What’s fascinating is how much Lynch’s movies feel SO perfectly realized without those deleted scenes, almost like they were always meant to be exactly the way they are, that it’s difficult to imagine how Lynch could EVER have thought those scenes belonged in the films. Granted, it’s easy to feel this way when we have the benefit of retrospect. But did he ever consider (to use an extreme example) that the Josie/Pete scene would be in the film? Or did he just feel like having some fun with three actors he loves? It’s not like he was being irresponsible, since he has a reputation for being on time and on budget despite his habit of grossly overshooting. But in an era before DVD deleted scenes where he had every reason to believe the cut material would never see the light of day, you really have to wonder that this stuff didn’t get pared down earlier in the process. Anyway, who am I to question the man’s process when the proof is in the pudding. And thank God all that stuff did get shot. Another instance of Lynch being ahead of his time, perhaps.
While I agree with David Locke that BV is a perfect tight two-hour film, it is fascinating to imagine a version of the film where our introduction to Jeffrey is him watching a rape and doing nothing to stop it until he’s outed. That really casts the character in a different light, and is a great example of how lifting one scene can change the entire tone of a film.
As for TMP, my faves are pretty predictable/popular choices, I think. Certainly the Laura smile. And the Ed/Norma scene which certainly would have no business being in FWWM, but is so beautiful on every level. God, I miss Peggy Lipton. And Angelo of course. Just pure romance. All these scenes become more and more magical as people pass away, knowing that we got these extra little treasures from them. I remember in 2014 how exciting it was to have any of this stuff, but in particular, a new Jack Nance performance.
I like what Jordan says about the “muffin” line. This is something you see in some other Lynch films as well, where something is explained more in the script or in a deleted scene, but then in the final film the context is taken away, making it even more enigmatic. And this is perhaps a great justification for Lynch overshooting: one scene might not fully work for the film, but can still hold something that impacts another scene.
I do think the dinner/ax scene could conceivably have a place in the film. There’s something to be said for showing the Palmers during a happy moment to drive home the impact of what is ultimately lost. I think the film is fine without it too, but I think that was probably one of the tougher cuts for Lynch. You can tell in the Between Two Worlds feature how much he loves that scene.
What we still haven’t gotten, and probably never will, is the initial more violent/nightmarish cut of the train car scene. I wonder if that footage exists anymore, and if so, why it wasn’t included in TMP. The final edit always feels kind of rushed to me and is maybe the least effective part of the movie for me…although in a way, the driving inevitability of it all is perhaps the point.