This is also anecdotal, but I've taught a few sections of Intro to Film at a large public university and almost none of my students know Lynch either (at least prior to the course). And while I've never shown anything by Tarantino, Fincher, or Nolan, I inevitably have two or three students (out of 20) write their final papers on one of their films. In fact, I already know that I've got a Tarantino paper and a Fincher paper coming my way this semester. Although I also consistently have a student or two who fall in love with Rivette or Varda and end up writing on them.FrauBlucher wrote:I'm not surprised. Tarantino, Nolan and Fincher are more accessible and marketed to the mainstream while Lynch is not nor tries to be. I agree that he would be more of a discovery to the college student.JohnShade wrote:and as someone who teaches high school students. The kids who express an interest in film almost always mention Tarantino, Nolan, or Fincher; I've never heard any of them mention Lynch. Perhaps that happens when they go to college, but apparently not enough for any of them to actually buy tickets to his movies and take his advice about watching them on a big screen.
Full disclosure: I did write a (probably really bad) paper on Jackie Brown while I was an undergraduate (but I wrote a Lynch paper too!)