The “Jack” in question here is the one and only Jack Nance of the (David) Lynch Mob and after seeing this documentary, you’ll know enough about Jack that you won’t know what to do with yourself.
Right off the bat, this film is pretty much for David Lynch fans only. Yes, this documentary tells the tale of an eccentric actor with a drinking problem and a “thing” against Sam Donaldson and as interesting as many of these stories are, I couldn’t see anybody who wasn’t a fan getting into it.
Jack Nance starred in David Lynch’s first feature film “Eraserhead”, going on then to appear in “Blue Velvet”, “Wild at Heart” and “Twin Peaks” as some of the most memorable characters in the Lynch universe. He appeared in other films too, like “Motorama” and “Meatballs 4”. You may scoff at these films, but during the making of these specific movies is when Nance was going through some of the hardest times in his life, thus producing some tear jerking stories from people who knew him at the time.
In 1996, Jack Nance died from brain hemorrhaging, possibly due to a scuffle he got in at a Winchell’s in Pasadena, California. In this documentary, a few people describe his funeral as a warm-hearted celebration and that’s the best way to describe this film. Friends, family, industry people and even David Lynch all chip in quirky stories about a man they loved very much, rarely ever letting the mood get too depressing despite some very sad stories. This is a fine documentary about one of Hollywood’s most unique actors.
