History YMMV / Eraserhead

* TrueArtIsIncomprehensible: The movie is well-known for being surreal as hell and is one of David Lynch's best-known works.

** The Baby can come off as adorable if you can get past the fact that it looks like a misshapen Apatosaurus head sticking out of a bundle of gauze.

* EnsembleDarkhorse:

* WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs: It wasn't. David Lynch doesn't need drugs.[[note]]Apparently there was an interview where he was asked if he took drugs. Lynch said "Yes, I eat huge amounts of sugar" and there was a long silence.[[/note]]

* HilariousInHindsight: The Baby somewhat resembles E.T.

** The Lady in the Radiator is popular due to her creepy singing and UncannyValley appearance.

** The Baby itself has a difficult existence and ends up killed by its father.

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: Downplayed because the ''rest'' of the film doesn't make much sense either...

* HilariousinHindsight: The Baby somewhat resembles E.T.

** HilariousinHindsight: The Baby somewhat resembles E.T.

** The Man in the Planet's role is also subject to various interpretations. It's hinted that he is responsible for the Baby's appearance and birth and that he can manipulate a planet, which may or may not be Earth, but the film overall is vague about his identity and purpose. It's possible that he is some sort of deity or perhaps just another dream figure for Henry.

** Is Henry a put upon man, a neurotic womanizer, or, indeed, completely insane? Did Henry kill his child out of disgust/hatred? Or was he trying to put the child out of its misery?

** The Baby is one due the SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome. Its special effects have aged rather well and to this day, viewers describe it as disturbingly realistic.

** The Baby is one due the VisualEffectsOfAwesome. Its special effects have aged rather well and to this day, viewers describe it as disturbingly realistic.

** Is the Lady in the Radiator as real as the Baby or is she just an abstraction of Henry's fantasies? If she is an abstraction, what exactly does she [[RuleOfSymbolism represent]]? Some have suggested that she is a figure or hope while others believe she is Henry's wish to commit suicide.
** The Man in the Planet's role is also subject to various interpretations. It's hinted that he

** The Lady in the Radiator is another example due to her creepy singing and UncannyValley appearance.
* EveryoneIsJesusInPurgatory: The main plot is a metaphor about a man who is not ready for marriage or fatherhood, but some parts of the film are more abstract, such as the ending, the Man in the Planet, and the Lady in the Radiator.

** What exactly the Baby is meant to [[RuleOfSymbolism symbolize]] can vary among viewers. Some believe it's a metaphor for marriage and commitment; similarly, some believe the Baby's death to represent abortion or vasectomy. Still, others believe the Baby's death represents guilt and suicide. Of course, David Lynch encourages various interpretations of his works while refusing to share his own interpretation as not to influence his viewers, so this is very much intentional.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: The Baby and the Lady in the Radiator are the most popular characters in the film.
* EveryoneIsJesusInPurgatory: Henry's world certainly feels like purgatory. As noted above, there are many different ways to interpret the movie and its characters.

** The Lady in the Radiator isn't too ugly, her main deformity being her oddly-shaped cheeks.

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: Is Henry a put upon man, a neurotic womanizer, or, indeed, completely insane? Did Henry kill his child out of disgust/hatred? Or was he trying to put the child out of its misery?
* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: Not that the ''rest'' of the plot makes much sense either...
** Two major scenes in the movie could either be this or [[RuleOfSymbolism subtle touches of symbolism]].

* EarWorm: The Lady in the Radiator's song "In Heaven" is guaranteed to stay inside your head for a long time.

* EveryoneIsJesusInPurgatory: Henry's world certainly feels like purgatory.
* FauxSymbolism: Several scenes in this movie could be either very, very surreal touches of symbolism or a random BigLippedAlligatorMoment.
** Some notice it's just one huge metaphor for marriage and commitment.
** Or guilt and suicide.
** Or abortion.

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment:

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: Two major scenes in the movie could either be this or [[RuleOfSymbolism subtle touches of symbolism]].

* VisualEffectsOfAwesome: Virtually everything, but especially The Baby. To this day, we ''still'' don't know exactly how it was made.
* TheWoobie: There are some characters in the film that you'd simply have to pity.
** Henry deserves sympathy for being left by Mary X to raise the Baby alone.
** The Baby itself has a difficult existence and ends up killed by its father.

* WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs: It wasn't. David Lynch doesn't need drugs.
** Apparently there was an interview where he was asked if he took drugs. Lynch said "Yes, I eat huge amounts of sugar" and there was a long silence.

* NauseaFuel: The Baby is likely to make you feel squeamish, especially in the scene where it gets sick.

* EarWorm: The "Lady in the Radiator" scene. Among other kinds of worm.
* EnsembleDarkhorse: The Baby.
** The Lady in the Radiator.

* NightmareFuel: It's Creator/DavidLynch, what do you expect?
* NauseaFuel: '''The Baby'''.

* TrueArtIsIncomprehensible

* TheWoobie: Henry, Paul, and The Baby.
* UglyCute: The Baby.
** And the Lady in the Radiator.

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: Is Henry a put upon man, a neurotic womanizer, or, indeed, completely insane?