Unlocking the mystery of David Lynch's enigmatic epitaph
The grave marker of director David Lynch has been revealed by his daughter Jennifer.
'Dad is at rest at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Visit when you can. I will be', she shared alongside a picture revealing a black stone bearing a cryptic epitaph that couldn't be more Lynchian.
It reads: 'Night Blooming Jasmine.'
"Night Blooming Jasmine"
The three words refer to a scent he associated with Los Angeles and nostalgia for a bygone era of Hollwood. Which is rather appropriate considering the Hollywood Forever cemetery on Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles is the final resting place of many classic Hollywood icons including Cecil B DeMille, Jayne Mansfield and Judy Garland.
In one of Lynch's regular Weather Reports on YouTube, posted on 21 December 2020, he said: 'Now, the days are gonna start getting longer, and spring time is right around the corner. When, at least in LA, that night blooming jasmine will once again fill the air with its sublime fragrance'.
Going back further, Lynch was interviewed in 2016 by
AnOtherMagazine
, and said: 'When you fly into LA at night, it's all lit up, miles and miles of lights – so beautiful. It's a very fast image. But within it there are these places that talk about memory. You know, on a summer's night, maybe more like a spring night, you could drive to certain places and if you smell that night-blooming jasmine, you can almost see Clark Gable or Gloria Swanson. The golden age of Hollywood is still living in some moods here, in the DNA of the city.'
David Lynch - Cannes 2017
AP Photo
The visionary behind films like
Blue Velvet
and
Mulholland Drive
, as well as the groundbreaking TV show Twin Peaks,
died in January aged 78
.
Lynch's death was announced by his family in a Facebook post, which read: 'There's a big hole in the world now that he's no longer with us. But, as he would say, 'Keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole.''
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Euronews
3 days ago
- Euronews
'Weapons': Why no one needs a prequel to the box office hit of 2025
While it was highly anticipated, Zach Cregger's Weapons has become the breakout hit of the summer no one expected. Not only did the American filmmaker's sophomore horror film top the box office during its debut weekend and has raked in a reported $92 million internationally at the time of writing (on a budget of $38 million), it's also become one of the most critically acclaimed films of 2025. For those who haven't yet had the pleasure, Weapons is a mystery horror gem that takes place in the aftermath of the disappearance of 17 children, who all leave their homes one night at precisely 2:17am. They run into the night and are never seen or heard from again. In our (glowing) review for Weapons, we wrote: 'Cregger skilfully employs a Rashomon-style narrative construction to craft a distressing fairytale that starts off as a small-town mystery thriller with shades of Twin Peaks and Denis Villeneuve's Prisoners. And his novelistic approach pays off, as it only furthers quite how much Stephen King must be green with envy that this suburban US nightmare isn't his baby.' We added: 'Weapons has become the tense and deliriously entertaining horror film to beat this year. Considering 2025 has already been good to the genre, with Presence, Sinners, The Ugly Stepsister, 28 Years Later and Bring Her Back – to name but a few highlights – that should tell you plenty.' But because we can't have nice, self-contained things, there's trouble afoot... There are only three certainties in life: death, taxes and Hollywood greed. The slightest whiff of buzz and box office glory and opportunistic studios start getting ideas, seeking to milk creative properties dry. And because Weapons is a hit, a prequel has apparently been tabled, with Cregger reportedly in early talks for a time-reversing follow-up. Per an exclusive report from The Hollywood Reporter, Cregger is in early discussions with Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema for an origin film set in the Weapons universe – with the prequel focusing on the film's mysterious antagonist. Warning: mild spoilers ahead. The prequel would focus on Amy Madigan's character Gladys – this demented fairytale's witch, who cast a spell on the kiddies and ends up meeting a particularly gruesome end. On a surface level, a prequel could make some artistic sense. Weapons is a non-linear story that explores multiple viewpoints, and the film never gets Gladys' perception. There's no doubt that Madigan would ace it if she were to return to the role, and Cregger has proven that he's not to be underestimated. However, one of the many reasons why Weapons works so well is a lack of backstory for the evil character. We don't need answer dumps or to be clued up on the 'why' behind her nefarious motivations; it's a lot creepier when these elements remain unknown. Prequels not only run the risk of botching continuity, canon and tension, but dish out unnecessary explanations. Recent examples like The Hobbit trilogy, Furiosa and Wonka prove it. Moreover, they are always poison when it comes to the most interesting characters: villains. A villain origin story that reveals motive ruins mythology, quashes audience imagination, and tanks the scare potential of a truly excellent antagonist. Norman Bates is far more scary without a motive. Darth Vader definitely lost his threatening edge when George Lucas decided to go back and unveil his entire backstory. Hannibal Lecter is much less frightening once you've been force fed the origins of his cannibalistic ways. And the nightmares triggered by aunt Gladys will be more underwear soiling if audiences are purposefully kept in the dark about why she's parasitically invading families' spaces and terrorising small towns. 'It's a lot scarier when there's no motive, Sid.' Wise words from Billy Loomis in the first (and best) Scream film. So, Mr. Cregger, if you're reading... First of all, congrats and enjoy your moment – it's merited. Secondly, please don't bend to studio pressure and fight for Weapons to be a standalone. We understand you're already busy with the upcoming Resident Evil film, as well as an original film you're reportedly working on titled Flood. Do those. And if you won't listen to Euronews Culture, please listen to Billy. Murderous tendencies aside, he had a point.
