The movie-loving Maplewood community showed off its independent spirit and desire to watch movies together on Friday night, May 16, at Wild at Heart: A Tribute to David Lynch, presented by The Maplewood Film Society with support from the Maplewood Division of Arts & Culture.
More than 220 guests filed into the Woodland for the sold-out screening of Lynch’s film, Wild at Heart, on a big screen. “This is the only David Lynch film that is not streaming on platform,” said Maplewood Film Society co-founder Angela Matusik. “It won the Palm D’Or at the Cannes Film Festival almost exactly 35 years ago to this date.”
It was a sold-out house to see Wild at Heart at The Woodland on May 16, 2025. (Credit: Photos by Chad Hunt Photography)
Audience members were given candy necklaces, just like the one that Sailor Ripley (Nicolas Cage) gives Lula Fortune (Laura Dern) as a symbol of love in the film. Other surprises included the chance to purchase a limited-edition Polaroid portrait of David Lynch by photographer Henny Garfunkel, and signed copies of How Coppola Became Cage by author and guest speaker, Zach Schonfeld, who joined a post-screening discussion. Enthusiastic fans dressed as Lynch characters to be eligible for door prizes, and pose for a photo in the Twin Peaks inspired selfie station.
“How many people here would support an indie cinema in Maplewood?” asked the film society’s other co-founder, Lisa Cohen as the crowd roared with applause.
Angela Matusik, left, with cinematographer Fred Elmes and author Zach Schonfeld. (Credit: Chad Hunt Photography)
But the true draw of the night was a chance to see Lynch’s seminal film Wild at Heart and to hear insights and production anecdotes from its cinematographer, Fred Elmes, afterwards. Before the film began, a surprise video message was played from its star Laura Dern, saying how important David Lynch and Elmes were to her. “Please tell Fred I love him,” she said. Before rolling the film, the acclaimed cinematographer reminded everyone how special it is to watch movies together in person. “When you watch this movie together tonight, it becomes much more than a movie, it becomes a cultural experience,” he said.
Additional sponsors of the event included Able Baker and Pollack Properties Group. The Maplewood Film Society is a non-profit dedicated to bringing movies back to Maplewood. For more information, visit the Maplewood Film Society.
