Oh, mice.
David Lynch fans around the world are reacting to news of his death by sharing favorite moments from a wide range of the author's award-winning films and TV shows.
But there's one entry in the accomplished director's impressive resume that most people might forget about — the New York City anti-littering public service announcement that the earth-loving Lynch created in the wake of his smash success with “Twin Peaks” in the early 1990s.
Fortunately, someone at the city agency with a good memory was able to find the expectedly creepy clip — posting the all-black-and-white announcement on social media in the wake of the unwelcome news of Lynch's death at age 78 on Thursday.
Strange music plays – not unlike the sound of a loud subway train rounding a sharp corner – as viewers see what appears to be a garbage barge making its way up the East River.
We are then shown a man in a suit looking around before throwing a piece of trash on the ground, followed by a trip underground to see the mice emerge from their hiding place.
The scenario is repeated several times – a mother in Central Park throws away an iced pop wrapper before handing candy to her daughter, with the Plaza Hotel in the background, cutting to the eerie sight of a rat's wriggling tail.
A taxi driver, pedestrians, a gang of bikers, an angry rodent baring its teeth – the action speeds up as we hurtle towards the end, where a small army of four-legged terrorists rush across an image of a dark city skyline.
“Cleaning up. We care about New York.”
The number listed was a complaints hotline of sorts – similar to the precursor to the modern 311. Currently, it is listed as a hair and beauty supply store in the Flatiron District.
A rep writing on the NYC Sanitation
They continued: “Peace be upon the visionary filmmaker and pioneer of the garbage revolution.”
“Leave it to Lynch to make the ad look like he's reading Camus,” one viewer commented.
According to a 2017 post on Gothamist, the trashy tape was filmed as part of a series known as “We Care New York,” during one of Apple’s most corrupt eras.
It was a collaboration between Lynch and his longtime director of photography, Frederick Elms.
The “Mullholland Drive” director has also shot commercials for Calvin Klein, Armani and others throughout his career.
