Bigfoot Collectors Club - Declassified December: "David Lynch" w/ Eric Edelstein (Dec 3, 2025)

Episode Overview

This heartfelt episode of the Bigfoot Collectors Club podcast is dedicated to the legendary filmmaker David Lynch, following the recent news of his passing. Hosts Michael McMillian and Riley Bray are joined by actor and Club favorite Eric Edelstein, who starred in Twin Peaks: The Return and has direct experience working with Lynch. Together, they reflect on Lynch’s profound influence on film, art, meditation, and the personal lives of those he touched—including their own. The episode blends touching memories, industry insights, and deep appreciation for Lynch’s life and work.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

The Shock and Grief of David Lynch’s Passing

• [03:42] Michael recounts learning of Lynch’s death (“When we got off the phone the other day, Riley, I sobbed. I sat down on the couch and I sobbed... so strange to mourn and grieve for a stranger.”)
• Eric emphasizes that Lynch was never a “stranger” to his fans, due to Lynch’s openness and engagement with the public (04:18).

The Power and Legacy of David Lynch

• Eric describes Lynch as a cosmic grandfather and the beating heart of LA, not only for his artistic influence but his advocacy for meditation (05:51).
• The hosts discuss how Lynch’s timing—his death coinciding with the area’s wildfires—somehow feels “surreal” and “Lynchian” (06:37).
• Michael ties his own year of personal loss to the experience of losing Lynch, seeing both events reflected in Lynch’s work, which never provides answers but always raises crucial existential questions (07:12).

Lynch’s Drive to Share Meditation (TM) and Its Impact

• Eric shares how Lynch sought to share transcendental meditation (TM) as a method for peace and creativity, making himself accessible through signings and talks, aiming to “clear cortisol levels” in a crazy world (04:18).
• “[Lynch] would meet everybody at the Ace Hotel, sign every book, deal with every person because he just wanted this message out there... he was kind of like all of our cosmic grandfather in a way.” (04:18–05:51)

Lynch on Set: A Generous and Unconventional Director

• Eric’s “don’t meet your heroes is absolute and total bullshit” (05:51) counteracts the usual advice, recollecting Lynch as “the greatest soul ever.”
• On Twin Peaks: The Return, Lynch’s entire crew practiced meditation, creating a joyful, relaxed atmosphere—“It felt like a day at the spa. It felt like Disneyland. It felt like opening day at Dodger Stadium.” (09:17)
• Recounts how Lynch welcomed actors, worked collaboratively, and encouraged improvisation, often drawing characters and moments from real interactions (13:32).

The Twin Peaks Experience

• Eric describes his own journey to meditation via Lynch’s Catching the Big Fish, and the uncanny route by which he met and meditated with Lynch ("He'd like to invite you out to his house to meditate..." 11:00).
• Lynch wrote Eric’s role as Detective “off of a giggle,” exhibiting his improvisational and intuitive process (13:32).
• Lynch’s leadership: “He empowered me with his way of leadership, which was pure love, to memorize lines and get over this lifelong fear.” (16:02–17:41)
• Lynch celebrated every actor on set, even those with a single line, fostering a familial environment (21:53).

Artistic Process: Embracing Mystery and High Strangeness

• The impact of Lynch’s refusal to give easy answers—his work as an invitation to reflection and questioning, rather than resolution (07:12, 26:18).
• Michael observes, “Kubrick didn’t do that. 2001, you have an ending that you don’t totally understand, but you think about it. Twin Peaks: The Return especially, is that way for me.” (26:18)
• Lynch’s fascination with “high strangeness” and the paranormal, and his ability to evoke these themes cinematically (34:33).

Notable Lynch Stories

• The iconic Robert Loggia road rage casting story from Lost Highway; how a real-life outburst inspired Lynch a decade later (29:14).

Meditation as Legacy and Practical Tool

• Eric advocates for anyone to try TM (“Any meditation is amazing... If y’all want to do it...it’s the best way to honor him. And boy, you’ll end up really honoring yourself.” 37:14–37:37).
• Michael and Riley express renewed commitment to meditation and creative work in Lynch's memory (37:37).

Appreciating Lynch’s Full Oeuvre

• Recommendations include The Straight Story (“It vibrates at this... just incredible energy... if you’re not a Lynch head yet, that’s a great way to start and you will leave that movie affected.” 39:10–40:02).
• Lynch as a sound artist: focus on his music, collaborations (Angelo Badalamenti, Trent Reznor, Sparkle Horse), and innovative sound design (“His approach to sound and music is equally compelling to the storytelling and visuals.” 41:06).

