Since Marilyn Manson returned to the stage in the summer of 2024 with the One Assassination Under God tour, pulsating illuminated upside-down double crosses have been a consistent part of the stage design. The double cross itself is nothing new in Manson's work. It has been part of his imagery for many years and became particularly prominent again after the Heaven Upside Down era. What is new since 2024 is the way the symbol has been incorporated into the lighting of the performance. Rather than functioning simply as a static emblem, the crosses now pulsate and change as part of the stage itself, becoming one of the most noticeable elements of every concert. Manson's return to the stage has also involved bringing back many features and images from earlier periods of his career, which has naturally given the performances a nostalgic quality for longtime fans. What interests me for this analysis, however, is what has actually been added during this new period that has not be...
It was announced Thursday January 17th 2025 that Film Director David Lynch died of emphysema at the age of 78, just a few days before his 79th birthday on Monday.
Both Lindsay and Manson paid tribute to Lynch on Instagram, with Lindsay posting in her stories a broken heart under the poster for Wild at Heart and Manson posting the poster for Lost Highway with the message: "May you live forever inside our dreams."
Both Lindsay and Manson paid tribute to Lynch on Instagram, with Lindsay posting in her stories a broken heart under the poster for Wild at Heart and Manson posting the poster for Lost Highway with the message: "May you live forever inside our dreams."
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Manson and Lindsay have both said that Wild at Heart (1990) is their favorite Lynch film and favorite romance film, to the point where their wedding theme in 2020 was inspired by Wild at Heart, and they even invited Nicolas Cage, the star of the film, to attend, which he did via a video call. Also, a quote from the film spoken by Crispin Glover can be heard in the song "Lunchbox", when you hear: "I'm making my lunch!"
Manson's first film appearance was as a snuff film pornstar along with bandmate Twiggy Ramirez in Lynch's film Lost Highway (1997), to which he also contributed two songs, "I Put A Spell On You" and "Apple of Sodom", the latter of which was written specifically for the film.
Among other films of Lynch that inspired Manson's music, imagery and performance are Twin Peaks, in the song "Wrapped in Plastic", and Blue Velvet in Manson's onstage performance of "Sweet Dreams" as well as his smeared lipstick look and use of an oxygen tank in his performance.
Since Lynch and Manson met during the production of Lost Highway, Lynch has written an introduction to Manson's autobiography The Long Hard Road Out of Hell (1998) where he mentions how Manson reminded him of Elvis, and the two have collaborated on both an art show and a coffee table book titled Genealogies of Pain (2010).
Manson also does a spot on impression of David Lynch, as you can hear in the video below. May he Rest In Peace.
Manson also does a spot on impression of David Lynch, as you can hear in the video below. May he Rest In Peace.