Euronews
3 days ago
- Euronews
‘Baby Shark' song not plagiarised, South Korean top court rules
South Korea's Supreme Court ruled today that the globally popular children's song 'Baby Shark' was not plagiarised, ending a six-year legal battle over an American composer's copyright claim. US composer Jonathan Wright accused South Korean kids content company Pinkfong of copying elements from his own earlier version of the tune. He filed a lawsuit in Seoul in 2019 and sought 30 million won (approx. €18,500) in compensation. Wright, also known as Johnny Only, released his version in 2011, four years before Pinkfong's, but both were based on a traditional melody popular for years at children's summer camps in the United States. South Korea's top court upheld lower court rulings dating back to 2021 and 2023 that found no sufficient grounds to conclude Pinkfong infringed on Jonathan Wright's copyright. Throughout the case's prolonged run, the courts consistently ruled Wright's version did not differ enough from the original melody to qualify as an original creative work eligible for copyright protection, and that Pinkfong's song had clear differences from Wright's. The Supreme Court said its ruling reaffirms the established legal principle on existing folk tunes as derivative work. 'The Supreme Court accepts the lower court's finding that the plaintiff's song did not involve substantial modifications to the folk tune related to the case to the extent that it could be regarded, by common social standards, as a separate work,' it said in a statement. Pinkfong said in a statement to that the ruling confirmed its version of 'Baby Shark' was based on a 'traditional singalong chant' that was in the public domain. The company said it gave the tune a fresh twist by adding 'an upbeat rhythm and catchy melody, turning it into the pop culture icon it is today.' Chong Kyong-sok, Wright's South Korean attorney, said he hadn't received the full version of the court's ruling yet, but called the outcome 'a little disappointing.' 'Anyway, the matter is now settled,' he said. 'It's our work that came out first, so we can handle the licensing on our side and I guess we then each go our separate ways.' Pinkfong's 'Baby Shark' became a global phenomenon after it was released on YouTube in 2015. A year later, the company uploaded a second video which showed two child actors doing hand movements on the song's catchy "doo doo doo doo doo doo" hook. 'Baby Shark Dance' became the most-viewed YouTube video of all time, now exceeding 16 billion views. The song was also featured in various cultural products, including in The Angry Birds Movie 2 and in TV series The Umbrella Academy. 'Baby Shark' remains a crucial product for Pinkfong, which earned 45.1 billion won ($32.6 million) in revenue in the first half of 2025, according to its regulatory filing. The company has turned the five-member shark family - Baby Shark, Mama Shark, Papa Shark, Grandma Shark, and Grandpa Shark - into TV and Netflix shows, films, smartphone apps and globally touring musicals.
Euronews
3 days ago
- Euronews
Every new revelation about Taylor Swift's ‘The Life of a Showgirl'
Taylor Swift's new era is almost upon us... The pop superstar announced her 12th album two days ago but everything apart from the title, 'The Life of a Showgirl', remained a secret – the cover of the album, the track titles, the release date... Everything. Until now. Swift appeared on her partner's podcast last night, 'New Heights' hosted by Travis Kelce and his brother Jason, to discuss the album at length. The episode was particularly revealing and more than 1.3m viewers tuned in to watch the YouTube version of the podcast, which ran for almost two hours. If you don't have that kind of time to spare, we've got you covered. Here's everything you need to know about the episode and the key revelations regarding Swift's new album. What's in a name? Swift revealed she worked on her 12th album in Europe while she was on the record-breaking Eras Tour - flying between dates to record, and therefore truly embodying the album's title, 'The Life of a Showgirl'. When is it out? 3 October. That's precisely 50 days from today. Or if you're a diehard Swiftie: 72000 minutes. What's the cover about? The album cover is themed after 'the end of my day,' said Swift. 'My day ends with me in a bathtub." It also highlights what the album is about: 'Everything that was going on behind the curtain.' 'This album is about what was going on behind the scenes in my inner life during this tour, which was so exuberant and electric and vibrant,' she said. 'It just comes from the most infectiously joyful, wild, dramatic place I was in in my life. That effervescence has come through on this record.' Why the orange colour palette? Orange was chosen because it's a colour she feels energised by. Fair enough. What's going to be on it? In a word: 'bangers'. 'This is the record I've been wanting to make for a very long time,' said Swift. 