David Lynch's Forgotten Disney Movie Finally Has Merch
One of the weirdest things that David Lynch ever did, in the middle of a career that spanned freaky arthouse smashes, one of the first modern viral TV shows, and an album called Crazy Clown Time, was direct a family-friendly G-rated film called The Straight Story. True to its name, the nearly two-hour flick is one of Lynch's most approachable productions, as far removed as possible from Inland Empire's existential horrors and the gauzy surrealism of Mulholland Drive. The Straight Story was so straight that it was even distributed by Buena Vista, one of Disney's since-defunct distribution imprints.
Perhaps that's why, despite Cannes and Oscars noms, it's also one of Lynch's least remembered feature films. However, all things Lynch are worth watching — including and especially his weather reports — and though The Straight Story has been mostly forgotten since its debut in 1999, it's finally being rereleased in glorious 4k come 2026. And finally, it also has merch to match.
Created by Japanese label weber, The Straight Story merch is as bizarrely literal as the movie itself. Consider that this is possibly Lynch's weirdest film, not because of its content but because of its sheer existence. Admittedly, even this curio is a worthy summation of Lynch's interest in pulpy middle-of-nowhere Americana, small towns, and ordinary people who find themselves in the middle of bizarre situations. But it's also more direct than anything else in Lynch's corpus.
Appropriately weber created uncomplicated goods to match The Straight Story's straightforward vibe. But it gets so literal that normal becomes weird: there are T-shirts and totes printed with the film's poster, a keychain in the shape of the lawnmower driven by the film's protagonist, a branded cap, stackable cups. There's even a tee showing the address of the Japanese theater that'll be showing The Straight Story upon the remaster's domestic debut in February.
It's as comprehensive as any collection that'd have been created for Twin Peaks, except that series still has a hardcore fanbase while The Straight Story is a tiny oddity. But that's what makes this a perfect reflection of its subject.
At a time where film has never been more in fashion and Lynch himself a cultural touchstone, every last Lynch oddity is due attention. And each is equally worthy of the kind of comprehensive merch you'd expect for an A-list affair.
The Straight Story, in all its odd ordinary-ness, deserves oddly thorough merch. Now, let's see about reissuing Lynch's adidas sneakers or perhaps producing some little Rabbits dolls.
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