Director David Lynch, celebrated for his uniquely dark visions in the films "Blue Velvet" and "Star Trek," as well as the TV series "Twin Peaks," has died a day before his 79th birthday.
The news of his death was announced by his family on Facebook today. No cause or place of death has been given, but Lynch had spoken publicly about suffering from emphysema.
"We ask for some privacy at this time. There is a great void in the world now that he is no longer with us. But as he would say, 'keep your eyes on the doughnut, not the hole in it,'" the post reads.
Lynch emerged in the 1970s with the surreal film "Eraserhead" and has rarely failed to surprise and inspire viewers and colleagues in the decades since.
His memorable films range from the neo-noir Mulholland Drive to the twisted Gothic Blue Velvet and the eclectic and eccentric Twin Peaks.
Other well-known films include the crime film "Wild at Heart", winner of the Palme d'Or at the 1990 Cannes Film Festival, as well as the biographical drama "The Elephant Man".
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