10 Strange David Lynch Stories You Probably Don't Know

8. The Dead Calf Inspiration For Eraserhead

Because David Lynch’s absurd films are so unrelentingly absurd, it’s no surprise that the filmmaker often refuses to explain the meaning behind his movies or the process he took to achieve the look or the feel of them. This is especially true of Eraserhead, his first project, which he insists on leaving up to the viewer’s interpretation.

The film follows a peculiar man who suddenly finds himself taking care of an alien-like baby. While the thing looks like an infant-sized fly without any wings, rumor has it that Lynch got his hands on a dead calf and fashioned the character from its embalmed corpse. (You’ll never get a confession out of him, though.)