houston, TX and studied Public Relations and Creative Writing at Texas State University, but now he currently teaches abroad in Madrid, Spain. Steven has always loved movies, but his passion truly manifested itself in college when he was able to check out an armful of DVDs at a time for free. In this interview we talk about one of Steven’s favorite films and his love for it is undoubtedly strong. 
Q: What movie would you like to talk about?
A: Mulholland Drive was my choice, I believe.
Q: And I’d just like to say that I love David Lynch’s work, so this will be fun. Do you remember the first time you watched this movie?
A: Oh, that’s great. I’m always excited to meet people who like Lynch. The first time I watched it was in college, about three years ago, I’d guess.
Q: Had you seen any of Lynch’s work before?
A: At that point I think only Blue Velvet, Eraserhead and Twin Peaks.
Q: And what made you choose this movie?
A: For my money, I’d argue it’s the best movie made in the last sixteen years, one of the best movies I’ve ever seen. Any chance to talk about it, I’ll take.
Q: Wow. Well, that’s a good reason then. Can you give me a brief synopsis of the movie?
A: A young woman moves to Los Angeles to make it in Hollywood and finds herself wrapped up in a lost identity/murder mystery. Along the way, her perception of her reality is challenged. Also, there’s a cowboy and a monster behind a dumpster.
Q: What scene affected you the most?
A: The scene towards the end in Club Silencio when Rebekah Del Rio sings her Spanish Roy Orbison cover, for sure. That scene wrecks me.
Q: Why?
A: It’s the point in the movie where all the walls of reality are starting to crumble, both for Betty as well as the viewer. Lynch does such a masterful job of putting us right in Betty’s position while these emotions, that we maybe can’t even place yet, just wash over us thanks to his shot selection and Del Rio’s absolutely haunting song.
Q: Has this movie changed you in any way?
A: It’s definitely changed me as a movie-watcher, undoubtedly. But as a person outside of movies, yeah, it probably has as well. I think little bits and pieces of important movies stick with you over your life and change how you see the world, change how you interact with other people.
Q: And what makes this movie different from other movies you’ve seen?
A: It’s different in the way that it goes about presenting itself, as pretentious as I know that sounds. The film treats plot as almost an encumbrance and basically disregards it a lot of the movie. Instead, the movie is driven by emotional beats. Also, Lynch absolutely refuses to hold his audience’s hand and just assumes that you’re keeping up and are willing to go on this weird journey with him.
Q: Yeah. I’ve never heard Lynch’s work described that way, but that’s exactly it. How does this film make you feel when you’re watching it?
A: It’s not an original statement, but it feels like a dream. People just float in and out at seemingly random intervals. We jump from story to story with no warning and are generally just along for the ride. It’s like a roller-coaster in a bizarre, wonderful dream carnival. I’m usually in a daze for about a day after watching it, haha!
Q: That’s how I felt while binge watching Twin Peaks. Now let’s look at the movie in a broader context. How do you think this film can contribute to our society or the film industry in general?
A: If I had a year, I couldn’t say everything I’d like to say about Twin Peaks. But as far as Mulholland Drive, I think it can absolutely contribute in both fields. For the film industry, we need as many madmen auteurs working in the studio system as possible to disrupt the “business as usual” mentality that seems to set in every decade or so. As well you can see the impact the movie has had since it came out, and the influx of quasi-surrealist influenced movies like Under the Skin and Holy Motors that obviously owe it a debt of gratitude. Society at large could probably also benefit from stepping outside its comfort zone and seeing odd, challenging movies now and again. Changing up the way they look at the world. And this is definitely one of the oddest and most challenging.
Q: Yes, excellent. You read my mind. So, why do you think it’s important that people continue creating movies?
A: Because movies are the way that culture is expressed by society at large, and it’s the way we mark our time in history. Movies are modern-day cave paintings. They’re the reason I have any idea what the sixties were like in Haight-Ashbury, why I know what Italy was like in the fifties or even what the town I live in was like in the nineties. It doesn’t matter the movie. It can be The Godfather, Robocop, or Super Troopers; you can learn something from each and every one.
Q: Excellent. And here are my last questions: What do you believe is the best way to connect with your audience? And how can you make an audience feel a particular way or think about something differently?
A: I don’t know if there is one best way to connect with an audience, or if there is, I don’t know it. I just know that the story you’re telling dictates what you show to the audience and how. The audience knows you can cut to anything from any angle and play whatever you want behind it. You have to use that knowledge to get across your message in the best way possible for the story you’re telling. I’m not sure if that’s a cheat answer or not, but I stole the ending a bit from David Fincher, so I think it should work.
It’s always great to talk to someone who is as obsessed (or more obsessed) than I am about film. Steven’s insight into the creation of movies is truly something to cherish. With just one interview, he’s helped me to better understand a whole range of cinematic
possibilities that I’d never thought to explore.There were so many important points made in this interview, so I’ll just touch up on a few.
I think I often forget that the audience doesn’t need to be babied. Directors and screenwriters don’t need to hold the audience’s hand and guide them through the story, and yet I often worry that if I don’t spell out the tricky parts of a story for the audience, they won’t understand what I’m trying to portray. But maybe that’s not a bad thing. And maybe I can learn a thing or two from madmen like Lynch and Steven.
I don’t want my work to fall into the “‘business as usual’ mentality.” I want to create movies that make people think and wonder and dream. I don’t want my audience to know what’s coming next; I want them to come along for the ride and trust that I’ll take them somewhere interesting. But more than anything, I want my audience to go home asking themselves how they got caught up in such a beautiful cinematic whirlwind.
Just as Steven and so many others put it, Lynch’s work is dreamlike. Just like our own dreams, his work doesn’t always seem to make sense. People, places, and words sometimes seem out-of-place and otherworldly. He leaves a unique thumbprint on all of his pieces. I could recognize his misty and dreamy quality from miles away.
After interviewing Steven, I’ve learned that I want to form my own unique thumbprint for my work as well. I want to let go of my doubts and create freely. I want to create without worrying that the audience won’t get it. At the end of the day, an audience will see what they see and that won’t always be what I see. But that’s the point, isn’t it? This is an art form that invites interpretation and personal discovery and it’s not about me or what I believe the audience should take away from it. It’s about freedom and expanding beyond the cookie-cutter ways of the film industry. It’s about creating a story I believe in. So, if I’ve taken anything away from this interview, it’s that I can’t wait to create. I can’t wait to see what I can do.
“You’re right on the money with that. We’re all like detectives in life. There’s something at the end of the trail that we’re all looking for.” – David Lynch
Thank you, Steven, for such an interesting interview. If you’re interested in taking a closer look at Lynch as he works, check out this video and watch him create in all his uniqueness. Follow me on Twitter for post announcements or on Instagram just to see what I’m up to, and don’t hesitate to contact me if you’re interested in being interviewed for this blog.
Additional Information →
Mulholland Drive (2001)
Directed by: David Lynch
Written by: David Lynch
Starring: Naomi Watts, Laura Herring & Justin Theroux
Behind the Scenes of You 