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One of the most notorious – and least seen – erotic narrative films of the 90s, Boxing Helena was the misbegotten passion project of Jennifer Lynch, daughter of David Lynch. Four years after Boxing Helena, the elder Lynch released one of his most controversial films, Lost Highway, which tackles similar themes as Boxing Helena, including male sexual fragility and the “Madonna-Whore” complex. Today, we’ll talk about how Boxing Helena became bigger as a punchline than a movie, and we’ll trace David Lynch’s career as a provocateur to try to explain why his excavation of the dark, sexual core of Americana was celebrated when he made Blue Velvet, and pilloried a dozen years later when he made Lost Highway.

SHOW NOTES:  

Sources:

“Festgoers back ‘Boxing’ on NC-17” by Donna Parker, The Hollywood Reporter, 1-26-93

“The Talk of Sundance; The Winners and Notable Losers at Sundance” by Bernard Weinraub, NYTimes, Feb. 1, 1993 

“Kim Basinger Court Case Shines Light on Deal-Making : Trial: The ‘Boxing Helena’ lawsuit is the second recent high-profile dispute involving a star’s defection from a project. The way the industry does business is what is on trial here.’” by David J. Fox, LA Times, March 1, 1993 

“Basinger Tells Court Why She Refused Script” by Robert W. Welkos, La Times, March 9, 1993 

“Boxing Helena” LA Times, March 20, 1993 

Movies by Daniel Cerone, LA Times, May 22, 1993 

''Boxing Helena'''s controversies - How the film's strange marriage of love and amputation turned off much of Hollywood” by Giselle Benatar, Entertainment Weekly, April 09, 1993 

“Helena to do battle with NC-17” by Susan Ayscough, Variety, July 12, 1993

“Just for Variety” by Army Archerd, Variety, July 28, 1993

“Shadow Boxing : ‘Helena’ director fears that with the heavily publicized baggage about Madonna and Kim Basinger accompanying the film, practically no one will see without prejudice the movie she, David Lynch’s daughter, made” by Steve Weinstein, La Times, Aug. 29, 1993 

“At the Movies: ‘Boxing Helena’” by Dolores Barclay, AP, September 2, 1993 

“Boxing Helena; A Kinky, Macabre Tale Of Erotic Fascination” by Janet Maslin, NYTimes, Sept. 3, 1993 

“Boxing Helena” by Peter Travers, Rolling Stone, September 3, 1993 

“Marketing ‘Helena’ Will Test Orion’s Mettle” by Alan Citron, LA Times, September 3, 1993

“‘Helena’” Bizarre MorbidityWithout a Sense of Style” by Kevin Thomas, LA Times, Sept 3, 1993

“Lynch Kin” by Nancy Blaine, LA Village View, Sept. 3-9, 1993

“‘Boxing Helena’ Degrades Us All” by Bonnie Moran, LA Times, Sept. 20, 1993 

“Film Review: Boxing Helena” Todd McCarthy, Variety, January 25, 1994

“The Marriage of Heaven and Hell” by Juan Morales, Detour, November, 1995

“Talking With…Robert Blake” People, Dec 18, 1995

“October Toll for Lunch ‘Highway’ is $10 Million” The Hollywood Reporter, May 13, 1996

“David Lynch Keeps His Head” by David Foster Wallace, Premiere, Sept, 1996 

“David Lynch’s Wanted Weirdness” by Graham Fuller, Interview, Feb 1997 

A Pinewood Dialogue With David Lynch at the American Museum of the Moving Image, Feb 16, 1997 

“Living for the Odd Moments Along Lynch’s ‘Highway’” by Kenneth Turan, LA Times, Feb. 21, 1997 

“Lost Highway” by Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly, February 21, 1997 

Siskel & Ebert - Lost Highway, 1997 

“David Lynch pulls onto the ‘Lost Highway’ Entrance Ramp” by Mark Ehrman, LA Times, Feb 20, 1997

“Lost Highway” by Roger Ebert, February 27, 1997 

“Blue Route” by David Denby, New York Magazine, March 3, 1997 

“David Lynch and Trent Reznor: The Lost Boys Five years after leaving "Twin Peaks," David Lynch has moved to an even darker place with his new movie, 'Lost Highway.' And he's taken Trent Reznor with him” by Mikal Gilmore, Rolling Stone, March 6, 1997 

“Getting Lynched” by Dziemianowicz, Joe, Entertainment Weekly, March 28, 1997

“To Die For” by David Grann, New Republic, August 13, 2001 

Lost Highway Extra, Interview with David Lynch 

“Prime Time Blood,” by Dominick Dunne, Vanity Fair, May 2003

“The People vs Robert Blake” by Miles Corwin, Playboy, Feb 2004

“'Even Hitler deserved to be loved' Boxing Helena, Jennifer Lynch's first film, attracted such vicious criticism the director disappeared for 15 years. John Patterson salutes her return - and her new movie” by John Patterson, The Guardian, Feb 26, 2009 

“Chick In A Box Case File #144: Boxing Helena” by Nathan Rabin, AV Club, August 19, 2009 

Jennifer Lynch--The Hollywood Interview, November 2009 

“More Than David's Daughter: An Interview with Jennifer Lynch” Director and screenwriter Jennifer Lynch looks back at two decades of searching for artistic truth…and getting a lot of shit for it” by Jason Webber, VICE, September 25, 2012

Lynch on Lynch by Chris RodleyRoom to Dream by David Lynch and Kristine McKenna

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Music:

The music used in this episode, with the exception of the intro, was sourced from royalty-free music libraries and licensed music collections. The intro includes a clip from the film Casablanca.  

Credits:

This episode was written, narrated, and produced by Karina Longworth.

Our editor this season is Evan Viola. 

Research and production assistant: Lindsey D. Schoenholtz.

Social media assistant: Brendan Whalen.

Logo design: Teddy Blanks.