The Duality and Shadow in Lynch’s Work

• Episode eight of Twin Peaks: The Return, Abraham Lincoln reference: “I think just my theory that...once we shot off that first nuke, we made our deal with the devil. And when you do that, a parallel universe of evil has to rise up as well... Which means there’s an evil Abraham Lincoln.” (43:04–43:51)
• Michael reflects on the theme of light and darkness: “How do you hold the darkness and the light together at the same time? And which one prevails?” (44:01–44:52)

Personal Connections and Favorite Lynch Moments

• Riley’s story of first seeing Eraserhead as a teenager: “I sat and watched Eraserhead with my mom in silence... and I was just, like, blown away. It blew my mind. I had never seen anything like it.” (47:51–48:33)
• Michael’s Mulholland Drive DVD mishap (“We watched. We got super high... and just as they opened the box in the opera, the DVD started scratching and, and, and failed. It stopped playing. So we were like, No!” 48:40–50:20)
• Recommendations for listeners: watch Lost Highway, The Art Life on Criterion Channel.

David Lynch’s Enduring Message

• Eric closes: “There’s a void that can’t be filled. But I think you’re right, Mike. It’s up to all of us to grab that creative baton, sing our song, make stuff, see the tail light.” (51:53)
• Parting mantra: “Focus on the donut, not the hole.” (52:13)

Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• Michael McMillan on Grief for Lynch:
  “I’ve never been more affected by the passing of an artist.” (03:44)

• Eric Edelstein on Meeting Lynch:
  “That expression, ‘don’t meet your heroes,’ is absolute and total bullshit. He was just the greatest soul ever and there’s a giant void.” (05:51)

• Eric on Lynch’s Vision for Meditation:
  “He made himself available to all of you. And he also did it primarily to boost meditation... It’s not a cult. It’s not a religion. It’s a practice. It’s a technique.” (04:18)

• Eric on Lynch’s Sets:
  “I’ve never been on a happier set. It felt like a day at the spa... when everybody’s meditating... you just feel whatever this is that’s bigger than us.” (09:17)

• Eric on Being Hired for Twin Peaks:
  “I want to hire that big guy with that laugh... He may not look it, but he’s an ace detective... He’s the sweetie of them.” (13:32)

• Eric on Facing his Fear:
  “I’d had a recurring nightmare about memorizing for him. And then he quickly looked...‘You can have the paper right there. I don’t care about that. It looks like detective work. What I care about is your mother is lost and driving around the hills, and you’re the only person that will help her because your brothers won’t, because you’re a sweetie.’” (16:02–17:41)

• Michael on Lynch’s Creative Mystery:
  “The stuff that David lynch has made... I’m carrying that entire story, that world with me on a daily basis in a way that... nothing has really gotten to me before.” (26:18)

• Eric on the Robert Loggia Story:
  “So, Robert Loggia auditioned for Blue Velvet... he hears them talking about... Dennis Hopper’s deal. They forget to tell Robert Loggia. He finds lynch and screams at him... with such a terrifying rage... David lynch is sitting here being screamed at and gets a smile on his face. And then instantly, he knows how to use him. So... when Lost Highways coming up, he realized 10 years later, ‘That’s it.’” (29:14)

• Michael on Grief and Responsibility:
  “I’m suddenly feeling inspired to be like, okay, it’s up to us now. We have to carry the baton. He’s gone. He showed the way. Let’s create, let’s make this art, let’s do this.” (37:37)

• Eric’s Closing Words:
  “There’s a void that can’t be filled. But I think you’re right, Mike. It’s up to all of us to grab that creative baton, sing our song, make stuff, see the tail light. As he’s quoted many times this weekend... Focus on the donut, not the hole.” (51:53–52:22)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:42] Michael shares news and personal grief over Lynch’s passing
• [04:18] Eric on Lynch’s accessibility and love for fans
• [09:17] Meditation on set, “day at the spa” atmosphere
• [13:32] Casting story & giggle that won Eric his role
• [16:02] Eric conquers his performance fear, thanks to Lynch’s support
• [21:53] Lynch’s family spirit on set; welcoming new actors
• [26:18] The creative mystery and ongoing impact of Lynch’s work
• [29:14] The Robert Loggia Lost Highway casting story
• [34:33] Revisiting Lynch through the prism of high strangeness
• [39:10] The Straight Story as an accessible entry to Lynch
• [41:06] Lynch as a sound artist
• [43:04] Evil Abraham Lincoln/Woodsman theory in Twin Peaks: The Return, episode 8
• [47:51] Riley’s first Eraserhead experience
• [51:53] Eric’s closing thoughts and Lynch’s final lesson

Final Takeaway

This episode is a moving eulogy and a creative call-to-arms—celebrating David Lynch’s singular art, radical kindness, and lifelong mission to “focus on the donut, not the hole.” Eric Edelstein’s firsthand accounts from Twin Peaks: The Return illuminate Lynch’s rare blend of genius and generosity, while the hosts challenge themselves and listeners to honor his legacy: meditate, create, and never stop exploring the mystery.