Hotel Room (sometimes referred to as David Lynch's Hotel Room) is an American drama anthology series that aired for three episodes on HBO on January 8, 1993, with a rerun the next night. Created by Monty Montgomery and David Lynch (who directed the first and third episodes), each episode stars a different cast and takes place in the same room of a New York City hotel, in the years 1969, 1992, and 1936, respectively. The three episodes (totaling 99 minutes) were intended to be shown together in the form of a feature-length pilot, with the hope that a series in a standalone half-hour format would be produced later. Following a lukewarm reception, HBO chose to not produce more episodes.

Premise

The series opens with a narration written and spoken by co-creator Lynch: "For a millennium, the space for the hotel room existed, undefined. Mankind captured it, and gave it shape and passed through. And sometimes when passing through, they found themselves brushing up against the secret names of truth."

Cast

Episode 1: Tricks

  • Glenne Headly as Darlene
  • Freddie Jones as Louis "Lou" Holchak
  • Harry Dean Stanton as Moe Boca

Episode 2: Getting Rid of Robert

:

  • Griffin Dunne as Robert
  • Deborah Unger as Sasha
  • Mariska Hargitay as Diane
  • Chelsea Field as Tina

Episode 3: Blackout

:

  • Crispin Glover as Danny
  • Alicia Witt as Diane

Recurring

  • Clark Heathcliff Brolly as Sean the Bellboy
  • Camilla Overbye Roos as Maid

Production

Barry Gifford wrote and Lynch directed the first and third episodes; Lynch had previously adapted Gifford's novel Wild at Heart for his 1990 film of the same name. Jay McInerney wrote and James Signorelli directed the second episode. The series was produced by Deepak Nayar, who also worked with Lynch on Wild at Heart, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me and On the Air; and executive produced by Monty Montgomery and Lynch. Cinematographer Peter Deming previously worked with Lynch on On the Air. The music was composed, conducted and orchestrated by Lynch's frequent collaborator Angelo Badalamenti, while Lynch was responsible for sound design as in many of his other projects. were published in a book by the University Press of Mississippi. The first broadcast was rated first in its time slot on HBO.

Reception

The New York Times wrote: "David Lynch has long raised suspicions that his work would be most at home on late-night television, but Hotel Room indicates otherwise. This setbound omnibus drama, produced by Mr. Lynch and featuring three weak episodes set in the New York City hotel room of the title, plays like a listless visit to a Lynch-style Twilight Zone where stories go nowhere, anecdotes are pointlessly bizarre and lame quips are echoed emptily, as if banality were a form of wit." Variety was a little more positive about the third episode: "With the exception of a fine performance by Alicia Witt and a few intriguing moments, the episodes are flat and wooden, lacking the fascinating darkness of Lynch's other work." The Los Angeles Times wrote that although it wouldn't become a hit, Lynch fans would enjoy it: "As you might expect with the talent involved, this is the Grand Hotel not quite so much of the twilight zone as of hell itself, definitely not for the tastes of typical travelers but a marvelously absorbing stay for the Lynch true-faithful, at least." In retrospect, the first episode's premise of Lou switching his identity with Moe, or possibly being his split personality, is a forerunner of the theme of identity switching that Lynch would continue to explore in Lost Highway, Mulholland Drive, Inland Empire and Twin Peaks: The Return.

See also

  • Room 104, a 2017 HBO series with a similar premise

References

  • Hotel Room introduction, episode info, pictures, teleplay info at The City of Absurdity site
  • Hotel Room episode guide on AboutLynch.com

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