Watch your step in the courtyard

Rating: 10/10 (8 November 2001)

In possibly the most telling scene of this late-career student film by David Lynch, screen vet Ann Miller warns relative newcomer Naomi Watts ("Tank Girl") about dog poop on the courtyard of their apartment building. The camera lingers significantly on the little series of turds. "Pets are allowed," says Miller, but they have to be kept under control, or cleaned up after, or some such adage. It's a clear metaphor for directors and pet projects, but one many reviewers seem to forget by the end of this seeming intentional mess by one of the kings of oddness. Cameos by Billy Ray Cyrus and Chad Everett liven up this extremely well-acted flick. Lynch's directing is also at the top of the game, even if it was edited by a monkey (sans typewriter).