'Every single song is on this album for hundreds of reasons, you know? You couldn't take one out and it be the same album. You couldn't add one and it be the same album. It's just right.' Travis called the album 'upbeat', noting its difference in tone to her 2024 offering. 'Life is more upbeat,' Swift responded, smiling at him. Cute. The track list for 'The Life of a Showgirl' is: 01. 'The Fate of Ophelia' 02. 'Elizabeth Taylor' 03. 'Opalite' 04. 'Father Figure' 05. 'Eldest Daughter' 06. 'Ruin the Friendship' 07. 'Actually Romantic' 08. 'Wi$h Li$t' 09. 'Wood' 10. 'Cancelled!' 11. 'Honey' 12. 'The Life of a Showgirl' featuring Sabrina Carpenter Who's behind the album? 'The Life of a Showgirl' is produced by Swift with Max Martin and Shellback, with whom she has previously collaborated on albums including 2012's 'Red', 2014's '1989' and 2017's 'Reputation'. During the podcast, Swift described Martin as her 'mentor' and noted how he and Shellback had helped craft some of her biggest hits - 'We Are Never Getting Back Together', 'Shake It Off', 'Blank Space' and 'Delicate', to name but a few. Are we going to get another set of songs straight after the release like last year? 'There aren't other ones coming,' confirmed Swift - referring to the surprise double album in 2024. This year's album will stand alone, with no bonus tracks. 'It's not like The Tortured Poets Department where I was like: 'Here's a data dump of everything I thought or felt in two or three years. Here's 31 songs.' This is 12,' she said. 'There's not a 13th, there's not a 14th, there's not other ones coming.' Swift did unveil four limited-edition deluxe variations of 'The Life Of A Showgirl' on CD – all of which contain special artwork, booklets, photocards and more. However, the tracklisting remains unchanged at only 12 songs. Thank the stars for that, because last year was... well, exhausting. In April 2024, Swift released 'The Tortured Poets Department' as a 16-track record, only to surprise-release an extended version just hours after the original album dropped. Swift received some criticism for the lengthy tracklist of the 'anthology' edition of 'The Tortured Poets Department', which ran for 35 songs. And nothing needs to be that long. Not even a new TayTay record. Still, she's learned her 'kill your darlings' lesson, as less is definitely more. As a reminder, 'The Tortured Poets Department' smashed two streaming records on Spotify, achieving 300 million plays in one day and one billion over five days. It also made Swift the first artist in history to secure the top 14 spots on the Billboard Hot 100. Following last year's release, Swift holds the record for most No 1 albums in the US by a female artist in history, and is also the first artist to have ever won the Grammy for Album of the Year four times. Will there be a tour to promote the new album? Swift has not yet mentioned whether she plans to tour 'The Life of a Showgirl'. She ended her globe-hopping Etas Tour in December, a tour which sold tickets worth an estimated $2.2 billion (£1.6bn) in its nearly two-year run - making it the highest-grossing tour of all time. After that epic stretch, we'd be very surprised if she decides to get back on the road so quickly. But then again, when it comes to her work ethic, Swift is unparalleled. A modern day pop Stakhanovite. What's with Swift's hidden 'Easter eggs'? Swift spoke about the ways she uses Easter eggs (secret messages to fans) to tease her music. "I'm never going to plant an Easter egg that ties back to my personal life. It's always going to go back to my music," she said, joking that some fans are so spot-on when it comes to decoding her clues that it's almost gotten a bit "zodiac killer". She said her favourite example was a speech she gave when she received an honorary doctorate. "I put so many lyrical Easter eggs in that speech that when the Midnights album came out, after that, the fans were like, 'The whole speech was an Easter egg!'" What else did we learn? Swift shared some of her hobbies during the podcast, which include baking. She and Travis spoke about their love of making sourdough bread together - specifically blueberry lemon, cinnamon swirl and Funfetti variations. Swift joked that her partner's dough winds up with chest hair in it, while hers has extra cat hair. She even offered a few bread-related puns referencing her discography. The standouts? We can't decide the winner between 'Are you bread-y for it?' and 'It's a loaf story, baby just say yeast.' Taylor and Travis are very fond of each other, aren't they? While Swift has been more reserved about discussing her relationship in public, last night's podcast saw the two lovebirds in full swooning mode. "I had never experienced something so mesmerising on stage, and then so real and beautiful in person," said Travis gushed about Taylor. His brother and co-host said at one point that maybe he should leave the recording to give them some privacy. "Yeah I think so, honestly," Swift responded. "At this point, I think everyone should leave." If you can find yourself someone who looks at you the way those two were gazing at each other, a happy person you shall be. Taylor Swift's 'The Life of a Showgirl' is out on 3 October 2025.
