A dream of dark and troubling things . . .

David Lynch‘s debut feature, ERASERHEAD is a strange surreal examination of male paranoia with a serious underlying “creep factor,” making it a perfect choice for prime time Father’s Day viewing on Sunday, June 18.

While Lynch famously refuses to overly deconstruct his films, “stubbornly” insisting instead that all interpretations are subjective and therefor equally valid, it i widely appreciated that ERASERHEAD is a nightmarish analogy for the discomforts and fears of a new father accepting the role of fatherhood. Our hero and title character, Henry, faces a number of horrifying obstacles in meeting someone of the opposite sex, meeting her parents, and procreating. Produced during a one-and-a-half-year period while director Lynch was a student at the American Film Institute, the film launched him as a major new talent admired by cinephiles and filmmakers all over the world. It stands today as a milestone in personal, independent filmmaking.

Henry (John Nance) resides alone in a bleak apartment surrounded by industrial gloom. When he discovers that an earlier fling with Mary X (Charlotte Stewart) left her pregnant, he marries the expectant mother and has her move in with him. Things take a decidedly strange turn when the couple’s baby turns out to be a bizarre lizard-like creature that won’t stop wailing. Other characters, including a disfigured lady who lives inside a radiator, inhabit the building and add to Henry’s troubles.

“Despite constant ambiguity within it, a key part of ‘Eraserhead’s’ meaning relates to the fear of fatherhood. It depicts the anxiety of becoming a parent and taking on the responsibilities involved. It’s not a passive fear either, but rather a full-blown terror about the entire process from start to finish. After the baby comes into his life, Henry’s world becomes a rolling nightmare.” (ScreenRant)

“David Lynch‘s surreal ERASERHEAD uses detailed visuals and a creepy score to create a bizarre and disturbing look into a man’s fear of parenthood.” (Rotten Tomatoes)

“What makes EREASERHEAD great — and still, perhaps the best of all Lynch’s films? Intensity. Nightmare clarity. And perhaps also it’s the single-mindedness of its vision.” (Chicago Tribune)

“What a masterpiece of texture, a feat of artisanal attention, an ingenious assemblage of damp, dust, rock, wood, hair, flesh, metal, ooze.” (Village Voice)

Sunday, June 18
Doors 9:00 pm | Movie 9:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.
Advance tickets HERE | $13 at the door

Dads get in for HALF PRICE! HERE

ERASERHEAD (David Lynch, 1977 / 89 mins / Henry Spencer tries to survive his industrial environment, his angry girlfriend, and the unbearable screams of his newly born mutant child.

*Minors OK. Must be 19+ w/ID for bar service.
*Rio Theatre Groupons and Rio Theatre passes are OK for any single film screening only. Please redeem at the box office.
*Online sales end an hour before showtime; unless otherwise noted, tickets are always available for purchase at the box office prior to showtime. All Rio Theatre tickets are final sale. Our box office is typically open 30 minutes before showtime. All seating is General Admission; please arrive 20-30 minutes prior to showtime to ensure great seats and time for treats.
*If you are looking to redeem either a Rio Theatre gift certificate or Groupon to any regular Rio Theatre screening: You can either email us in advance <[email protected]> and give us a “heads up,” or do it at the box office prior to showtime. (We seat 400+ people and our regular screenings are very rarely at capacity – you should not have issues being admitted.)