2. David Lynch, Eraserhead
There are very few film directors like David Lynch. His style and vision are quite unique and he has become a consummate voice in film ever since his feature debut, Eraserhead in 1977. Creating a dark world all his own, Lynch tells the story of a high haired nerd named Henry (Jack Nance) who walks through life by way of fantastic visions of what may be his nightmares or perhaps his future, or both. Caring for a sickly child he fathered with his girlfriend, Mary X, Henry tries to maintain a normal life, all the while being haunted by his visions. Lynch independently filmed Eraserhead over the course of many years and was able to secure a midnight screening opportunity when it was finally finished, which lent itself extremely well to the film's surreal tone. Eraserhead was released to mixed reviews, with people either loving it or hating it, but as the years have gone by, Lynch's growing film resume seemed to add to the quality of the film. What makes Eraserhead such an amazing debut is that this film can be compared to any other subsequent David Lynch work and the same voice can be heard, becoming the very definition of an auteur. Even as a young first time film-maker, Lynch already had an assured vision of what his films were going to look like, sound like and feel like, and Eraserhead was the blueprint to his foundation.