- Alternative Character Interpretation: 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?
- Big-Lipped Alligator Moment: Two major scenes in the movie could either be this or subtle touches of symbolism.
- The twenty or so minutes of deleted scenes from the original print (now lost) were supposedly cut for being too much BLAM...
- Ear Worm: The "Lady in the Radiator" scene. Among other kinds of worm.
- Ensemble Darkhorse: The Baby.
- The Lady in the Radiator.
- Everyone Is Jesus in Purgatory: Henry's world certainly feels like purgatory.
- Faux Symbolism: Several scenes in this movie could be either very, very surreal touches of symbolism or a random Big-Lipped Alligator Moment.
- Some notice it's just one huge metaphor for marriage and commitment.
- Or guilt and suicide.
- Or abortion.
- I Am Not Shazam: There is nobody named "Eraserhead" in this movie. Despite what you might think, the title doesn't refer to Henry's haircut, it refers to a scene in the movie where somebody makes pencils out of his severed head. It Makes Just as Much Sense in Context.
- Nightmare Fuel: It's David Lynch, what do you expect?
- Nausea Fuel: The Baby.
- Squick: See Nightmare Fuel and add the worms (quite possibly giant sperm) that are everywhere.
- They may symbolize giant sperm, but they are umbilical cords swiped out of a hospital dumpster. One assistant stepped on one accidentally and was so disgusted that she quit the whole production.
- Another interpretation is that the worms are developing fetuses of monster-children much like the baby Henry and Mary already produced.
- True Art Is Incomprehensible
- Visual Effects of Awesome: Virtually everything, but especially The Baby. To this day, we still don't know exactly how it was made.
- The Woobie: Henry, Paul, and The Baby.
- Ugly Cute: The Baby.
- And the Lady in the Radiator.
- What Do You Mean, It Wasn't Made on Drugs?: 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.
