Eraserhead (1977) | Custom (VHS)

**USA ONLY**

Title: Eraserhead (1977)

Genre: Horror / Surrealism / Independent

Plot Synopsis
In a bleak, industrial landscape a man named Henry Spencer is burdened with the care of a grotesquely malformed infant whose relentless cries degrade his life. Visits to the family of his girlfriend Mary X brim with disquiet: distorted meals, oppressive noises, and unspoken responsibilities surface during awkward interactions. Mary abandons Henry and the child, leaving him alone in a dingy apartment where hallucinations and dreams begin to blur reality—he hears a woman in his radiator singing, visions of a cosmic figure manipulating levers, and increasingly gruesome encounters with the child that culminate in violence and existential dread.

Cast and Crew

• Director: David Lynch

• Writers: David Lynch

• Cast:

  • Jack Nance as Henry Spencer

  • Charlotte Stewart as Mary X

  • Allen Joseph as Mr. X (Mary’s Father)

  • Jeanne Bates as Mrs. X (Mary’s Mother)

  • Judith Anna Roberts as the Girl Across the Hall (Neighbor)

YouTube Trailer: Eraserhead | Trailer

IMDb Link: Eraserhead (1977)

Reviews from Letterboxd

1. AdequateEmily – ★★★★☆
   “It’s a dream, an anxiety fueled fever dream about a future, fatherhood, and the fear of becoming truly horrific in the name of escape. That is the core of this to me: anxiety. Anxiety and stress. At the end of it all, Henry is a man controlled by his emotions, particularly fear and desire, that cause him to spiral out of control.”

2. jp drew – ★★★★☆
   “seeing the baby for the first time gave me a similar sensation to being tickled. at once i was laughing at the absurdity and cringing, begging it to stop, while my body clenched together and my fingers and toes curled. it’s horrifying, but also innocent looking and truly unforgettable. gorgeous black and white cinematography with the jet black suit starkly contrasting Henry’s surroundings and the sawdust looking like stars at night or embers floating from a fire. sound design is very impressive.”

3. soup99 – ★★★★☆
   “Although Eraserhead is a surreal journey, it’s still a bit too rocky for me. Everything doesn’t have to be a metaphor. Visually, Eraserhead is a feast – the …”

Meta Description:
A haunting and surreal examination of fatherhood, guilt, and nightmare imagery in David Lynch’s cult classic, where the boundary between reality and nightmare distorts under industrial dread.